"Rainbow six Vegas" isn't a bad game. It is just a run-of-the-mill shooter that lacks any originality or substance.
The player takes the role of Logan, the newest team leader in the ranks of an elite squad, who apparently isn't very good, since his fallow teammates, Khan and Gabriel, are captured by terrorists on his first mission. Despite Logan's objections, his commander decides to leave the duo to their fate, and assign Logan to a new team, headed for Vegas.
Along for the ride, are two other A.I. squad members who will follow Logan blindly into the line of fire in an attempt to bring peace back to the city of sins.
From there on, the story's development hits a wall. Once the Vegas campaign starts, the game's story doesn't offer any twists up until the very last mission.
Although the game doesn't start or end in Vegas, the gameplay itself stays the same throughout the entire experience. Logan can give order to his team, like assault, rappel or clear out a room full of badies. Most of the time, the A.I. is pretty good, and Logan's team will work efficiently and will not get in the way, while enemies take cover and flank when the option present itself. It's too bad that after the second mission, "Rainbow Six Vegas" stays exactly the same. Nothing new is introduced into the game, and every cool feature is used over and over again until nothing seems fun anymore. Even engaging in combat is reduced to popping out of cover to take down an enemy or two, and then popping right back in. who knew that being an elite commando can be so boring.
Another downside to the gameplay is the fact that checkpoint are spaced too far between, forcing the player to clear out room after room, only to die by a lonely terrorist who was hiding around the corner, and then play the entire scenario all over again. It can get real annoying at times, because wasn't enough excitement the first time to justify another run-through.
"Rainbow Six Vegas" features a wide arsenal of weapons, from sub machine guns to sniper rifles. At first this feature looks cool, and the ability to equip different weapons before and during each mission can be fun, but soon the realization that some guns are better then others will make most of the weapons unnecessary. The only real major decision is whether to bring along the shotgun, or the sniper rifle.
For some reason, this game as labeled as a "Tactical Shooter". To be frank, the tactical part in the game isn't very dominant, or even present. Sure, Logan can order his team to burst through doors, using grenades or flashbangs, or even fast-rope through skylights, but the matter of fact is that no amount of tactic is really required at any point. Some entries are better then others, and when dealing with hostages, grenades may not be the wisest choice, but every room or corridor can be cleared by simply ordering your team to take cover and return fire.
The game's only saving grace is the graphics. The rich environments are truly sight to behold. The casino floors, show rooms and huge lobbies make for a wonderful battleground, with lots of cover and destructible objects (such as slot machines, tables and cars). Even when flying above Las Vegas, the urban scenery looks amazing. The characters look ok, especially the Rainbow Six team members. The enemies are a bit repetitive in design, but it's only noticeable near the end, where the game throws at the player wave after wave of tangos. Speaking of the Rainbow Six team, it is kind of funny to see the length the development team went to try and be politically correct. The whole supporting team and enemies are composed of a verity of ethnic groups, while the protagonist Logan and the antagonist are the only proud white American.
The sound design in the game isn't the best there is, with the exception of the voice acting. Every accent is well done, from the Russian to the Asian to the South American.
Sound effects are a different story; the gunshots and explosion lack the punch you'd expect them to have. Grenades explode with a measly bang, and gunshots are not nearly as ear deafening there ought to be. The same goes for the background music; it is uninspiring and forgettable at best. Its attempts at being dramatic fail miserably and the action sequences are accompanied by annoying and bland scores.
"Rainbow Six Vegas" is a good looking game, with fast paced action and high production values, but lacks any originality and substance. If you are a fan of tactical shooters, I'm certain you can do better.