RAINBOW SIX: LONE WOLF (PS)
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Publisher: Ubi-Soft.
Developer: Rebellion. Released: 2002. Genre: FPS. Posted 20th July 2012. By Tom Clare © 2012 |
Software-hungry PlayStation fans would endure some long, barren months at the beginning of 2002, before a host of potential crackers began lining up for the summer. Rebellion lead the way with two promising (not to mention exclusive) first-person shoot ‘em ups: the progressive Delta Force: Urban Warfare, and Rainbow Six: Lone Wolf, the attractive third console instalment of the popular tactical series.
It’s hard to shake the feeling that all involved with Lone Wolf have tried to distance themselves from Rainbow Six’s earliest made-for-console venture. Red Storm Entertainment, the series’ creators, may have seen fit to adorn the cover with their logo, but entirely omitted this particular chapter of the series from their history. Developer Rebellion also makes no mention of it as a past project. It’s an exercise in sweeping under the carpet, and the truth is, you can hardly blame them.
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The lone wolf in this instance is Ding Chavez, send on a one-man-mission into a wintry tundra with the task of finding Xander (not the guy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though he might have livened things up a little), an informant with details on the workings of a terrorist group. In a belated recognition of hardware limitations, the tactical element has been streamlined, to make for a more console-friendly experience. The chief difference being that the player now controls just the one character, as opposed to a team of three. This proves something of a mixed-blessing; whilst giving out orders and switching between members made its predecessors’ gameplay a touch cumbersome, the team aspect did at least present three opportunities to complete the level. Die in Lone Wolf and it’s back to square one, and dying is something you’ll be doing a lot of.
Things begin tidily enough. Indeed, were you to play just the first level, you could be forgiven for thinking the game was shaping up okay. No world-beater perhaps, but it’s sturdy enough. The village looks really good in the night-time setting and landmarks such as a fountain and a church are detailed, smoothly textured and generally attractive. Each mission offers a number of different insertion points, which alters the playing experience and adds to your options, even if a couple of them weirdly plant you right next to an enemy. Environs are littered with hyper-attentive guards that need to be bumped off with care and precision, and this coupled with the fragility of the player’s health bar makes for some nervy sneaking. The first level is a good size and with a bit of thought, can be traversed after two or three attempts, and along the way, you’ll notice a few little things that weren’t present in earlier instalments. These include fitting your pistol with a silencer or switching firing rates for the machine-gun. As usual, there’s a decent helping of additional kit to choose from pre-mission, such as stun grenades and additional ammo.
Things begin tidily enough. Indeed, were you to play just the first level, you could be forgiven for thinking the game was shaping up okay. No world-beater perhaps, but it’s sturdy enough. The village looks really good in the night-time setting and landmarks such as a fountain and a church are detailed, smoothly textured and generally attractive. Each mission offers a number of different insertion points, which alters the playing experience and adds to your options, even if a couple of them weirdly plant you right next to an enemy. Environs are littered with hyper-attentive guards that need to be bumped off with care and precision, and this coupled with the fragility of the player’s health bar makes for some nervy sneaking. The first level is a good size and with a bit of thought, can be traversed after two or three attempts, and along the way, you’ll notice a few little things that weren’t present in earlier instalments. These include fitting your pistol with a silencer or switching firing rates for the machine-gun. As usual, there’s a decent helping of additional kit to choose from pre-mission, such as stun grenades and additional ammo.
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From the second level onwards though, things take a turn for the worse. Previous Rainbow Six games have been by no means brilliant on the PlayStation, but the few elements that helped distinguish them (chiefly the team options) have been stripped from Lone Wolf, and all the little annoyances remaining near the surface.
Ironically, the heightened artificial intelligence ends up made matters much worse. Beforehand, the potentially frustrating scenario of being killed from just a couple of shots was largely countered by the general sloppiness of the computer-controlled enemies, who would barely blink until you announced of your arrival in a hail of bullets. Lone Wolf's A.I. doesn’t behave with any consistency, but they’re generally excessively alert, and deadly accurate. This frustration of old is now near-on unbearable, as constant deaths mean resorting to memorising what each and every guard does in a painful, step-by-step process which, whether tactical or not, is not how shoot ‘em ups are meant to be experienced. Often dozens of attempts are required to progress to another equally tough, equally trying mission.
Ironically, the heightened artificial intelligence ends up made matters much worse. Beforehand, the potentially frustrating scenario of being killed from just a couple of shots was largely countered by the general sloppiness of the computer-controlled enemies, who would barely blink until you announced of your arrival in a hail of bullets. Lone Wolf's A.I. doesn’t behave with any consistency, but they’re generally excessively alert, and deadly accurate. This frustration of old is now near-on unbearable, as constant deaths mean resorting to memorising what each and every guard does in a painful, step-by-step process which, whether tactical or not, is not how shoot ‘em ups are meant to be experienced. Often dozens of attempts are required to progress to another equally tough, equally trying mission.
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Lone Wolf’s biggest crime however is how astonishingly short it is. Whilst direct predecessor Rogue Spear may have had its (considerable) faults, it did at least produce a respectable 18 levels of play. Lone Wolf has five. It’s hard to think of another PlayStation that offers so little content. It’s cheap and it’s rushed; there isn’t even a proper ending as reward for patiently grinding your way through, just a “thanks now take a holiday” debriefing. A small game masking lack of lifespan through excessive difficulty, no checkpoints and lots of frustration. The oldest trick in the book.
The graphics are far and away Lone Wolf’s best facet, and perhaps its one redeeming feature. Sharp menus are matched in-game by some pleasingly solid buildings and monuments, whilst visuals are further bolstered by some excellent weather effects. The levels are tense, competently-designed affairs that deserved better gameplay and more imaginative, varied mission-objectives.
Rainbow Six: Lone Wolf is so bad in places though, you’d be forgiven for thinking it had never been play-tested. The fact it’s only five missions long smacks of making a quick buck from the brand during a time when much of the gaming press was looking to other formats. There’s little other reasoning that can be attributed to Ubi-Soft and Rebellion releasing such a half-baked product. It’s disappointing, because Lone Wolf had the potential to be a really classy shooter, but unlike Delta Force, its appeal is merely skin-deep.
The graphics are far and away Lone Wolf’s best facet, and perhaps its one redeeming feature. Sharp menus are matched in-game by some pleasingly solid buildings and monuments, whilst visuals are further bolstered by some excellent weather effects. The levels are tense, competently-designed affairs that deserved better gameplay and more imaginative, varied mission-objectives.
Rainbow Six: Lone Wolf is so bad in places though, you’d be forgiven for thinking it had never been play-tested. The fact it’s only five missions long smacks of making a quick buck from the brand during a time when much of the gaming press was looking to other formats. There’s little other reasoning that can be attributed to Ubi-Soft and Rebellion releasing such a half-baked product. It’s disappointing, because Lone Wolf had the potential to be a really classy shooter, but unlike Delta Force, its appeal is merely skin-deep.
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VERDICT
Visual: 8/10
Audio: 5/10 Gameplay: 3/10 Longevity: 1/10 OVERALL: 2/10 |