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Few modern shooters have the devoted following that's enjoyed by Rainbow Six. From its earliest PC incarnations, to the groundbreaking Xbox titles, through today's next-generation blockbusters, the franchise has, for the most part, delivered quality single and multiplayer experiences to millions of gamers. Sure, there've been a couple of stinkers in the bunch (we're looking at you, Black Arrow), but anyone can stumble every now and again. It seems that with virtually any title bearing the Rainbow Six moniker, you can expect an interesting squad-based tactical campaign, robust multiplayer modes, plenty of nifty weapons, and a gritty overall dynamic that is decidedly non-glamorous and gloriously unpretentious in its violence. For its part, Rainbow Six: Vegas for the PSP succeeds in hitting on many of those series hallmarks.
Vegas continues the trail blazed in Sin City by its console cousins, with a story set in parallel to those games. You assume the role of two "good guy" operatives Shawn and Brian on the trail of a terrorist who has kidnapped a couple of cohorts, and who also happens to be bent on poisoning the residents of the city. At various points, you'll switch back and forth between the two; this proves to be a pretty nifty mechanic, as one fellow will often come to a roadblock that the other is in a position to help out with. For example, when Brian gets pinned by a couple of gunmen, Shawn can bust out his trusty sniper rifle to pick them off and allow the action to keep on moving. The pair's missions and objectives are coordinated by a woman who, for reasons unknown, shouts every bit of information to the pair. It's a little annoying, but at least you're never in any doubt about what your goals are.
For its part, Rainbow Six: Vegas for the PSP succeeds in hitting on many of those series hallmarks.
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While the name "Vegas" is in the title, the city doesn't seem to play a very big role in the game other than as a background. Sadly, unlike the 360 and PS3 versions, there are no battles in a casino or on the Strip. For each of the five main settings in or around the city, save for a few moments here and there, you wouldn't be able to distinguish them from any other generic airport, warehouse, or water plant level you've ever seen before.
During your missions, your enemies generally won't be very tough to take out. They do a good job using cover to their advantage and are decent enough shots, but Brian and Shawn can both sustain a significant amount of damage before it's lights out. There are a few time-sensitive sub-sections of missions that are exceedingly tough, though, including two that I had to try more than a dozen times before I was able to move on. Overall though, most shooter fans will be able to make their way though the bulk of the relatively short missions without a tremendous amount of difficulty.
As always, controls for a first-person shooter on the PSP are a little trickier than a standard two-stick machine. It takes a little bit of time to get used to them – looking around with the face buttons never feels exactly natural – but over the course of the game it becomes more than manageable (the auto-target via the left bumper is a big help, especially in a pinch). Naturally, there are all sorts of nifty gadgets available to help you kill with maximum efficiency. You'll employ snake cameras to peer around corners and through closed doors, night vision goggles to navigate through pitch black corridors, and an objective marker that will prove to be of great assistance when moving through the levels. There's also a most-impressive list of guns at your disposal (personally, the Famas is my favorite), which should be immediately familiar to fans of the series.
To be frank, there are a host of small issues that become obvious as your traverse through the game. The visuals, while not necessarily bad, aren't going to knock your socks off. There's often a one to two second "hiccup" pause as you'll kill an enemy that's very disconcerting. In addition, sometimes the context-specific button presses, such as activating a switch or calling an elevator, don't register, and you'll futz around trying to get at just the perfect angle. Luckily, these rarely occur while you're taking fire, so it's more of an annoyance than a life-threatening problem.
Of course, the majority of Rainbow Six fans play it for the multiplayer. Vegas offers ad hoc and Wifi deathmatches (every man for himself and team-based) for up to four players on a nice mix of familiar and new maps. The lack of any voice chat may diminish the internet-based fun a little bit, there's no denying that getting three of your buddies in a room together to shoot each other up is a good time. I was impressed by the quality of the overall online experience, which had virtually no lag and a decent enough number of players looking for a match.
Overall, Vegas is not a perfect title, but the sum is still greater than its parts. Three fully realized modes of play, a broad array of weapons and gadgets, and that traditional series vibe combine for a fun, if a bit flawed, experience. While it lies somewhere between a portable fan service and a top notch title, it will definitely satiate those of us itching to satisfy our Rainbow Six jones while away from our consoles.
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