Counting down the top 10 reasons you should already have Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 pre-ordered.

10. Rainbow Six Label

If by some miracle of modern science you have yet to play a Rainbow Six game, there is no better time to start. Dating back to the original Rainbow Six, Tom Clancy has consistently given us a realistic first person shooter. The older games involved much strategy and planning over blueprints of a mission, but more recently the planning has been removed. This is the type of first person shooter where you get shot once and you are dead. It makes Multiplayer hard, and very intense.

9. Realistic Weapons

This might not be an initial draw, but one of the things that Tom Clancy games are good for are having true and realistic weapons. Rainbow Six is known for depicting true recoil, reload times, rate of fire, accuracy, stopping power, and even the sounds of the weapons. Every single gun is unique from another gun. This is somewhat more common nowadays - but you can expect it to always be top notch in R6.

8. Bullet Penetration

Mentioned briefly already, one of the new things that come in to play in Vegas 2 is bullet penetration. This is not a new feature to games, but it is one that has been heavily tweaked. Before, the stopping power of the gun would be measured versus the level of body armor your target was wearing - and that was it. Now they have introduced formulas for almost anything in the game. Cinder Blocks, Wood Fences, even Slot Machines all have their own values. In simpleton terms? If you have a big enough gun, you can shoot through anything - including your buddies face.

7. Cover System

This was both a blessing and a curse in the previous game. Vegas implemented a similar cover system to that found in Gears of War and Killzone (I think…). Basically, you can lock yourself up against the wall, planter, safe, or whatever you please and hide. This was great as it added a new sense of realism to the games. What was the curse you ask? Well the camera angle it gave you in the cover system allowed you to exploit it and see basically EVERYTHING around you, while remaining 100% invisible to anyone coming towards you. You could even aim from the cover system, 1 button you instantly appear and head shot someone. This system has promised to have been revamped in order to not make it so unfair on your unsuspecting victims. I have yet to see it in action but I imagine it will have pieces of your gun sticking out or something that lets people know you are there. We shall see how this has changed.

Either way, if left unchanged, the game is still great. You learn quickly where to find your opponents.

6. Co-op Single Player

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t play Vegas 1 past the 2nd or 3rd mission - and why would you? The game was made for shooting people in the head! Devs this time around wanted people to experience the single player campaign and thus put a fair amount of work in to it. Players can now play seamlessly with their friends by having them join or leave a game already in progress without hindering to the primary player. Basically when you see me playing, one button and you immediately take over my AI partner. When you are ready to go you simply exit and I don’t even notice a difference. Well thats not true, I’ll notice when I have my AI back - because you suck!

5. Equipment Configuration

Rainbow Six Vegas 2 has a similar inventory system to what we have seen in Call of Duty 4. You have a limited amount of slots and a big pile of fun gadgets. You can take remote control C4, laser trip mines, and even various types of radar jammers. Probably more interestingly are the heart rate monitors. Pull out this doohickey and you can now see all the enemies on the radar - but you can’t shoot your gun. Alternatively you might want to stick a motion detector on the wall and then your radar will light up when it goes off with who it is and where they are. Remember though, if you take these gadgets, that means no grenades, or no flashbangs, or whatever.

4. New Multiplayer Modes

As if this game wasn’t packed already with enough multiplayer modes - now we have more! The first new mode is one that is surprising as to why it has taken so long to show up. This is your classic counterstrike bomb planting map. One team of O, one team of D, and 2 bomb sites to cover. Hope you’ve been practicing Dust 2.

Next up is an interesting variation on the Team VIP ruleset found in a few games. Each team gets 1 VIP. Each team also gets infinite respawns. Object? Get your VIP to the extraction zone found on the other side of the map. That’s right, both teams have their own VIP and their own extraction point to get to. What makes it interesting? A few things. First of all, each VIP can see the other team’s VIP. Next, if you kill the VIP, that team loses their ability to respawn. Finally, if the VIP kills you - you can no longer respawn. Should be interesting.

Finally, there is a capture and hold type map. What could you possible want to capture and hold? Well three satellite uplink stations of course! Oh and if you want to help your buddy phone home, you also need to hold all 3 stations for a total of 30 seconds. Sounds hectic.

3. CoD4 Experience System/Combined with Vegas XP system
Vegas borrows from the current king of FPS in their XP system. This should be a gimme for extending the life of this game. You are going to have to kill people with certain guns, and in certain ways in order to unlock all the toys and guns. Not only that, but it also carries the entire XP system from Vegas 1 to unlock visual upgrades to your character. Sorry if you were upset before when someone with pink camo pants, a wife beater, and night vision goggles killed you. The avatar customization is back once again.

2. Superb Level Design

This has really been the trademark for me in why R6 continues to be awesome. The level designs have never been anything but amazing. In fact some of the best levels I ever remember playing come from R6. Coming back to Vegas 2 include a few classic levels as well as a bunch of new ones. Get ready for some more casino slot machine blasting action, as well as a new level that should be quite fun - The Villa. R6 has always known how to create excellent house maps, and this should be another one. Expect most to be small as Vegas thrives on Close-Quartered Combat rather than rolling landscapes with sniper standoffs.

1. (drum roll?) Strong Multiplayer

I’ve mentioned it in just about every point thus far. What makes all R6 games excellent are their vast amount of excellent multiplayer maps and modes. You can play a Counterstrike style where if you die you are out until the end of the round, or you can play a match with respawns. You can play shotgun battles, or you can play VIP. You can play standard FFA Deathmatch or Team Deathmatch. The modes go on and on and on - as will your fun. While I don’t want to spend 90 minutes here selling you on the multiplayer, just take my word on it - it is a blast.

I have been looking forward to this game for about 5 months now and I highly recommend that if you don’t buy it (which you should) that you at least invest some cash in to renting it. You will surely not be disappointed.