A Review of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas XBOX 360

The XBOX 360 has plenty of games that are big hits and plenty that simply aren't. One game that has always been rather popular among first-person shooter fans is "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six". Now with its newest game, "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas" the game series will become even more popular. As I am writing this, "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas" is only available for the XBOX 360 game console but PS3 gamers will have to wait until February 2007.

If you got this game only for single player then you won't be disappointed with it. Terrorists have invaded the casinos and big name hotels of Las Vegas, Nevada.. So what happens next?

A special assault team has been called in, and you are the leader of this elite counter-terrorist assault squad. The goal of the terrorists is sketchy and only pieces of information can be confirmed. What is known is that their plan involves the McGuffin device which can potentially kill millions of innocent people in the Las Vegas area. Your mission is to uncover the terrorist's intentions and stop. Of course, there will be a few twists that will keep you guessing, but for the most past the game’s storyline is pretty much straight forward.

The "Rainbow Six" franchise has always made combat a big past of the game, which isn't a surprise considering that the game would be quite boring without it. The big change in "Vegas" is the new option of being able to take cover. Of course, you could take cover in other "Rainbow Six" games by ducking or moving behind an object, but in “Vegas” you can actually put your back up against the object in front of you.

If you want the incoming terrorists to know you are there, you can use blind fire and they will retreat. Or if you prefer you can be more accurate and take out enemies faster by popping your head out and taking aim. If you want to crouch in order to take cover you can actually switch up your shooting method by alternating between "over-the-top" and "around-the-side" firing. You can also throw grenades while behind cover; but you have to be very careful doing so as it leaves you vulnerable to incoming fire.

Your squad can move fairly quickly, whether it is rappelling off of a building’s roof, or roping through a window, or just busting into a room and taking out the enemy inside. The rappel line has got to be one of the most fun methods of entry. You can make your way slowly down the side of the building which is quiet, or you can do a few rappelling jumps and reach your destination very quickly but very loudly.

You can also turn upside down and scout out the room without being seen by the terrorists. This enables you to see the inside of the room and relay any enemy positions to your team members. Relaying enemy positions to your enables your team to enter a room and eliminate all enemies within seconds.

Each of your squad members will react to the current environment and keep you updated with important information such as enemy movement, grenades, etc. Team commands are very simple and can be performed easily with a press of a button. You can instruct your team to enter an area from a certain "entry" point, stand-by at a specific location (such as a door or window), or just fall in line behind you. Of course, there are many more commands you can issue to your squad, but you'll find out more about that while playing.

There are different difficulty levels that you may choose from. The realistic setting is not for those who are easily frustrated. Unlike the normal game mode where you can survive several hits before retreating, the "realistic" setting is indeed realistic. That’s not to say its "one shot, one kill", but let’s just say you better not take multiple bullet wounds simultaneously.

When playing the realistic game setting, enemies will react more quickly and be more alert to their environment. Sprinting from one room to another is never a good idea and that goes for any difficulty setting. If you ever need to get somewhere in a hurry, then it would be wise to lob a smoke grenade to conceal your squad's movement.

"Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas" seems to have made a big leap in graphics. The details of the soldiers, as well as their weapons & gear, are simply outstanding. The graphics aren't revolutionary as they don't compare to the graphics of a game like "Gears of War”, but they still are pretty amazing.

"Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas" is a great game to play with a good storyline, impressive combat, excellent graphics & sound, and so much more. If it is not on your “to buy” list then you need to seriously think about adding it. Click Here For More Articles About: Video Games!