Reviews of Rainbow Six Vegas 2

**Pfeil22** · 03-18-2008, 04:47 PM

This thread is intended to be a central place to share and discuss reviews of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 for the Xbox 360 made by various media publications throughout the gaming industry. It is important that all reviews are credited to its proper source and please try to include a direct link to any online material. All user reviews should be posted in the Game Reviews forum to share with the rest of the community.

The following is a list of all reviews discussed in this thread:

GameSpy - 4.5 out of 5 - Review
IGN - 8.4 out of 10 - Review
Team Xbox - 8.4 out of 10 - Review

**Pfeil22** · 03-18-2008, 04:51 PM

TeamXbox - 8.4 out of 10
Link: http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360...ix-Vegas-2/p1/

TeamXbox gets the discussion rolling with their review by Dale Nardozzi. Of interest is the following regarding the pace of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and its online gameplay:

Originally Posted by Dale Nardozzi

The pacing of the multiplayer action in Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is far slower than a Call of Duty or Halo 3, of course. If you haven’t played the tactical style of the RS3 series for a bit, you’ll be thinking “molasses” the entire time, but it’s just the nature of this beast. This isn’t a dig on the performance of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 online (it runs quite beautifully, in fact), but know upfront that running and gunning is about as effective here as it is in Gears of War. We can dig on the visuals a bit, though. The lack of visual refinement in the series since 2006 is fairly apparent when running Rainbow Six Vegas 2 through its online paces. Everything is in place to make Rainbow Six Vegas 2 work from a technical standpoint, but there is little “pop” to the entire production. Maybe we’re just spoiled with how Call of Duty 4 looked. Then again, RS3 has never been known as a visual “stunna,” but this follow-up really shows that the aesthetics need to be addressed wherever Rainbow lands next time.

The following is a breakdown of their ratings for certain aspects of the game:

Gameplay - 8.4
"Improved, but older hat the second time around. AI squad mates are still clueless."

Graphics - 8.1
"Somehow not quite as good looking as the original."

Audio - 8.8
"Good enough to help you play the game better."

Longevity - 8.8
"Replay value is high with the various modes and performance tracking data."

Innovation - 7.0
"Only leaving Las Vegas will lead to more RS3 innovation."

Overall, a decent review that highlights some of the reasons to purchase Rainbow Six Vegas 2 without pulling many punches about what they perceive as its shortcomings.

**Pfeil22** · 03-18-2008, 10:27 PM

IGN - 8.4 out of 10
Link: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/860/860324p1.html

Nate Ahearn wrote IGN’s review, which ended up rating Rainbow Six Vegas 2 as “Impressive.” This article tries to answer the gnawing question as to whether this is a true sequel or simply an expansion pack.

Originally Posted by Nate Ahearn

As I said previously, the biggest problem that most will have with Vegas 2 is that it doesn’t differentiate itself enough from the first. It doesn’t feel like an expansion pack exactly–-it’s more than that--but it doesn’t feel like a full-fledged sequel either. For those who haven’t taken a stroll down the streets of Sin City than you needn’t look any further than Rainbow Six Vegas 2, but those looking for a sequel that surpasses the original in everyway imaginable will be disappointed.

The following is a breakdown of their ratings for certain aspects of the game:

Presentation - 9.0
“Menu systems are the same as before but everything moves a bit better than before, especially online.”

Graphics - 8.0
“A lot of slowdown, some of it is understandable, other times it’s not. It doesn't run as well as the first Vegas.”

Sound - 8.0
“Identical to what was in the first game in terms of music. Voice acting is definitely improved, especially on the enemies.”

Gameplay - 8.5
“Same mechanics as in the first, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing when they’re this good. Sprinting is a plus; the co-op is not.”

Lasting Appeal - 8.5
“Plenty of maps and modes will keep players busy, just so long as they realize that they’ve already been playing this game for awhile.”

The author does make one notable remark regarding gameplay that everyone should be happy to read:

Originally Posted by Nate Ahearn

Throw in the fact that this game has a higher difficulty level and is actually more grounded in tactical gameplay than the first and running will feel natural when used properly.

**Pfeil22** · 03-18-2008, 11:03 PM

GameSpy - 4.5 out of 5
Link: http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/.../860325p1.html

Gabe Graziani reviewed Rainbow Six Vegas 2 for GameSpy, giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Their system defines this as, “A very memorable game recommended for most gamers. It might have some minor flaws, or it may lack originality, but it's got great gameplay and it's well worth your time.” It also rates its multiplayer factor as great, meaning that, “Regardless of how many stars the overall game earned, this game is AWESOME when played multiplayer.”

An interesting part of the article touches on the growing similarities between the Rainbow Six Vegas and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter series:

Originally Posted by Gabe Graziani

It is also interesting that Vegas 2 continues a trend introduced by the first Vegas in that it's getting more and more indistinguishable from Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. The nabbed Cross-Com interface is a clear indication that these two games are undergoing a kind of convergent evolution as both series mature. We don't mind, but those who may find this distasteful should consider themselves warned.

Pros
“A.C.E.S. progression system is brilliant; generally improved AI; great story.”

Cons
“Still some minor bugs; no four-player co-op in the story mode.”