Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
March 25,2008 - With only eighteen months separating the first Rainbow Six Vegas game to its sequel, a lot is expected to be desired, especially considering the dynamic pedigree that the series has garnered over the years. While the core concept of the game is essentially similar to the previous, a few minor tweaks and additions give fans a reason to head back to Sin City for some terrorist shooting action, despite the fact that Vegas 2 feels all too similar.

The game sees the heralded Rainbow Six group heading back to Las Vegas to stop a terrorist attack. The story itself is quite uninteresting and doesn’t remotely pick up until the end, which thankfully delivers a highly rewarding ending this time around. The similarities with the game’s name are rarely sound, however, considering most of the game takes place in neighboring regions of Vegas. It’s hardly a major gripe since all of the levels are beautifully constructed and original, but fighting amongst the glamour and lights like the first game is all but a memory here. The levels in which you are in Vegas feel similar to the previous game, except that now you are fighting in the sunlight rather than at night, a far cry to delivering new and inspiring locations.

There are still plenty of new levels in the game, just not ones that were as awe-inspiring and amazing as in the first game. Brand new hotels (themes that can only be originated in Vegas), lush barren landscapes, and foreign lands make up the bulk of the experience. Perhaps the novelty has worn off a little, but Vegas 2 fully makes up for it with relentless action. The game is more intense this time and enemies will get much harder to kill and flank. A new sprint button has been added, similar to Call of Duty 4, which allows your character to run short distances to avoid enemy fire. It’s a nice change for a series that is so akin to tactical action with slow-and-steady scenarios. It might take some veterans a while to adjust to the fast paced enhancements, but overall it’s a nice fit for the pace of the game.

The basic core gameplay is still around but it will take more thinking and tenacity to remain victorious. Enemies have been completely overhauled; they will flank you, pin you down for what will seem like hours, and even rush you while you are hiding for your life. Your squad mates, on the other hand, remain as drone and worthless as the previous game. There are times when they will do less-than-cavalier things, such as try to heal a fallen soldier in the open within heavy gunfire, or get caught up behind obstacles that will leave you in highly hospitable situations. It’s no difference than the problems found in the first game, but it would have been pleasurable had Ubisoft addressed these issues.

While many of you probably won’t pick up Vegas 2 for the story mode, it is probably essential to try it out if you plan on jumping online for a long time, as the experience system has been completely revamped to offer endless hours of replay value over the course of both modes. Now, the achievements you perform in both single player and multiplayer carry over to your overall total, meaning you don’t have to spend more time in one mode to fully upgrade your character with experience points. What makes this system so unique are the many different types of challenges you can achieve, such as blowing up multiple enemies at once with a grenade or sniping someone at a distance. Depending on what is performed, a separate section of the experience meter is upgraded, allowing you to net armor, weapons, and other upgradeable goodies once the requirements are met.

The majority of players will probably head over to the multiplayer portion of the game to get the full effect of what Vegas 2 has to offer. A wide assortment of various modes awaits anyone who is looking for a good time with friends or anyone over XBL or PSN. The same basic staples of all Rainbow Six games are around, such as deathmatch (both team and single) and capture the flag. Three new modes (demolition, team leader, and total conquest) give players a much needed change in the dynamics on online multiplayer and offer a nice balance of mayhem and originality. Demolition is similar to the standard “bomb the base” modes, team leader sets up an elimination style play where everyone will respawn as long as the leader is still alive, and total conquest, a reconstructed version from the first game in which three transmitters now flank the levels and controlling all three to win is a fast and furious experience.

Co-op mode is back but not for the better. Instead of keeping things the same with four-player co-op, Vegas 2 fittingly only offers two, and the options for the second player are boring and dull. Only player one can control your AI squad mates, leaving player two out to dry and feeling like an add-on to an already glorious event. If player one happens to fall during battle and you are stuck without any means to reach him, your squad mates will simply loaf around and do nothing, lending more uselessness to player two. The dynamics for the mode have changed to offer a more personal experience in allowing only two players, but the lack of options for anyone but player one makes it feel all too boring. Of course you can still do four-player terrorist hunts, which is unchanged and still as fun and engaging to participate in.

The visuals for Vegas 2 are spectacular, and actually do look and feel better than the first game. There are noticeable differences in the shine on buildings, rustle of focal life, and enemies that actually wear different clothing truly, making Vegas 2 one of the best looking games out to date. Plus the framerate has never been smoother, offering nonstop action even in moments of intense fighting. We never once experienced any slowdowns or glitches, which is a more than welcome affair in any shooter. The sound remains almost identical, with music that echoes the first game and enemies that yell the same lines over and over again. It isn’t enough to keep you bogged down with the similarities, but a little more diversity, perhaps in how things react during firefights (such as how commands sound and what enemies can yell during battle) would have kept things interesting.

The overall status of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is one of satisfaction, but also disparity. The game relies too heavily on the events and effects of the previous title, and although there are plenty of neat new features to whet your appetite, the game hardly feels like a sequel and more of a downloadable add-on. Fans of the series will no doubt be intrigued by the substantial differences, but casual shooter fans will see the changes as minor and only be impressed by the subtleties. Vegas 2 is still one of the best and most dynamic multiplayer experiences out there; just a little more change would have been welcome.

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