By Joshua Bender on November 14th, 2003

Genre: Action/FPS
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
# of Players: 1
Memory: N/A
ERSB: Mature
Released On: October 30, 2003
Supports: Dolby Digital (and pretty much every XBOX feature except custom soundtracks)
MSRP: $49.99
Also On: PC (but slightly different)
Website: http://www.rainbowsix3.com/us/home.php?change_version=2

In Rainbow Six 3 for the XBOX, your job is to eliminate any and all threats that oppose you, and most importantly, freedom. Just like Ghost Recon before it, Rainbow Six 3 is primarily a PC port, but rather than just make another strait port, Ubisoft decided halfway through development to do a little bit more (thank God they did). By a little bit more I mean a graphical upgrade to make use of the XBOX’s power, as well as a few aesthetic (the game uses the Splinter Cell lighting engine, and you can see your gun), gameplay (you can take more damage), and audio (you can order your teammates to perform specific actions via the XBL headset, al-la Socom for the PS2) additions. If you’re looking to see if this game is worth a purchase, or even your time, let me cut to the chase and say that if you have XBOX Live, then without a doubt yes, you should definitely buy it if you happen to like FPS’s at all. If though, you lack this feature, or don’t particularly care for FPS’s, then Rainbow Six 3, while still an enjoyable game offline, is probably worth only a rental at best.

Presentation
The developers at Ubisoft have spent their time to give gamers a closely realistic approach in their previous FPS titles, and RS3 (Rainbow Six 3) is no exception for the most part. Their Tom Clancy based games have become one of the highest selling franchises on the market, and have become in almost all gamers minds, the pinnacle of realistic gaming excellence. But like they did with Splinter Cell, Ubisoft decided to take a slightly less realistic approach to the console version of RS3. The reason being that they wanted the game to have a slightly more twitch shooter feel (but only slightly mind you), as well as be more console friendly. For starters, you can take more damage than you normally could in previous incarnations of the game. In the PC titles, just like in Ghost Recon, usually being hit more than twice almost always meant your squad mates were going to be bringing you home in a body bag. In RS3 on the other hand, you can take a fairly decent amount of shots, before the Grim Reaper smiles in your direction. For example, when using a normal powered weapon like the FAMAS G2, it can take up to almost an entire clip in the chest before a human opponent will go down (human opponents can take more damage than the AI ones).

This though, encourages an almost strictly headshot only mentality. One shot to the head from almost any gun, and you’re down for the count. Even the AI opponents can take you down with a shot to the head, and more than once I came around a corner with full health, and got blasted in the head, and therefore killed instantly. This is good though, because it promotes skillful gameplay. I’ve saved my @$$ more a few times while online, by taking the extra second to aim at the head of the guy who had just happened to pop around the corner while my back was turned and started firing at me like a madman. Point being, a steady hand and clear mind usually makes the kill, not the rampaging glory hound. After an hour or two of gameplay (especially online) walking around with your gun aimed at where peoples heads will generally pop up should you suddenly run into them, will become second nature (and if it doesn’t, you now know to practice at it)

The second major change made for the console version, is the use of the Splinter Cell lighting engine. If you were lucky enough to play the XBOX version of Splinter Cell, this should excite you greatly. Things like the soft glow of sunlight streaming in through the blinds or an open window, are truly a beauty to behold. Generally, the game certainly looks pretty, but it’s not without its disappointments, since the Splinter Cell lighting engine is only partially used. While yes, the lighting engine is primarily used, there are certain effects, or actions if you will, that remain absent. One of the most notable is the ability to shoot out lights, and honestly, I am still a little bit disappointed it was left out. Also, while your character does give off a realistic shadow when a strong light source is behind you (and only a strong light source), there are no self, and very little environmental shading effects that I was able to notice. To test this out I stood in front of a lit flash light that was resting on top of a cabinet in the first mission, and watched my squad mates walk past me. My shadow didn’t show up on them at all. While this doesn’t necessarily take away from the overall gameplay, it is noticeable (especially if you loved Splinter Cell’s lighting effects as much as I did), and therefore somewhat of a let down. In some of the latter levels, more moody, or dramatic lighting is used, which certainly adds to the overall presentation, but still, considering what could have been, it’s less than spectacular.

