EPIC!!!1!

Playing Rainbow Six Vegas 2 with a friend who's not into this sort of game in the slightest, he was of the opinion that people who were into such titles would love the game – even going so far as to suggest I get the word 'epic' into my review as many times as possible.

Instead of doing that, I thought I'd get it all out of my system in one paragraph. So here goes...

Epically epic!!

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is epically epic stuff, boasting epic HD visuals, played to an epic musical accompaniment through an epic Tom Clancy antiterrorism story, against the epic backdrop of a sprawlingly epic digital Las Vegas, offering epic-scale firefights and epic levels of realism that Rainbow Six fans and Vegas 1 players will get epic amounts of epic enjoyment from.

Right. That's that out of the way. Now, to explain what all of that actually means...

It is, quite frankly, the approach to gunplay in Rainbow Six Vegas 2 that makes it so impressive, and yet so different from its obvious console competition. Halo 3 is all about massive environments and sandbox unpredictability, Call of Duty 4 is this huge, scripted tour-de-force, but Rainbow Six Vegas 2 requires a far more methodical mindset.

There's no jump button in Rainbow Six Vegas 2. You plod around at slow pace the majority of the time, sprinting in short bursts only over very small distances. And going gung-go gets you very, very dead in rather a hurried fashion.

Pro-american antiterrorist machismo

Instead, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is very much about co-ordinating your team's movements, taking cover, selecting the right weapon for the job, and going from room to courtyard to rooftop, clearing areas in a slow-moving, ever-alert SWAT-style manner. All the time you're paying heed to your mission objectives (disarm bomb, save hostages, etc), and hearing a not-infrequent amount of radio chatter laced with the type of pro-American antiterrorist machismo typical to Tom Clancy's works.

If that's your bag, then my mate's right – you will absolutely love Rainbow Six Vegas 2. The intensity of the title is all-but overwhelming.

Of course, plenty will have played the original, and for them that description of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will be largely redundant. For returning players, the real question will be; is Rainbow Six Vegas 2 a worthy sequel to one of 2006's best shooters? … And following that; does it improve the Vegas formula?

To be blunt; it's a very good more-of-the-same; after just 18 months in development, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 can't avoid feeling familiar. That, however, should be no bad thing for the series' fans, who will enjoy the heavier customisation elements, more cinematic storytelling, fully-fledged campaign co-op and enhanced multiplayer suite of Rainbow Six Vegas 2.

In co-op, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is at once a step forward, and a step back, with the number of players actually reduced from four to two. However, that's allowed Ubisoft to optimise Rainbow Six Vegas 2's co-op play, making it a more story-driven, cinematic experience. With player two able to drop in and drop out at will and play as the team's second in command, it's basically the singelplayer mode with an extra person – though it is a shame player two can't give orders if player one gets killed.

Familiar but refined

Rainbow Six Vegas 2's other big evolution is to bring experience points to the campaign mode as well as online multiplayer, letting you buy new weapons and equipment across the various modes and customise your character how you wish. Add in 13 new multiplayer maps, and the ACES system giving you experience points for different actions a little like Halo's medals, and Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is sure to keep fans occupied for quite some time.

And in the end, this really is one for fans. Familiar to, but refined over its 2006 forebear, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is another solid tactical edition to Ubisoft's epic series. Oh, shoot – I said it again.

GAME's Verdict

• More Rainbow Six Vegas action that fans of the first will find even more enjoyable.
• Run button ups the pace of the game considerably.
• New customisation and experience points systems make singleplayer even more fulfilling - while co-op and multiplayer are further refined.

• More of the same which won't necessarily feel as fresh to Vegas 1 fans, or convert non Rainbow Six players.
• Co-op play, while improved and more cinematic, is down from four players to two
• Running feels a bit odd at first and will be divisive amongst the hardcore Rainbow Six Vegas community.

Review by: Mark 'Six-Shooter' Scott
Version Tested: Xbox 360
Review Published: 20.03.08

Iain takes a look at Team Rainbow's upcoming multiplayer shenanigans.

It’s been over a year now since a trip to Sin City revitalised this previously flagging franchise and that time has seen it become one of the most popular choices for the ever-expanding online gaming massive. It’s no real surprise than that on their second excursion to Vegas, Ubisoft have kept a healthy focus on the multiplayer aspect, keeping and tweaking all the features that made the original such a hit, and also adding some new modes to broaden the experience.

The team at Ubi are quite happy to admit that they’re not looking to try and reinvent the wheel with this iteration, rather streamline it and make it more accessible to new players. As such the first major tweak is the to the matchmaking system and game browser making it much easier to find players and games suited to your skill level and preferences, lessening the demoralisation inherent in getting your butt handed to you over and over by people who have been playing compulsively for months. Nothing revolutionary, but a welcome evolution nonetheless.

Similarly the new modes are evolution rather than revolution. Firstly, there’s Demolition, which will be familiar to anyone who has played Counter-Strike on the PC. The teams are split into attackers and defenders, with the attackers being tasked with carrying a bomb to one of several designated areas and detonating it while the defenders try to stop this from happening. It’s a tried and tested gameplay mechanic, and it’s definitely a good fit for the Rainbow Six scenario. Combine this with the exemplary map design that the Vegas team have showcased in the past and Demolition certainly promises to be a new favourite.

Follow the Leader

Team Leader, the second new variation is an expansion on the VIP gameplay seen in many online games. Each team has a leader who they must protect at all costs, while trying to eliminate the opposite number on the opposing team. However, in a new twist, the team leaders can see each other on their maps. This neat little twist places a particular emphasis on team communication, with the leader being required to communicate the enemy position to his squad at all times while trying to lead them into a deadly ambush. It’s an excellent idea in principle, and could certainly become the preferred mode for organised matches but it remains to be seen how the added emphasis on communication and teamwork will fare in the feral wilds of the public server.

Indeed, from our experience playing the multiplayer mode of Rainbow Six Vegas 2, where we lost two hours before we knew what was happening – always a good sign – we’ll happily predict it will be one of the year’s best online experiences. In fact, we’d put money on it.

Preview by: Iain Thomas
Version Tested: Xbox 360
Preview Published: 15.02.08