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RAINBOW SIX: VEGAS (X360)
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Publisher: Ubisoft.
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal. Released: December 2006 (Europe). Genre: FPS. Other versions: PC; PS3. Posted 29th September 2020. By Shane Battams © 2020 |
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Within the first year of the seventh generation, several new series would emerge that would help set the trends for going forward. Rainbow Six: Vegas was one such title; an excellent first-person shooter on the Xbox 360. Benefiting from one of the most interesting settings in a modern FPS, its intense campaign, challenging gameplay and plethora of multiplayer options ensured a full-featured shooter. While some may bemoan the scaling back of the tactical elements that were a hallmark of the PC entries, it comes with enough action-packed moments to make up for it.
In 2010, Team Rainbow attempts to track down and arrest terrorist leader Irena Morales, which unfortunately results in the capture of two members. With Logan Keller alone and forced to escape, he is sent back into Vegas with a new team to stay on the trail of this criminal. The story is relatively minimal, with very few cut-scenes during gameplay and most of the story is told through head-up displays and dialogue before the start. While there are a few twists along the way, it’s mostly background noise accompanying the gameplay, with average voice acting and a bummer cliffhanger that feels rushed. But while the story certainly isn’t memorable, the gameplay more than picks up the slack.
Vegas delivers a superb shooting experience in a very different setting
Rainbow Six: Vegas is a Tom Clancy FPS, as ever emphasising realism and tactics. Previous games were known for strict challenges which required forward planning, and often penalised mistakes with perma-death and mission failure. Vegas, admittedly, is simplified in comparison. Ubisoft opted to add mission checkpoints, no real planning phases and an increased focus on set-piece action. While some may mourn the removal of series staples, Vegas’ brand of shooting is still fantastic – and tough. Shooting galleries are weaving and teeming with terrorists, making tactical thinking and finding cover to avoid being flanked. Enemies can be merciless, particularly those wielding shotguns, who can wipe you out in a single hit. This is all back ended by a new cover system, which swaps to a third-person perspective and allows you to blind fire and aim. It was close in proximity to Gears of War, and works just as well here, and with extremely polished shooting mechanics, playing Vegas is a joy.
Vegas is especially noteworthy for its visual design, leveraging the Unreal Engine to bring the bustling Vegas casinos to life. While the initial desert town isn’t much to look at, you’re soon thrust into the Calypso Casino, complete with exhilarating entry points, destructible slot machines and tactile environments which allow you a variety of vantage points. Later treks into more casinos prove just as fun, making for one of the most distinctive settings to have graced a Rainbow Six. Rooftop starts allow you to breach using rope to rappel down and pick off terrorists in a surprise attack, hostage situations which require the snake cam to gain a view on creates a layer of tension and perhaps the most memorable section sees you defending yourselves in a theatre, with a huge array of decision-making required to stay alive. Other elements, such as directing your A.I. squad, are welcome too.
Vegas is especially noteworthy for its visual design, leveraging the Unreal Engine to bring the bustling Vegas casinos to life. While the initial desert town isn’t much to look at, you’re soon thrust into the Calypso Casino, complete with exhilarating entry points, destructible slot machines and tactile environments which allow you a variety of vantage points. Later treks into more casinos prove just as fun, making for one of the most distinctive settings to have graced a Rainbow Six. Rooftop starts allow you to breach using rope to rappel down and pick off terrorists in a surprise attack, hostage situations which require the snake cam to gain a view on creates a layer of tension and perhaps the most memorable section sees you defending yourselves in a theatre, with a huge array of decision-making required to stay alive. Other elements, such as directing your A.I. squad, are welcome too.
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Vegas would also utilise Xbox Live to deliver a cavalcade of multiplayer content. The entire campaign can be played with a second player, both locally and online, and while the story content and voiceovers are removed, it’s so minimal that it doesn’t really hurt it. Terrorist Hunt allows four players to partake in a handful of maps, with you requiring to merely wipe the map of hostiles – though on higher difficulties, this proves far harder than it sounds. It offers a diluted but still exciting way to experience the visceral gameplay, and four-player co-op is a real blast to play. Multiplayer allows you to partake in a bevvy of modes, including deathmatch variants, capture and defend modes and Assassination, which sees one team guiding a VIP while the other tries to stop them. They’re all great fun, benefit from well-designed maps and add a great deal of longevity of the experience. There’s something for everyone here, both solo players and multiplayer aficionados.
Rainbow Six: Vegas boasts solid presentation, though one which had a few more rough edges than competitors at the time, or even Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, which released a few months prior. Environments are the highlight, with detail and destructibility to spare as well as solid lighting which gives the night-time strips a neon look. Characters and animations are more modest though, and the frame rate can chug too. Voice acting, as mentioned, can be quite spotty at points. Though it’s not enough to spoil the tone of the story, it can still be noticeable, and in-game enemies aren’t much better. The music fares better, with the intense menu theme proving pretty epic, and another highlight being Hell’s Gate, a techno-esque build of tension. The guns, explosions and effects all sound potent, particularly the shotguns which leave your ears ringing – especially when you get shot with them. The game just doesn’t quite stack up visually to the likes of GRAW and Gears of War.
But make no mistake, what Rainbow Six: Vegas lacks in technical chops, it more than makes up for with excellent gameplay and a huge list of content. The Vegas Strip proves one of the more memorable settings for a shooter, and while some of the tactical elements of the series past have been significantly reduced, you’ll soon forget this when you partake in one of Vegas’ many thrilling shoot-outs. Whether you’re rappelling down to take potshots at unaware goons, seeing coins fly as your bullets ricochet off slot machines, or team up with players to take on waves of terrorists, it’s some of the best shooting the console would see at the time. And while in the years following shooters would advance even further, Vegas still has incredible appeal both for lone wolves and social gamers.
But make no mistake, what Rainbow Six: Vegas lacks in technical chops, it more than makes up for with excellent gameplay and a huge list of content. The Vegas Strip proves one of the more memorable settings for a shooter, and while some of the tactical elements of the series past have been significantly reduced, you’ll soon forget this when you partake in one of Vegas’ many thrilling shoot-outs. Whether you’re rappelling down to take potshots at unaware goons, seeing coins fly as your bullets ricochet off slot machines, or team up with players to take on waves of terrorists, it’s some of the best shooting the console would see at the time. And while in the years following shooters would advance even further, Vegas still has incredible appeal both for lone wolves and social gamers.
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VERDICT
“...One of the most distinctive settings to have graced a Rainbow Six game. Excellent gameplay and a huge range of content makes for some of the best console shooting around at the time.” OVERALL: 9/10 |