The third major change made for the console version, is the addition of Heat Vision (and yes, of course the night vision is still present). This is the one main feature that translates over perfectly from Splinter Cell, and really does come into play when playing tactically. Case in point, it works great for seeing through heavy smoke (like if someone lets off a smoke grenade in your general field of vision or for seeing through doors (particularly the latter). On several occasions while playing online in Airport 1 (and I know this will now come back to bite me), I placed a remote charge on the floor. Then I would go into the nearby bathroom, close the door, and turn on my heat vision. Once an unsuspecting enemy walked past the closed door I would detonate the charge, and send him to his Maker. This also works well for placing a charge in front of a door, and waiting out of their heat vision range (you can only see about 5 feet through a door using heat vision). Once they walk up to open the door…BOOM! Yes, I know it’s a tad cheap, but having someone fall into your trap is very satisfying, and there are easy ways to counter act it if you know how.

The fourth major change made from the PC version is the fact that you can now actually see your weapon. I for one was particularly glad to see this addition, as while playing Ghost Recon, I felt like I was nothing more than a disembodied target, instead of a soldier in the heat of battle. Plus, whether you view this change as a good or a bad thing, there is no denying that the weapons themselves are beautifully and meticulously constructed, with a superb attention to detail. Each weapon looks as realistic as can be to its real life counter part. Plus, the weapons realistically shake while firing them (and no, you can’t turn that off). At first, this is going to seem like an annoyance, but it does two things that make it worthwhile. First off, it adds a particular amount of realism to the game, making it seem much more genuine in the visual area, which in turn adds to the immersion factor. Secondly, it generally keeps people from running and gunning, and heavily promotes aiming at the head first before firing in most cases. This greatly helps keep the game from becoming primarily more Unreal like.

The last major change made from the PC version, is the targeting system. To put it bluntly, the targeting system in RS3 for the XBOX, is pretty much the exact opposite of the PC versions of all the Tom Clancy games. Usually, your target will expand outwards while moving, causing any shots fired while on the move to go anywhere but where you’re aiming. When you’ve stopped moving of course, the target closes in, and allows for precision hits. The difference in the console version of RS3 though, is that instead of your target getting larger while on the move, it just gets smaller (much much smaller) making hitting anything (especially when you factor in the realistic weapon shake) quite a chore and primarily an aspect of luck (though with practice, it is possible to still kill people while on the move if they’re close enough, but it’s not an exact science). When you come to a stop though, your target area expands, allowing you to pretty much automatically hit anything within the targets area. This is because RS3 relies heavily on (GASP!)…..auto-aim.

Now, your first reaction to this might be to decide to never play this game (especially if you play a lot of PC games). But you have to take into account that the gun doesn’t primarily aim for you, and if you have your targets perfectly lined up with another player’s head, while they are just generally aiming at you, you’re the one who is going to be dancing on their grave, and not the other way around. Overall, the game still rewards skill over luck at least 95% of the time. While there have been a few times while online that I killed someone with a head shot when I felt they should have probably killed me first, for the most part I either win or lose due solely on my skill (or lack thereof)

All of these factors together, added on top on RS3’s original gameplay, combine to make a game that plays like mix between Counter Strike and Halo. The game isn’t as slow paced as the other Tom Clancy FPS’s, nor is it as exacting and strict. But, neither is it as fast paced as Halo, allowing for someone to hit you from afar while on the run. And while you can’t take as much damage as you can in a game like Halo, you can take a few hits, and keeps on ticking. Durring one online match, I was the last remaining member of my team, with only one bar of health left. But, using good aim mixed with clever tactics, I was able to kill the four remaining opponents on the other team. That is something that under the same circumstances, usually (and almost certainly) wouldn’t be possible in Ghost Recon, Counter Strike, or Halo, without a good amount of luck, and I like that.

