Better late than never: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas review (PS3)
November 11, 2008 by Mike
Filed under Better Late Than Never, Reviews
There was nothing quite like the original Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six for the PC. The game made something as mundane as planning an integral and addicting part of gameplay, at a time when so-called “innovation” in shooters was limited to mere storytelling and atmosphere.
The shootouts in Rainbow Six: Vegas are tenser.
I spent a significant part of my Rainbow Six game time obsessively planning intricate squad movements, coordinating troops, and surveying 2D/3D maps, among other things. I spent more time on planning because it was more important than the execution, and it was darned fun to make everything from scratch.
Imagine my surprise when I finally got my hands on Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas for the PlayStation 3. Sure, the same tactical feel is there; but planning, the most engrossing feature of the original Rainbow Six that made it stand out from the generic, was noticeably missing. What’s left was regular shooting action. For what it’s worth, the shooting part is as engaging as say, Gears of War. In fact, the firefights in Rainbow Six: Vegas are arguably tenser than Gears because of quicker kills on either side.
However, due to Ubisoft’s decision to dumb down Rainbow Six: Vegas, the game was demoted from “special” into merely “good.” To make things worse, Rainbow Six has joined the regenerating health bandwagon—making wounded soldiers battle-ready a few moments after being sprayed by lethal ammunition.
Players can rappel two ways.
Since the game takes place 11 years after the original Rainbow Six novel, many of the familiar characters are no longer here. As a result, original Rainbow Six fans (me included) might find themselves detached from the whole “narrative” (or lack of it). The absence of cutscenes isn’t helping to make this game more appealing or consistent, especially when you consider that the novel wasn’t limited to narrating from one character’s perspective.
Action fans should find a lot of things to like about Rainbow Six: Vegas. If you’re looking for something distinct, look someplace else. Hardcore fans of the previous Rainbow Six games or its novel should steer clear of this game. Unfortunately, Ubisoft’s decision makes sense in a business standpoint, so don’t expect to see the original features in future Rainbow Six installments.
Better take extra care of your copy of Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield for the PC—it’s still the best Rainbow Six installment to date.
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