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Then there's dead time. You'll find dead
time productive, allowing you to set up your kit for the next round.
Gone, however are things I miss, like the cinematic camera view, specialization
(demo, electronics, etc) and believe it or not, the old R6 "chatroom."
We used to be able to banter between rounds for as long as we like,
and argue about what maps to play next, while the host was able to
decide on the fly what map to load or how many times to play it. This
interface built a sense of community as much as any clan forum, and
helped separate it from other Counter-Strike like games. Now, however,
there's only a barebones interface, the chat is always disappearing
at the top and there is a maximum of one minute rest between rounds
as the server automatically chugs its way on to fulfill a preset quota
of rounds for each map. It all feels very distant.
On the other hand, those that grumped about too much time between
rounds will like the new streamlined multiplayer system, which allows
more rounds to be played faster. The map stays loaded between rounds,
changing only after the quota is up. Players will also find that
map load times are respectably fast and that the netcode is as stable
as in UT 2003. And the maps, while more "arena balanced,"
ARE fun to play and do promote a healthy dose of tactical caution.
Should you find yourself one of the few remaining on your side,
you'll experience the old R6 tension again, knowing the enemy could
be around any corner, in any shadow, or stealthily moving up to
get you from behind.
Conclusion:
The Raven Shield Demo is a lot of fun to play around with, but
in the end all the bugs and lack of polish hurt it. Various frustrations,
more than anything else, have kept it from blowing me away in the
same fashion that the Rogue Spear demo did when it came out-and
I can tell you I won't be playing this one all the way to February.
Yet is it fair to judge only a demo, and an incomplete one at that?
The answer is yes, simply because Ubi chose to release this to the
public. The old RSE policy of making a demo after the product was
gold was wise in that players knew what they were getting. Here,
given the high expectations and the less than stellar results Ubi
chose to release with, one can't help but question if they will
be similarly complacent about their finished product…and even
if everything were 11ty00% improved by final release, the demo may
be all the excuse some players need not to give it a second chance
in three months.
But in viewing Ubi's already checkered past with the Tom Clancy
franchises, one must also admit they try very hard to correct their
mistakes. Perhaps releasing a premature demo to try to placate hordes
of fans whining over the game delay was a mistake, but it does show
that Ubi listens to their customer base. That's good, because the
best part of this demo seems to be the potential it hints at, the
promise of what a great game Raven Shield could be. With all the
months still left to go, I have little doubt that the major issues
will be addressed and more. Meanwhile, for the Rainbow Six fans
out there, I recommend picking up this demo. It's fun enough to
be worth your time, even if that's just a little while.
Have
any comments/questions? Discuss this review!
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