Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3

"What happened to you Rainbow Six, you used to be cool......"

The first Rainbow Six was a great game, it almost created a new ganre, the tactical shooter. The second in the seris, Rogue Spear, was almost perfect. Expecting somthing more or less perfect out of Raven Shield, I was rather dissappointed.....

GameplayThere are all of the trademerk missions ( hostage rescue, timed missions, etc.), but there are lots more besides. The thing that lets me down is that is that it has lost its tactical element from transfer to PS2, yeah sure if you get shot more than a few tome youre dead, but that doesnt make a good tactical shooter game, its the atmosphere. Is there a terrorist hiding behind that door ready to splatter my DNA all over the walls? Or is it a booby-trap, planted to keep us out? Or mabye its a hostage, screaming or help? Splinter Cell gave the player bags of suspense, you were actually frightened to open a door for fear of what lurks behind. But I think Raven Shield has lost that edge. Also what dissappointed me was the lack of planning and the tactical-ness of it. You might as well be a crazy lunatic with a gun, rather than an elite anti-terrorist force.
6/10

Graphics:Alright I cant complain here, the graphics were second to none, much better than that of other games released at the same time, you actually felt a part of the same, rather than a avid gamer looking in.
9/10

Music:The music was nice, not great, but nice. The only problem was the lack of music in the game, lots of nice menu music, but no music when your whacking terrorists.
7/10

Story:The story was superb. I couldn't have expected any less from a Tom Clancy game. Terrorists sieze oil factorys shipping oil ot the US, and its Ding and his team's job to stop them. The only worry is their number, but that shouldn't be a match for the legendary Rainbow, should it? You decide.
9/10

Difficulty:If your used to tactical shooters/FPS you shouldnt have that much of a problem, i fyou stick at it, and try different approaches, the tune will come to you at last.
7/10

Multiplayer:Almost endless fun, but if it is multiplayer your're looking for in this game, buy the PC version. The multiplayer is typical console multiplayer, pretty hard to control, and if you do mess up, your're dead.
7/10

Replayability:Not massively replayable, although some levels are distinctly more fun than others. Once or twice round the block should see through this game.
7/10

Buy or Rent? If you're going to play online this is a good buy, if you're just going to play single player, i would reccomend just renting it, if your good at first person shooters you should get through it in under a week.

CONCLUSIONI was expecting a perfect tactical shooter game, but found another first-person shooter. Some people say there arent many differences, but there obviously are, with the first two in the seris being so good. This was just another shoot-em up, with a twist. I'm not saying its a bad game, I'm just saying its distinctly average.
7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/14/04