Gaming Signal: PREVIEW: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

PREVIEW: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

I picked up Rainbow Six Vegas this weekend and got to spend a few hours playing it, so I thought I would share my first impressions.

This game is not like the Rainbow Six games that I remember. I think of them of tactical combat sims with an emphasis on planning - setting routes for your teams, coordinating the execution, but overall acting like a head coach. Vegas is similar, however the emphasis on planning has been dropped, so instead of being the coach you are now the quarterback. You direct the action live, in the field, and react to changing circumstances.

The best part of the game so far is the way it treats your ability to take cover. You simply walk up to a wall (or car, or piece of house, or trashcan, or train, etc.) and hit the right mouse button - this instantly has you hiding behind it. Your view changes and your controls now let you lean out, blind fire, or simply wait out the enemy - giving him time to make that critical mistake. This is a great mechanic, and one I hope other games copy. You can be hit while leaning out to look or to fire, but it sure beats standing out in the open.

You still get to control your team, but it's more on the fly than carefully planned action. You can send your team to breech one door while you take another, and you can easily designate priority targets for them as well. All told, the interface is smooth and intuitive (although the quick reference sheet should be kept close at hand.) I haven't found the AI to be especially bright yet, but I'm barely out of the first mission (which is mostly tutorial) so that probably isn't the best it can be.

Apparently the game is a port of the XBOX 360 version but except for the menuing system, it doesn't really show. They did a really good job adapting the game to mouse+keyboard, and of course it looks fantastic at the high resolution graphics possible on the PC. I would say that if you prefer the 360 to a PC you'd find this one to be a fun game on that platform too.

I have this for the 360 and I concur it is a great title. The coop multiplayer element and the ability to customize your guy to look like you via the Vision camera is just a fantastic little addon. The cover mechanic is very similar to the one in Gears of War but it definitely works here too.

The 360 version also allows you to use your headset to give voice commands to your team - which is a nice touch since sometimes you don't want to change your hand position.

Posted by Tim on Monday January 15, 2007 at 10:51 AM

Yeah, I've played both. I own the 360 version and I (ahem..)liberated (uhummmm... ok, cleared my throat, better now) the PC version. For once, I like the 360 version controls better (rare) in a FPS game. This is new ground for me, but the 360 controls for R6:V are great and the whole XBL system just works for this title.

Scott, I beg you, go resell that tired (yet surprisingly slim) PS2 back to EB Games and get a used/new 360, it's what all the KEWL KIDZ are doing!!

Posted by Trent on Tuesday January 16, 2007 at 3:04 PM

Actually, Gears of War and Dead Rising combined with the online elements of XBL (which is really a great thing - I apologize for my h8red before, I hope you will forgive me Microsoft) and you have a pretty good console. If you they can continue to expand the backward compatibility library, then you have a definite upgrade from the Xbox...

Just one man's opinion...

Posted by Tim on Wednesday January 17, 2007 at 2:32 PM