The biggest issue I have had with the Rainbow Six series in the past is that the level of realism is so superb that the game was just too difficult to play. The learning curve was steep and one shot killed you. Thankfully there are multiple difficulty levels that allow poor game players like me to take multiple shots before dying. It’s still tough but you can regenerate your health if you take cover and avoid getting shot. You can also attempt to heal your fellow team members that are injured.
Graphically the game is impressive. Although I’ve only been in Vegas once in my lifetime, the game’s opening screen recreates the city the way I remember it. Everything in the game looks great. Watching people get shot can be graphically pleasing, if that makes sense.
The biggest graphical upgrade has to do with your online persona. That Xbox Live Vision camera that was primarily used for Uno has now been used with a mainstream game, and boy is it impressive. Yes, other games have allowed you to import your face into the game, but R6 Vegas has probably done it the best. The likeness is uncanny. Of course, seeing yourself get powned is probably not fun for the kids, but still they did a heckuva job with the camera import.
The in game audio is fantastic – from the character dialogue (although the feedback from your team when giving the move order gets annoying after a while) to the music and sounds of the locale you are in are all an audio treat.
Of course what would an Xbox 360 game be without Achievements, and R6 has them…just make sure you have your Xbox Live Gold account as many of the achievements are online specific. Some are silly “host a 16 player match,” but most are challenging.
There are very few games that are this nerve-wracking and playing this game is akin to watching your favorite action-suspense-thriller TV show or movie and I say that as a compliment. The game does challenge you, but it doesn’t feel as difficult as the other Tom Clancy games that I’ve played in the past. Make no mistake, this is not a dumbed down game, just more accessible to the rest of the general gaming public. Online gamers should not hesitate to purchase this game.