One last new feature, that doesn’t necessarily affect the gameplay itself, but does certainly add to the games enjoyment, are the excellent Rag-Doll physics. Both online and off, your enemies’ bodies will drop to the ground, over railings, and even sometimes through windows, with very realistic, and sometimes hilarious results. To give you a few quick examples, while playing online, I’ve seen players bodies perfectly sprawled across tables with their feet and arms dangling, two players bodies from an opposing team having fallen to the ground in a manner that they perfectly looked like they were hugging each other, and I even once snuck up behind a guy while he was aiming out a window and shot him in the back of the head, which resulted in half his body leaning out the window, while his bottom half stayed perfect still (feet planted on the ground), making it look like he was waiting to be spanked. Another time, I unloaded an entire clip into an opposing players chest, which resulted in him getting blasted back about 5 feet, getting knocked over the railing, and then sliding down the stairs (even his own teammates were cracking up about that one). The Rag-Doll physics, if anything, add a lot of pure fun to the playing experience, particularly online.

Offline/Single Player Gameplay
The single player missions have been dumbed down in the console version of RS3, in that you now only have one squad to command, plus the pre-mission planning has been removed. While you’ll still get a brief summary of what you’re up against, as well as mission objectives, you are no longer given an extensive map to look over. Also, you will have the same three squad members throughout the game, and you cannot choose their equipment (but, they are always automatically carrying what the mission primarily calls for). Even if one is taken down during a mission, the only result will be his noninvolvement throughout the remainder of that particular mission, so you needn’t worry about having to start over from your last save, if a squad member (usually Price for some reason) gets taken out near the end of the mission.

The enemy AI seems to be hit or miss. Sometimes it’s dumber than a grade school drop out, and could barely hit the broad side of a barn at point blank range. At other times though (even in easy) it can be extremely deadly. The main difficulty comes from scripted events, where in the coast will appear to be clear, until you pass a particular point in an area (almost always, that point leaves you open to attack from several sides), then suddenly you’ll be getting shot at from three different directions. This gives the game a heavy trial and error feel to it. In most cases, you’re going to pass the missions by learning from your mistakes and then taking the proper precautions (i.e.: placing your squad members where they can be the most useful without also getting creamed) to be able to get the job done.

While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it does take away from the replay value somewhat. Once you figure out what to do, and where the enemy is going to be coming from, it becomes a matter of simply walking through the paces, and without the ability to go about the mission in a freer formed manner, most will not want to bother going through the game more than once. A good example of being locked into certain scenarios is the Alcatraz mission. There is a point where you’ll come upon a shower area, in which you will be ambushed. Before you even enter the area, it’s more than obvious what’s about to happen. After dying here twice, I had an idea that I thought would definitely get me past this with a lot less frustration. On one side of the room there are two doors. These two doors are sealed tight (as in you can’t open them), until a certain amount of terrorists have been taken out from the surrounding balconies above. One of the items you can equip before you start your mission is a Door Charge, which as the name implies, blows open doors. So, I figure that this charge will allow me to get into the area behind these doors (which obviously contains stairs leading to the balconies), before my team and I become the human equivalent of Swiss cheese. But alas, the almighty devs decided that they wanted things done their way, and their way only, so I wasn’t even allowed to place a charge on the door at all. Of course it can be argued that if one were allowed to work around certain scripted events, that the game might be too easy. But I say, so what!? Not being able to do something, that realistically I should be allowed to do, not only takes away from the immersion factor heavily, but also takes away from the overall enjoyment as it only helps for you to recognize the strict point-A-to-point-B-ness of the game. Also, considering the games realistic nature, it stands out like a pimple on your nose.

