Rainbow Six 3

[PeteJ]

Because I bumped the wrong topic.

Ahaa! we now have two official topics! Now that's quality admining of the forum.

Incidently, what's the magazine you 'own'?

[the shape]

Because I bumped the wrong topic.

Too honest, Pete. I'd advise you don't take that full-time journo job after all: you wouldn't survive.


For the record then, previous observations on Rainbow Six 3 Xbox here.

My old mag? Wouldn't want to wander off topic.
8)

[PeteJ]

Hey I wouldn't want to work full time on a magazine. Freelance maybe, but not full-time.

I'm not disturbed enough.

/runs

[Azelpds]

Funny you said that, many people think i am disturbed

Still didn't see much besides de demo of Rainbow Six, but its on my wishlist of this final year so i can't comment much besides what's already said.

[Rushy]

Best Xbox LIVE game I've played to date? No doubt.

Buy this game if only for online play (the single player is rather good too).

[talizker]

Does the PAL Rainbow Six 3 run on a UK XBox that has been set to NTSC [480P]?

Thanks

[Uli]

ok, i think i have to post my first impressions on the game to get the discussion back on topic:

+ great 5.1 sound
+ great feel and handling of weapons
+ lots of weapons accessible from the beginning
+ team ai works reliable
+ good headset support adds to atmosphere
+ support of system link and online co-op play

- graphics are average at best, no comparison with splinter cell
- no 16:9 support
- massive frame rate problems in areas with lighting effects
- automatic weapons' firemodes (single/burst/auto) can't be selected
- light sources such as lamps etc can't be shot off (splinter cell engine?)
- enemy ai seems scripted
- very linear gameplay leaves no room for alternate routes and tactics
- voice support via headset still needs a lot refinement (so don't cough in the mic or you might wonder where your team is suddenly going)

i must say that i'm a bit disappointed because not a single negative aspect of my list was adressed in the reviews i've read. this game is far from beeing the second best game on the xbox. of course the game is still very much fun to play, just don't believe the review hype!

[MonkeyWrench]

There's 16:9 support in the US version, and I've not seen any framerate problems either. Maybe Ubi have screwed up the PAL version (assuming that's what you're playing).

[Uli]

There's 16:9 support in the US version, and I've not seen any framerate problems either. Maybe Ubi have screwed up the PAL version (assuming that's what you're playing).

it's the US NTSC version i'm playing - unfourtunately. and no sign of a 16:9 support. my xbox runs in widescreen and my tv doesn't auto switch back from zoom to wide when starting the game, which should be the indication of a 16:9 mode.

[cinabar]

I haven't played the game... but i have heard conflicting views on the graphics...

From the range of
'the best i've ever seen, you should see the special effects'
to...
'so bad, i think i must be going mad... it looks like a PS1 and a half game... The vehicles are just big rectangles with drawing on them'

What do you lot think???

Finally, For those that have played both - How does it compare to Unreal on Xbox Live....?

[the shape]

The vehicles *are* absolutely horrible; I said that elsewhere too. This isn't the part that's opinion - show those cars to anyone and they shall scoff.

The game, as you play it, looks very nice in my view. Nothing besides the cars stick out as being nasty. Locations look detailed, grimy, used. I think what's dividing opinion is that, if you do the Halo thing and stop to look at textures up close, they are fuzzy and vague. Nothing like Halo, where you'd just keep looking at the bump-mapping in the floors and walls, flicking your torch on and off to see how it changes. Nothing as sharp as that at all. You look at bricks, or a grandfather clock, and they're lo-res maps, no two ways about it. But in any real *scene* in the game, when you're actually playing instead of pushing up against tiles to examine them, it looks great. Colors are deep, shading is smooth, lighting and shadow are handled wonderfully (I love being able to see my sniper rifle slung over the back of my silhouette on the wall while I brandish a secondary weapon, for example). So that would seem to me to be the reason for this splitting of opinion, if there really is one. I thought most loved it. The guns certainly couldn't look any better though. Yum.

And sound? Easily preferable to Halo for me. Not the music, no, but the perfect clarity of the weapon samples. Real home cinema zing. Adds immeasurably to the experience, for me.

No 16:9 support in my US version by the way, nor any perceivable slowdown yet (even with explosions, several terrorists, smoke grenades etc.) so don't know which versions these other guys have got.

[Rushy]

- massive frame rate problems in areas with lighting effects

No problems here at all, and I would disagree and say that the GFX are better than the average Xbox game (just a bit jaggy).

The AI is mission mode is very scripted at times and rigidly structured during set peices, I prefer to play terrorist hunt tbh wheres the guys are randomly positioned.

BTW you forgot to take into account the online play which is by far the strongest component of the game (as the single player is good but not great).

Without Xbox L!VE this isn't a essential purchase, but with its a whole new experience.

[Uli]

- massive frame rate problems in areas with lighting effects

No problems here at all, and I would disagree and say that the GFX are better than the average Xbox game (just a bit jaggy).

so far it seems to me a level specific problem: i discoverd these frame rate problems in the 2nd mission (it's the US NTSC running on my modded PAL Xbox in NTSC mode). i've noticed that R6 has the same synchronization problems as Splinter Cell: in some tight areas a left or right turn at full speed results in extreme flickering and desynchronized graphics.

moreover - and most annoyingly - i've noticed that some enemies disappear instantly after being shot. others don't!? ft:

[MonkeyWrench]

There's 16:9 support in the US version, and I've not seen any framerate problems either. Maybe Ubi have screwed up the PAL version (assuming that's what you're playing).

it's the US NTSC version i'm playing - unfourtunately. and no sign of a 16:9 support. my xbox runs in widescreen and my tv doesn't auto switch back from zoom to wide when starting the game, which should be the indication of a 16:9 mode.

Not really, as it's not true widescreen, it's just a normal 4:3 image that should be squashed up. Try switching the ratio mannually.

BTW is your Xbox set to 16:9 rather than Widescreen?

[NeilMcRae]

Yeah I'm playing this now, played it via live last night and it was great fun, I think they have got the TC anal realism level down a bit on this and thats good from my point of view.