The odds are stacked against an underground terrorist organization operating within the greater Las Vegas area as you take control of an elite team of covert operatives in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2. A direct sequel to last year's anti-terrorist shooter hit, the return to sin city is bigger and badder. You play as Bishop, team leader of the three-person Rainbow Six squad. Distinct from run-and-gun shooters, the game continues the careful tactical pacing and storyline of the first game. Tracking down tangos requires intelligent command of your squad and careful first-person navigation through the back alleys, casino floors, and rooftops of the sin city. The seven-mission campaign offers a lengthy primer with the real action waiting in split-screen and online multiplayer for up to 14. Above all, it's the unique tactical-action gameplay that sets Rainbow Six Vegas 2 apart and makes it worthwhile even when its flaws show.

Little has changed from the original, which is to say both share the same strengths and weaknesses. Controls remain a strong point in this sequel, with command of your squad made easy thanks to a contextual action system triggered via the X button. Moving your reticle with the analog sticks and pressing the X button instructs your team to move to the desired location or execute whatever context-sensitive action appears on the screen. Hold the reticle over a door, for example, will prompt your team to move to the door. This simple system allows for a wide range of commands that are quickly and effortlessly issued.

The only problem is that your computer-controlled team members don't always respond in the most prudent or timely manner. Commands occasionally need to be given more than once before they're executed, which can be problematic during a time-sensitive situation. Even worse, teammates regularly exhibit a lack of self-preservation, especially when moving to a location following an order. It isn't uncommon to have your team move to cover only to watch them stand up next to it in the line of fire. These shortcomings shade an otherwise functional mechanic that works a majority of the time; in fact, you'd be hard-pressed to deal with many of the campaign's scenarios without the aid of your team. It's only because they work so efficiently through most of the game that when they don't immediately respond to a command or act imprudently it sticks out.

While the game inherits this flaw from the original, it builds upon its strengths with better level design, and more sophisticated tactical options. Environments feature more variety, which in turn yields greater tactical possibilities. In other words, levels contain more doors, windows, and vantage points that enable a wide range of tactics. Only a select few scenarios during the campaign are you forced to employ a specific tactic to achieve an objective. The rest of the time you have an assortment of options available to you, which builds the sense that you're actually calling the shots and making important decisions. You might have the option of busting through a door, for instance, but perhaps splitting your squad and having one shoot through a nearby window reduces the chance of a casualty. This is the sort of tactical thinking that distinguishes Rainbow Six Vegas 2 as a thoughtful shooter, one that comes with great rewards for careful action.

A new experience system awards you points for each tango you take down. Earn enough points and you're promoted to a new rank, as well as receive equipment that you can customize your character with. Running within the general ranking system is Advanced Combat Enhancement Specialization (A.C.E.S.) that grants points to three specific combat focuses: marksman, close quarters combat, and assault. Every time you complete an action that falls under one of these three categories, you're awarded points that go toward leveling that specialty up. For instance, dropping a tango that is rooted behind cover nets you assault points, whereas capping an enemy with a headset yields marksmen points. It's a great way of keeping you playing the game by rewarding you each step of the way.

Like any Tom Clancy shooter, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 gets a lot of its value from multiplayer. Unfortunately, there are some serious stability. Cooperative play through the campaign is supported; bot off- and online, as well as cooperative terrorist hunt missions that have you tracking down tangos using maps from the campaign. The competitive modes have been streamlined from those offered in the original game. Sharpshooter is now plain and familiar deathmatch, whereas Assassination has turned into Hostage Rescue. Name changes haven't affected fun because they're just as potent in this sequel. You might not get a chance to experience it yourself unfortunately, since connecting to the game's server is somewhat of a problem. At the time of review, connecting to the servers was hit-or-miss. Ubisoft has pledge to fix the problem in the coming days, but be aware that you may have issues with taking your game online (both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions are being hit).

In the end, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 gets a mild recommendation. Team intelligence quirks, server issues in multiplayer, and a general sense that the game does little to improve upon the original leave it as a scant improvement. Of course, it doubles up on the length of the single player campaign, boasts better level design, and improves the balance of its competitive multiplayer modes. So consider it a fine sequel; just don’t expect it to rewrite the formula.