Title: Rainbow Six: Vegas

Date: 12.20.2006

Genre: FPS

Platform: Xbox 360

Developer: Ubisoft

Publisher: Ubisoft

The first Rainbow Six game I played (also consequently the only one before this one) was the original gritty tactical game released for the PC way back. For me at the time I found the game too complicated, with its detailed planning screens where you could precisely plan out how you were going to do each mission to a level of detail that you would expect Special Forces and other elite teams use. The game was brilliant because it didn't follow the generic run and gun and be able to jump 200 feet into the air shooter. Because that was the only other game I have played in the series, I won't be looking at this game in comparison to other later titles in the series.

Gameplay

Obviously a game’s most important feature is the gameplay, despite what a good lot of fanboyish rantings might imply. At the end of the day, Vegas just plays well. No, it isn't incredibly tactical like the first in the series, so there isn't going to be four hours of planning before each mission, but it's still tactical enough to distinguish itself from the run and gun likes of Halo and other such bouncy FPSs. The first thing that might strike you when playing is the fact that you die quite quickly, and there is almost no room for even small mistakes. The games cover system, much like that of the coveted Gears of War should help to keep you out of trouble in most instances where you would otherwise have your brains splattered across the pavement, however. Also the open maps, which give you the option to take multiple paths, will save you from throwing down your controller after dying a few times trying to tackle an enemy mounted machine gun.

Flanking will be your best friend throughout the games single and multiplayer. But the comparison with Gears of War really ends there, as the game tends to me more about moving about the mission very carefully than sticking yourself to cover only to pop up and shoot 100 bullets into the face of a gung ho enemy. The first reason why you won't be doing that is because the enemy A.I is quite intelligent and will take cover often, rather than run at you and your two squad mates with little regard for their own being. The squad system is well thought out, allowing you to dish out a move to command with a simple press of the A button, and event specific orders such as moving to a door in preparation of a room clearing means you have a good amount of control over your squad mates.

Also their A.I isn't too shoddy either and many times they might even save your behind if you find yourself in an explosive situation. The online portion of the game, which features a create-a-character mode as well as rank progression, is quite enjoyable, although I would have to point out the occasion freezing that occurs (even if infrequently or not at all for most) can be quite irritating. You gain experience for each match you play which contributes to your rank. Ranking up gives you access to more weapons and equipment which is a nice feature, although the weapons you start off with are powerful enough to cause destruction if used wisely. There are a variety of game modes which will please many. Team Survival reminds me a lot of CounterStrike, and occasionally can cause the same frustration where you carefully move about the map with guile only to be shot in the back by a flanking opponent. Overall the gameplay is very solid and enjoyable, and even though the tactical aspect has been dumbed down from the first game in the series, it still retains enough tactical nuances to keep the series' trademark.

Story

As with most other shooters, the story isn't particularly thrilling, but at the same time, it does still contain enough within it to make you have a reason for slaughtering terrorists that have descended on Vegas. Without going in to too much detail and spoiling it, it's basically about a group of elite Special Forces who have to go to Vegas (as well as other locales) and kill terrorists. You may pay more attention to the story than I did, in which case my summary might seem bland but shooters are about shooting not about building a complex twisting plot line to keep you guessing.

Graphics

The graphics are very good, think GRAW but more detailed. This is only in the offline portion of the game however, as the online mode has a graphical reduction to allow it to work without too much slowdown. The guns look fantastic and I hear they are all accurately modeled. Facial features of characters are clear and distinct but it seems this only applies to you and your squad, because the terrorists are a bit featureless in comparison. But if graphics are what makes you rush out and buy a game, then this won't disappoint.

Play Time

The offline game lasts at least 10 hours which is fairly standard of most shooters, but the online portion of the game (if of course you plan to play it) will last a very long time, for me at least. Getting to the highest rank is not easy and will take a lot of play time if you want to unlock all of the online content (the idea of customizable camouflage is certainly appealing).

Final Word

If you are a fan of first person shooters that require a bit more tactical cunning than many on the market, then I fully recommend you buy this game. If you like playing online games that give you a sense of purpose to playing a lot (i.e the Rank system), then you should buy it. However if you don't intend to play it online then I think you should rent it first as the single player isn't long enough really to buy it. Otherwise I say buy this game it really is quite fun, and immensely satisfying when you pull of a headshot from cover when you spy your adversary break cover.

Game Score

B+

Reviewed By: Contributed