For some reason, whenever a new game comes out with the Tom Clancy moniker on it, there always seems to be that sense of safe anticipation about it. Whether it be Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon or indeed Rainbow Six, you feel justified in handing over your hard earned because like the casino tables of Vegas itself, it’s usually a good bet. Now that the sequel to the original and still much respected Team Rainbow has arrived, are we entitled to continue this optimistic opinion?

The story runs in parallel to the first game, but before time moves to the current day, there’s a little bit of plot development (or tutorial in disguise for those in the know) to bring you up to speed. You are Bishop, a squad leader who’s seen many years of combat and is now employed to train fresh new recruits. In this particular instance we’re five years in the past and in the middle of a hostage situation, which ultimately goes horribly wrong, leaving the negotiator dead.

Accompanying our grainy old warhorse on his rounds are two of the series’ main characters, Logan Keller and Gabriel Nowak. Anyone who got through the first one will know that when we left it Logan was awaiting a chopper before the screen had a sudden attack of “to be continued-itis”, trying to chase the traitorous turncoat, Nowak. What the intro to Vegas 2 does is clear up why he betrayed his fellow team members and gives you more of an understanding of things.

Looking at the game, you can see there’s been a graphical brush up here and there (with some areas looking mightily impressive) but even so, it never feels like the huge step-up most people expect from proper sequels. You do get the occasional money shot, like massive explosions spewing fire like an eager dragon and some moody lighting helping to create a tense atmosphere, but everything smacks of similarity.

The music and sound is another area in which hasn’t seen much progression. Whilst playing Vegas 2, I couldn’t help but notice the soundtrack playing in the background was in fact the same as the first game, with that electronic, Blade Runner style melodic drone to it. Is it a sign of the developers being a touch lazy? Aside from that, all the relevant clicks, booms and bangs are present and correct, so shooting people will just be as damned noisy as you remembered it. This will no doubt lead to households around the country getting another reason to shout at their siblings (or their other halves in some occasions) to turn the volume down.

So far we seem to have been going along with the business-as-usual route of reviewing, but it’s when you start to strip away at the gameplay that you notice the major tweaking and fixing. First off we have a new EXP system, which rewards points for each kill you perform, as well as extra points for headshots or close range. The higher your level gets, the better weapons and camouflage you can attain. You can also shoot through some thinner surfaces like metal sheeting, wood and so on, making it a little easier to kill people. Co-op has also been added, allowing two people to go through the story mode as a team, much like Gears of War or Army of Two, but with a lot more intellect behind it.

The multiplayer stuff is, much like the original, genuinely decent fun. Terrorist Hunts are available on all maps, as well as your death match options. The online modes are many and varied, but a lot of them are ideas used by many of the current shooters out there today.

What with Call of Duty 4 pretty much wiping the floor clean with all newcomers, you’d be forgiven for thinking Vegas 2 just wasn’t going to cut it, but you’d be wrong. Sure, the game itself only lasts about seven hours and overall looks like a small upgrade from the previous title, but you have to ask yourself “What was Halo 3 then?”

It’s a welcome change of pace from the hundred miles-an-hour speed limit on most FPS games, and when you add a few friends it can lead to some serious enjoyment, especially with Friendly Fire turned on. There’s always a decent vibe from the multiplayer with Rainbow Six. It adds a dimension not seen by many of its forbearers and the overused words “original” and “best” do hold substance here. It’s not to say that this sequel is a classic, as the first one takes the plaudit there, but it continues from where the original left off both in quality and storyline.

To sum it all up then, it is technically a Vegas expansion pack with a full price stuck on the front, but when you consider just how solid these games have been over the years, it takes away the bitterness of the expense. The main story is easily finished in a day, but then most games of this genre are falling into that category at the moment. What makes this one worthwhile is its unflinching online functionality.

The Rainbow Six games just seem to have something within their coding other games fail to embrace, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. Terrorist Hunts are always a good laugh, whether sober or otherwise and an easily joinable co-op story mode helps to bring it into the new direction of shooters. It’s not warfare on steroids like Call of Duty, but it doesn’t need to be.

Going back to the start of this review, is it safe enough to buy Vegas 2 with as much confidence as the rest of the series? I would dare to say it is. The possibilities this game can open up, especially with the little extras, can lift this up above its older brother in some respects, but overall it’ll remain in its shadow…. waiting to breach and clear.