Tom Clancy��s Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow Arrow Still Has An Exciting Tension Few Other Games Achieve.

Tom Clancy��s Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow is one hell of a long title, but it doesn��t include the only two words you really need to know about this game: mission pack. This is essentially the same excellent squad-based shooter that took the Xbox by storm last year��same graphics, same controls, same gameplay��with all-new single-player levels, multiplayer maps, and added online options.

This means that despite promises of improved A.I., enemy behavior is just as wildly unpredictable as ever. Terrorists still come in two flavors: strategic genius and complete moron. You��ll see refreshingly realistic reactions as bad guys run from grenades, peek around corners, tear-gas critical spots, and surrender when overpowered. In fact, sometimes enemies are too smart, magically zeroing in on your location and firing or tossing grenades before you even enter their line of sight. Then you run into guys so clueless you wonder how they manage to get their camo fatigues on in the morning��some enemies continue their leisurely patrols after seeing their comrades get shot in the head; others stand out in the open and stare directly down the barrel of your rifle with no reaction.

Worst of all, bad guys still pop out on cue (sometimes literally appearing out of nowhere) as you cross invisible markers in the game. While this does make for the occasional exciting ambush, more often, it turns the single-player experience into an exercise in memorization: You know that when you walk past that barrel, one guy will roll out from behind the crates on the left and two guys will appear on the roof to your right. Getting through a level becomes a frustrating trial-and-error process: You die repeatedly, struggling to learn a long string of enemy locations and appearance triggers.

And yet, with as much cursing as these single-player shortcomings cause each time a level��s restarted (which happens a lot), it��s likely you��ll come back for more. It��s not that the mission objectives are particularly interesting��outside of one terrible stealth section, it��s pretty much hostage rescue or kill ��em all every time. It��s that even though you know where each enemy will appear, Arrow still has an exciting tension few other games achieve. Part of it is your overall immersion into the game: the real-world environments (hotel kitchens, city streets, warehouses), the understated but true ��pop�� of gunfire, the ever-present danger of a one-shot death. Part of it is the ingenious save system��you have two, and only two, chances to save in a level, but you can save anywhere you want, so essentially, you make your own checkpoints. But mostly, it��s the feeling of being part of a team. Sure, your three computer-controlled squadmates have their boneheaded moments��they occasionally get stuck on objects or stand in open doorways, just waiting to get shot. But they usually behave like pros, covering your back, fanning out into rooms, and moving from cover to cover with quiet precision. Sometimes it��s fun just to watch them work, especially if you��re comfortable enough with your inner dork to use the Xbox Live Communicator to order them around. You feel genuine grief whenever any of your teammates goes down for good, and the game becomes a completely different, nerve-wracking experience if all three members of your team fall.

Of course, computer-controlled teammates are no substitute for flesh-and-blood compatriots. Either online with up to four players or offline with Arrow��s new two-player splitscreen mode, co-op Six offers a thrilling experience like no other. Once you take a room from two separate doorways or set up with one man opening a door while the other tosses a flashbang inside, you realize just how perfectly teamwork fits into the game��s design. And with the terrorist hunt option, veterans can mix up enemy locations for a more unpredictable fight.

Arrow��s crown jewel is undoubtedly its online multiplayer action. It��s everything great about single player and co-op��the realism, the camaraderie, the teamwork��all rolled into one. It��s definitely no Quake: Subtleties like taking head shots, angling grenades off walls, and leaning around corners replace rocket jumps and big explosions. It takes patience, practice, and true skill to succeed online here, but the experience, once properly adjusted, is truly rewarding.

For the legions of fans of the first Rainbow Six 3, the prospect of new multiplayer levels alone is reason enough to pick up Arrow; thankfully, the new maps are excellent. Varied and mostly huge (perfect for the more popular 6-on-6 or larger games), with a great mix of indoor and outdoor locations, sniper spots, and multiple paths to any location, they allow for different matches every time, even after hundreds of plays. The two new modes are a mixed bag: Retrieval, in which two teams try to return a canister to their own base, seems like a distraction that won��t last for long. But total conquest, in which two teams struggle back and forth to capture and hold a series of satellite dishes (somewhat similar to Halo��s domination mode), will remain popular for quite some time, given its great mix of offense and defense. Online fans also take note: The superpowerful, superannoying .50-caliber rifle is gone. Huzzah!

How could Ubisoft have made this glorified mission pack even better? The graphics, while still sharp and smooth, lack the fine detail and fancy lighting of current Xbox games such as The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay or Ubisoft��s own Tom Clancy��s Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow. But an entirely new engine this soon is a bit much to ask for. What could��ve been easily adjusted was the retail price��at $40, Arrow isn��t a rip-off, but with so much recycled, it feels more like a $30 title. Still, fans of the first game (and there are many, to be sure) should be happy to feed their addictions with this solid add-on. Its flawed but compelling single-player and addictive, feature-packed multiplayer component (both online and now offline co-op) guide this Arrow directly to its mark.

Tom Clancy��s Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow includes all kinds of spiffy new features designed to encourage online teams, or ��squads,�� as the game calls them. After creating and naming your squad, you can design your own logo and set your team��s motto, description, and website URL. The new competition selection also makes challenging other squads quick and easy.

So you��ve created your online squad, settled on a logo, motto, and Web site��now you��ve got to manage it. What are you supposed to do about SHRPSH00TER420, who keeps missing your practice sessions? Or how about B!LLYB0B, who��s a great team player and a natural leader? Reward loyal squad members or demote problem soldiers with Tom Clancy��s Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow��s permission levels. You can set ranks for each player��operative, officer, commander, or director��to restrict who can invite or kick out members, register for competitions, and edit the team��s logo and other information. Then keep everyone abreast of what��s going on with intersquad text and voice messages. And don��t worry too much about having to kick SHRPSH00TER420 out of your squad. He��s a jerk!

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft

Players: 1-16

LIVE: Yes

MSRP: $49.99

ESRB: M

8 Out of 10

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.