Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This review is based not on the demo but on the retail version of the game, bought yesterday (the day of release, March 18th). I should also mention that I do not play MP so I cannot judge the product from that perspective.
The game is stunning. The development team has risen to the challenge of evolving a classic and the result is breathtaking. Here are the highlights:
The graphical and sound environments are superbly rendered with terrific attention to detail; the result is a truly immersive atmosphere, the indoor equivalent of GHOST RECON. The weapons sound great and real creativity has been applied to the voices and ambient sounds. Highlights visually include superb weapon effects, character models/animation, uniform details, lighting effects and level design.
All of this would be useless without great gameplay, however, and here RS3 really shines, exceeding the high standards set by the earlier versions. Hostile and friendly AI have been revolutionized; bad guys react with some initiative now, they can conduct flanking actions, and they are very responsive to sound, forcing the player to plan routes and choose weapons with care. In the past your teammates were at best spare lives for the player, at worst a liability; no longer. Friendly AI is now good enough to be relied on to enter and clear a room ahead of the player, a huge step forward, and the beautifully thought-through and executed contextual orders menu allows the player to capitalise on these enhanced team AI capabilities. The contribution this makes to gameplay is enormous, as it means you can plan missions which exploit your team's skills rather than compensate for its weaknesses. Only in SWAT 3 has there been such a high standard of user interface combined with superb friendly AI. Other innovations include the ability to open doors and windows gradually and to fine-tune coordination between teams with an on-the-fly go-code called a zulu code. The decision to allow tangoes to surrender is a brilliantly implemented SWAT-type reflex challenge to the player and contributes greatly to tension and realism.
Massively enhanced AI and playability are further refined by greater realism in weapon effects/performance and innovations like thermal sights for the sniper rifles and a very convincing heartbeat sensor. Intelligent improvements have also been made to stance and movement options, which now include a progressive lean/peek feature and the ability to go prone (if there is room).
The only reason I am not giving this 5 stars is that I have not yet played through the entire campaign. Like its predecessors and the GHOST RECON series, however, a game as accomplished as this can only be the result of real talent, commitment and inspiration on the part of the development team. We are fortunate to be able to benefit and the game is worth every penny. It's a classic.
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Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 Raven ShieldDo not bargain with terror - eliminate it!Product InformationCommand an elite multinational squad of special operatives against a hidden terrorist force.In Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield the third installment to the wildly popular Rainbow Six series Team RAINBOW faces the hidden global forces of a new and secretive foe. Command RAINBOW in a race against time in locations ranging from England Norway the Caribbean islands and Rio de Janeiro during Carnival to stop a madman and his doomsday plot.An elite force at your control!Product HighlightsWe are freedom's answer to fear!We stalk terror wherever it hides - Hunt down terrorist cells worldwide from London to the Cayman Islands.Our duty begins when negotiations end - confront ruthless enemies engineered with advanced team-based A.I.These deeds we do so others may live - Feel the force of combat powered bythe latest Unreal technology.Product FeaturesPick your team members assembled from the best counter-terrorism and military units from around the world. Then outfit them with the right armor weapons and high-technology equipment for the mission at hand.After equipping your team plot out the assault of the target area on the map interface. Lay out a plan for each squad to maximize surprise stealth and safety.After all the planning – execute! In first-person mode lead one squad or control all three through different radio commands and signals. Enter and clear a room of terrorists rescue hostages defuse bombs and recover vital intelligence to help you in later missions. System RequirementsWindows 98/Me/2000/XP800MHz Pentium III AMD Athlon or equivalent (1.3 GHz Pentium 4 AMD Athlon or equivalent recommended)128MB RAM (256 recommended)XP Users - 256MB RAM required32MB VRAM Di
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