In addition to the environmental detail, there are also the nicely-detailed character models for yourself, teammates, opposing forces and vehicular support units. Being a third-person perspective game, you’ll be seeing the back of your head for a great deal of the game. You look great and this perspective gives you a terrific understanding of your place in the world. When the bad guys start firing, you’ll fully appreciate how close that tracer round just came to your head.

Backing up the stunning visuals is a similarly outstanding audio experience. From the hushed sounds of movement as you maneuver quietly toward your objective to the all-out firefights, the sound puts you right in the middle of the experience. Since I had the good fortune during my stint in the Army to never be shot at in anger, I can’t say it is like being in a real firefight, but it is like I was told to expect it to be.

During my Halo group’s recent link-play session, I talked to one of our members who has been consistently playing Ghost Recon games on Xbox Live and is even now playing GRAW on the original Xbox. He naturally wanted to give the 360 version a try. You’ve heard of jaws dropping? I think I literally saw it happen here. He was amazed at the leap forward in gameplay the X360 version offered over the original Xbox version and was floored by the detail of the visuals. According to him there is simply no comparison in the quality of the experience.

Coming three and a half months after the launch of the Xbox 360, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is verging on the second generation of games available for the system. It is the package that shows gameplay that can only be accomplished with next-generation hardware. Coupled with the immersive graphical and audio experience made possible with the system, the combination makes it a must-buy for Xbox 360 owners seeking a great gaming experience and a way to show off their new toy. A solid "A" effort from Ubisoft.