Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow Review

By Kristan Reed Published 4 August, 2004

For less than twenty quid, you can't really go wrong.

Version tested: Xbox

Order yours now from Simply Games.

When publishers are realistic and honest about what their games actually are, you can't help but warm to them. Take Ubisoft - in the last year or so, rather than try and charge full whack for the likes of Ghost Recon: Island Thunder and now Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow, they effectively release a full add-on game that many publishers would call a sequel, but for half the price. On a console.

In every respect, Black Arrow is a worthy successor to last year's console success, but simply uses the same engine, and includes precisely the same maddeningly tense and addictive squad-based counter terrorist action that had us glued to both the single-player and Xbox Live modes in the cold, dark, arse end of 2003. You see, when publishers aren't running around trying to hype more of the same as something special, we don't actually mind more of the same - at a reduced price, of course.

Open Flash Und Klar!

'Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow' Screenshot 1

In Black Arrow, everything's exactly the same as it was last time around; only this time you're probably coming to it trained in the exacting ways of how to best shuffle your four man team through 10 deadly environments. In the previous version, we got rather caught up in the novelty of delivering commands via the headset. It turns out that the game is actually miles easier if you forget about such things and simply use the control pads; in terms of versatility and ease of use, it's one of the finest systems ever devised - so as much fun as it is shouting "Open, Flash and Clear on Zulu" for a while (in a slightly German accent, bizarrely), you get quicker and more precise results just using the pad.

The levels themselves are playable both in single and multiplayer, either over Xbox Live, or two-player split screen co-op. As Live games, Black Arrow and its forebear are among the best around. Teaming up with three other mates to do each mission is just outrageously good fun - so long as they're not messing about getting killed in five seconds flat. Yes, dying in Black Arrow is something you'll get used to - especially when the game only allows two saves per level, and offers no checkpoints either. Many times you'll end up saving way too early, or with nowhere near enough health to progress, so one of the key things to enjoying Black Arrow is simply knowing when best to save. Too early, and you'll have no chance, too late and you may end up being killed and having to replay the whole damned thing.

Ubi's storylines for its Tom Clancy games have always left a little to be desired, and Black Arrow is no exception. Ubi does little more than introduce typically generic scenarios and let you get on with it. For the most part, it's hardly relevant anyway once you're underway. The actual mission structure is largely the same anyway - rescue the hostage, kill the perps, defuse the bomb, rinse, repeat. It matters not. Like some of the best games, its charm is in its utter simplicity. The fact that you and your squad can get wiped out in a matter of a few careless seconds is all part of the fun. It feels more real, it feels tense, and that tension and fear around every corner is an excellent formula.

Turkey shoot

'Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow' Screenshot 2

The AI is a little predictable, and occasionally flaky. You always know roughly where the bad guys will show up every single time, and their flexibility is plain to see - they take cover, duck out, shoot, but rarely chase or act as a team. But still, taking on 50-odd bad guys per level is still tough even when you know where they are, and can tell where they're going next. You can't help but admire a game that still feels fun even when everything is scripted to the max. By no means expect gameplay revolution here, but whether playing alone or with friends, it's always willing you to go on, no matter how many times you fail.

Visually it's by far Ubisoft's weakest, with nowhere near the style and grace of any of its recent crop of great games, such as the likes of Splinter Cell or Prince Of Persia; after playing those you can't help but view Black Arrow as more of a black sheep. Textures are as blurry and indistinct as you'll come across these days; walking up to anything even vaguely close up is not advisable.

Everywhere you look it's like a tour through the old school. Character models are stiff and unremarkable in their low polygon state, animation isn't bad but lacks the finesse of more recent efforts, while the levels themselves are constructed in a predictably old fashioned way with incidentals rarely allowing the scene to come to life in any convincing way. It feels like little has progressed since the Counter-Strike days. None of the modern bells and whistles make it in - no destructible terrain, no ragdoll physics. Nothing, in fact, to make it stand out in any way. But yet - somehow - the game itself rises above this mass of jaggies and blurry textures and is better than the sum of its parts (and the Sum Of All Fears, obviously). Not only is it great to play, it's horrendously addictive, with decent squad AI taking up intelligent (for the most part) positions that genuinely help you out in the heat of battle. It's tense, well constructed, balanced, and - once you get the feel for it - excellent fun.

