Rainbow Six 3 is a perfectly decent first-person shooter that is absolutely brilliant online.
User Rating: 9.1 | Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 XBOX
Bridging the gap between more arcadey shooters like Halo and the more realistic, like Ghost Recon, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 is a more user-friendly first-person shooter that emphasizes caution, tactics, good aim, and close attention to level design and detail. It asks a bit more from the player than many other shooters, but it succeeds admirably well at delivering a quality offline experience that is strengthened greatly by its superb online gameplay. The single-player mode is really the only one an offline player will spend much time with, as offline multiplayer is only available using linked Xboxes, which is not a situation most players can support (though the mode does work decently well, it also limits the amount of people ina given match to the amount of Xboxes present anyways, so even two Xboxes doesn't really up the options much). The campaign mode tells a pretty standard story of terrorists and their aims, although in this plotline, Europe and the Middle East are thankfully not directly involved in the events. It's refreshing for a story of terrorists to not involve the stereotypical Arab image of extremist Muslims, or the Eastern European breakaway republics, and Rainbow Six does set itself apart from other games with similar "foes of freedom" in this manner. In the campaign mode, players take the role of Ding Chavez, leader of the international Rainbow Six team, a four-man squad of elite soldiers who infiltrate terrorist strongholds and defeat foes, defusing bombs, and rescuing hostages, and presumably protecting liberty the world over. The levels all follow roughly the same pathway of sneaking down hallways, staying in the shadows, and using cover and silence whenever possible, though this is definitely not always the case. The focus on slow, careful level progression, with short and tense firegfights interspersed throughout, make for a very effective atmosphere, one that keeps the player's eyes, ears, and mind glued to everything in the game. This mode also has its shortcomings, however. The terrorists' artificial intelligence isn't nearly as good as their aim, which gets borderline robotic at higher difficulty levels, players are sometimes detected before humanly possible (a common AI problem in many games across many genres), and levels play out pretty much exactly the same on every run through. With some hotspots very difficult to overcome without the perfect strategy, levels typically become very trial-and-error, until the player runs across the mix of a correct strategy and a bit of luck, and moves on. Which is why it is most fortunate that the player is not alone. Using either the controller pad or an Xbox Live headset (or both), the player can issue commands to their offline AI teammates, effectively giving them a second set of guns, and many more tactical options as a result. This works out well for both experienced and newer players, as the former can use their teammates as distractions for the enemy while they get lined up for the shot, and the latter can let their teammates do the tough stuff while they get up to speed and stay alive. The teammate AI isn't brilliant, but like the enemy AI, the teammates are crack shots, very good at clearing a room, and detecting enemies the player never knew were there. All told, the offline mode is lengthy enough, the storyline is worth following through to the end, and the opportunity to shake up goals and tactics with different squads and weaponry is a fun experience worth playing through at least once. It is frustrating at times, but it is very rewarding, and prepares the player for the very stiff challenge of multiplayer. Which is precisely where the game really takes off. With a smattering of game modes that are actually pretty basic (and missing some fairly standard modes, like Capture The Flag and Assault modes), Rainbow Six 3 really shows that the offline mode was nothing more than a training ground for pulse-pounding online action. With one-hit kills common and steady aim only available when sitting still, Rainbow Six 3 online emphasizes smart teamwork, good aim, and a good understanding of the player's specific weaponry. The gameplay is at times absolutely frantic, a shower of bullets with the ringing of frag grenades echoing in the player's ears, and at others absolutely nerve-wracking, as a player strains their ears to their very limit , attempting to catch audible signs of their opponents. Rainbow Six 3 doesn't have the most polished visuals, but the framerate is steady, the smoke effects reliably effective, and the character models reasonably detailed. The framerate holds up well, and the graphics do a good job of providing a real-world feel, both offline and on. It all looks reasonably well, and the player rarely feels jerked out of the game world by a jarring presentation of polygons and textures. The audio, however, is definitely the stronger of the audiovisual pairing. The music is strong; blood-bumping, horn-driven, anthematic music that prepares the player to do battle for justice and the American Way (or something akin, depending on the player's country of origin and/or current residence). However, the real aural treat is the sound effects. Not only are the guns suitably distinctive, from the silenced sniper rifle to the deafening machine guns, but each form of explosive and grenade has its own particular sound. Also, the sound of footsteps varies depending on surfaces; in fact, the volume of a footstep is reliant on speed, stance, and surface all. Perhaps the greatest compliment that can be paid to the sound, however, is how much a careful player will use it. Turning their speakers up, many a player will spend more time listening for sounds of battle and incoming enemies than actually looking for them. They will hear their own footsteps damn them to their fates with every step; they will aim a gun precisely where their foe will be if they take that next crouched sidle over. Rainbow Six 3 also sports a very healthy variety of weaponry, from assault rifles to submachine guns, from grenade launchers to remote explosives. There is a gun that will work for every player, and although some have higher statistics according to the game, different players find that different guns appeal to them than others do, and there is no one gun that guarantees success; it is the palyer who uses it that determines its ultimate effectiveness. One of the more interesting aspects of this is seeing how some players go on hot streaks, only for others to copy their choice of weapon for a few rounds in hopes of achieving the same result, of course to fail, since the gun is always going to be at least slightly different than their standard weapon,a nd will require a learning curve adjustment. As an offline game, Rainbow Six 3 is merely good, a taut first-person shooter that sets up a realistic environment but bends the rules a bit in the name of accessibility. When taken online, however, Rainbow Six 3 is excellent indeed, and it stands as one of the best online experiences consoles have to offer. It's taken a long time for Xbox Live to get its killer FPS app, and even longer for consoles to have a semi-realistic shooter that's a true joy to play for even Tom Clancy neophytes, but Rainbow Six 3 is it.
