Reader Reviews

Rainbow Six III (Xbox)

by Mike Pearson

I love Rainbow Six like a brother, because like the average sibling it can delight and infuriate in equal measure. It can put you through the emotional wringer, providing moments of sheer delight and complete exasperation, but at the end of the day you’re happy to come back for more. In the process, it can also tell you a lot about yourself.

You take on the role of a special forces operative, armed with a weapon set that consists of a primary and secondary armament plus a variety of grenades and potentially a gas mask. The Live! scenarios cover team survival, last man standing, terrorist hunt and a whole gamut of multiplayer FPS staples. Team survival is played most commonly, as far as I can tell.

So far, so standard. The difference is the human element. I’m yet to come across another gaming experience where the brain behind the controller so clearly makes the difference.

The key to success is communication, and with the Live! headset you’ve no excuse not to take part. Tactics develop on the fly, sides organise themselves into smaller fire-teams and take on specific roles at key parts of the map. Well, that’s if your team is working well. If you’re playing with a bunch of shy and retiring types who named their game plan “Operation Headless Chicken” you’re as good as dead.

Some of my most satisfying gaming moments have come from playing as part of a well-drilled R6 team. My stats show I’m at best an average player, but the fact that I can throw the perfect flashbang, warning everyone to look away before they burst in to take out a couple of stunned opponents gives me a deep sense of satisfaction. Did I get the kill? No. Did we get the kill? Yes. Magic.

Of course there are flies in the ointment. In no particular order they are:

1) Aiming assist that can veer between superhuman and useless. I know my machine gun on full auto is recoiling so it’s not accurate, but if it’s two foot from your chest you should be more full of lead than a pencil factory. Rainbow Six will sometimes disagree, but then it’s the same for everyone.

2) One potentially very annoying exploit that people use to reduce their chance of being hit, but most good hosts and players won’t let people get away with that. Damn you, leaners!

3) One laggy player can bring the whole server down into a juddering mess.

I came to the game late, but the assistance of others helped me up the almost vertical learning curve. AI may give you a chance but people don’t, but after a tough induction it’s the game I’m spending most time on at the moment.