Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Covert Ops Essentials

The Good
Want to know everything about Anti-terrorist organizations? Red Storm hoped so in this 2000 addition to the Rainbow Six franchise. This “game” is broken down into two discs. The first disc (where the bulk of the effort went) is a counterterrorism trainer covering all aspects of counterterrorism from arms to insertion vehicles to historical actions. As you would imagine, this is replete with acronyms and technical jargon. The player selects a character from the Rainbow Roster and then moves through a nodal matrix, selecting areas of study and then answering questions about them. Answering the questions correctly means you (the character you chose) gets a medal. Eh. Pictures and movies illustrate some of the nodes.

The second disc contains the “nine new levels” advertised. Hmmm. Only three levels are real levels. These unrelated missions take place on large maps. The first level is an incredible jungle level to rescue plane crash survivors from a guerrilla force. This is one of the hardest and probably the best-designed R6 levels ever. Then there are two more insertions into an arctic and desert setting rounding out the new levels. The next six maps are open to a variety of missions: recon, defend, terrorist hunt, etc. To my eye, Covert Ops adds no new characters and lacks equipment found in the other Rogue Spear add-ons.

Graphics are better than your typical R6 game with much care given to outdoor locations. The jungle level is beautifully detailed and includes a realistic waterfall. Great care is also given to ambient noise. The jungle sounds alive, snow howls in the arctic level, and as you move indoors, rain changes from a storm to rhythmic beats on a metallic roof.

The Bad
My biggest complaint involves the false claim of nine new levels. The three that are included take place in large environments and are very challenging. The other maps are smaller and repetitious. A hospital is divided into two separate maps as is a store. The other disc has a wide range of problems. First off, it’s buggy and takes turns crashing and locking up. The nodal matrix is unintuitive. The subject matter is dry and doesn’t really doesn’t relate to the R6 games. The test taking seems lame and the medals are a poor reward.

This would have worked better as an interactive encyclopedia. It would have been more interesting if it had incorporated gameplay into the structure. Why not let us visit a shooting range or use maneuvers as a tutorial? Why do we have to use one of the preexisting R6 characters? Imagine if you could create your own character and then add him/her to the R6 roster. Oh well.

The Bottom Line
So here’s my recommendation: currently (2003) this runs for ~$10. It’s probably worth it for that much, but it's hardly essential. You get three really good levels (better than any of the ones in Black Thorn) and six maps that are decent. If you’re lucky and the counterterrorism trainer works then you may be slightly diverted.

The Good
This is just a short review - but the real-life information from covert ops folks is really cool, and well presented.

The Bad
I don't really see the point of all the testing, etc., in the encyclopedia style portion of this program, as it doesn't relate to the game. Why even allow one to go through the rigamarole as different characters? When I saw it on the bargain shelf for 10 bucks (8/2003) I was excited, as not being a big strategy player, I think the R6 games SEEM really cool, but I have been unable to really get any good at the massive planning phases. I had mistakenly thought this package would be direct training for actually PLAYING R6. No such luck.

The Bottom Line
Worth 10 bucks just for some really cool C.O. information and education, but definitely not a guide to the strategy of the R6 games themselves.