"To Be Continued"

Who the hell thought that would be a good way to end a game?

Those three simple words are the last thing I want to see ruining my gloriously cinematic conclusion. Just tell me how I great I am, how I saved the world and how we all lived in happiness for eternity due to my greatness. Oh sure it's nice to have some reassurance of a sequel down the track, but at least let me soak in my moment of glory for just a little bit. The ending to 2006's Rainbow Six: Vegas was the only beef I had with what was an otherwise stellar title. With stunning visuals, solid gameplay and a strong online community, Rainbow Six: Vegas was quite a tantalising package. It went hand in hand with the release of Gears of War to finally woo gamers over to the 360 at a blistering rate.

Well here we are in 2008 and it's time to finally gear up once again, hit the casinos and see if we can't give the terrorists the boot once and for all.

Vegas 2 kicks off by winding things right back. Instead of picking up right where the original left off, we are seeing the events surrounding Logan Keller's mission unfold from an alternate angle. Jumping five years back before the events of Vegas, your mission begins high atop the Pyrenees Mountains in the Southwest of France. Working with series antagonist Gabriel Novak, you find yourself in the boots of newcomer Bishop on a mission gone horribly wrong. Cutting back to the present day, you find yourself approaching the familiar Vegas strip to stop a suspected chemical terror threat, whilst Logan Keller is working his way through Mexico. It isn't until the end that the two stories directly collide but Vegas 2 ties in nicely to better explain the events that preceded the original, as well as to finally wrap up the events we left off with.

As far as gameplay goes, story mode is an overly linear affair. You'll come across countless locked doors and blocked paths, forcing you onwards as the game intends with two main approaches on your hands: Infiltration and attack. You'll either be sneaking through levels as quiet as can be, using your gadgetry to its full potential, or else be going in full force, bringing forth justice with a hail of bullets. Enemy positions stay exactly the same, death after death, so it's just a matter of try and try again until you make it through, whatever approach you choose. It forces you to you learn strategy, but teaches you to be strategic for that one situation, rather than induce a constant state of awareness. The story is intriguing, well spaced out and takes you through a range of exciting locations. It's just a shame the story is so linear, to the point where it is built around trigger points, the AI really is smart enough to hold its own.

Terrorist Hunt on the other hand, feels refreshingly unstructured. With the simple objective of wiping out all the terrorists on the map and a range of maps to choose from, it's great fun to just pick up and play. I took part in my fair share of terrorist hunts with friends back in Vegas, to the point where we deduced enemy locations and trigger points to carefully planned strategies. Vegas 2 feels as if it's been made thankfully random by comparison in this area. They feel a hell of a lot harder, but in a good way, keeping you on your toes. I felt far more motivated to try the same terrorist hunt for the 30th time than repeat a story mode section for even the third time

As you'd expect from any sequel, there's a plethora of new guns, gadgetry, locations, maps, characters and other whiz-bang inclusions. Those additions may be new, but not exactly fresh. As far as original elements, what Vegas 2 really boils down to is explicitly two main key additions; the ability to sprint and a new reward system called 'Advanced Combat Enhancement and Specialisation' (ACES for short). You'd be forgiven for thinking these inclusions sound rather similar to additions made in the latest instalment of another popular military based series. You have to wonder if it's just a case of sheer coincidence, or whether the developers were sitting round playing Call Of Duty 4 and thought they'd take a little inspiration for their own game.

ACES sees you gain rewards not only for your kills, but also bonus points for the type of kills you make. The system is divided into three categories: Close-Quarter Battle (CQB), Assault and Marksman. Each category has 20 levels of progression. Reaching a new level brings with it new weapons, items and rewards, so you're encouraged to mix up your playing style. Stepping up and beyond the reward system in CoD4, your experience points and ACES progression is accumulated in both single player and multi player, to contribute to your overall progression. Furthermore, even if you die in single player, your experience points still continue to build up, making it a whole lot easier than in the original Vegas. It mightn't be the most original inclusion, but it does make the whole experience more rewarding, whatever game mode you chose.

The ability to run seems like an odd choice for a game that has commonly tried to work against traditional FPS mechanics and force the player to use precise strategy. On one hand it provides you a means of escape, but on the other it gives you the temptation to rush into battle. It's a godsend in multiplayer, often preventing the stalemates that became so common in the original due to keen snipers and open expanses between buildings. The shotgun too is now made a much more viable option in combat. Some may argue it works against the spirit of the game, but I know one thing for sure. If you were under sniper fire in real life, you bet your ass you'd run.

Disappointingly, co-op is unfortunately reduced to only two players this time round, which is a bit of shame, but at least forces you to resort to carefully planned strategy rather than the mindless slaughter co-op became in four player. You also still have control over your AI team-mates which keeps the strategy aspect in line.


There's nothing terribly bad about Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. Graphics and sound is still top notch, even if it's been barely altered from the original. The gameplay, although largely unchanged, is still as solid as ever, if only slightly refined. If you loved Vegas to death, you'll love this all the same; just don't expect a major upgrade. It's more like a deluxe map pack than a true successor. For casual gamers, you're probably best starting with the original to catch up on story, but for multiplayer, the community is progressively shifting to the sequel.

It's a second helping of that same satisfying gameplay, but its worth will really depend on your love for the series.