'Rainbow Six Vegas 2' an average sequel

By Aimee Green | Tuesday, May 13, 2008

I'm not that much into squad-based first-person shooters, but the ''Rainbow Six'' series has done it well enough that I enjoy my time with it.

''Rainbow Six Vegas 2'' takes players back to Vegas with a counterterrorism team. The story and characters are all that really change from ''Rainbow Six Vegas'' to ''Rainbow Six Vegas 2.'' The combat system is nearly identical, and anyone who has played the first game likely will feel like this is just an expansion.

That's not necessarily bad, as the first game was pretty darn good. The duck-and-cover system works well, and commanding your computer-controlled squadmates is easy.

Unfortunately, those same squadmates aren't always the brightest, sometimes running directly into gunfire. They also frequently get in my way in close quarters, which is annoying.

However, ''Rainbow Six Vegas 2'' does one thing I wish more shooters would do: It gives experience for kills, which in turn lets you climb in military rank. Gaining ranks unlocks all kinds of goodies, from weapons to gear. It adds a whole new level of fun and keeps me playing more than anything else.

Even better, experience is shared between single-player and multiplayer. Anything you earn in multiplayer will be there when you fire up the single-player mode.

If you liked the first ''Rainbow Six Vegas,'' the sequel is worth a play. Just don't expect any major changes.

Reach Aimee Green at (402) 473-7326 or Aimee.Green@lee.net.

RAINBOW SIX VEGAS 2

Ubisoft, for Xbox 360 (also on PlayStation 3)

Rated: Mature

Cost: $59.99

Score: 7.5/10

Scores based on an evaluation of gameplay (4 points), visuals (2), sound (2) and replayability/value (2).