You have to hand it to our fighting troops that, even in the face of immense danger, they see their mission through to its very end.  If anything, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon allowed gamers to experience what it is like to be in the skin of an elite group of specially trained soldiers that the realistic nature of the game made Xbox gamers think through each decision as if lives depended on it.  Really, what other game can do that?  Now we’ll get a taste of what it’s like to be on Cuban soil as the Ghosts take on new threats in Ghost Recon: Island Thunder.

Island Thunder made its debut on the PC a long while ago as an expansion pack and--I must add--fans of the Ghost Recon games could not have been more happier.  The game puts gamers in the year 2010 and the death of Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, has the people of Cuba looking forward to its first peaceful free election.  Unfortunately, there is a group of militant thugs influenced by the local drug lord who threaten to put an end to the new President’s plan to bring democracy to the lush tropical island.  Once again, it is up to the elite group of “ghosts” to bring these hooligans down so Cuba can finally live in peace.

Those gamers familiar with Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon world will find that nothing has changed in Island Thunder.  The game is still seen through a first-person perspective as you command two three-man squads of specialists known as “Ghosts.”  Gamers, once again, can choose the team and fill the roster with snipers, demolition experts or heavy gunners.  The controls even feel the same so those gamers that have played--or are still playing--the first Ghost Recon game will easily jump into the game.  For those playing the game for the first time, Island Thunder can serve as a warm-up for the original Ghost Recon.

The single player Campaign missions are limited in number, eight to be exact (with a five more to be downloaded through the Xbox Live service).  The missions take you through dense jungle settings, isolated tobacco plantations and even into a Cuban city.  Like the original game, each mission has a set of objectives to complete to successfully grab a high mission rating.  One objective has gamers seizing suspicious contraband that had been dropped by planes into the middle of a field while other objectives require you to secure a beachside resort that has been overtaken by the enemy.

One of the many reasons Ghost Recon was such a big hit with Xbox owners is the wonderfully well-constructed multiplayer feature.  Not only can you play with other gamers using a single Xbox but you can also set up a System Link game using multiple Xbox consoles.  Yet it’s the Xbox Live multiplayer games that won the biggest points and with good reason.  You can team up with gamers to play a variety of favorites like Hamburger Hill or Domination only using the Cuban backdrop as your battlefield.  The game moves along smoothly online and I’ve found that half the fun is just getting a battle plan together with other squad mates.  Really, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

While still not the prettiest of games, this game actually does see some improvements from the first game.  Your squad mates, for example, are a bit better detailed and everything from facial features to the style of the uniforms can be distinguished from afar even before their name pops up on screen.  However, the environments, which look lush from a distance still looks rather dull up close.  The same can be said about the enemies, which look great while they’re on patrol in the distance but look like clones of each another once you’re up close to them.  While it would have been nice if the graphics have been completely redone, the visuals do not take away from the enjoyment this game provides.

Sound-wise, the Ghost Recon games excel in immersing gamers into the environment by surrounding you with detailed ambient sounds.  Creeping along the tobacco fields, your boots crunch on dry leaves as tropical birds call out somewhere in the thick of the nearby foliage and the insect life becomes a nerve-wrecking hum.  Suddenly gunfire erupts and it startles the senses thanks to all the other sounds that distracted you before the attack.  Gamers will feel as if they’re out there in the fields of Cuba and this is, no doubt, what Ubi Soft was going for in the first place.

Ghost Recon: Island Thunder is yet another excellent addition to the squad-based tactical action game Xbox owners have come to love.  While its single player campaign missions are few in numbers, it’s the quality that counts here and Island Thunder won’t disappoint in this front.  Yet the real gem is the Xbox Live multiplayer games that will have fans cheerfully busy for a long time to come. 

Gameplay: 8.0
There is nothing really new on this front and that can be seen as a good thing . . . especially to those gamers already accustomed to the game’s controls.  For first time players, moving about the environment is the easiest part but issuing complex commands to specific members of your team can be a bit difficult.  Yet much of what you need to know is covered in the game’s training mode and gamers will come to know what kind of kits are needed on particular missions all on their own.

Graphics: 7.0
Graphics-wise, Island Thunder does get to see a slight improvement in the character design of each member of your team.  While the difference is not dramatically different, it’s nice to be able to distinguish each member of your team in the middle of an intense firefight.  Still, the enemies can look a too similar throughout the game but this could be easily ignored since they do move realistically.  The fields of Cuba look great at a distance and you can practically feel the steam that rises from the ground in the hot and humid tropical plantations.  While the same distracting misty fog appears in the game like it does in the original game, the great weather effects more than make up for it.

Sound: 8.5
Imagine stalking a group of rebels through the think and dense tropical flora as the deafening sounds of crickets surround you and your companions and--in the distance--a rare birds squawks before spreading its wings and takes off.  Imagine finding the rebels, listening to them chatter in Spanish, and then opening fire--your weapon fire echoing in sharp bursts.  This is but a small example of the game’s sound and since there is no in-game music to accompany you, it’s great to hear such well detailed sound effects.

Difficulty: Medium
Once again, each campaign mission comes complete with a set of mission objectives that have you and your team securing a particular location or clearing a suspicious compound.  You can always count on the enemy to put up quite a resistance and the wrong strategy can get member of your team killed.  The enemy AI is intelligent enough that the bad guys do duck for cover or call in reinforcements.  You can, however, surprise them but it required a high level of stealth.  There are missions, however, that is far too brutal even for seasoned Ghosts.

Concept: 8.5
Island Thunder’s eight missions offer plenty to do and its mission objectives are challenging enough, but it’s the Xbox Live online features that will leave gamers very satisfied.  Not only can you compete in matches and tournaments, but you can also create your own match and invite gamers or challenge top players you can find on the scoreboard.  You can team up with other players or play solo against groups of opponents online.

Multiplayer: 9.7
Ghost Recon was such a major success on the Xbox due in part to it’s Xbox Live multiplayer features that have gamers team up with each another and plan attacks or defensive strategies thanks to the Xbox Communicator.  Island Thunder, thankfully, continues the tradition by offering the same sixteen player squad-based multiplayer games using the Cuban backdrop as your battlefield.  And topping this all off, you can play using a single Xbox as a split-screen game or System Link play.  This is simply one of the most gratifying online multiplayer experiences and I’m sure gamers will be playing this one for months to come.

Overall: 8.7
Island Thunder isn’t simply a Ghost Recon add-on with different maps and enemies.  This is, simply put, yet another stellar Ghost Recon experience with an interesting premise, challenging missions and the same great online multiplayer experience we’ve all come to expect from a Tom Clancy tactical action game.  If you’re a fan of the Ghost Recon games, Island Thunder will make a wonderful addition to your library.