Ubisoft didn’t leave much room for improvement after the first installment of Rainbow Six Vegas, but they aren’t about to stop trying. With Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Ubisoft is proving that nobody can touch them when it comes to squad-based tactical shooters.

Like the original, the control, camera and collision detection on this game are a dream come true. Movement feels completely natural, the camera can be moved to show any preferred view at any time, and the squad follows orders obediently. The gameplay is very similar to that of the first title, but why fix something that isn’t even broken? The decision to include a sprint ability was also added this year, and it proves highly useful when advancing from cover to cover.

The amount of customization that has been added gives the game a lot of depth. When booted up for the first time, the game detects any previous ranking progress on the original Rainbow Six Vegas and applies it to Bishop and the new game, along with unlockable bonuses. In addition, the weapons, armor, gender and appearance of Bishop can all be adjusted to the user’s preference. But best of all, a new system called A.C.E.S. has been added whereby experience points in different categories may be earned in order increase rank and unlock new rewards including clothing, armor, and weapons. A.C.E.S. are awarded whether playing solo offline, co-op, or online, and in any mode.

The main storyline may be played alone or co-op with a friend who may drop in or drop out at any time seamlessly. Unfortunately, only the host has control over the A.I. squad members, who are also present during co-op play. Tactics as they relate to planning your team’s actions are one of the strongest points of the game, and it’s a shame player two does not get the opportunity to partake. Nonetheless, co-op play is great fun as you chat, discuss strategy, and take out the bad guys with your buddy. The story is not particularly long, but quality is more important than quantity and this game has it in spades. Since all that fun is likely to induce a strong desire for more, the variety of "terrorist hunt" extra missions are much appreciated.

Also available is online competitive multiplayer for up to sixteen players. A good variety of game play modes is featured, including a few new ones, such as Team Leader. In this mode, as long as your leader is alive teammates may continually respawn. However, once the leader is eliminated, the next death will be your last. In Demolition, another new mode, each team attempts to blow up a target defended by the other team. The maps are attractive and provide a lot of options strategy-wise, and technical problems are virtually non-existent.