Many gamers have been worried about the direction that Rainbow Six has taken. Since its last outing with Lockdown, fans have been concerned that future iterations would follow the same formula of a run-and-gun arcade-type shooter. Well, gamers and fans can rejoice now that Ubisoft put their Montreal studio back at the helm. The Canuck masterminds have put together one heck of a game with Rainbow Six Vegas.
The demo available on Xbox Live didn’t give gamers an accurate chance at this game. Because after playing the newly released game, I have to say that it is hands-down the best squad-based (fire-team based, technically) tactical shooter I have played since the dawn of the original Rainbow Six…and even that comparison only holds water simply because it was the first Rainbow Six game, which obviously doesn’t come close in comparison to Vegas. The amount of detail and obvious care that was put into mirroring Sin City into the game is astounding. At one point, you will be flying over the city and it will look like you are actually there. Besides the visuals being slightly muddy, the city is alive and teeming with lights and sounds. I distinctly remember pointing out the fountains that the crew from Ocean’s Eleven stood in front of after they robbed the Belagio…”Look, honey, it’s that fountain, you know, from…” and she finished the sentence for me.
The budget for this game definitely wasn’t put into the likeness and visuals alone—far from it. The controls and gameplay have seen some tweaks and peaks. The controls, which have been somewhat streamlined, give the game a more intuitive and smooth feel. For instance: as you can expect, using cover is paramount in a tactical shooter, and none (even Gears of War) have made it easier and more effective than RSV to utilize. Holding down the left trigger, players can take cover behind anything, whether it be a blown up vehicle (watch for some product placement here) or a stand-alone-sidewalk-billboard of a hot chick holding a can of Axe (and there too), players can use it to their advantage. If it’s short enough, players can pop up and shoot over the top of it, rather than just being able to utilize the left and right flanks only. Not only that, but now you can place your reticule over an enemy and when you pop out with your weapon, it’s right there aimed at the tango’s head just like you planned. And if you want to move past your cover after you took down said tango, just let go of the left trigger and it will flawlessly zoom back to first-person view with your weapon exactly where you had it aimed as you smoothly exit your concealed position. To newcomers, this may not sound all that impressive, but once you play it, and feel how seamless and rewarding the control scheme is, you’ll be congratulating yourself for your new game purchase.
Immersion and story are not commonly associated with a tactical shooter, it just doesn’t happen. First, I don’t want to get your hopes up (or down) by telling you that Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle will be getting a run for his money with the storytelling in Vegas. It’s only that there is a bit more depth and character development than other games in the genre typically use and, in this instance, it works well. Also, there are some really great quips and conversation pieces you will catch that will make you laugh out loud and shake your head. But, I won’t spoil it for you; I’ll let you see what I mean. Not only is the storyline and plot well done, the presentation and overall feel of the game is simply amazing.
Imagine if you will: You are a counter-terrorist bad-ass. You are Logan Kellar. As you are hanging upside down from your rappel rope, multiple feet from the top of a sprawling Las Vegas casino (the Calypso, to be exact), you slowly creep to the edge of a window hoping to get the first glimpse of a tango in the room. Using your reticule, you sight in on an unsuspecting terrorist. You know he’s about to die. How do you want him to die though? Assault rifle? Sniper rifle? Shotgun? Ah, but you decide on the silenced 92FS pistol so as to not alert the other tangos who are in the area. As you sight in closer by pushing down on the right analog, the moment now arrives…BLAM! Right through the window and into the brain matter of the unsuspecting terrorist, with no one the wiser.
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