Ding is officially a Chav

Although for the most part you're responsible for a four-man team (of which only Ding Chavez is under your direct control), occasionally the game reduces your squad to two. Worse, the final mission is a brutally hard solo romp through a procession of deadly trained killers. But while it is one of the more challenging games you'll face this year, it's never insurmountable.

Black Arrow does nothing new whatsoever. But don't for one moment assume that that is necessarily a bad thing. Rainbow Six 3 has a great gameplay formula - and we applaud Ubi's decision to kick out a filler release at an excellent price. If last year's edition sated your need for squad based counter-terrorism, then fair enough, move on. But for those who loved it, and fancy some more of the same, then it's not going to disappoint. Sometimes, just delivering more of the same is exactly what's required - so long as we're not expected to pay over the odds for the same experience. For Rainbow Six 3 fans, Black Arrow may be a repeat prescription, but it's just what the doctor ordered.

Order yours now from Simply Games.

8 / 10

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Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (29) Latest comment 8 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • krudster #1 8 years ago

    They've tweaked it a little, but really little more than tweaked.

    Didn't seem very random to me - seemed as predictable as ever, in that you can learn your way around every level eventually.

  • Slippy #2 8 years ago

    Another 8 eh?

  • prettyboytim #3 8 years ago

    Feh. Unless they've changed the ridculous restriction that you can't save you checkpoints between sessions, I'll pass.

    I don't have very much time to game. Normally I fit in about an hour here and there, but because R63 doesn't let you save your checkpoints for later, it's a right pain in the ass, as a level will normally take me longer than an hour to get through, the first time through it.

    Feh.

  • krudster #4 8 years ago

    No, I'm afraid that old problem of not saving your mid level saves is still in there.

  • Ali #5 8 years ago

    R63 online? Ace.
    R63 offline? Pants.

    Good review by the way, typo on the word 'Clancy' though, it's not spelt with an 'e'.

    Sigh, back to work then...

  • Tomster #6 8 years ago

    Hang on... you didn't mention it, but I read that there are some new Xbox Live 3.0 features that support clans/groups and, uh, basically, like, rock and all... no?

    Shouldn't that make it a 9 then?
    Edited by 1 at 04/08/04 @ 16:31

  • #7 8 years ago

    Didn't seem very random to me - seemed as predictable as ever, in that you can learn your way around every level eventually.

    Yup. The cannon fodder is not randomly placed. Same every time you run through.

  • #8 8 years ago

    Shouldn't that make it a 9 then?

    If it helps any, I gave it 9, Tomster. :D

  • gizmo #9 8 years ago

    As good as H.... never mind.

    I still play R63 on-line, so I'll view this as a map-pack and pick it up. It really is top notch stuff co-op. Also really enjoying GRIT co-op - quite similar, but in open environments and obviously military combat orientated.

  • tiddles #10 8 years ago

    I don't have very much time to game. Normally I fit in about an hour here and there, but because R63 doesn't let you save your checkpoints for later, it's a right pain in the ass, as a level will normally take me longer than an hour to get through, the first time through it.

    I reckon all console games should be now developed as if they were handheld games - ie. put in effective saving mechanisms so you can play for as long or as short a time as you want. In GBA Fire Emblem I can switch the game off pretty much whenever I want, and it automatically resumes from the last turn. If Disgaea had something similar I would have got a helluva lot further than a measly two hours into a game which is obviously excellent but I just don't have the uninterrupted time to play.

  • krudster #11 8 years ago

    May well do.

  • Dizzy #12 8 years ago

    Yeah I must agree. Reason this is so high on my list is for the new online play features. You guys should expand a bit more on those features and give us a general review of what it means to support Live 3.0. Brillant? Meh? A missed chance? ;)

  • perilikid #13 8 years ago

    Looks like I could be joining the R6 fanbase very soon.

