As with the original Vegas, Vegas 2 contains its fair share of bugs and issues. While none are game-killing, the especially picky may find them annoying. The sound bug that results in a persistently recurring gunfire sound effect is still present, but we only encountered it once (as opposed to Vegas which displayed this bug considerably more frequently). Unlike in the first game, however, the bug corrected itself after a few moments.
We also encountered a couple of instances early in the game where our AI teammates would become hopelessly confused and either get stuck in the environment or forget which side of a door it would be appropriate to stack up on. One of our pals over at Team Xbox, Andy Eddy, also encountered this problem, where members of Team Rainbow would suddenly lose their minds and attempt to stack up on the wrong side of a door (breaking a window and walking through the center of an enemy-packed room in order to do so). Luckily this issue is exceptionally rare.
While the AI of both enemies and teammates alike does seem to have undergone improvement (the terrorists are definitely more aggressive, as promised), that doesn't mean that you will never come across a couple of terrorists who will remain totally oblivious to you and your team despite being shot at. Similarly, your crew will occasionally display questionable intelligence as they crouch behind cover while a terrorist blind-fires over the opposite side of the same cover, riddling their stupid faces with bullets... and then expect you to rush to their aid.
Flashbang Funtime
When compared to the previous game, Vegas 2 is definitely an improvement, but not by a huge amount. Indeed, Vegas 2 is only barely more than an expansion pack, but those who enjoyed the first Vegas will almost certainly be capable of forgiving the somewhat minor upgrades (we certainly are).
At the same time, the new A.C.E.S. system highlights just how awesome it is to be able to use your Persistent Elite Creation character across all modes of the game. While it may not seem like a big deal (in fact, to some it may not be a big deal), having the ability to progress your PEC regardless of whether you are playing online or off, with friends or without them, is a substantial improvement. Consequently, the minor visual upgrades and essentially unchanged gameplay are totally satisfactory as far as we are concerned and our only major gripe is the removal of the four-player story mode co-op.
Suffice it to say that if you enjoyed the first Rainbow Six: Vegas, then you will undoubtedly find considerable value in Vegas 2. Although it may seem like more of the same, we were pretty entranced with Vegas and so highly recommend Vegas 2 as well. Sometimes, it pays to stick with what works.
