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Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

Also known as: Rainbow Six: Vegas [UK]

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Terrorists gamble with America's toughest taskforce

Words: Ben Talbot, PlayStation World UK

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Counter-terrorist teams don’t often arrive as late as Rainbow Six. Originally scheduled to appear as a launch title, if this had been a real hostage situation, then everyone would have already been shot or died of starvation. But despite forcing us to wait around for ages, Rainbow Six Vegas is definitely here to deliver. It’s a slick combination of strategy, focused aggression and all-out nerves of steel.

Focus is an important word, because this is anything but a run- and-gun FPS. Survival depends on two decisive factors - using cover effectively and making the best use of two AI-assisted companions. Forget about the game’s 50-plus weapons; Michael Walters and Jung Park are the most effective part of your arsenal. These men follow your every command, and rely on you not to put them in the firing line.

Real counter-terrorists use a classic strategy where one team pushes forward as the other provides support. It’s an effective tactic, but not as simple to execute when bullets start flying and enemies burst through doors unexpectedly. In any case, if you don’t survive, there’s no blaming it on the controls. You are the one in charge.

Positioning the team where you want them is really intuitive. It’s a case of pointing the crosshair of your weapon over a location and pressing a button. The team’s path finding is good enough that they can go almost anywhere without hassle. Best of all, the same system works for other commands, including breaching and clearing rooms, defusing bombs and healing fallen team members.