Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Review
Return to the city of sin
by Chris Davis
reviewed on X360
Down to the Paradise City
A little under a year and a half ago Ubisoft released the latest title in one of the longest running video gamer series of all time: Rainbow Six. Rainbow Six Vegas was a dramatic shift in many aspects for the series, introducing new concepts to both the single and most importantly the multiplayer modes which has always been the highlight of the series. Earning several Shooter of the Year awards in 2006 Ubisoft decided one more campaign was needed to fill in some of the blank spots left behind and thus created Vegas 2 which dropped into stores recently. But does Vegas 2 expand on where the first game was a hit or does it sink faster than a lead balloon? Read on and find out.
A Little Less Conversation
Despite the sequelistic nature imposed in the title, Vegas 2 functions as a companion piece more than anything else. Instead of focusing on Logan Keller, the team lead of the previous game, this new title focuses on Bishop. He is a customizable character players create at the outset of the game whose background history makes him one of the much liked instructors at the Rainbow team’s headquarters in Hereford, England. Thrust back into the operational status when rumors of chemical weapons about to be unleashed in the city of sin, Bishop leads Jung and Walters, Keller’s team mates in the first game, on a series of raids on various locales throughout the city seeking to learn why the attacks are happening.
The Rainbow Six series, spawned off the outstanding novel of the same name, has always prided itself in creating an intricate plot that leads to complete and total ass-kickory of the terrorist threat. However as the series has grown over the years the plots have unfortunately shrunk in size and adequately as well and Vegas 2 is a clear victim of this. As a companion game it does fill in some of the holes from the previous game but it doesn’t deliver them in nearly the grandiose style you would want. This is especially the case for veteran players who already know what and when many of the key plot elements occur. The ending is lackluster even though you finally get to take care of the antagonist of the previous game. Don’t expect to be wowed by the story that much, trust me.
A Little More Action Please
While the story of the game is a disappointment, the action is not. Well, almost. Following in the footsteps of the previous game the controls are almost identical save for the reorganization of a few buttons that ultimately works out better than the first time around. Vegas 2’s controls are almost as tight as they were in the first game thought there are still persistent yet minimally annoying issues that can occur within the cover system, most notably being the fact that some objects in the world you simply can’t take cover behind.
One of the biggest highlights of the Rainbow series has been its focus on hostage rescue and room clearing, something that was perfected in Vegas 1. The sequel continues that tradition with an increased emphasis in this regard, having you invade a variety of different building including recreation centers, casinos, and many other notable locals. Ordering your teammates to clear a room is just as simplistic and just as fun participating in as simply sitting back and watching your teammates wipe out the enemy, something that, for the most part, works every time. Vegas 2 in several areas increases the number of entry points, thus increasing the replay value by inviting the player back to experience clearings in several different ways.
8.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
