The Rainbow Six series can be considered one of the kings of the tactical shooter genre. While its several past installments each offered a brand new Tom Clancy storyline to play through, the gameplay among them has not deviated all that much. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas attempts to remedy the situation by introducing some new features and certainly succeeds in that respect.
The plot in Rainbow Six: Vegas is of your run-of-the-mill Tom Clancy “stop the massive terrorist threat” variety. While it’s certainly not the deepest of plots, it fares better than the ones present in the previous iterations of the series. Apparently terrorists have taken over the entire city of Las Vegas and it’s your job to terminate them and find out what their plans are. What makes this story different, however, is not the actual plot, per se, but rather the way it’s presented. You’ll be aware of what’s going on and what you’re trying to do at all times and the emotional connection you have towards your squad-mates and other characters, while not remarkably so, is quite strong when compared to other Tom Clancy games.
The biggest addition to the game is the cover system. The Rainbow Six series has always been about staying in cover and strategically eliminating your enemies. However, taking cover was usually just standing behind a wall or object. The new cover system is very similar to that of Gears of War where, upon pressing the left trigger, your character will immediately line up against the closest obstacle. This makes the game feel like an authentic terrorist hunt and can match the intensity found in Gears of War.
Another slightly noticeable change in the single player campaign is the overall design. Unlike previous Rainbow Six games which featured primarily close quarters combat in enclosed areas, Vegas is a lot more open. Also, the amount of enemies seems to have drastically been increased as some levels of the game require you to take out hundreds of terrorists in order to complete the objective. Combined with the cover system, this offers the edge-of-your-seat gameplay that has been missing from the Rainbow Six series. The AI of your teammates looks to have been upgraded as well since they are very capable of killing. Though the rare moments of them insisting on unloading a clip into a wall are still there.
The brilliant visuals don’t hurt either. Las Vegas is a beautiful city and the game certainly makes you aware of it. Whether you’re rescuing hostages in the fictitious Calypso Casino or blowing off terrorists’ heads down Fremont Street, that atmosphere of Sin City is clearly present. One of the standout moments that I really enjoyed involved busting into a casino by going through tons of car blockades while every terrorist in the world shot at me. Any time I wasn’t shooting I was hauling ass to the next object for cover. And even though I died numerous times I enjoyed every bit of it since it was just so beautiful, and more importantly, fun.
But while the single player has been greatly improved, it’s still quite short and, as any Rainbow Six fan can tell you, not the bulk of the game. Multiplayer has always been strong in the series and Vegas is no exception. In fact, the problem is that it’s too much like the old games and doesn’t do much that’s new. To its credit, like most modern day multiplayer shooters, it has a leveling system that lets you unlock new weapons, armor, etc. the more you play, but it doesn’t add much. Regardless, all your favorite multiplayer modes are back and they will still offer the hours and hours of enjoyment like they always have.
Overall, Rainbow Six Vegas does indeed prevent the series from getting too stale by revamping the single player campaign. And while it’s incredibly fun, there just isn’t that much depth to make it outstanding. But if you’re a Rainbow Six fan and love the multiplayer, this is definitely a must buy.
