Reviews// Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Xbox 360)

OK, let’s talk about what for many, if not most players, is the meat of the game…the multi-player.

The major new wrinkle here has to be the sprint capability, which will hopefully put a big, stinky sock in the mouth of PC gamer “tourists” who constantly bitch about how slow console shooters are. I don’t actually think they’ll shut up - they’re fairly zealous - I just like the visual imagery.

Of course, there is a slew of new maps. In the U.S. Version, at least, there is an additional map included which may be unlocked via password as a promotion for a cable television/Internet provider, who shall not be named here (the password is: ”[name of company] faster”).

There are also a few old maps, including Streets - one of the most popular of the original maps - which may be downloaded after signing up.

The multi-player offerings include cooperative story and terrorist hunt, as well as many adversarial modes. All of these enable you to slaughter friends and strangers alike for a variety of fairly plausible reasons.

The other major change to the core of the game is weapon penetration though cover. Some guns are better at this than others - LMGs are fantastic at chewing through almost anything to get at the meat on the other side. That light screen of bamboo might as well be tissue paper, it's visual cover only and not much good against thermal vision. I killed someone from across the Murdertown map through at least two plywood walls by firing in the general direction he’d run.

The multi-player frontend has also been upgraded, with the host of a game gaining the ability to move players from one team to another. No longer will I have to listen to everyone in the room yelling at people to change sides. If the host wants them moved, they go.

There are still plenty of people bitching about this weapon or that weapon, though. I think I’ve heard enough complaints about shotguns to last a lifetime. You know what takes skill? Not complaining takes skill.

Of course the usual Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch games are available, along with Survival, Attack and Defend and one of two new game-types, Total Conquest.

An early favourite of mine is the other new kid on the block, Team Leader, which is apparently just like Assassination. But the poor sod stuck with being the one on the other chap's playing card gets all the shooty options available to his erstwhile protectors. I even like this game-type on a philosophical level; the common soldier gives up their lives for the leader’s safety, for they know they are immortal as long as he breathes.

Plus Team Leader games are usually quick, and make for great communication game-types.

The leader can see the opposing leader’s position and can vector his forces on it. He must make moves and counter-moves attempting to thwart his own pursuers; he can kill his opposition, or reach the goal safely. Many times I’ve played and the main forces fixed each other along the main route, while their leaders had a deadly rendezvous on the side. If both leaders perish, the remaining cannon fodder dukes it out until only one team remains.