The success of the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack not withstanding, Microsoft and Bungie would do well to learn from Ubisoft on how to make a truly kick @$$ expansion. The company that Tom Clancy built is releasing Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike on August 2, and unlike other games where you need the original in order to play it, you don't have to own Ghost Recon 2 in order to enjoy this title's shrapnel-flavored goodness.

Expansions normally debut at cheaper prices than the games they're based on and Summit Strike's buyer friendly $29.99 MSRP continues this trend. Also, in typical Ubisoft fashion the company is giving us some true bang for our buck. This feature-packed disc is pretty much a stand alone game that enhances developer Red Storm's Ghost Recon universe. It allows you to get a much broader view of the series, though it's not a direct sequel. Rather, it's like a 2.5, a small appetizer that will no doubt prepare you for the Xbox 360 incarnation of Ghost Recon. However, Summit Strike has some delicious goodies that make it stand out.

For starters, the game no longer takes place in North Korea. Instead, the Ghosts will be traveling to Kazakhstan, where a Pakistani warlord has just assassinated the country's president. On a murderous rampage, he and his army are threatening to follow up this senseless act of violence with more carnage, so you're basically sent in to kill all of his men and bash his $#$%&^$ head in. To that end, the game features 11 all new single- player missions that can be played solo or cooperatively with a friend, and as you play you'll be able to use 15 all new weapons and actually be able to know when you hit someone, as blood now appears after a character takes a bullet. The lack thereof is one of the major issues I have with Ghost Recon 2, so its inclusion in this expansion pack is a welcome addition. However, if you despise it, you can go into the options menu and turn it off.

In addition to the fairly meaty-single player campaign there's a very robust multiplayer mode that is actually this title's biggest appeal. Not only will you have access to all new skins, but there are 24 different maps to explore, some of which are from past Ghost Recons, that take place in numerous areas; some desert, some forest, some snowy, and some more urban. Additionally, there are 24 multiplayer modes, two of which, Heli Hunt and Armor Strike, are brand new to the series.

Heli Hunt pits you against an attack chopper that is capable of tearing you a new @$$ within seconds. You and your men can man gun turrets to take them down, but that's extremely time-consuming and it leaves you wide open to attack. The most efficient way to blow up one of these birds is with a well-placed bazooka strike, the bazooka being one of Summit Strike's new weapons. It's extremely cumbersome to hold and you can only fire one round at a time (the weapon needs to be manually reloaded, and after three shots you must seek out more ammunition), but it only takes one blast to rip open a helicopter, sending it sailing through the sky to its doom like a dead fire-breathing dragon, smoke and fire trails igniting the darkness.

As for Armor Strike, it is a team game where you must tag your opponents' armored vehicles in order to blow them up. If you went through Ghost Recon 2's rigorous training mode you should already be familiar with the concept.

What's also especially cool about the multiplayer section is how easy identifying your allies is. Now, instead of accidentally shooting your friends, though that will probably still happen, everyone on your team will have their name displayed above their heads, a genius decision that'll lead to a lot more enemy frags. Why we don't see this more often is anyone's guess, and I'm looking forward to actually knowing who's who.

Summit Strike runs off the same engine that powers Ghost Recon 2, so aside from some minor graphical touches, a heavy use of bloom lighting, and the spectacular helicopter crashes, it looks very much like its predecessor, not a bad thing considering the prequel is pretty attractive, but don't expect a Blinx to Conker style difference. Personally, it's the little things that impress me most, those being the sight of blood and the names above peoples' heads.

After spending $50 on numerous games that are not worth that price, it's nice to see an expansion pack that's all about value. Sure, receiving a couple of new maps and some behind-the-scenes stuff is sweet, but being able to play through an all new single-player adventure and exploring the levels with a host of new weapons is infinitely cooler.