Find great computer deals at Staples
GameSpot editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 03/11/2004
- Updated on: 05/17/2006
- Released on: 03/09/2004
- Originally published on GameSpot: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Athena Sword (PC) Review
It is said that history repeats itself. Apparently, Ubisoft does too. In last year's Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, you had to take the elite Rainbow commandos into battle against neofascists who were determined to detonate a weapon of mass destruction in the middle of a major city. In Athena Sword, the expansion to Raven Shield, you have to take the elite Rainbow commandos into battle against neofascists who are determined to detonate a weapon of mass destruction in the middle of a major city. Sound familiar? As Yogi Berra once quipped, "It's déjà vu all over again." And this attitude pretty much sums up Athena Sword. The expansion to last year's excellent shooter differs very little from its predecessor, in terms of plot, and heaps on more of the same tense tactical combat we've come to expect from the franchise.
Soak in the lovely and historic city of Dubrovnik while you're busy taking down neofascists in Athena Sword.
Athena Sword has a decidedly Mediterranean flavor to it since it's a direct product of Ubisoft's Milan, Italy, development studio. (Raven Shield came out of the company's Montreal, Canada, offices.) This time around, the neofascists that you stopped in South America have shifted their activities to Italy and Greece. Once again, you have to uncover what they're up to in a series of disparate missions that take place in exotic locales that would make James Bond envious. There's a swanky Italian art museum set in an ancient medieval fortress, as well as the historic and beautiful old city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Follow that up with a couple of trips to a ritzy Monaco hotel, wrap it all in the heart of Athens, and you've got a tour of duty worthy of 007 himself.
Not only are all the levels in Athena Sword quite large, especially by Raven Shield standards, but they're chock-full of personality and color. There's almost a sun-drenched atmosphere in the daytime missions that brings out the vibrancy of the textures. Ubisoft Milan has definitely upped the cultural quotient of the franchise by packing in tons of classical architecture, artwork, and statuary that really conveys the feeling that you're battling it out in the middle of Old Europe. And it's not all just eye candy either. For instance, in the art museum level, each wing of the museum showcases a different period of art. Smart players will quickly be able use the art to orient their location. Plus, the statues make handy reference points on the urban maps as well.
More importantly, nearly all the levels are superbly designed to offer a range of tactical situations. The art museum is a mix of wide-open courtyards, long, narrow corridors, balconies, and gatehouses (which serve as excellent choke points). The Milan, Dubrovnik, and Athens maps are a warren of narrow alleyways and streets that are dotted by spacious plazas and markets for marksmen. However, there are also lots of opportunities for claustrophobic close-quarters combat in buildings. There's a factory level that's a nightmare of catwalks and tunnels, as well as huge open spaces for a sniper to feast on the unwary. The single-player campaign maps in Athena Sword are among the best we've seen for the series to date.
Sadly, the single-player campaign is still festooned with holdover problems from Raven Shield. The biggest problem is the AI, which is still schizophrenic in nature. For example, there are times when the AI won't react to you at all. You can have a massive firefight in a hotel hallway only to turn the corner to see bad guys not 10 feet away, oblivious to what just happened. Hostages stand idly by as bullets whiz around them, and they don't know how to flee or get out of the way. Your teammates can still get stuck behind objects, thus forcing you to double-back to collect them because they can't navigate around a simple door, for instance. There are some improvements, though. For instance, the enemy AI now throws grenades at you (and there's a strange sense of karmic payback being on the receiving end of a flashbang for a change), but it still doesn't know how to coordinate attacks. Furthermore, the AI will alternate between being the best and worst shot in the world, which is frustrating when you're trying to get through the game without losing anyone and your head suddenly gets taken off a split second after you turn a corner.
Continue reading
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Athena Sword (PC):
%20PC%20Game%20reviews%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/pc-games/tom-clancy-s-rainbow/4505-9696_7-30960501.html){kind=small}