Game: "Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike."

Console: Xbox.

Developer/publisher: Red Storm Entertainment/Ubisoft.

Genre: Action/shooter.

Number of players: 1-4 (up to 16 online).

ESRB rating: Teen (blood, violence, mildly crude language).

The premise: Lead an elite U.S. Army unit known as the Ghosts on a treacherous campaign through the war-torn streets and rugged countryside of Kazakstan, where a Pakistani warlord has just assassinated the country's president.

Game play: "Summit Strike" features 11 single-player campaign missions that offer multiple objectives and numerous tasks, such as infiltration, recon, firefights, team play and solo. With vast environments that include snow-capped mountains, murky swamplands and urban locales, each level will require different tactics and strategies.

The main draw of the "Ghost Recon" series is multiplayer, and it comes packed with 24 maps and a multitude of new game modes, playable through split-screen, system link or online. This includes the all-new Helo Hunt co-operative mode, which pits a group of players against wave after wave of attack choppers; and the addictive Armor Strike mode, where two teams compete to destroy each other's tanks while trying to defend their own.

The good/bad: The open-ended missions and huge environments allow players to approach objectives from different angles and routes, providing a great deal of freedom in how each mission is completed.

But as a realistic, team-based tactical shooter, the Ghost Recon series isn't really for everyone. The slow and methodical pace of the single-player campaign might not suit the run-and-gun action that many gamers are accustomed to. And at times, the artificial intelligence for both your squad and the enemies can be erratic, with teammates and enemies uncharacteristically running out of cover in the middle of a gunfight.

My take: The "Ghost Recon" series has always been one of the most prolific tactical shooters on the market, and "Summit Strike" is no exception. With a robust and immersive single-player campaign, new maps and modes for online multiplayer, and a bargain price of $30, this game is a must-have for any fan of the military-shooter genre.

Julius Pecson, a longtime gamer, reviews games on various consoles for The Honolulu Advertiser.