Huge range of weapons and gadgets
You can command your troops to ‘stack’ by a doorway, then use your snake-cam to assess the room, order them to ‘frag and clear’ and they’ll open the door, chuck a grenade in and then go storming in. Taking part in these assaults and knowing that your troops will do exactly what you say really gets the adrenaline pumping and gives you a feeling that you are in control of every situation.
Rainbow 6: Vegas also features some Splinter Cell moments thanks to the new rappel system. You can ‘fast rope’ down from the top of buildings or from balconies, smash through windows to take terrorists by surprise and even hang upside down with a pistol in your hand to take out an enemy before entering a building. The addition of the rappel function has totally opened up the gameplay and there are now even more options for strategic planning. You can make decisions to all rappel at the same time into an enemy area or send one guy in alone to face the music. The levels are designed in a way that you’ll have the opportunity to use your rappel whenever you wish and the animation and impact of smashing into a roomful of terrorists with your team-mates right beside you makes you grin with satisfaction.
Click for larger imageYou may be glad to hear that the health system employed in Rainbow 6: Vegas takes a different route to its predecessors. If you’re shot, you’re dead, but if your team-mates get shot you can heal them or order your other team-mate to heal him. This adds to the tension in the game, because you’ll need to judge whether it’s worth the risk running into an open space to save him or should you take out the enemies that are dotted around the area? Whatever your choice is, you have to be a quick, because your team-mates – once shot- will only stay alive for a limited amount of time.
Click for larger imageThere are a huge range of weapons to choose from in Rainbow 6: Vegas that allow you play to your own strengths. I’ve always been a decent sniper so I immediately felt comfortable with the range and precision of the PSG1, but there are dozens of weapons to choose from (and customise) and through some trial and error you’ll soon find at least one that you’ll feel totally comfortable handling.
Alongside the weapons, there are a number of gadgets to use, including a welcome return to the flash bangs, smoke grenades and breaching charges. The effect of the grenades creates an impact on the whole environment as clouds of smoke rise to the sealing when you throw a canister of smoke and debris scatters when you throw grenades, but this new instalment also has a few new tricks up its sleeve.
