Awesome gameplay, beautiful graphics and an insanely fun multiplayer mode. What more could you want?
Gameplay – The gameplay in Rainbow Six Vegas is nothing short of intense fun. Sure, things get rather repetitive with you taking cover and firing away at loads of terrorists. Shooting blindfire while in cover is a really cool gameplay element, and something that is really a plus when you’re faced with countless terrorists fast roping down from the roof, throwing flashbangs and smoke grenades. Needless to say, some of the moments like this are simply the most exciting and extremely fun parts in the game. That brings me to another awesome element of gameplay – the effects of blurred vision look amazing and very realistic. The only way they could improve on this further was if, like in Counter-Strike: Source you get the whole lose of vision happening and the annoying beeping noise as you are stunned and can’t hear anything for a few seconds. The AI is not the least bit stupid. Just like you, the enemies you fight will take cover, or change positions so they can get a better vantage point of you. Also being able to control where your team mates take cover and using the snake cam underneath doors before you enter a room, allocating certain terrorists with a maker on who you want your team to take out first also really comes in handy as you progress. You can even surprise enemies by entering from more than one area. Another great feature I should mention is the ability to determine what your team will do once they bust down a door. You can set up a breaching charge or have team mates frag and clear out a room. Having more than one option available to you allows for much more diverse and dynamic gameplay.
Online multiplayer – A lot of variety and insane fun is the first thing that comes to my mind when describing the multiplayer of this game. First up, you have to create your own character and from then on, each time you play online, you will earn experience points, which in turn will raise your rank. There are more than enough multiplayer modes to keep you coming back for more. Attack & Defend involves two teams. One team must defuse the bomb while the other team tries to stop them. Then there’s the Team Sharpshooter match which is really fun when you play with some friends on your favorite maps. Streets and Kill House would have to be some of my favorites. So if you like tactical shooters with awesome online multiplayer modes, then look no further.
Graphics – The graphics in this game are just stunning on the Xbox 360. The lighting effects look great and are very realistic, (also giving you a good opportunity to use nightvision on more than one occasion). The environments are nothing short superb, whether you are looking down on the city of Vegas or the Nevada dam from a Black Hawk helicopter, or making your way through the deserted looking streets of Border Town or a deserted casino. Sometimes, even amongst the gun battles going on in front of you, it may be hard to stop looking around at some of the gorgeous looking scenery and the amount of detail is just incredible.
Sound – The music in the game is well suited to a lot of the scenes and builds up to some of the more intense moments throughout the game, which is very fitting in a lot of situations. Various weapons sound very different, reloading a gun, and other sound effects such as big explosions all add to an already very impressive game.
Value – Rainbow Six Vegas is one of those games you can always go back to regardless of having finished the single player story. FPS titles usually aren’t very long games, but when you have the option of also completing “Terrorist Hunt” missions which require you to eliminate a certain number of terrorists on a particular map on your own or co-op as well, this game won’t get boring anytime soon. Also, having so many options available to you in multiplayer mode over Xbox Live only adds more to the replay value of this game.
Tilt – I really enjoyed this game and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes first-person tactical shooters. The storyline, as I already mentioned may not be all that great or innovative, but gameplay wise, as well as the online multiplayer, make this game one that anyone who is interested in this genre definitely check out.
Overall – Rainbow Six Vegas is a solid game on more than one level and will allow for hours of entertaining gameplay. If this game sounds even remotely enticing to you, then do yourself a favor and try it out – you don’t need to have played any of the previous titles to fully appreciate this game either.