The Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter series has been called one of the most realistic shooters in gaming today. With its emphasis on tactics, attention to detail in equipment, and scenarios situated in real-world locations, the games are more than a run-of-the-mill twitch shooter.

　　The series has always taken place in the future--the original Ghost Recon, released in 2002, was set in 2008--but the franchise's most recent incarnations have leaned particularly heavily on the high-tech equipment in the game. The Advanced Warfighter games are set in 2013 and feature military equipment based on cutting-edge technology of today.

　　Popular Mechanics decided to investigate just how realistic the game's equipment actually is. An article compares the game's cross-com system--which includes a flip-down screen showing locations of enemies and teammates--and the M4 camera attachment to the real-life equipment used by the military's Land Warrior System, currently being tested in Iraq.

　　In short, Popular Mechanics finds that the developers at Ubisoft have crafted equipment that--while based on exisiting technology--is still far beyond anything currently in use today. However, the author does note that the equipment is bound to get smaller and lighter and that a new wave of military satellites scheduled to launch in 2010 may just make GRAW a reality.

　　In a related article, Popular Mechanics speaks to soldiers currently testing the equipment, and it doesn't appear that the grunts are taking a liking to the extra high-tech weight. Sergeant James Young told the magazine, "It's just a bunch of stuff we don't use, taking the place of useful stuff like guns."