Metareview - Rainbow Six Vegas (Xbox 360)
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Nov 24th 2006 at 9:55PM }
Rainbow Six Vegas: the other Unreal Engine 3 shooter.Vegas will no doubt live in Gears' shadow this holiday, but series' followers know that Rainbow Six offers its own brand of 'thoughtful' combat. Indeed, it's the team-based multiplayer that will propel Vegas up the Xbox Live popularity chart. Rainbow Six is back.
- Game Informer (95/100) - "While the single-player mode is great, the multiplayer may be the best thing to come to Xbox Live since Halo 2 ... the best addition in the game, though, is without a doubt the four-player co-op. You and three of your friends can now experience the entire single-player campaign together as one Rainbow Six squad. Note to game developers: Every first-person shooter should feature this mode from this day forward."
- Games Radar (90/100) - "Deathmatch-style modes do exist and are definitely entertaining, but it's team play -- much like in the single player campaign -- that will keep you coming back ... the game's greatest feat is adding strategy to the first person shooter and getting the player -- whether working alone or with others -- to occasionally stop, forget about the gun and just think."
- 1UP (85/100) - "There can be no doubt that the reception of Rainbow Six Vegas will be somewhat tainted by the release of Gears of War. While the two games are very different stylistically, they share some fundamental gameplay mechanics, and both suffer from the same problem: namely, bland-but-competent online gameplay."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Milkshake @ Nov 24th 2006 10:10PM
The co-op in GOW was amazing the best multiplayer experience this year and with 4 player in R6V its gonna set the standard for years to come. AWESOME!!
NotAnElitistPrick @ Nov 24th 2006 10:20PM
"4 player in R6V its gonna set the standard for years to come."
Unless of course you play PC games...in which case the co-op campaign has been included in these since probably the second Rainbow Six game.
Boy, that's sure set the standard for first person shooters. Not a single one ships these days on PCs without 4 player or more co-op...
/sarcasm
I can see being a person on the internet and not knowing about the fact that the PC games have been shipping with this functionality from near the beginning (it was the ONLY reason we bought these games) but for a "games journalist" not to know the game's history, and to come off sounding like FPS games originated/only matter on the console?
That's just making sure your manager has a printed out reason of why you shouldn't have a job doing this stuff anymore.
Hannibal @ Nov 24th 2006 10:25PM
Rainbow Six's 4-person coop isn't nearly as good as Gears. With Gears the difference between doing Co-op and single player is virtually non-existent in the story. With Rainbow Six: Vegas, you get none of the story.
Tim @ Nov 24th 2006 10:42PM
When you're playing with your friends, the last thing on your mind is the story. Hannibal is a square.
Hannibal @ Nov 24th 2006 10:44PM
Please. Having a chopper actually pick you up and having actual briefings being beamed to you is always better than having the mission end suddenly on a "Mission Complete" message and getting a plain "Rescue Person X" message with no reason.
ill trooper @ Nov 24th 2006 11:01PM
"You and three of your friends can now experience the entire single-player campaign together as one Rainbow Six squad. Note to game developers: Every first-person shooter should feature this mode from this day forward."
Agreed. This was a major part of my enjoyment of Ghost Recon 2 and Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike. I'm looking forward to it, firing it up right now - just scanned my mug with the LIVE Vision camera and although it seemed to make me look like David Cross, I'm gonna look like David Cross with a GUN at least...
I'm yawning and tired after that 'PC gamers for years have been...' comment; I play consoles and PC games and I enjoy both, who cares. Yeah, usually PCs can push more powerful games, but sitting at your desk and using a keyboard and mouse is a 'different' type of gaming, for better AND for worse.
And then when you quoted commenter Milkshake, but went on a tirade about someone being a poor 'games journalist,' I realized you might have your wires crossed or something. Where does a 'games journalist' state what's getting you so upset? I think all of those posted quotes are within the context of 'console gaming,' as Vegas hasn't shipped for the PC yet.
NotAnElitistPrick @ Nov 24th 2006 11:08PM
Ill:
It's not "PC games have been..."
It's "The Rainbow Six series has been..."
Huge difference. The GameInformer guy you quote is acting like this is the first time this has been done with a first person shooter, when in fact, it's not even the first time in THIS SERIES OF FPS its been done.
It's not an "PC FPS > Console FPS" thing, it's a "Know Your Subject's History" thing. Just because this isn't the PC version of the game doesn't mean that you just somehow blot from history the PC versions that set the foundation for the current game.
There were two separate points I was making. 1, to the poster, was that just because a developer does something and has good success with it does not mean it will gain support from the rest of the genre. The other, was directed at the GameInformer writer, and that point was that I was telling him that his article was poor for the reasons I stated above.
Sean @ Nov 25th 2006 12:40AM
Stop arguing you monkeys.
Ben B. @ Nov 25th 2006 2:08AM
Even if you disregard the PC, Rainbow Six 3 for Xbox had 4 player online co-op, and that came out three years ago when Live first started.
Milkshake @ Nov 25th 2006 9:17AM
Well this topic is about the 360 version not the PC or xbox, I used to play on my pc back in the days of quake and unreal and I loved it as it was the only way to have the quality online experience. Them days have long passed I have not played on my PC for years for games because it was to much hassle the PC will always be better for the internet and work something the consoles will never better no matter how much they market them like the PS3 has done.
However having played both i think that consoles are by far and way the best gaming experience its more relaxed, comfortable and IMOA sociable. The 360 with xbox live has rasied they bar and is probably the best service right now with great games, achievement points and the unified friends list. It pisses over pc in that respect it is also better value as my 360 cost me £279. R6V has pushed the bar as far as 360 games go Period! cant wait for it to be released Dec 1 in UK
Jim @ Nov 25th 2006 7:56PM
1UP is just funny.
Gonzo @ Nov 27th 2006 6:07PM
Gayest Name Ever
This really sounds like the latest homoerotic Vegas show.