Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

""Tango Down. Room is clear.""

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

Graphics: The graphics for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas are amazing. The amazing graphics are what is to be expected from a Next Gen console. The details are great. From the environment to the terrorists, everything is topnotch. You can see people's lips move when they talk and zoom in on the terrorists reloading their weapons, which makes for a great time to strike. The cut-scenes in the helicopter are a bit of a let down. They could have done a better job with the Vegas skyline. Other then that, everything is great.

Sound: The sound for this game is simply brilliant. Each gun has its own distinct sound. Also, there is cool interaction with the environment. If you shoot a glass window it will shatter or if you shoot a car or barrel there it will have its own sound. The detail for this game is done very well. Also, the terrorists and your team members will be talking throughout the game. Hide behind doors or around corners and you will be able to listen to the terrorists communicate about how their mission is going. The music for the game is excellent. It changes with different scenes and really adds to the overall atmosphere of the game.

Gameplay: The gameplay is just outstanding. Getting through the game requires good tactics and strategy. Just simply running and gunning will get you no where expect dead. Utilizing cover and your teammates is very helpful. Hiding behind cover like a car, wall or slot machine will save your life. Although it is a first person shooter, while under cover the perspective switches seamlessly to the third person, which actually makes acting under cover easier. You can also blind fire around and over your cover to keep your enemies at bay. There are usually multiple entrances into a room, which allows for you to go through one door and order your teammates to go through another to ambush the enemy.

The artificial intelligence is also well done. The game proves to be a challenge and at some points can be frustrating are eventually beaten. The terrorists make good use of ducking and covering. They also have good aim, so getting fully behind cover is recommended. You also have to watch your back during a fight because an enemy might come though a back door or flank you. The health system is like Gears of War where there is no health meter. You simply need to hide when you get hit. When you are hit, your vision gets blurry and the screen becomes dark red and black. Finding cover and not getting hit for a few seconds will bring you back to full health. Utilization of the snake cam is one of the most helpful gadgets in the game. It also you to see what is in the next room so that you can plan your attack.

The weapons and gadgets add to the game as well. There are six types of weapons to choose from. The choice is between pistols, submachine guns, light machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and a shotgun. You always have a pistol and can choose to carry two other guns from the remaining five categories. Each weapon can also be customized. During the game, you can switch between a silencer on the gun and adjust the rate of fire. The gadgets consist of frag grenades, smoke grenades, flash bang grenades, breaching charges, C4, and incendiary grenades. These tools are helpful and should be used in your overall strategy. Whether you want to conceal your movements with a smoke grenade or rush in on a disoriented target with the flash bang grenades, these gadgets are very useful. Only two types can be carried at a time and there are only three for each before you run out and have to make due without.

Controls: The controls are fairly easy to master. I would say that it only takes about 30 minutes to get used to them and know how to operate them effectively. Switching between guns and reloading are very simple. Using the gadgets or zooming in are also quite easy. The pad and left bumper are used to control the actions and movements of your teammates. The A button will also send them into cover and is used for setting up for infiltrating a room or area. The best part about infiltrating is that there are usually three different ways of moving in. The three choices are open the door are clear, open the door, toss in a frag grenade and clear, and the last choice is to breach the door and clear.

On-line: Although not as good as Gears of War, Rainbow Six Vegas has a very good multi-player system in its own right. The multi-player can hold up to 16 players which provides for a high amount of action. You can create your own character and can customize its equipment, body armor, and clothing. There are six types of modes to choose from. They are Attack and Defend, Team Sharpshooter, Team Survival, Retrieval, Survival, and Sharpshooter. The variety adds to the experience. Then there are the two cooperative modes. You can play the story mode with up to three other players or do the Terrorist Hunt , which is basically you and your team members kill all terrorists on the map.

Overall: Simply put, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas is a great game. If you are a fan of First Person Shooters, than this game is a must buy. If not, then it is definitely worth a rent to see if you like it or not. A great game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/18/07