Raven Shield Review.
The PC has seen its fair share of first-person shooters, and with the latest addition of Toms Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, gamers have been reminded of how much fun tactical shooters can be. Raven Shield was released March 18, 2003 and it is still going strong. I have had my share of LANs within the past months, and Raven Shield is the game of the party.
Gameplay (9/10)
Now let’s get to the game itself. If you’re familiar with any of the Rainbow Six games, you should feel right at home. While the game itself is very similar, the team behind Raven Shield has updated a lot. The graphics have seen a major overhaul, the game play is smoother, and the maps are more detailed. The control system for Raven Shield is very smooth. Moving around requires pressing many buttons on the keyboard, however the controls are implemented very well.
From the game setup menu you select one of eight different game types that include Survival, Team Survival, Bomb, Hostage, Pilot, and from Co-op, there is Mission, Terrorist Hunt, and Hostage Rescue. Once you’re through selecting your map and game type, you are taken to the team room. Here you will select your team, their outfit, and your equipment. There are over 40 weapons to choose from, ranging from pistols to shotguns, rifles, sniper rifles, sub machine guns, and light machine guns. You can also customize your gun with silencers or extended clips. You can also equip yourself with grenades, heart beat sensors, etc.
Now let’s get to the game types and maps. My personal favorite mode would have to be Co-op Mission. There is just something so exhilarating about working together with 7 other of your friends to eliminate the terrorists. Strategy comes in play because this isn’t like your typical shooter, if you get shot once you’re going to feel it, either by limping or death. Moving around requires crouching and peeking around corners, with an occasional flash bang or gas grenade. You will need your friends to cover your back, because anything from running to fast, to opening doors too fast will alert your foes into a furry of fire. Maps can also work to your advantage. The maps, 21 in total, are filled with crates, barrels, etc. that can give you excellent cover from enemy fire. Maps range from penthouses to private airports.
A big part of the game play is AI. The enemy AI has been improved however it still has some annoying features of the Rainbow Six predecessors. Some times enemies already know where you are even if you haven’t revealed yourself, and are ready to pump you full of lead. This can be extremely aggravating during tense missions. Other aspects of the AI can be rather humorous. I can’t count with all my toes and fingers how many times I have thrown a grenade, and the enemy or my teammate has run right into it. However for the most part the AI is decent. Your teammates will cover your back and you can also issue commands. For example, you come up to a door and you know that past that door there is a barrage of enemies. Well you can open up your command list and tell your teammate to open the door and upon opening the door, throw a frag grenade. Meanwhile, as enemies are revealed, you pick them off left and right. Moments like this truly add to the great teamwork feel this game has.
Graphics (9/10)
The graphics, oh the graphics. One word, beautiful. This has to be one of the nicest looking fps’s on the pc. It shares a modified version of the Unreal Warfare engine. With my pc, the frame rates were solid and smooth. The character models look fantastic, enemies and friends move as you would expect them to. There are also little things that you may happen to notice, such as shooting couches will send up feathers in the air, or shooting a barrel full of oil will cause a hole and send oil spilling out. Grenades also have a very stunning effect. Flash bangs will momentarily blind you, while gas grenades will blur and distort your vision. Raven Shield also utilizes a rag doll physics, which I might add, are very impressive. When you shoot and kill someone, there body will go limp, and fall accordingly to where it stands. For instance, if a terrorist as he is running up the stairs and you kill him, his body will slide down the steps and come to a stop at the bottom. All this adds to the moment and makes for a deep game.
Sound (8/10)
The sound is up to par as well. The makers even went as so far as to physically test a flash bang grenade on themselves to see what it sounded like, and how your vision becomes distorted. An unexpected frag grenade can put you in a scare with its deep and loud explosion. You will also hear the ting-tang of bullets hitting objects around you. I don’t have 5.1 speakers, but even with my two measly speakers, I could tell where the fire was coming from. Different objects in the maps produce different sounds when being shot. The voice overs were also done well, in single player you have agents who will debrief you on your mission details. The voices match the characters, and match the personality you would come to expect from leading command officers. Overall, the sound is excellent.
(9/10)
Raven Shield has everything you could want in a tactical shooter. It has gorgeous graphics, smooth game play, and sound that will blow your socks off. Single player can be a bit frustrating and repetitive, but that’s what the multiplayer is intended for. If you’re looking for an engaging tactical shooter, look no farther than Raven Shield. With 21 maps, 8 game types, and over 40 weapons, you can’t go wrong. Raven Shield is definitely a solid game and I won’t doubt that I will still be playing it for months, maybe years to come.