There is certainly some variety to be had, but it mainly lies in your personal weapon selection. Speaking of which, the amount of different weapons in the game is almost absurd. That’s not a bad thing mind you, as different weapons actually do help for different missions. I have found through, that equipping the G3A3 or the L85A1, plus a Grenade Launcher, an Incendiary Grenade, and some Flash Bangs, works almost perfectly for almost every mission. But, since you have the option to use things like Tear Gas, Door Charges, as well as a huge variety of different guns, there is always the option of going through a mission with less butt kicking weapons simply for the challenge of it.

On of the more enjoyable aspects of the single player game, is the ability to use the XBL headset to give orders to your squad mates. Most of the orders are just variations or additions of a few specific orders, which cuts down from having to memorize too many orders, and thus possibly getting confused. A good example of command variations would be: Open, Open and Clear, Open Flash and Clear, Open Flash and Clear on Zulu. For the most part, your squad mates will execute the commands given without any screw ups, sometimes though, they’ll misunderstand you (like half the time I said Zulu, they thought I said regroup), and every once in awhile they would do something stupid like standing directly in front of a door to open it and throw in a flash bang, which usually resulted in them getting shot up. Though I generally used to headset when issuing orders, if you want to make sure there are no misunderstandings, you can also just hold down the ‘A’ button, which allows you to pick from the various commands (and the white button can be used to issue the Zulu command).

As I mentioned before, your teams AI is less than perfect. Sometimes they will shuffle around trying to get around each other, and you, to try to complete a task or get to an area that you’ve told them to cover. And though they are generally good for covering your six, there will be many times where it will seem like you’re simply baby sitting them, instead of playing with seasoned veterans. When this happens, it seriously takes away from the immersion factor. These blemishes aside, your squad mates are generally helpful, and without a doubt are enjoyable to play with. And if used properly, will definitely save your skin from time to time.

Online Gamplay
This is the pinstripes on the racecar, the meat with the potatoes, the bump mapping on the Halo. Online, RS3 is simply a blast to play, and is the primary reason for purchasing this game. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that this is one of the most enjoyable XBL games to date, and if nothing else of particular worth comes along, should certainly hold you out till Halo 2 arrives. There are three modes of competitive gameplay online. Survival (you only get one life, last man alive wins), Team survival (same thing, but with teams), and Sharpshooter (basically, classic single player deathmatch), and all have primarily lag free Microsoft and Ubisoft servers hosting them.

Weapons wise, while there is one main gun that tends to give everyone a slight advantage (the G3A3), I have seen players, as well as have myself, rule all while using what are seemingly lesser guns. Just the other day I was playing on a server in which the best player was beating everyone else out using the FAMAS (which is a great gun at mid-close range, but sucks at long range). The fact that different guns can be used to suit different players playing styles, all while remaining highly skill based is a rare thing in the online FPS gaming world. What usually tends to happen is that there will be one gun (almost always a sniper rifle, or some variation) that is so overpowering, and has such an advantage over every other gun in almost all situations, as to render using any other gun practically useless. I refer to this as “putting the game on rails”. Meaning that it ends up ruining the game because to keep up, every single player has to follow suit if they want to have any chance at all.

There are though, unfortunately, two guns in RS3 that fall into the ‘rails’ description. Though I loathe mentioning them, I’ll do so since you’ll easily figure it out after playing online for a few hours. These two guns are the M82A1 .50cal Sniper Rifle (big surprise), and the M203 (Grenade Launcher). The latter is self explanatory as to why it’s annoying. It can easily kill several people at once in a single blow, and while you only get three rounds per match, if everyone decides to use it, that is more than enough to turn any and all mid to close range battles into nothing more than a low skill blasting fest. Luckily though, anyone who makes a server is allowed to ban the GL’s out right, and luckily the majority of the servers I’ve played in have done so. Even in a few where the GL wasn’t banned, usually everyone agreed to not use it, so it didn’t end up ruining the game.

