Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

"Rain bow Six Vegas: Thanks Tom!"

Every stalwart fan of Tom Clancy's first-person shooter titles will know that when the man releases a game, he releases something of very good quality. The latest addition to the Tom Clancy Rainbow Six series is titled “Vegas”, and takes place in not only Vegas, but other places such as Mexico and etc. The title offers everything you would expect from a Rainbow Six game: stealth, tactics, team control, and some pretty crazy gunfire. The actual gameplay consists of some very brilliant looking environments that are completely destructible and ready to withstand some punishment. The attacking system has been totally tweaked to match the great new environments: various body-parts being shot do more or less damage, the blood is realistic, and blind firing adds one more badge to the realism panel. As well, the character design and weapon looks are out of this world with realism, and when you get a look at your character, you will recognize the level of detail put into every speck of design. The weapons are realistic and have a disturbing level of authenticity, and the enemy A.I. is nothing to scoff at. There is little music to speak of, but the sounds of bullets firing and shells dropping will have you occupied enough to compensate for the lackluster soundtrack. Overall, the visual/appearance aspects are all sharpened to perfection, as you would expect from a Rainbow Six title.

“The actual gameplay consists of some very brilliant looking environments that are completely destructible and ready to withstand some punishment.”

If all of the gorgeous environments and sharpened visuals weren't enough, Vegas also offers a really cool online aspect that allows you to team-up with your buddies online to take part in various missions with different objectives and methods to victory. The smaller features such as online play and using a snake cam (being able to look under a door to assess the situation for entry), are what made the game really… Well, cool. This is the best way to build on the structure for first person shooters that Tom Clancy games already offer, without overstepping the boundaries of fun, or destroying the challenge completely. The only apparent scratch on Vegas' primed finish is the varying difficulty that the game presents. The respawn points are scarce, and the difficulty of the levels can change dramatically during certain situations. Although this adds a sense of realism, it can also become frustrating for the players with a lack of patience. The obvious solution to such a dilemma is to invite a friend over for the game's well-made co-op system.
From all of this, it is apparent that Rainbow Six Vegas is a definite recommendation for anybody who is looking for a realistic (and I stress, realistic) shooter that puts you in the commander's boots of America's finest. Strategy, cunning, and a bit of luck will be your best weapons against overwhelming odds, and a lack of units to cover your back. Three cheers for another splendid Rainbow Six title, keep em' comin.

“The only apparent scratch on Vegas' primed finish is the varying difficulty that the game presents.”

For the points stack-up, Vegas scored high due to its great visuals, realistic sounds, and the overall level of options for gameplay that offer a really great experience. Play online with friends, solo the amazing storyline, or hook up with a friend to do some co-op. play. Either way, Vegas offers something for every shooter fan out there looking for realism over fantasy, and for tactics before massacre. Subtlety has never been so fun!

The Good: Amazing visuals, great online play, and some generally good gameplay.

The Bad: The difficulty from the aspect of realism can be daunting.

OVERALL: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/19/07