Rainbow Six
Reviewed by Stinger
We all have our breaking points. I reached mine when Majesco, the
scrubs that they are, delayed the Dreamcast version of Rainbow Six
for the umpteenth time, leaving me no choice but to pursue my tactical
combat fantasies on another format. I knew full well that the PC
version would probably be the best, but I'm a consoler at heart, so
that wasn't an option. The Playstation version is notoriously bad,
which left me with the surprisingly good Nintendo 64 version, and
I'm glad I took a chance and picked it up. This game is a sleeper hit
and one of the better games to grace the slowly dying format. Between
all the sickeningly kiddy "big name" titles like Rayman and Donkey Kong
64, R6 is standout effort for the more mature crowd, of which I'm a
member of. If you were a fan of the likes of Goldeneye and Winback, and
are looking for a little innovation to break the monotony that seems to
have infected first-person shooters, than R6 is without question the
game for you.
Rainbow is an anti-terrorist team comprised of a coalition of multi
national combat specialist. When fanatics decide to hijack an airplane,
or take children as hostages, it's the Rainbow team that gets sent in to
sort them out. An ex-CIA agent named John Clark, whose operation name
is Rainbow Six, leads them. I recommend reading the Tom Clancy novel
of the same name for more on the nature of Rainbow and the mysterious
John Clark. It's good reading, and an excellent way to get a glimpse at
the behind the scene activities of black-ops and covert, governmental dealings.
Graphics: 7 out of 10
R6's graphics, while adequate, are only just average by N64 standards.
To be honest, I would even say the archaic Goldeneye looks better, but
R6 has a nice frame rate going for it that remains consistent no matter
what's going on on-screen. There is no pop-up to speak of, and fog is never
a problem. While the visuals won't set your world on fire, the level design
is smart and also a step ahead of the competition, living up to all the
other elements of realism R6 aspires for. All the levels make sense, and
seem to be taken from real world locations. Take the office building for
example, not only does it have roving guards, cheap suits and all, but
elevator banks, a reception desk and men's and women's restrooms. This
dedication to detail continues throughout the game, making for easy
memorization, and planning. Even the hacienda has big roaches that
congregate around dead bodies.
I really enjoyed R6, more so then I thought I would, it being an N64
game and all, but it filled in the void Majesco's stupidity has left. If
you're sick of cutesy mascots and platform games, than R6 is a must
buy. It does enough things right to negate all the things it does wrong,
and those flaws aren't many. I will still consider picking up the DC
version, but it better be pretty damn stellar, as the N64 version may
have stolen much of Majesco's thunder.
Music and Sound: 7 out of 10
I like R6's music, which is sometimes patriotic, and other times the
stuff of horror films. Overall the soundtrack seems made to keep you
on edge, even when there's no real sign of danger. Voice samples are
some of the best around, but, sadly, the in game effects range from
average to poor. Gun bursts and grenade explosions seem taken from an
Super NES game at times. I can only think the bulk of audio memory was
consumed by voice samples and ambient noise, which is quite impressive.
Game Challenge: 8 out of 10
So what about the game, you ask? On a basic level, it's a first-person
shooter, but unlike other titles in this genre, Rainbow six adds a few
new twists that are sure to make this title the fodder of continuous
imitation for many years to come. For one, instead of just leading one
super soldier into combat, you control a team of four troopers, which
can be broken up into four teams, if you so desire. You have full control
over only one operative, and the others are manipulated by actions you
program before executing the mission.
Before actually picking up a weapon and running off to kill terrorist,
you're provided with all the necessary intelligence pertaining to the
level. This includes blueprints, location of hostages, and number of
"Tangos". Using this info, you have to plan how your team members
maneuver. Maybe you want them to wait and regroup, or take the enemy
by surprise by storming all the doorways at the same time, or maybe
you want your boys to come up from behind and flank the enemy. These
tactics just wouldn't be possible in other FPS. You fit your team with
different types of body armor, rifles or sub-machineguns, side arms,
and grenades or flash bangs (blinding grenades for disorienting tangos
prior to an all out strike). Each gun type has different handling
characteristics and zooming range, and some with silencer options
for sneak attacks.
Gear decided up, you program exactly when and how your team moves
throughout the levels. Now I'll admit, this is daunting at first, and it'll
take some time to get used to. Don't expect to just to jump in and be
successful, because this is guaranteed to result in total annihilation
of all your operatives. After a few attempts, you'll learn how the enemy
moves and reacts in certain situations. Until then, expect to hear "Man
down" and "Under fire" quite often, and once you start losing men it's
best to abort and begin again. Going solo, Quake style, will almost
always result in a failed mission, because in R6 one shot can kill; this,
of course, depends on your body armor type, how good a marksmen the
enemy is, and the angle you're being ambushed from. Head shots, the worst
kind, result in brutal, swift and sudden death, leaving you wondering
what the heck happened. Hits to the chest and limbs can be endured once
or twice, but watch your butt and avoid bravado, or you'll end up on the
ground with a puddle of red swelling around you. These rules apply to the
enemy too, meaning your own dexterity with flash bangs and aiming ability
can make all the difference between completing a mission and four dead
soldiers. When you've planned properly, and your execution is perfect, you'll
be treated to lots of "Tango down" which means there's one less scumbag
left to harm the innocent. Enemy AI is weak, relying more on one shot kills,
than maneuvering and tactics. Still, expect to die a lot.
Game Play-Fun: 10 out of 10
Gamplay is very intuitive, using nearly every button on the N64 controller.
The default layout leaves you with a lot to do, and you'll need seven fingers
on each hand to keep from having to remove one to reload, or activate your
NVG. But all this activity seems natural in R6's environment. It'll take
some time, but given day or so, R6's complexity wont be an issue at all,
and will actually become fun. Perhaps R6's best feature is the two-player
cooperative mode. We consolers are thoroughly familiar with the split
screen death match option, but for the first time we can play on the
same side, calling out orders at each other, splitting up, and ganging up
on tangos. Player one can throw in a flash bang, while player two rushes
in and does the dirty work. This alone makes the R6 a game that must be
played, just to see how much fun being on the same side can be. Hopefully
other companies will take note and add this option to upcoming titles.
Overall: 10 out of 10
I really enjoyed R6, more so then I thought I would, it being an N64 game
and all, but it filled in the void Majesco's stupidity has left. If you're sick
of cutesy mascots and platform games, than R6 is a must buy. It does enough
things right to negate all the things it does wrong, and those flaws aren't
many. I will still consider picking up the DC version, but it better be pretty
stellar, as the N64 version may have stolen much of Majesco's thunder.