I had to wait a long time before finally picking up Rainbow Six Vegas on the PS3. My cousins had it for ages, and never stopped talking about how great it was, and how challenging the AI was. Other games seemed to just keep getting placed above it on my list, until I finally cleared the way for it after buying Grand Theft Auto IV. I picked it up pre-owned, and all I can say now is that it was money well spent. It's a great game, particularly 2 player terrorist hunt. The game, does however, have some flaws.
No Sprint
I understand that the game is a tactical shooter, but there are times when you're a stealth operative that you still have to sprint like hell. If you start getting shot at, you don't walk around the corner to protection as if you're walking the dag. No, you sprint full tilt, possibly even dive through a window into a room/building if it's easier. Luckily, you can sprint in Rainbow Six Vegas 2, the sequel to this game.
Non-Vegas Levels
I get that some of the gameplay takes place in Mexico and other “outside Vegas” locations because of the storyline, but I really feel that those levels aren't as good as the Vegas levels, particularly the Vegas levels inside casinos. These casino levels add so much strategy and stealth to the gameplay that really challenge you even when you have a friend or 2 to player with. Luckily I can play terrorist hunt, and act as if I'm doing a storyline mission.
Blind Cover Fire
Blind cover fire is a great idea in theory for this game, but in practice it doesn't work so well. First off, blind cover fire isn't really something you associate with stealth. Blind cover fire suits a game like Halo (run and gun) a lot more, where stealth is extremely low on the agenda (or not on it at all). Then there's the problem with accuracy. Even if someone is about 2 feet in front of your gun when you're firing, only about 1 out of every 15 shots will hit them. It makes you wonder where all the other bullets are actually going.
All in all though, the game is very, very good. It's a great tactical/stealth game, and brings a lot to the FPS genre in general. This game is a must own for any FPS fan, particularly fans of previous Rainbow Six games, or other Tom Clancy games like Splinter Cell. I'd rate this game 8.7 out of 10.
