Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow sticks you back in the well-worn combat boots of Ding Chavez and Team Rainbow, the last line of defense between us and terrorist scum wielding weapons o' mass destruction.
Hmm, with a name like Team Rainbow, they'd BETTER be a bunch of ass-kickers. Personally I think Ding Chavez: Terrorist Hunter! would be a groovier name for the franchise. Or not.
Like Ubisoft's own Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow and Ghost Recon: Island Thunder, Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow falls somewhere between being a meaty expansion pack to last year's Rainbow Six 3 and an outright sequel. Although thanks to a bevy of welcome additions like split-screen co-op play and some addictive new solo and multiplayer modes, it never carries the reek of add-on-itis.
Black Arrow boasts the same kind of console-friendly, terrorist-slaying goodness as its predecessor, along with all the same bizarre gameplay mechanics. How come Ding and the boys can't climb over boxes or furniture in their path, or even open a door that's "blocked" by a velvet rope?
No matter. It's all about travelling the globe and shootin' bad people, and that's where Black Arrow once again delivers the goods in its 10 single-player missions across environments ranging from Mediterranean hotels to subway stations. Your three A.I.-controlled squadmates are more than capable of pulling their weight in the heat of battle, and issuing voice orders to them via the Xbox Communicator is aces a total hoot.
Where the game really shines - again, just like its predecessor - is online via Xbox Live. The 14 multiplayer maps (including four returning faves from the last game) are uniformly solid, and the weapon balance is a little better. The new "total conquest" mode - in which you have to activate and then defend a trio of satellite transmitters - is an absolute blast to play, even if a cheeser named Flat Eric keeps blowing you to bits with his grenade launcher.
(Black Arrow is also the first game to fully implement the Xbox Live 3.0 features, including the ability to recruit squads, schedule tournaments and leave profanity-laced voice messages for Flat Eric. Cool beans.)
Based on the quality of the many Ubisoft games that have licensed his name, novelist Tom Clancy must have a garage full of gold-plated Harrier jets. Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow ought to buy him a couple more. Well earned, indeed.
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BOTTOMLINE
If you loved Rainbow Six 3 on the Xbox, you'll love Black Arrow even more. But those who have never traveled to global hotspots to perforate terrorist scum in the name of freedom will also find it a great introduction to the boys of Team Rainbow. Snicker.
