by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze Video Game Editor

Though it looks and feels a lot like its predecessor, Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow is very much a game in itself, with a new storyline and new features. Certain aspects that figured negatively in the previous game have been improved, while new multiplayer options make this game more than a one-man show.

As the story goes, renegade military leaders from the former Soviet Union want to bring back the glory days of the Cold War, and plan to do that by instigating a nuclear war between the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Once those countries fall to Russian forces, the old Soviet empire could rise again.

You’re Ding Chavez, and along with your brothers-in-arms, your team is being sent in to stop all this craziness from happening, which basically means you have to kill your way to the top. And for the first time, two players can play co-operatively offline in split-screen, which adds a whole new dimension to the game. The enemy A.I., while improved, is still lacking in common sense. Enemies will sometimes be looking in your direction, but will hold their fire for some odd reason, and their appearances are based almost entirely on scripting (i.e. after you reach a certain point on the level).

Arguably the best addition to Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow is the Lone Rush mode. Instead of being a methodical campaign based on tactics, Lone Rush implores you to take aggressive measures. Since you’re on a timer to go from the insertion point to the extraction point, you have to run around with guns blazing. The catch is that killing enemies, saving hostages and disarming bombs buys you more time on the clock. It’ll take many attempts to get through it, but it’s a great way to improve your shooting.

When it comes to Xbox Live, the original was one of the best experiences online on the Xbox, but things have improved even more this time around. Instead of hopping on as an individual, you and your friends can create a squad with a logo and team slogan, and thus challenge other squads online. This new feature should bring a whole new level of competition to an already tough playing field. Two new modes (Retrieval and Total Conquest) and 10 new maps (along with 4 favourites from the previous game) have also been added. Retrieval is really just an offshoot of Capture the Flag, which makes it boring at times, but Total Conquest is a lot of fun. Your squad needs to take control of three satellites spread out throughout the level and hold them for 30 seconds.

While not really a new game in the franchise, Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow takes all the elements of the previous game and improves on them significantly. Notable improvements in both the single-player and multiplayer games are big reasons why this game will cater to everyone who likes squad-based tactical games.

Publisher:
Ubisoft

Platform:
Xbox

Rating: 9/10