Ubisoft is still mum on the game's storyline, but we do know that the entire game will take place in the titular City of Sin and that it'll play out in real time over the course of a single night. The Rainbow team is sent in to thwart a terrorist attack that is on a far grander scale than any challenge they've ever faced. We saw at least one casino explode during our demo, though the developers were quick to point out that it features some unexpected twists and turns. We were also surprised to see that Ding Chavez seems to be on some well deserved R&R, so you'll occupy the combat boots of a new squad leader. You'll be accompanied by Mike, a demolitions expert, and techie Jung, who can hack doors for you.
In the most general sense, Vegas is the same type of action you'd expect from any entry in the series. You'll once again lead your squad into danger against enemy tangos, giving them movement and combat orders. Your men can still breach doors, clear out rooms, and disarm explosives, but the command system has changed quite a bit. Instead of pointing at something and having to go through a complex series of menus, you'll have a list of commands that appear in the bottom left of the screen. These will be contextual to where your team is, so you'll be able to issue orders without pointing everything out for them. If they're next to a door, you'll be able to tell them to enter at anytime, regardless of your position. This makes delayed entries and diversions much easier, as you can just give them the go order from another door.
There are also some major changes to the rest of the gameplay, all of them for the better. While the game takes place from a first-person perspective, you can now take cover behind walls or other objects, which will switch you into a third-person view. You can fire blindly (or go for a tight, over-the-shoulder zoom) in an attempt to pin foes down. There's also a snake cam that allows you to peek under doors, and it's equipped with a nifty little targeting system that lets you tell your squadmates who to drop, ensuring you won't all fire at the same one. Oh, and did we mention that you can rappel down buildings (normally or inverted) and smash through windows?
The Rainbow Six games have never been known for having stunning graphics, but we were damn impressed by what we saw in Vegas. The game looks crisp and realistic, with a frame rate that's surprisingly smooth for this early in the development process. The Las Vegas setting is a perfect way for the developers to show off their lighting and physics systems, and we were blown away by what we saw during a casino shootout. The place was torn apart as the two opposing groups fired round after round at each other, and we saw everything from slot machines violently bleeding coins to neon signs showering sparks to an exploding prize car. You'll also see your cover erode as enemies blast it, as well as the glass windows and doors in the high-rise buildings.
It's great to see that the Rainbow Six ship has been righted, and we're excited to see what we'll be seeing later this year when it releases. Plus, since the franchise was built on intense multiplayer action, you can be sure that you'll be getting plenty of bang for your buck. I'm sure we've all got our lists of features we want to see in the multiplayer, but for now we'll just have to put our faith in Ubisoft. We'll be bringing you more on that soon, but this is definitely one time when we're happy to hear that what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas. What, did you actually think that I could make it through this whole preview without saying that?
