Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Xbox 360, PC (PlayStation 3, PSP versions to be released in early 2007)
Rating: M — Mature 17+
Game type: Tactical shooter
Rating: **** (out of five)
• What’s the premise?
The stakes on the Vegas strip get higher than ever after terrorists take control of some of the world’s biggest casinos and hotels. Using both cutting edge technology and the deadliest of weaponry, you lead an elite three-man team inside to rescue hostages and eliminate bad guys.
• This game is most similar to…?
Surprisingly, this game plays more like Halo 2 then it does the previous five games in this series.
• Can I let my kid/kid brother play it?
Gunplay in Sin City. Need I say more?
• One player or more?
If you can round up a friend who you’d like to spend 10 or 12 hours with, the two-player co-op story mode is pretty awesome. The multiplayer online play also adds a ton of replay value.
• The (not-so) secret to success is…?
Don’t get shot. Ever. Unlike in most shooters, in Rainbow Six Vegas it’s pretty easy to get taken out by just one or two shots. On the bright side, you heal quickly as long as you don’t get hit anymore.
• What’s missing?
The ability to clonk your teammates’ heads together when they keep getting in your way because they take your orders too literally.
• And in the end?
Rainbow Six Vegas — developed in Montreal — pretty much rules the tactical shooting genre after really streamlining by dropping cut scenes and excessive mission planning and just letting players play.
NBA 07
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 3
Rating: E — Everyone
Game type: Sports
Rating: *** 1/2 (out of five)
• What’s the premise?
Grab hold of your Sixaxis controller and get ready to limber up those wrists as you take control of your favourite NBA team.
• This game is most similar to…?
It’s pretty standard console hoops fare.
• Can I let my kid/kid brother play it?
Sure, just don’t let them play Nuggets-Knicks at the Gardens. Things could get ugly.
• One player or more?
What’s the fun of throwing down a dunk if you can’t tell a live opponent he’s a punk.
• The (not-so) secret to success is…?
The Sixaxis controller allows you to do jukes, spin moves and more by tilting and twisting it as you play. This adds both fun and style to the action and is actually pretty crucial to picking up some easy buckets.
• What’s missing?
The best feature of Sony’s NBA franchise on PS2 is The Life, a story-based game that follows two up-and-coming players rise to hoops stardom. But the PS3 version is sadly lacking The Life and ends up being just a little dry without it.
• And in the end?
NBA 07 for PS3 looks good and is pretty fun, but you can’t help but get the feeling things are going to get so much better in future editions as developers really learn to take advantage of the power of the console.
