Rainbow Six Vegas was, in my opinion, a fantastic game. It combined very slick gameplay with stunning graphics and an immersive story, and threw in nice touches like an epic soundtrack and a fun "terrorist hunt" mode.
With this as a basis, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 should have been even better, but unfortunately it falls short of the mark. On the one hand, Ubisoft improved nearly every aspect of gameplay (I'll get to that), but on the other, the game is just MISSING something.
On the positive side, there are plenty of new touches that fix most of my gripes about the previous game. Melee is still missing, much to my annoyance (there are plenty of opportunities when it would be preferable), but you can now sprint in short bursts (handled in the standard CoD manner, but with the left bumper). I couldn't honestly tell if pistol firing was as fast as your finger could pull (the old game had a fixed minimum time between shots which was very irritating), but it seemed faster anyway. The graphics are impressively better; original Vegas had some great visuals, so seeing even more detail and lighting effects is a nice touch. There is an improved assortment of weapons, including the SR-25 sniper rifle, a favorite of mine ever since SOCOM: US Navy SEALs. Unfortunately, as before, you can only put one attachment on each weapon, so you'll have to choose between things like "recoil stock to prevent ridiculous muzzle climb" and "sight/scope to get any remotely useful benefit from LMG at ranges greater than point blank." I suppose that too much weight would slow down an operative, and this is the reasoning, but it's kind of annoying at times. You can now see how many breaching charges and grenades your team is carrying. Checkpoints seem to be more frequent, which is a plus considering that the enemy AI is also noticeably tougher. In fact, this game proved to be very challenging even on "Normal" difficulty; enemies have razor-sharp senses and very good aim.
A new and considerably extensive feature is character customization. Instead of playing as a standard-issue "Logan Keller," (you'll be playing as "Bishop" anyway), you can alter your appearance including facial features/race, facial hair (not really visible in-game), and clothing. The latter is the most notable, because your clothing is also topped with body armor, and there are about a dozen different types, with varying levels of protection and encumbrance. You can put on the heaviest armor possible and take a few more bullets, but you'll move slower and respond more sluggishly. You can also change your helmet and choose to wear sunglasses or goggles, which I personally think is cool. A silly detail of this, however, is that even if you opt to go with no helmet at all, you'll still have access to thermal and night vision, as if by magic (even looking at yourself in third person with NVG on reveals nothing over your eyes, although the goggles do flip down if you are wearing the standard issue helmet). The "equipment" lockers placed throughout each level now include clothing and armor, as well, so you can change your setup mid-mission. This is actually very handy as you may encounter a very heavy firefight after a segment where stealth and speed are critical, and wish to bulk up your armor.
Another new feature is a level-up system that takes effect during all modes of gameplay, including the campaign. Each kill that you get adds to your XP, with various types of kills and actions counting higher than others. As you level up, you'll advance in rank and unlock new weapons and armor. This adds to the replay value, because modes like terrorist hunt continue to advance your level.
The co-op modes are a nice feature, with the challenging (VERY challenging) terrorist hunt mode being a fun split-screen pastime. I haven't played online, due to my lack of a connection, but it's an option as well.
Despite all these good things and improvements over the original, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 just doesn't quite hit the mark. The reason isn't quite apparent, but I have a few theories. First, the original game ended in a cliff-hanger that definitely warranted a sequel. After setting themselves up nicely for future sales, however, it seems that Ubisoft got tired of working on it and rushed it to completion. Despite being much more difficult than the original, I was stunned by how quickly the game was over. I expected to unlock most of the weapons by the end of the campaign as I advanced in rank (although it was probably designed more for multiplayer), but I was still a lowly Staff Sergeant when I finished, and I was left with a hollow feeling, kind of like when you prepare to eat a meal and then have it taken away halfway through eating.
What's more, while the first game had an introduction in Mexico and then spent the rest of its time in the glitzy, slot machine and neon laden Las Vegas for which the game was titled until the grand finale, "Vegas 2" starts in Europe, briefly visits Vegas, hitting a few casinos, then heads out to the Nevada desert and finally to Central America. Since I really enjoyed the atmosphere and ambiance of the Vegas setting, this disappointed me too. The new locations fit the storyline, but Vegas still should have been the focus.
Comparing the concurrent storylines of Vegas 1 and 2 justfies my complaint about game length and locale. In Vegas 1, after the introduction in Mexico, Logan Keller joins Michael and Jung for the entire rest of the game (90% or more). In Vegas 2, Bishop works with Michael and Jung until they leave to join Logan, then performs a solo mission in an oil refinery. Right after that, he's back with Mike and Jung to find Gabriel (after the events of Vegas 1). This oil refinery mission does not constitute 90% of the game, hence the overwhelming feeling of a large chunk being left out. In general, the story was weak and the game felt like an expansion pack rather than a sequel. The finale was challenging and meant to be emotional, but came off as fairly cheesy. While Logan, Michael, and Jung played an epic role as the first line of defense in Vegas, kicking the terrorists in the teeth and foiling their plans to micropulse everything (and consequently making you, the player, feel like a hardcore hero), Bishop and his various companions in Vegas 2 seemed like a second-rate backup force, wandering around and failing to accomplish anything noteworthy (and failing, per script, to accomplish many of their initial goals). Of course this makes you, the player, feel lame as well.
My last broad complaint is about the graphics. Earlier I said that they were better and more detailed, which is true. However, for whatever reason, everything seemed too clean and perfect, even when it was destroyed. Shapes are simple and the whole game resembled a very obvious Adobe Illustrator graphic. Replete with detail, but lacking some aspect of realism that made everything toy-like. I played Vegas 1 and 2 back-to-back (my second time going through the original), so the fact that I noticed this in Vegas 2 indicates that it's a new and different thing, likely a result of the new graphical touches.
Other complaints are minor, like a soundtrack that lacks the power of the original, heavily recycled enemy dialogue from the original (although the comically repeated "Chris ain't here" line is absent), and a few gameplay details I already addressed.
In conclusion, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is a very slick game that provides good entertainment and replay value via modes like terrorist hunt, but lacks the clout of its predecessor, due to a weak plot, unimportant player role, short duration, oddly toyish graphics, and lack of Las Vegas content. You may want to rent this one, or buy it used.
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Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2.
