Ghost Recon 2: Advanced Warfighter

There's a long and noble fictional tradition of one man taking on a legion of baddies and, against the odds, duffing them all up to save the world from (usually explosive) disaster. Think Rambo, Die Hard, Bruce Lee, and the immortal double-whammy of Jean-Claude van Damme and Steven Seagal.

The fact that these heroes always succeed makes you wonder why the British army doesn't consist of one grizzled bloke who can't act for toffee, but can defeat 300 enemies using just an Uzi, karate chops, a headband and a mottled string vest.

Give it a few years. In the meantime, Ghost Recon 2 is the latest mobile game to use that same 'one man against 'em all' plot device. In this case, you're Captain Mitchell, boss of a US special forces 'ghost' unit, who has 72 hours to defeat a legion of Mexican rebels trying to overrun the US border and kill millions of civilians. (We think it may be revenge for Taco Bell.)

The bulk of the game involves creeping about, hiding behind walls and shooting people until they die. Or, if you want to be a bit clever, hiding behind walls then lobbing grenades at people until they die. In other words, you can't do a Rambo and charge through levels blasting at will, because you'll soon get cut down in a hail of bullets.

Ghost Recon 2 is about stealth, and picking your moments to pop up and blast a baddie away. That's not to say it's not action-packed though: you get to leap over walls if you want, as well as do that thing where you run across a gap and roll behind some scenery while being shot at. (We had PE lessons like that, too, once upon a time.)

This 'cover' system is one of Ghost Recon 2's selling points, and it does make it a more cerebral challenge. However, it also makes it a bit of a trial-and-error fest. With infinite continues, much of the game involves advancing a bit, not realising where the cover is and getting shot to bits, respawning at the last continue point, and doing it again properly. It can get slightly frustrating.

Thankfully, variety is provided by the chance to jump into a tank and trundle through levels firing its gun at all and sundry. Gameloft has even dared to mess with the 'one man' formula, as you meet stray members of your team along the way, who take part in the action.

Ghost Recon 2 looks good, the sound is suitably atmospheric, and it's got the polished feel of Gameloft's other titles based on console games – the Splinter Cell and Rainbow Six series, for example.

It's not a stone-cold classic, due to the trial-and-error nature of the gameplay and the fact that it's over a bit too soon for our liking. Nevertheless, if you fancy yourself as a one-man army without the Hollywood cliches, Ghost Recon 2 is well worth a look.