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Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear
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Graphics & Sound:
Rogue Spear is an excellent sequel to Rainbow Six. The graphics are not noticeably different, but after roaming around Rainbow Six looking through a scope just to see the unbelievable detail, I suppose that 'just as good' is not the least bit disappointing. The missions are well designed and, quite frankly, pretty. The museum mission (the first one) is interesting, surrounding you with expensive exhibits which are impressively detailed. The next mission takes place on a ship and, while this is no Titanic, it has a beauty all its own. Several areas in the various missions will have low light, so you have to be very attentive as you sneak around - or you just might not see that door you need to find. The music is very epic and orchestral, instantly reminding me of Star Wars (maybe too much - in the first part of the intro music). The chatter, footsteps and gunfire help to raise the tension level of Rogue Spear, but the first time one of the female hostages freaks out and tries to get away yelling 'I can't take it anymore,' you WILL be rattled.
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Gameplay:
The missions in Rogue Spear are a little more 'interesting' than those in Rainbow Six. It seems that the hostages are less stable as well. The first time I had a female hostage freak out on me right before I could rescue her, I was unnerved. Each mission seems to be a numbers and probability game. There are no 'people' here besides your team - just objectives - targets. Trade off 'safe' for 'quick,' stay alert, and get the job done. Try to keep as many of your guys alive as you can because you'll need them later on. Sneak, crouch, peek, aim, 'TCK! TCK! Run, open, sniper! - TCK! Clear!’ - don't think here, just react - if it's got a gun and it's not with you - it's a target. You are speed. You are shadow. You are judge, jury, executioner... you are in control. There's a hostage... not a person, a goal... an objective. All you have to do now is... then the hostage snaps. It's all gone. You're just one person in the middle of a big, big building, with an armed maniac a few feet away. For a split second, your processor slows down. No, not your computer's – yours. All you can think is 'THEY'RE GONNA KILL HER! THEY'RE GONNA KILL HER! THEY'RE GONNA KILL HER!' - then 'TCK!' An almost imperceptible shot rings out. An eternity slowly passes in less than a second, and then the terrorist lurches forward and falls silent. You realize that your white knuckles are clutched tightly around the trigger. The hostage is still alive - no thanks to herself, she's still alive. Suddenly, she's an object again - a prized possession, but a possession all the same. Not a person - a hostage. Take it with you, keep it safe, get it out alive.
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Difficulty:
Rogue Spear, like Rainbow Six, is a game in a class by itself. Rogue Spear is a very difficult game, requiring practice, patience, and a good bit of luck. An ounce of planning can prevent a ton of trouble, making it the thinking man's Half-Life. If you plan poorly and don't watch your back, things don't just go wrong, all hell breaks loose. Just the slightest bit of noise and the hostages are wiped out. Plan it right, be fast and accurate, and your team works a like surgical instrument, cutting out the bad without disturbing the surrounding areas. There's nothing like the feeling of accomplishing a surgical strike and meeting your goal in around 30 seconds. Success can be quick, but failure can be even quicker. If you want to run and frag, keep running. If you're looking for a real challenge, give Rogue Spear a try.
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Game Mechanics:
The graphics engine is beautiful. The graphics are so detailed and awesome as to be distracting at times. Typically, you won't have a chance to take in the sites with terrorists around. The planning interface is a little complicated, but this is necessary, based on the complexity of the missions themselves. The whole game comes together nicely, having a reasonably small number of absolutely required controls, and a lot of extra optional controls to choose for accurate simulation of a tactical team. One joy of Rogue Spear is the fact that it has a limited auto aim feature. This comes in handy in case the reason you're playing a tactical strike force game is because you're not actually skilled enough to be in a real tactical Strike force.
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-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins |
Minimum System Requirements:
Pentium 233 Mhz with 3D Hardware Acceleration OR Pentium 266 Mhz with MMX (software rendering), 32 MB of RAM, 200 MB of uncompressed hard disk space, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX Compatible Sound card, DirectX 6.1 or better (included on disc), (Software Rendering only) 2D 16-bit SVGA 4MB Video Card
Recommended System: Pentium 266+ Mhz with 3D Hardware Acceleration,64 MB of RAM, 200 MB of uncompressed hard disk space, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX Compatible Sound card, DirectX 6.1 or better (included on disc), 3D Hardware Video Accelerator (3Dfx Voodoo, Nvidia Riva, Matrox G200) |
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Test System:
AMD K6-II 400 3DNow, 64 RAM, 44xCD, Voodoo 3 2000 PCI, Aureal Vortex II Soundcard, Benwin BW2000 Flatpanel Speakers, MadCatz Niche Mouse |
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