Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Covert Ops Essentials

by Red Storm Entertainment

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004U1P5
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: September 20, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,044 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #46 in Video Games > PC Games > Action > Military & Espionage
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk

There is no doubt about it, the original Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear titles are fantastic games and still manage to captivate action strategists. The latest offering from the Clancy gaming world is Covert Ops Essentials, a bizarre mixture of education and entertainment. Covert Ops provides two new elements to the Rainbow Six world: a clutch of new levels and training missions and an encyclopedic look at the world of counterinsurgency. Covert Ops is a standalone title, so you don't need the original game to run it.

Running on the engine of Rogue Spear, Covert Ops has the same overall game structure--you examine the intelligence, and proceed to plan and execute your mission. The Bolivian jungle level is graphically impressive and has all the atmosphere of the original titles, but gaming wise it adds nothing new. The training side of things is highly captivating and there is an abundance of material to absorb. The more you learn, the better prepared you are to tackle the challenges on the gaming side. Perhaps this would have been useful as a teaser for Rogue Spear rather than a follow-up, but at any length, the information resource will captivate fans of the Rainbow Six experience.

The graphics and gameplay are still as gripping as its predecessors and have the same attention to detail. And therein lies the beauty, and perhaps the problem. Gamers familiar with the Rainbow Six universe can instantly jump into familiar surroundings, but there is little new material to satisfy their thirst for action. For special-forces enthusiasts, the wealth of information will be well received, but it will leave the hard-core gamers wanting more. Rainbow Six: Covert Ops Essentials provides a reminiscent spattering of new levels, but does not truly satisfy the want of more gaming action. --Chris Hall

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Comment from One of the Developers, October 8, 2000

By 

Duncan S. McPherson (Monmouth, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Covert Ops Essentials (CD-ROM)

To all those who are interested in this product:

My name is Duncan McPherson, and I work for Magic Lantern Playware... the team that produced the training CD for Red Storm Entertainment. Personally, I know that many hard-core gamers are going to be confused and/or disappointed by this product simply because of the fact that it is a little light in the "new levels" department. I will even venture to say (my *own* opinion here, not that of Magic Lantern) that the game -- while marketed well -- was not marketed *clearly* to the hard-core gaming audience.

Here's a clarification:

Covert Ops Essentials (COE) is designed first and foremost as a training pack. The information (in excess of 500,000 words, over 80 min. of videos, and multiple tests!) is designed to inform the game experience of the hard-core players.

COE is also designed as a "gateway" product for those who have not yet entered the game world of "Rainbow Six." (Note that neither Rainbow Six or Rogue Spear are needed in order to play the mission pack included in the game.)

Most importantly, however, it is a product designed for the Tom Clancy and/or Covert Operations fan who wishes to learn more about *real* covert operations and *real* special operations units... in many cases, from the source. COE then allows the individual to test her/his knowledge in the game world of Rainbow Six in six fine training levels and three fantastic "real world" levels.

If you are expecting nine full-game levels or something similar, do not purchase this product. If, however, you wish to learn about *real* covert ops -and- to test your newfound knowledge within a few excellent Rainbow Six levels, then purchase this product, for you will not be disappointed.

Covert Ops Essentials: The name says it all.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing release, not quite the sequel to Rogue Spear, December 31, 2000

By 

Miguel Sanchez (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Covert Ops Essentials (CD-ROM)

Do you enjoy Rainbow Six for the action? You will not find it in Covert Ops Essentials. I am a huge fan of the Rainbow Six series and have always enjoyed the series until this one. Is this game the action-packed follow up to Rogue Spear with its exciting missions like the airplane hijacking? Not quite. Two major negative issues I have:

1. The game description states 9 missions. No, there are 3 actual missions, and 6 short training events, which do not count as missions. I was shocked after completing the 3rd mission to be presented with the game-over credits, thinking there were 6 more action packed missions waiting. Granted, the 3 actual missions are well done, and give this game two stars instead of one. But is the game worth buying for 3 missions?

2. The box gives the impression this is a special training edition, meaning much more training missions to fine tune your tango raiding skills (similar to Metal Gear Solid: VR missions). This is only a problem because it is not stated clearly that this is a game requiring mostly readings. The interface is very poor on the training disc, and as a reviewer states in videogames.com "looks like the work of an 80's holywood special effects artist trying to visualize computer interfaces of the future".

And here is one positive note:

1. If you're not expecting action and hostage rescues, the training disc provides good reading on your computer monitor. It explains the terms terrorist and counter terrorism at a good level. Even though the multiple guess questions do not change they are fun to take. Just don't think the medals you win for passing the test will qualify you as a hostage negotiator :)

To conclude, the training disc's readings and video clips could have been put an a web site and have you take the tests online, minus the futuristic 80's special effects. A good book on terrorism and counter terrorism, or even Richard Marcinko's Rogue Warrior series would serve the same purpose of this game. If you're looking for some missions, wait until the next true expansion pack or when Red Storm Entertainment releases the level editor in the following months.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you Redstorm, September 13, 2000

By 

Corbett Tyler (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Covert Ops Essentials (CD-ROM)

Anyone who has played any of the R6 series knows how great they are. This 5th installment of the series should be no exception. I play alot of online multiplayer games on Mplayer.com and we are very excited by the release of this title. There are 9 new maps as well as in-depth counterterrorism interviews, test, and video. Unfortunatly there are no new weapons. If you want to learn more, and I think you would, you can go to rainbowsix.net There they have links to redstorm as well as information on the CO release. Roger That.