Tom Clancy authored the Rainbow Six game while drafting the novel of the same name, and the attention to detail shows in the depth and maturity of the story and game design. Players take command of an elite anti-terrorist team through 12 missions that vary from saving hostages to disarming bombs. A plot unravels along the way that literally leaves the fate of the world in the player's shaking hands (a rumble pack works wonders here).

Before jumping into the mission, players can read briefings and bios of the terrorists, choose team members based on specialty, and strategize each move using an overhead map of the area or building they must infiltrate. Setting waypoints in the planning stage allows the computer-controlled team members to, say, infiltrate a back door while the player leads another team through the front door in the first-person view. A few button pushes shifts the player's control to the other team. Realism is key here, and 20 minutes of planning may end with one bad move. That is, if the terrorist responds intelligently--the artificial intelligence (AI) is a bit buggy at times. Two players can complete missions together, creating a multiplayer option that sure is a welcome change from running around with guns blazin'. --Eric Twelker

Pros:

• An engrossing game, paced as one might expect from a novelist
• Effective ambient sound effects
• An excellent port from the acclaimed PC version

• Realism is sometimes compromised by buggy AI
• Graphics are a bit plain in some areas