Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas – 360 – Preview

Last year’s Rainbow Six title, Lockdown, was a
disappointment, to say the least. Some hardcore detractors might even say
that the game tarnished the once-lofty reputation of the flagship Tom Clancy
series. Therefore, the expectations placed upon the successor were lofty, as
this would be not only be a chance for the series to redeem itself, but the first
title to be featured on next-gen hardware. Luckily, all of the pieces seem to be
falling into place for this entry to the long-running franchise, and fans will
have cause to pick it up for their next-gen system later this month.

The team has done away with the standard briefing
screens of yore. Instead the mission is laid out to you on the way there. This
gives the missions more of a natural feel, and adds a sense of flow and urgency
to the game.

Like previous entries to the Rainbow Six
franchise, Vegas puts a strong reliance on your squadmates. The squad command
controls are very fluid. Whereas a menu would previously show up on screen with
various commands, things are more streamlined this time around. By pressing the
A Button, you can perform specific actions depending on what you point at, like
sliding down a fast rope for example.

You can also command your units to attack certain
enemies above others. The AI also seemed to adapt to situations a lot better
without your intervention this time around, an improvement over previous games.
All in all, the tactical element is shaping up quite nicely, and should be
complex without being too difficult for someone to learn.

Rainbow Six: Vegas also adds some pretty cool new
items to the mix. One cool addition is the tactical shield, which protects you
from light gun-fire. While the shield has its obvious benefits, it also has some
limitations, namely vision and arms. You can’t see too well with the shield up
and will only be able to wield one-handed weapons. You’ll also be able to
customize the weapons that you choose to entry the fray with, adding things like
sights and stocks to your weapon of choice.

The game looks very impressive, thanks primarily
to the Unreal Engine 3 under the hood. The character models look very sharp, and
well animated to boot. And what would Las Vegas be without the neon glow of the
Strip? The game presents the city very well, with fantastic bloom lighting
effects and detailed environments.

Rainbow Six: Vegas is looking to bring the series
back in to fine form after the somewhat extreme departure of Lockdown. The game
has excellent graphics, deep gameplay and solid AI, making it a next-gen worthy
entry and a breath of new life for the franchise.