Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (Xbox 360, 2008)

I was very excited when I received Vegas 2 in the mail. I thoroughly enjoyed the original Vegas so I had my expectations set pretty high. I booted up the game and immediately jumped into player creation. I set up my character with some basic gear and gave him some of my favorite weapons. This is where I first ran into trouble. The entire character creation and evolution aspect of the game is now a part of every mode of play. You will gain experience towards your character in single player and multiplayer modes. The character model you create will even be used in the story mode. I found this annoying since the story mode was constantly interrupted by reminders that I am playing a videogame with a character that has levels and stats. The experience you gain and the level you are playing at are all part of your HUD so it felt like I was always playing multiplayer.
The graphics are equal to, if not a step back from, the original Vegas. Level design is uninspired and the story is WEAKLY presented.
There is no doubt in my mind that Ubisoft simply rushed out this title without ever considering making it superior to the first. They just wanted to make money and didn't commit a single penny to improving the game engine or game code.

Multiplayer is essentially the same with new levels and some new toys to play with. Terrorist Hunt is still a joke as enemies will magically appear right before your eyes. Several times I walked around a corner and had an enemy spawn right behind me. These are lazy, unforgivable problems that should have been addressed after the first game.

If you want to know the positives about Vegas 2 you can simply play the first one again. The gameplay mechanics are fun and your team AI is competent. It is one of the few titles that still offers solid CO-OP play, but again, nothing new from before. You should only buy Vegas 2 if you are a big fan of the series and don't expect a new experience. This game is a $60 expansion and you cannot prove otherwise.

I'm not trying to spread hate or flame but I expected more from my favorite publisher.

As with the first, the controls are a bit odd, at least compared to a lot of other games. Most notably the seeming counter-intuitive press versus hold actions of Y, X, RB, and the LT cover actions. And realistic seems more difficult, especially in terrorist hunt, given the odd/inconsistent behaviors and/or sudden spawning of the AI at times.

But compared to the first, a lot of nice things so far. Not only can you put your head on a character for multiplayer (via the xbox live camera) but that is also what's used in the regular game. Also in the regular game is experience. That is very nice.

The achievements are a mixed bag. Some are basically gimmes that require no effort (5 silenced headshots) others are silly (1000 kills in multiplayer with at least 6 people playing) and/or would probably require boosting (5 consecutive kills without dying and without respawns). I'm imagining there's still people playing it, but what about in a year or two? A lot of games suffer from this problem. Especially music games. But that doesn't excuse it! *wink*

All in all, if you liked the first game, you'll like this one, and if you hated the first one, you'll hate this too. Although it does look nicer, I think, it's got the same feel to it; the slightly wooden other characters, the at times incredibly stupid and annoying teammates, enemies that are made "more realistic" by making them behave randomly and bizarrely. But not exactly "just more of the same".

This game is extremely realistic and lots of fun. There are hundreds of options for weapons, armor, and clothing that you can select for your character. You can even personalize your characters face, or superimpose your own portrait using the xbox camera. The storyline is a little simplistic, but how complicated does "Find the terrorist, and kill them!" really need to be. There is no canned or scripted way in which you must find and kill the bad guys. So, the options are limitless. You can also choose Lone Wolf, lead a team of computerized AI commandos, or team up with a friend in person, or many friends online. Tons of options for online play. I haven't even tried them all yet.
The graphics in this game are very good. Extreme realism. And varying difficulty levels allow you to learn in beginner mode, and then challenge yourself in normal or realistic modes. In short, you'll love this game. And, it's a great value too, as it is not one of the more expensive XBOX games.

Seeing it on my friend's TV screen for the first time made me intantly fall in love with this game. Upon buying it, it was clear that this game was a work of genius. The AI of the enemy is both sneaky and confrontational at the same time, providing a challenge but yet a lot of fun. A perfect melody of weapon selection, maneuverability, and tactical necessity, working with your teamates throughout the story line and especially on XBox Live is a must. As with many first person shooters, the AI of your teammates isn't the best, but certainly isnt the worst. Through the many levels of the campaign I found my squad to be very helpful and responsive, although sometimes when I needed them most they werent there (which is probably my fault anyways). The campaign is decently long but beating this game is taken to a whole new level as to fully master the awards you must beat the game on all the different difficulties, and shoot your way through the terrorist hunt mode doing the same.
Overall I highly recommend this game to anyone who feels up to the challenge of occasionally getting their ass kicked, restarting the mission, and dedicating themselves to accomplishing a higher rank.

If you're a fan of the Rainbow Six genre then you will enjoy the newest installment to the series. The game takes place in the desert city of Las Vegas and has all the excitement of the previous Vegas game. Vegas 2 is probably an 8.5/10 if you ask me for the following reasons. PROS: the customization is limited in terms of the actual character is concerned (facial features etc.) but the gun customization and realistic effect is good enough to match up to Call of Duty 4. Another cool feature that is unique for this game is that you can choose different armor combinations for your character and camoflauge (dozens of colors to choose from). One of the most useful features is that you can hug the wall when youre taking cover and how you can direct your two support men where to go (not a new feature, but always a good one.) The mini game mode Terrorist Hunt is a nice addition to the game. CONS: Online play is limited and does not work very well. The maps are difficult to play on with other human players and people have actually figured out a way to glitch in certain game modes in order to rank up faster... But if you just want to rank up fast I suppose that could be a Pro for you.

Overall this game is a must have for fans of Rainbow Six, or even newcomers who like shooter games. It offers a unique way to play a shooter game and wont dissappoint.