  • Fries With That? #14 8 years ago

    I have always found R63 too realistic in a sense. The guns just don't give you that "Frenzied" and uncivilised performance, everything is too technical and stuff.

    I prefer CS alot more, due to the fact that the player can simply control how ever they play. Maybe it's just me... o.O

  • Eighthours #15 8 years ago

    Is it just me, or is reviewing Black Arrow without any mention of the online stuff, kinda like reviewing a fish and chip shop without mentioning the fish?

  • merk #16 8 years ago

    "For less than twenty quid, you can't really go wrong."

    BUT

    Has anyone noticed that these games that get released cheaply rarely come down as much as the full priced ones? Raven Shield is hovering around 11-12 quid now from some of the better online places, I haven't seen a 'budget' release below 15 quid yet, I've got my eye on a few.

  • merk #17 8 years ago

    /gets lost in a forest of acronyms.

  • krudster #18 8 years ago

    Let's look at the multiplayer stuff properly when we can actually play it more than in split screen. Debug code generally won't let you review Live content unless the publisher sets up a specific Partnernet server.

  • Whizzo #19 8 years ago

    I maybe wrong but I thought it was only Microsoft published titles that had the Live trials in them.

  • ccfb #20 8 years ago

    I notice from them movies floating around that they've made the gun models smaller so you see more the action, which is a good thing imho.

  • krudster #21 8 years ago

    Ok, there are *primitive* ragdoll effects, but hardly the real deal

  • Stevas mkII #22 8 years ago

    Hang on, you're saying they're gonna release this at 20 notes? I was thinking about giving this a miss, as I couldn't really justify it at full price, but - dammit - I'm going to have to buy it now. Damn you Ubisoft, with you're sensible pricing strategy. Damn you all to hell.

  • Stevas mkII #23 8 years ago

    Dammit, SHUT UP RHYTHM. You're upsetting my wallet.

    Oh, go on then. It'd be rude not to at that price, right?

    Um... might have to wait a bit, though. Like, until my bank account actually has money in it would be good - I'm thinking.

    Unfortunately, I get paid on the 20th.

    Oh, sod it. They're only bank charges - aren't they? Like, who needs a good credit rating nowadays anyhow, right?
    RIGHT?

  • HarryB #24 8 years ago

    load of wank

  • Syrette #25 8 years ago

    'Open Flash Und Klar!'
    'Ding is officially a Chav'.

    your headings don't get enough appreciation kristan. they're hilarious.

  • krudster #26 8 years ago

    Thank you sir!

    As for not "reviewing" the Xbox Live 3.0 stuff - we can't! How many times do I have to spell it out that Xbox debugs can't connect to the Live network? I'll discuss that side of things when the boxed copy comes in and we can test it out! Dammit!

  • rascal180 #27 8 years ago

    Rather buy splinter cel:pt

  • #28 8 years ago

    This is A LOT better than Splinter Cell. Haha.

  • Baronen #29 8 years ago

    Hi guys, now that I'm finally getting ADSL, I'm planning to buy Live for my Xbox. I've bought Rainbow Six 3 before, but it wasn't really that cool without online play and stuff, so I traded it with some fella. I'm wondering if this is a good game for an unexperienced Live-player? I like first person shooters in general. Oh, and one other thing: Will I be able to play with Rainbow Six 3: "normal"-players? Like, people who haven't bought Black Arrow, but are playing the first version. I'm norwegian, be gentle.

  • Master Cheif #30 8 years ago

    Even though i liked R6: 3 dont u guys think they are releasing this like its an add on pack becase TBH it is really..

  • cheddarmonkey2004 #31 8 years ago

    I know what you guys mean about the save points you cant get back to. Still a slight problem, but because the levels are not that great a challenge (if you do it right) it doesn't bother me that much anymore!

    Remeber if you get that pissed off about it just go and get a slice of cheese cake, trust me it works!!!!!!!!