AFTER a successful first outing with Rainbow Six Vegas, Ubisoft felt it was only right to tie up loose ends left at the end of the first game with a sequel.

The first Vegas game quickly set the new standard for tactical shooters with its smooth cover mechanics and fast-paced battles.

A combination of refreshing new environments that were taken straight out of Sin City with fictional casinos and intense gunfights cemented Vegas as one of the great first-person shooters of 2006.

For better or for worse, Vegas 2 brings back much of the core gameplay that made it so great. However, while the game retains much of its charm, it doesn't break any new ground.

The story so far

Military shooters can hardly be called story-telling masterpieces. What little plot there is usually is enough to float the boat from the beginning to the end, but there is hardly any substance in between.

The first Vegas game boasted an engaging story that had a few noteworthy twists and turns that made the story a little more interesting than the average shooter.

In a rather odd design move, Vegas 2 completely removes Logan Keller, the protagonist of the first game and continues the story from the eyes of another Rainbow operative named Bishop, a custom character made by the player.

The story tries to tie up the loose ends in Rainbow Six Vegas by serving as both the backdrop and conclusion to the Vegas story arch. You are first introduced to Bishop in Pyreness, France where he/she is sent to resolve a hostage situation. It is learnt here that Logan and Gabriel Nowak, both from the previous game were under Bishop's tutelage.

Later on in the game you will be chasing down Nowak, after the events of the first Vegas game and try to put a stop to his plans once and for all.

Explosive: Grenades can be hard to spot in the dark so pay close attention during night time operations.
All in all, I found Vegas 2's story very difficult to follow because much of it is disjointed due to the constant jumping around Las Vegas.

The game is clearly aimed at those who have played the original so if you have no prior knowledge about the first game, you are probably not going to enjoy the story much.

Building up

Suit up: Your character, Bishop,is fully customasiable allowing you to select the type of gear and weapons you want him or her to carry into battle.
Vegas 2 introduces several new play mechanics that affect the way you play the game.

The first is A.C.E.S. or 'Advanced Combat Enhancement and Specialisation' that basically rewards players with different weapons based on the tactics they use in the game be it marksman for sniping, assault using explosives or taking the fight to the enemy using close-quarter combat.

I thought this was a rather clever system that makes you want to play over again to try different styles of play.

However, it feels a little broken in the sense that you will mostly be gaining marksman points simply because most engagements have you killing enemies from a far. It is definitely harder to gain points for Assault as you only have a finite number of explosive to use.

Taking a page from Call of Duty 4, you can now sprint in the game albeit only for short distances. It is useful to get around quickly but you can't shoot whilst running, so sprinting around corners isn't a good idea.

Another new feature is that you can now shoot through thin walls or objects such as wooden crates to take down enemies. However, the reverse also applies, so you will need to watch what kind of cover you using.

The campaign

The single-player campaign feels and plays a lot like the first game. It's still fun having to choose your weapons and gear before setting out on a mission.

The graphics in Vegas 2 have not changed much, but pretty much everything looks fantastic from the vast environments to the character models themselves.

The textures in the game are quite nicely detailed, so much that you can make out the threads of cloth making up your combat suit.

The one detracting thing about the graphics is how the ragdoll physics engine sometimes leave dead foes looking rather unnaturally bent in odd positions.

Each of the game's missions feels longer and is broken up into smaller acts or sections that help break up the action.

The environments in Vegas 2 are more gritty and dirty in comparison with the first game. There also a few daytime missions thrown in the mix, which is a nice change if you have gotten bored of the night environments from the first game.

The game tries to differentiate itself from the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas and has players explore the seedy side of Sin City, visiting a neon signboard junkyard and abandoned factories.

Unfortunately, most of these non-descript industrial areas have been used before in countless other shooters, making Vegas 2 lose some form of identity. After all, it is called Rainbow Six Vegas for a reason.

Still, there were some shining moments in the game with brilliantly designed levels like the Las Vegas convention centre. The brightly coloured convention hall is filled with display stands gave enemies plenty of places to hide and ambush you.

Most of the game's environments usually have two alternate points of entry, allowing you to breach in a room from the window while your squad mates burst in through the door.

Your squad mate's AI (artificial intelligence) still requires some baby-sitting as they aren't intelligent enough to take cover when fired upon by the enemy.

The only good thing of having them around is that they carry lots of frag and smoke grenades that you can liberally pepper around the battlefield should the need arise.

Speaking of teammates, you can invite another player - either local or off Xbox Live - to play through the single-player campaign with you. The experience is more streamlined now as the story plots are no longer left out in the game.

However, I was disappointed to find that the co-op mode was limited to two players. While the second player can control Bishop's teammate, Knight, only host player can issue commands to the AI squad mates, making the second player feel strangely detached from the action.

The single-player campaign is also strangely short in comparison with the first game. With all the talk about tying up loose ends, I was disappointed that the story and plot were not fleshed out enough for a decent campaign. On the positive side though, the combat and action is still enjoyable and should have you feeling satisfied at the end.

Hunting terrorists

Aside from the campaign mode, you can sink your teeth into Terrorist Hunt, which basically pits you against a large number of terrorists holed up in the game's multiplayer maps.

Terrorist Hunt feels slightly easier this time round as you can still bring along your AI squad mates to watch your back. Things definitely get more interesting when playing with four other human teammates.

The only problem I see in Vegas 2's version of Terrorist Hunt is that enemies spawn now more predictably and can easily be coaxed to a choke point for you to pick out, making it not as challenging.

It is still a good diversion once you finish the single-player mode and you're waiting for the next multiplayer match to begin.

Multiplayer madness

Speaking of multiplayer, Vegas 2's multiplayer mode is possibly one of the best there is. While it may not be as great as Call of Duty 4, it holds it ground in delivering an engaging experience.

Vegas 2 adds three new multiplayer modes which include modes like team leader, where teams have to escort their leader while taking down their opponent's leader; team demolition, where one team plants a bomb while the others must deactivate it; and total conquest, where teams have to take control of satellite dishes to win the round.

Multiplayer matches in general are quick and fun to play. It is easy to find games and get connected, though I experienced severe lag while playing with some random overseas players, making it close to impossible to play.

There are a variety of new maps which are well-planned out with plenty of cover. A majority of maps are close-quarter combat-based (CQB), so a shotgun always comes in handy.

Some maps take advantage of new game features like shooting through thin walls. Maps like CQB training have rooms full of plywood barriers that allow players to hide behind and shoot through.

Overall, Vegas 2's multiplayer provides for some pretty nail-biting moments as you navigate through empty corridors, anticipating where the next shot will come from.

Vegas verdict

Rainbow Six Vegas 2 straddles a thin line between mediocrity and innovation. On one hand, it does not introduce any big improvements to its overall look and feel but brings in small improvements like sprinting and the ability to shoot through walls.

While Vegas 2's campaign mode feels short and the story is paper-thin, the game does make things up with a strong multiplayer component with three new modes that help keep the game fresh.

Overall, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 should please anyone who has played the first game and is looking for more of the same action.

Pros: Improved co-op experience; great multiplayer mode; lots of weapons and gear to unlock.

Cons: Short single-player campaign; very little change from the first game.

RAINBOW SIX VEGAS 2

First-person shooter for the Xbox 360 and PS3

Price: $70 (Xbox 360), $90 (PS3)

Website: http://rainbowsixgame.us.ubi.com

Review copy courtesy of Gamer's Hideout Sdn Bhd. For more information, call (03) 7725-2775 or visit www.gamershideout.com.my.