Action at a Distance for Rainbow Six 4

New sniper mode added to team-based shooter.

Ding Chavez and his Rainbow Six team have been kept busy over the past few years, chasing terrorists around the world and putting an end to their anti-social tendencies. In the upcoming Rainbow Six 4: Lockdown, though, the tables are turned and it's the Rainbow Six quartet that's the new target.

With the change in story come substantial changes to the way the game will play. The most prominent addition is that of a wholly new sniper mode. Past console Rainbow Six games have mainly centred on team leader Ding Chavez. In Rainbow Six 4: Lockdown, Ubisoft is moving back to the PC roots of the series, allowing you to play as another member of the squad.

Dieter Weber is the team's sniper and Ubisoft has built parts of the game around his long-range capabilities. Of the 16 missions that make up Rainbow Six 4: Lockdown, seven will contain sniper sections.

The sniper missions appear mainly at the beginning of the level, where you'll take control of Weber from rooftops or helicopters and make sure the rest of the team gets into hostile territory without harm. After that, the game switches you back to Ding Chavez to run through the rest of the mission. In other missions, you'll have to assume sniping duties midway through and at least one will end at Weber's hand.

One of the major returning features is online play. Before Halo 2 came along, Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow was the most played game on Xbox Live and Ubisoft is hoping to reclaim that crown.

Rainbow Six 4: Lockdown will be released for Xbox and PlayStation 2 this March.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games