After a successful campaign on the
PC and most recently on the Xbox, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3 is hitting the PS2.
The game does a fine job of offering up the same kind of team-based tactical
shooting as its other incarnations, but unfortunately succumbs to a myriad of
technical inadequacies, like muddy graphics, boggy framerates and long loading
times. Also, the levels have been substantially watered-down and stripped bare
from the Xbox version. While not a bad game, the PS2 version of Rainbow Six 3 is
certainly the weakest of the bunch.
Rainbow Six 3 puts you in control of
Domingo “Ding” Chavez, the leader of Team Rainbow, an elite counter-terrorist
group. You guide your group through campaigns dealing with hostage recovery,
bomb defusing, and other aspects of fighting against terrorism.
The Rainbow Six series has always
been one to showcase realism in combat, and Rainbow Six 3 keeps with that theme
nicely. The action is not constant but rather occurs in short bursts, not that
that makes the game any less intense. It only takes about one or two shots to
take an enemy down, although your character can only take a few shots
themselves. The difficulty has been slightly skewed to be easier than the PC
version, as Ding Chavez can take a few more bullets on the PS2. Another key
difference from the PC version is the fact that you can only control Ding
through the game, as in the PC you could swap between team members on the fly.
The controls have been nicely done
on the PS2, working like any other FPS. The quick menu system is a simple way to
give orders quickly to your team members, and queuing up orders via Zulu go
codes is simple.
The gameplay does fall prey to some
pretty noticeable problems, however. The most glaring is the fact the levels
have been stripped down from the Xbox and PC versions. The levels are visibly
smaller and more condensed, an unfortunate by-product of porting to the PS2.
Another big issue is the spotty AI, which makes foolish and predictable mistakes
all too often.
The online aspect of the PS2 version
is pretty good, although it has also been scaled down from the Xbox version. The
co-op modes from the Xbox are sadly missing, but there are some other modes,
like Sharpshooter and Survival. Another blow to the multiplayer is the fact that
only a maximum of six players can play at once, a step down from the other
versions.
The graphics are yet another sore
spot in this translation. The environments are drab and rife with muddy
textures. The character models simplistic, yet fairly well animated. The weapons
are nicely detailed, and the night and thermal vision modes are pretty cool
looking. The framerates aren’t very high, falling well below the 30 frames per
second mark when the action gets heavy.
The sound is pretty good, as not
much has really changed from the XBox version in this department at least. The
weapon sounds are clear and accurate and the voice acting is well done. There
really isn’t much music to speak of other than the title screen theme, which
works for the content of the game. Rainbow Six 3 also supports the USB headset
online and off.
Pretty much on all systems, Rainbow
Six 3 is a solid game offering up a compelling blend of action and tactical
shooting. Unfortunately, when compared to its other incarnations, the PS2
version is too stripped down and stands as a shell of the game it could be. If
the PS2 is your only means of playing Rainbow Six 3, then give it a rental.
Otherwise, look into the more superior versions on either the PC or the Xbox.
Rainbow Six 3 Review Scoring Details |
Gameplay: 7.0
The core gameplay has been retained from the Xbox version, meaning that Rainbow
Six 3 on the PS2 offers up the same blend of stealth, action and strategy.
However, the game has some pretty noticeable shortcomings, like the watered down
levels and spotty AI.
Graphics: 6.5
The graphics are a bit of a mixed bag. The environments are pretty murky, and
the player models are simplistic, yet well animated. The weapon models and
lighting effects look pretty good, but the framerates are far too choppy,
dipping far below 30 FPS in parts.
Sound: 8.0
The sound effects are pretty good, with accurate weapon sounds and good voice
acting. There isn’t much music to speak of other than the title screen theme.
The inclusion of USB headset support is indeed a bonus, though.
Difficulty: Hard
Concept: 6.5
While still a port, Rainbow Six 3 does feature some added features and a new
level not found in other versions of the game. However, the technical issues are
far too overwhelming to make this version the recommended purchase.
Multiplayer: 6.5
The multiplayer features have been noticeably cropped for the PS2 version. The
great co-op modes in on the Xbox are all but missing, and only six people can
play in each game.
Overall: 6.9
Rainbow Six 3 is a relatively solid shooter with some great features that gamers
won’t be able to find else where on the PS2. However, when compared directly to
the other versions of the game, the PS2 versions stands out as a shoddy port and
only a shell of what it could be.
