GRAW2 vs. the real world: GRAW2 wins
There's a very interesting article at Popular Mechanics exploring the differences between the technology of GRAW 2 and its real world counterparts. Of course, we already know that GRAW 2 is the most realistic game ever produced, but how realistic is it really? Popular Mechanics compares the Cross-Com of GRAW 2 with the American Army's Land Warrior system. So, how does GRAW 2's system compare? First of all, both systems allow for the tracking of friendly units. In Ghost Recon, these are indicated by blue diamonds that move in real time. The Land Warrior system has a similar system that uses blue circles on a GPS map. The only difference here is that the tracking is far from real time. In fact, it takes a full minute to register new movement. The article notes that the GPS system is useful for large, conventional battles, but that it proves far less useful for the smaller, faster battles of modern day warfare.
What about Ghost Recon's infamous camera gun? In GRAW, players can crane their gun around a corner and lay waste to an entire squad, all the while remaining undetected by the enemy. The real world counterpart, a 12x magnified camera mounted on an M4 assault riffle, has less than responsive focus, making it hard to use in a similar fashion. The real world model also includes a thermal sight and laser rangefinder, but these attachments require extra batteries and a CPU. That's a lot to ask of a soldier who's already carrying an 80 lb. load. The article admits, though, that such equipment will likely be smaller and lighter by 2014 (when GRAW 2 takes place). The article also notes that GRAW's enemy tracking is very unrealistic if not technically impossible.
All in all, GRAW 2 serves as a heavily fictionalized version of what the Army is actually developing. Then again, it's a videogame. It wouldn't exactly be fun if your character was constantly tired from hauling around extra batteries and computers, all while dealing with the frustration of unresponsive equipment. Maybe they can work all of that into GRSLAW, Ghost Recon: Slightly Less Advanced Warfighter.
[Thanks, matt sullivan]