The M82A1 on the other hand, is not lockable. But, just like the GL, the majority of players I played with have already recognized its extreme cheapness, and after the first few days, in most servers I joined everyone not only agreed to not use it, but if someone insisted on using it after everyone asked him not to, he ended up being continually killed by his own team till he left. In case you’re wondering, what makes this gun so annoying is what ends up making most sniper rifles in FPS’s annoying online, which is that most people use it as a mid to close range one hit kill weapon. While the auto aim for the M82A1 is slightly tuned down when zoomed in, the fact that the gun can fire fairly quickly, has 11 shots before needing to be reloaded, can kill you in one hit by hitting you almost anywhere on your person (while testing it out, I killed a guy on the other team by shooting him in the hand), and unlike almost every single other gun in the game (at least the only ones that could hope to stand up to the M82A1), it has almost no recoil (It is literally at most about a centimeter or two. Not to mention that anyone who tried firing this gun in real life while standing up would be firmly knocked on their ass.), makes this gun a monster by comparison for anyone who can even slightly master it. Considering the standard of realism the other guns are guided by, makes the M82A1 even more annoying. If the developers had changed just one thing (like giving it a large amount of recoil, giving it a much smaller clip, or making you move much slower when you had it) it wouldn’t be anywhere near as annoying.

But, as I said, the majority of the matches I’ve played in, especially after the first few days, have been GL and M82A1 free, the latter by choice of people playing. It’s amazing, but RS3 is possibly one of the few online FPS’s I’ve played where the majority of the people I’ve played with are consciously fighting to keep the game from being put on rails, and want to win with skill, rather than the constant use of an overpowered weapon, that should never have been allowed online in the first place.

The night and heat visions add a lot to the gameplay online as I stated above, and certainly can make or break a win for you and/or your team in many situations. Besides being able to place charges by doors and see someone coming up to the door using heat vision, you can also use the opportunity to simply shoot them through the door, as the majority of the weapons in RS3 will realistically shoot through doors (though it will mess with the trajectory somewhat). There’s nothing quite like getting a head shot on someone who thinks they’re in a good hiding spot, while crouching near a door.

Of course, being able to converse with up to eight different players on your team at once, not only is always a blast in most situations (unless someone is being annoying, but you can always mute them), but also allows for great coordination between team members. A team that communicates strategically, in all cases has an advantage over a team that generally does not. And when you can find some online buddies who enjoy playing with their brains, you’ll really start to see RS3 shine. In Sharpshooter and Survival mode, people can only hear you if you’re within a certain proximity to them (about 15-20ft). One guy snuck up behind me, and like a smartass tried whispering in my ear “beeeehind yooooooou”, to which I promptly turned around and killed him. Still though, I had to give him credit for being creative.

While it may not be a major pull for some, there is also the option to play the single player missions online, with up to three other players. And let me tell you, the AI is no push over online. Since you don’t have your normal AI buddies to automatically notice a Tango the second they pop around a corner of appear on a ledge above, the game becomes much more difficult. Simply running and gunning will do nothing but lead to a quick death. My friends and I have yet to beat the Alcatraz level online, even after at least 10 tries. While some may shy away from such a challenge, I happen to enjoy it, as it forces you to play like a real SWAT team would.

I also think it bears noting, that the multiplayer maps are extremely well designed, in that there are almost no places to camp, where someone can’t sneak up on you from another direction. This not only promotes people to move, but also allows for more SWAT like tactics, as most rooms can be entered from two or more locations.

In short, playing RS3 for the XBOX online, is an experience that I honestly feel won’t be topped until Halo 2.

Graphics
Graphically, Rainbow Six 3 for the XBOX is quite impressive. In fact, aside from Halo it’s possibly one of the nicest looking FPS out for the XBOX currently. While the Splinter Cell lighting effects aren’t exactly “real time” in the same sense as Splinter Cell is, they still look great, both offline and on. The player character models, while not up to Half-Life 2 or Halo 2 caliber, are surprisingly detailed for this type of game, and certainly put Ghost Recon’s and the up coming Counter Strike for the XBOX, to shame. For some reason though, Ubisoft seems to not care about the enemy AI models, and it shows. Just like Splinter Cell before it, they’re lack luster, and generally look like a half-assed attempt.

