• December 7, 2006    Home > Game Reviews > Verdict

    Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

    A new console and a new team breathe life back into Ubisoft's popular shooter.
    Version
     X360, PS3, PSP, PC    		Developer
    Ubisoft Montreal    		Publisher
    Ubisoft    		Genre
    FPS

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    Page 2

    This cat-and-mouse chase through casinos, construction sites and office areas is what makes the game so engrossing. (It's definitely not the ham-fisted story with its ridiculous ending.) Yes, enemy placement is predefined and it reminds you that this is only a game, but that's a good thing. If your foes were any smarter Vegas would prove more than a match for a lot of people - doubly so if you've bumped up the difficulty. As it is, you'll probably be making piecemeal progress as you slowly learn where enemies are hiding. Once you've got that down, making it through the varied maps is a snap - relatively speaking.

    "Ubisoft has gone back to the roots of Rainbow Six and delivered one of 360's best games."

    With the new cast of characters come new moves, the best of which are the various rappelling manoeuvres. This rope play is a natural expansion of not only the abilities of the members of the team but also a game design that provides more options than ever for checking off mission objectives. You're given goals that update dynamically and how you get to areas is mostly up to you. You can head for the stairs to take your next victims head on or you can surprise them by smashing through windows from outside. It helps that taking outside routes is a terrific thrill.

    If your teammates don't seem smart enough (unlikely, since the AI is good at keeping them hugged against cover and following attack plans) you can call on people from your friends list for some co-operative play. If, however, you're more interested in playing against your friends than with them, there are also the 16-player online modes to consider. As demonstrated by the recent Xbox Live demo, these work well, thought it's a given that within the next few weeks any green recruits will be cut down by the server veterans.

    Not having had the luxury of playing Vegas online for a few weeks, it's hard to tell how well the community aspects of Vegas will add to the game. Playing with your friends is great, and the singleplayer will keep your sweating. Ubisoft has gone back to the roots of Rainbow Six and it has delivered one of the best games on the Xbox 360.

    Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL
    9.0 9.0 9.0 8.0 8.0 9.0


    THE VERDICT:     What I liked most about Rainbow Six: Vegas is how well the new cover system slots into the familiar gameplay series fans have come to love. It works better than in Gears of War and the game is challenging and beautiful to boot. There's simply no reason - other than a dislike of guns on your part - why you shouldn't get this one right now.

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    Video Coverage
    (Latest Videos & Video FAQ)
    PLEASE DO NOT DIRECT LINK TO ANY MEDIA FILE ON KIKIZO
    DescriptionDur.SizeDetails
    Rainbow Six Vegas
    Extended gameplay sequence (normal quality)       		11:04 128MB DF, SD, 16:9
    640x360p30
    1.7Mbps
    Rainbow Six: Vegas
    Direct feed trailer   (PS3, X360 - Ubisoft)    		 00:34 12MB DF, ED, 16:9
    852x480p30
    3.0Mbps

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