- Platform: IBM PC Compatible
- Release Date: 1998
- Genre: Shooter
- Style: Squad-Based Shooter
- Similar Games: Quake (Macintosh), Quake (IBM PC Compatible), Quake (Sega Saturn), Quake II (IBM PC Compatible), Quake (Nintendo 64), Unreal (IBM PC Compatible), SiN (IBM PC Compatible), Quake II (Nintendo 64), Quake II (PlayStation), Unreal (Macintosh)
Game Description
The tactical squad-based shooter, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, requires players to spend nearly an equal amount of time planning missions as in carrying out their execution. Success in the 17 missions, ranging from hostage rescue to infiltration, depends on selecting the squad members with the most efficient skills for the task at hand. Up to four separate fire teams are allowed per mission, with up to four members per team, although a limit of eight total members is imposed; thus, a mission could have two teams of four or four teams of two members each.Each mission begins with an intelligence briefing with information attained from various sources, though not all information will be one hundred percent accurate. Players have 20 team members from which to choose their squads for each mission, with each member having specific qualifications, abilities, skills and attributes. Selection of the right man for the right job is mandatory for success. If the team member being controlled by the player is killed, control automatically moves to the next highest ranked individual. Should all members of a team be killed, control moves to the next squad involved in the mission.
In the roster of team members, players can review the default "kit" assigned to each specialist and, as missions become more complex, customize equipment to eliminate redundancies or stock up on favorite weapons or accessories. Weapons run the gamut from death-dealing knives for stealthy kills, grenades, and demolition charges to shotguns, pistols, and machineguns, while various strengths of body armor are provided for specific situations.
The planning phase in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six requires studying a map of the target area and setting waypoints for the various teams selected for the task. Areas can consist of multi-level dwellings as well as open compounds inhabited by terrorists. During the execution phase, players can switch from first to third-person perspective, select primary or secondary weapons, and change the rate of fire. Night vision, sniper vision, and adjustable camera views are but a few of the options available.
Roots & Influences
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six is based in part on characters and situations from the best selling novel of the same name.Review: Overall
Potential team leaders should be warned that while this game is a first-person shooter, it is not Quake. In addition to the high-energy missions, the game involves the more important aspect of preparation. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six is not simply a sit down and play game as it requires patience and thinking before you even enter the missions. In the real world, these teams spend 99% of their time training and planning to make the other one percent execution phase succeed.To survive a mission and come out successfully, which means bringing the hostages home alive, planning is absolutely crucial. In fact, the missions are only one-half of the game. The other half is in the planning stage. Players are briefed about the situation, given all the known facts (which may or may not be totally accurate) and then must construct a plan from which the team will work. Since there will be a full team with eight or less members, it is crucial to consider the information and construct a plan that best suits the situation.
The actual planning involves assigning each team to a set of "waypoints." The planning of the missions is not nearly as complicated as it sounds, but it is extremely important and therefore requires significant attention.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that teams shouldn't cross paths any more than necessary. You do not want your team members running into each other. Never assign too many men to head down tight corridors and open stairwells as this leads to an ambush situation where you could very well lose an entire portion of your team. While this situation is often impossible to avoid, all elements should be considered.
If a mission has not been properly executed, players will see team members pay the price in the early missions, while the hostages will suffer even more if the team mission doesn't go flawlessly as the game advances. Should the leader of the squad be killed, player takes control of the next highest ranking team member, all the way down to the last team member. While not considered a failure, losing a team member is really a big deal. Unlike other games, new team members don't come easily or quickly. The most valuable resource to the trained special-forces units centers on the men and women comprising the team.
Overall, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six is an excellent real-time action simulation. There isn't much of a plot, but that isn't what the game is about. The missions make the game an enthralling experience. This title certainly won't appeal to everyone, but for those who want a thinking shooter, give this one a try.