The textures are fairly high-rez, and everything looks like it belongs. Though I mentioned it before, the weapon models are superbly done, and extremely detailed. They are without a doubt, some of the best weapon models I have seen in a game, ever. Any failings the enemy AI models have, are made up by the weapon models alone. Yes, they are actually that good.

The building models and environments are very detailed, and have a very realistic feel about them. So far, after many hours of online play, I have yet to notice something that looks out of place, or unbalanced with the rest of the map. One little detail that you probably won’t notice at first, but will certainly get a smile from, is that when you’re talking while online, your characters mouth moves. To whoever thought of that, give yourself a pat on the back.

For the most part, the atmospheric effects are very well done. From falling water, to the smoke from a smoke grenade, to a cloud of tear gas, everything looks tiptop. The only effect that seems lacking is the reflections. While they’re not horrible (I’ve seen worse) they certainly don’t take away from the gameplay, so they really aren’t a problem.

The incapacitating effects produced by the Flash Bangs and Tear Gas grenades, are some of the best I’ve seen. The Flash Bang effect looks particularly nice, and even though you’ll think it totally sucks getting nailed by one while online, you’ll also have a certain amount of admiration for it (even as you’re getting blasted). Plus, nailing someone else with a Flash Bang or Tear Gas is extremely satisfying. If you’re gonna throw some Tear Gas though, make sure you have a Gas Mask on first.

Overall, the graphics add a lot to the gameplay, and are nice to look at. Every once in a while, you’ll certainly catch yourself admiring some of the scenery and various other details, and that’s always a good thing.

Sound
Without a doubt, those with quality sound systems will find this game to be pure ear candy. The music itself isn’t really worth mentioning, other than when it pops up, it fits well. The sound effects themselves though, are pure listening bliss. Each gun has its own unique firing sound, and after you’ve played for awhile (especially online) you’ll be able to recognize what your teammates and opponents are armed with, simply by the sound alone. Considering the enormous amount of weapons that are available in RS3, that is no small feat. And of course, if you have surround sound you can not only tell which direction someone is firing from, but also from what distance. This also helps when listening for the footsteps of an approaching enemy. More than once, I’ve gotten the upper hand by paying attention to this little detail.

Not surprisingly, your bullets make different sounds depending on what they hit. While this has been done before, it’s still worth mentioning, as it is yet another detail that if you know your surroundings, can save your life. If you lack an over priced set up though, fear not. I’ve played this more on a mono TV that anything else and it hardly hindered my gameplay at all. Though being able to tell what direction something is coming from certainly helps, having a sharp eye is much more important.

In single player, if you have an XBL headset on, your squad mates, as well as orders from your commanding officer, will come in through the head set, all with realistically sounding radio static… It’s a nice touch, and just another in a long list of details this game possesses that draws you deeper into the experience.

Final Thoughts
Rainbow Six 3 for the XBOX will appeal to anyone who is looking for a more skill based FPS, instead of a more twitch or speed based one like Unreal. It will also appeal to those who enjoy the Tom Clancy games for their realism. Since, while this game has been made slightly less exacting and certainly more console friendly, it still retains that feel of realism through and through. Though some might find a few of the changes to be a disappointment (like no limping if you get shot in the leg, and more straight forward missions with no extensive pre-planning), the superb online gameplay makes up for what anyone may view as it’s short comings offline.

It cannot be stressed enough that if you have XBL and you are looking for a great FPS to tide you over till Halo 2, Rainbow Six 3 is an absolute must buy.

And if you’d like to pay with me, my tag is Apostle13. But please, no M82A1’s.