The PC has seen its fair share of first-person shooters, and with the latest addition of Toms Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, gamers have been reminded of how much fun tactical shooters can be. Raven Shield was released March 18, 2003 and it is still going strong. I have had my share of LANs within the past months, and Raven Shield is the game of the party.
Gameplay (9/10)
Now let’s get to the game itself. If you’re familiar with any of the Rainbow Six games, you should feel right at home. While the game itself is very similar, the team behind Raven Shield has updated a lot. The graphics have seen a major overhaul, the game play is smoother, and the maps are more detailed. The control system for Raven Shield is very smooth. Moving around requires pressing many buttons on the keyboard, however the controls are implemented very well.
From the game setup menu you select one of eight different game types that include Survival, Team Survival, Bomb, Hostage, Pilot, and from Co-op, there is Mission, Terrorist Hunt, and Hostage Rescue. Once you’re through selecting your map and game type, you are taken to the team room. Here you will select your team, their outfit, and your equipment. There are over 40 weapons to choose from, ranging from pistols to shotguns, rifles, sniper rifles, sub machine guns, and light machine guns. You can also customize your gun with silencers or extended clips. You can also equip yourself with grenades, heart beat sensors, etc.
Now let’s get to the game types and maps. My personal favorite mode would have to be Co-op Mission. There is just something so exhilarating about working together with 7 other of your friends to eliminate the terrorists. Strategy comes in play because this isn’t like your typical shooter, if you get shot once you’re going to feel it, either by limping or death. Moving around requires crouching and peeking around corners, with an occasional flash bang or gas grenade. You will need your friends to cover your back, because anything from running to fast, to opening doors too fast will alert your foes into a furry of fire. Maps can also work to your advantage. The maps, 21 in total, are filled with crates, barrels, etc. that can give you excellent cover from enemy fire. Maps range from penthouses to private airports.
A big part of the game play is AI. The enemy AI has been improved however it still has some annoying features of the Rainbow Six predecessors. Some times enemies already know where you are even if you haven’t revealed yourself, and are ready to pump you full of lead. This can be extremely aggravating during tense missions. Other aspects of the AI can be rather humorous. I can’t count with all my toes and fingers how many times I have thrown a grenade, and the enemy or my teammate has run right into it. However for the most part the AI is decent. Your teammates will cover your back and you can also issue commands. For example, you come up to a door and you know that past that door there is a barrage of enemies. Well you can open up your command list and tell your teammate to open the door and upon opening the door, throw a frag grenade. Meanwhile, as enemies are revealed, you pick them off left and right. Moments like this truly add to the great teamwork feel this game has.
Graphics (9/10)
The graphics, oh the graphics. One word, beautiful. This has to be one of the nicest looking fps’s on the pc. It shares a modified version of the Unreal Warfare engine. With my pc, the frame rates were solid and smooth. The character models look fantastic, enemies and friends move as you would expect them to. There are also little things that you may happen to notice, such as shooting couches will send up feathers in the air, or shooting a barrel full of oil will cause a hole and send oil spilling out. Grenades also have a very stunning effect. Flash bangs will momentarily blind you, while gas grenades will blur and distort your vision. Raven Shield also utilizes a rag doll physics, which I might add, are very impressive. When you shoot and kill someone, there body will go limp, and fall accordingly to where it stands. For instance, if a terrorist as he is running up the stairs and you kill him, his body will slide down the steps and come to a stop at the bottom. All this adds to the moment and makes for a deep game.
Sound (8/10)
The sound is up to par as well. The makers even went as so far as to physically test a flash bang grenade on themselves to see what it sounded like, and how your vision becomes distorted. An unexpected frag grenade can put you in a scare with its deep and loud explosion. You will also hear the ting-tang of bullets hitting objects around you. I don’t have 5.1 speakers, but even with my two measly speakers, I could tell where the fire was coming from. Different objects in the maps produce different sounds when being shot. The voice overs were also done well, in single player you have agents who will debrief you on your mission details. The voices match the characters, and match the personality you would come to expect from leading command officers. Overall, the sound is excellent.
(9/10)
Raven Shield has everything you could want in a tactical shooter. It has gorgeous graphics, smooth game play, and sound that will blow your socks off. Single player can be a bit frustrating and repetitive, but that’s what the multiplayer is intended for. If you’re looking for an engaging tactical shooter, look no farther than Raven Shield. With 21 maps, 8 game types, and over 40 weapons, you can’t go wrong. Raven Shield is definitely a solid game and I won’t doubt that I will still be playing it for months, maybe years to come.
