Gaming Target - Dreamcast: Rainbow Six

Written by Mike Frisina on November 30, 2000

Review: Tango Down! I repeat... Tango Down!!!

Ahh, Rainbow 6. The game that was delayed so many times that it skipped off of most people minds. But how is the game? Better then most people though, but ultimately, not worth the 8-month wait.

Graphics on this highly anticipated game are ok, not too bad, but Majesco could've made them better for the amount of time this game was delayed. Models of civilians and players are bulky, and on occasion elbows go through walls and other graphical glitches happen. It runs very smoothly, at 60 FPS, nothing at all bad about the frame-rate of this game. An option of third person is available in this game, although I don't really like it: It does make the game look a little better, however. The third person view in R6 lets you see all the stuff they do, like change clips, weapons and the hand signals. One thing about it though is that in third person it is a lot harder to aim unless auto-aim is on. Another thing I like about the graphics is the way the enemies fall down. It is so realistic how if you shoot them from the front the will fall backwards, and vice-versa. Another thing about shooting in R6 is that if you shoot them in the head, they die and you shoot them in the leg it will only make them mad.

Of all the games I have ever played, R6 probably has the most complicated control scheme. Shooting, changing weapons and moving are easy, but that's about it. Calling escorts, switching to safety or Blitz mode. But sometimes the control can get you killed. I once went in a room, the other guy had his back turned, I threw a Flash-bang and I went in to kill, but the control failed me, and I ended up switching teams cause of it. But once you get the hang of it, the controls become very easy and actually help gameplay in some situations.

R6 probably has some of the smartest enemies a game could ever have. They run, dodge bullets, kill hostages if they see you, don't hesitate to shoot and have the most accurate shots I've ever seen. But to face them at least your teams AI has brains too. They help you when you need backup, help you when you're around an enemy, kill terrorists you can't see, and sometimes your cover will jump in front of bullets to protect an escort.

Its a good feeling knowing that your partner is right behind you, killing people you miss, and covering you when you're going in a door or disarming a bomb. Another good thing is the radio calls you get. Hearing "Tango down" and knowing you're in trouble and hearing no tangos in site are some very good helpful ideas by Majesco. I also think that it is very clever of them to make escorting hostages a necessity, as it adds a whole new element to an already good game.

In some terms of this game, it is the most original, however in others, it just feels the same. I've never seen a game with even close to this much planning on any console before R6. You can plan what guns, armor and extra items they were. Thank God for no more lone soldier "go in and wait for them to see you and then shoot" games. This is one game that challenges all aspects of your videogame ability in all aspects: your brain, your reflexes and you're ability to have a quick finger. In this game you MUST carefully read the Intel before starting the mission. Not doing so could result in loss of men and the failure of the mission, which makes you do the whole planning and loading scenes all over again.

There are many different weapons, and which ones you choose could increase or decrease your chance at successfully completing a mission. You start off on the planning screen with the machine gun and the handgun. If you want, for your items you can put extra ammo just to be safe.

Making the games sound so realistic was a very smart move on the part of Majesco. You can hear the buckles of your equipment, the radios calls you get, the clip being loaded in to your gun, and the chatter of your silenced pistols so well it is almost scary. The features in this game are definitely a great part of it. All of the planning, plus the many training modes, keeps this game replayable and great on features.