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. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide