Take a trip to Sin City.....unfortunately, you'll need to bring your mic.....
Graphics: This is a tricky spot. When I first got this game, the text was very blurry, almost unreadable, and the graphics were terrible. However, I quickly discovered that this game does NOT support 1080i on my television. After switching to 720p, the game looks MUCH better. Unfortunately, that means I have to change my display settings on the PS3 every time I play this game, which is a major annoyance. With the appropriate settings, the game looks pretty darn good. There are some issues, however, such as guns getting stuck in walls when players die, and if you are hugging a wall, you may see your arm going through it, etc. Small issues, but why are they present on a next-gen console? 360 included? The guns look pretty good, and the levels have a nice feel. It's not a bar-setter visually, but it is far from an ugly duckling.
Sound: Not much to complain about here....except for one MAJOR problem. The explosions sound good, the guns sound good, heck, even the door opening/closing sound effects sound great. So what's the problem? Well, this seems to be the section to complain about this in, so I'll tell you. Microphones. Stupid, annoying microphones. The game's diamond in the rough is it's multiplayer component, but if you don't have a mic, you aren't going to get to enjoy it very much. Why? Because people without mics are often kicked from lobbies for no other reason than that. I'll delve deeper into this issue in the Gameplay section, but for now, let's just say don't forget your mic. And the funny thing about it is, there is an absolutely ludicrous amount of feedback from mics in this game. I'm guessing its because most people are using wireless mics, but man, I wind up muting 80% of mic users because the feedback is so loud and annoying. Control: If you played on 360, this will take some getting used to. If you haven't played the game before, you should be able to pick this one up and go at it with next to no problems. I experienced no real issues in this department. Gameplay: If you are buying this game for the single player campaign, save your money. The single player part of this game is very dull and uninteresting. The story is strewn together very jumbled and loose per most Tom Clancy games, which is ironic since he is supposed to be a good author. Where the game shines is in its multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, that is also where the biggest problems are. The game tracks your rank when you play online, and as you go up in rank, you are able to access more items to customize your character. However, leveling up in this game once you get past about the Staff Seargeant rank takes pretty much dedicating your life to it, which was something I really hated. Also, you will find yourself playing against opponents who are a higher rank than you, and will thus have much better weaponry than you. True, you can pick up guns from those you kill, but the only ammo you get is whatever was left in the clip before they died. Apart from the ridiculous amount of time you need to invest in the game to get a high rank, the online community is not without problems. First off, there's the microphone debacle. Expect to be verbally ridiculed before you are kicked for not having one plugged in. If you can, its best to just plug one in while you are in the lobby, and then unplug it once the game starts. Its a shame that this is such an issue, but if you have played the game, you know this is a real annoying issue. Also, they should never have put leaderboards on this game. Why you ask? I'll answer with one word: Quitters. There should be a penalty for leaving a game. People do not want to damage their stats since they are tracked, so they just leave the game before it's over, some within the first two minutes. Alot of people who play this game act like it is a literal life and death situation. This is not a good game to play if you are just out to have some casual fun. This game draws a much more hardcore audience, and I myself being hardcore do not even enjoy playing with others as much as I should on here. If you want to get a game going right away, you can choose to join an existing match. However, be prepared to be joining a game that is often one-sided. For some stupid reason, Ubisoft has given hosts the power to restrict items in multiplayer matches. So yeah, you could be stuck playing against stacked odds. Online, believe it or not, should be more like Halo 2 in the sense that you can't back out once you are in the lobby, and you can't kick other players or choose which weapons they may use. That's not my hidden Xbox side coming out, that's my gamer side coming out and saying how I really feel. Very long story short, if you like tactical shooters, R6 is a good bet. Just make sure that you can deal with some really egotistical and not-so-friendly opponents online, because the single player will not hook you. As a rental, I recommend this game, and as a purchase, I recommend it because you can always play split-screen with a buddy offline, even though you have to play vertical split and not horizontal, which just sucks. Bottom line, you should feel free to take a gamble with R6:Vegas. Just remember, whatever you do, don't forget your mic.