Bagged n Tagged

I had some time off for the first time in six weeks this past couple of days, some of which would naturally be devoted to playing games.

I say 'games' but one in particular has caught my interest: Rainbow Six Vegas on the 360.

Originally I picked this up to play the Terrorist Hunt mode with a friend, but found it almost impossible, not really getting the way the game played. If you're not familiar with it the game is a first-person shooter involving counter-terrorist types and has something to do with Tom Clancy (never try and read the Rainbow Six novel of his, it really is awful). The focus is more on squad-based tactical combat rather than running about waving a gun about. In fact if you spend more than about 4 seconds in the open it is GAME OVER.

You have two computer-controlled team-mates who, thankfully for me, can take care of themselves when it matters. In fact there are times I can just tell them to go into a room and clear out the bad guys, although it is reaching a point in the game where doing this means having to go in after them and heal them up.

After failing the first part of the game, set in a Mexican border town, I gave it up. The enemy are hard to see, they pop out from cover and fire at you, so more often than not you're firing at a head 50 feet away. I didn't think I'd be able to get on with it but came back to it recently, for no good reason.

I'm glad I did as it's now clicked. Once you get out of the run-and-gun mindset and start thinking tactically it's actually really absorbing.

The game is very Tom Clandy, that is near-future military action with a big dose of full-fat America on top. Not exactly my bag but I will admit this game is much better than I expected.