Delta Force 2 improves on the original in just about every area. It sports enhanced graphics for smoother-looking terrain and convincing weather effects; new weapons; a more cohesive, story-driven campaign; more realistic ballistics; improved multiplayer support; and better control.

The original Delta Force's High Standard .22 caliber pistol has been replaced by the Heckler & Koch SOCOM .45 caliber suppressed pistol. It's "silenced," just like the High Standard, but has much greater stopping power thanks to a round that's twice as big. In addition to the 5.56mm M4 carbine with an underslung 40mm grenade launcher, we also have an M4-shotgun combo that replaces the grenade launcher with a 12-gauge shotgun -- special forces soldiers call it the "Master Key" because it's handy for opening doors and clearing rooms. Also new will be time-delay grenades. To take better advantage of the ability to move underwater, you'll be able to choose a pistol and rifle that can fire metal darts while submerged. In Delta Force 2, weapons will fire tracers only where it's appropriate, and certain appropriate weapons will have laser sights.

In addition to the new weapons you can carry, some missions will feature fixed emplacements -- heavy machine guns and grenade launchers -- that you can capture and use to your advantage.

In a lot of missions, you'll find patches of knee- and waist-high grass that are very useful for concealment. Go into a crouch in the grass, and you'll be that much harder to spot; drop to a prone position, and you're invisible to an enemy soldier standing right next to you -- unless he looks down. This opens up a world of tactical options, and it should be especially fun in multi-player.