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‘Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3’

Available on X-Box, GC, PS2, and PC

Developer/Publisher – Ubisoft

Rated M

Grade: B+

Tom Clancy’s popular Rainbow Six series is back with “Rainbow Six 3” currently on X-Box and PC. The game, also scheduled to be released later this year on PS2 and Gamecube, has been flying off store shelves over the past few weeks. The online play via X-Box Live is superb, despite occasional LAG problems, and handles well on an X-Box controller. The PC version, despite also being online, doesn’t hold up to the ability to talk to team members and have other gamers assist you in your quest to move up in the rank list.

The new first-person shooter offers up more tactics and items to use in order to stop the terrorist threats. The group system will allow you to distract and take out terrorists that cannot be taken down by barging into the room guns blazing. With additional sub-commands like Zulu and Alpha, you have the ability to tell your fellow Rainbow members to blast open a door with the push of a button. As they do so, it distracts the terrorists so you can break through another door and take out the threat.

The group system takes time to master but will prove worthwhile when you continue in the single player mode. At times you will need to take out the terrorists without killing the hostages, or be forced to perform many other challenging tasks. Your team will be equipped with all the items you need to make it through. From heat sensor goggles to claymore mines that burst open doors, there is always something to make sure you and your team will complete the mission. In addition to items, it’s good to learn how to set the manner in which your teammates enter a room so they don’t blast away a hostage in a hasty moment of action.

The X-Box Live play leaves other games such as, “Counter Strike” in the dust. “Rainbow Six 3” does the reverse of “Counter Strike” by being better on line via X-Box than PC. As previously mentioned, the ability to talk over what is going on with other players makes you feel more interactive, but what gives it the edge over “Counter Strike” is that people new to the game can last as long as anyone whose been playing it for a long time. In “Counter Strike” you’re lucky to survive 30 seconds, let alone one round. But, in “Rainbow Six 3” you can usually pair up with another team member and learn from their moves, while staying alive. “Rainbow Six 3” is also more tactics based than its rival “Counter Strike.”

The online feature does have its problems with lagging due to low bandwidth, which slows down game play at times. Occasionally the screen will get jumpy and you start to appear in random places and sometimes you even find yourself stuck and just waiting to be killed, or even forced to quit the game. It becomes a problem if you’re doing well and most people in the game will know. Fortunately, there is a solution; if you host a game you can avoid a LAG problem by booting those who show a low rating off of your game.

If you’re interested in the X-Box Live experience but don’t want to blow the $50 on the start-up pack, a few limited edition bundles that include “Rainbow Six 3” with X-Box Live and a headset were put on the market at $69.95 apiece, so you end up saving $30. I received a two-month trial membership in my copy, but there is no guarantee that there is one in each copy out there. Ask your local retailer for more of those details.

So you’ve gotten “Rainbow Six 3,” but you still can’t get through the levels? Well here’s a code to turn on God Mode to enable you to get by. During game play press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, and you should see a message that says “God Mode” if entered correctly. Obviously this code should be familiar as it’s the 99 lives code from the classic “Contra.” The code will only make your character invincible, not your teammates or hostages. And if you want to add some spice to the game hit Up, Down, Up, Down, and click the right analog-stick twice during game play to turn “Rainbow Six 3” into “G.I. Joe” mode.

“Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3” is currently available for X-Box and PC for $49.99. It’s slated to release on PS2 in March, but will not likely be online. A release date for the Gamecube version has been yet to be released.

Reid Davenport is a Collegian columnist.