April 21, 2008 - Most PC gamers have likely recovered from the shock of Rainbow Six: Vegas' drastic departure from the more hardcore tactical planning of the series' past. In case you missed out, the R6 titles bearing the Vegas moniker are more about action, far more forgiving of mistakes, and mix in only very light tactical elements. Though it's certainly quite a bit different from what the PC-faithful may remember playing years ago, it still proved to be an entertaining formula when Vegas was released in late 2006. With Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, Ubisoft delivers what's nearly a carbon copy of what we saw in its predecessor. Though little attention has been paid to alleviating issues with the single-player content, the online modes can be a lot of fun.

The gameplay here, like before, is heavy on action and light on tactics. As a leader of Bravo Squad, a counter-terrorist team, you proceed through casinos, the Las Vegas Convention Center, a monorail station, and other locales in pursuit of generic terrorists harboring bombs and chemical weapons. The limited tactical elements are derived from your ability to command your team of two to move around the zone of battle and post up behind cover to draw enemy fire, open up flanking opportunities, and wipe out enemies.

Your squad can perform special maneuvers as well, such as rappelling down the sides of buildings and smashing through windows, blowing open doors with explosive charges, and lobbing smoke and flashbangs to spots designated by your aiming cursor. Fighting arenas range from large parking lots, storage yards, and convention halls to tight corridors and claustrophobic rooms packed with electronics. They're not the most interesting locations, especially when compared to the glitzier, glamorous battle zones in the first Vegas, but I really enjoyed blasting through the LVCC's show floor, which seemed to be in a state of partial readiness for a Consumer Electronics Show-style event. If you've never been to CES then you won't care, but those who've attended have to envy the speed with which your squad is able to traverse the cavernous spaces, especially considering they have to take cover while under fire.