Review by: Matt Plumb
Published: October 14, 2000

Novelist Tom Clancy has made his reputation with military techno-thrillers, works that combine real life technology and tactics with fictional situations. Rainbow Six, a game cross-marketed with one of his novels, extrapolated modern anti-terrorist activities to create the top-secret, multinational task force known as Rainbow. The unique blend of strategy and first-person action found in Rainbow Six was extremely popular; its sequel, Rogue Spear, was also successful. However, both titles spawned less-than-stellar expansion packs that failed to deliver the same thrills. The newest addition to the Rainbow Six franchise is Rainbow Six: Covert Ops Essentials, a return to the basics of Tom Clancy’s good fortune, as it couples real life military training with more new exploits of the fictional Rainbow team.

The training disc of Covert Ops is a reference and self-examination tool, a comprehensive resource on counter-terrorist activity. Players become trainees in the Rainbow Officer Candidate School, learning what it takes to be a commander in the elite unit. The curriculum is broken down into seven categories: Counter-Terrorist Forces, Historical Operations, Gear, Tactics, Intel, Psych, and Future Operations. Within each category is a wealth of information on each subject, from hostage negotiation to sniper positioning, presented through text, slides, and over 80 minutes of video. The amount of information presented here is staggering, and is presented in an entertaining fashion.

When players feel that they have what it takes, they can take the Competency Review Examinations, five-question multiple-choice tests that determine whether or not the trainee can move on to the next level of training. A score of 60 or above allows players to advance; pass four CREs, and you are eligible to take the Comprehensive CRE, a ten-question exam that determines your overall knowledge within the test category. Passing the CCRE earns players a medal, with seven medals needed to earn the rank of Commander. The medals and rankings achieved with the Training Disc have no bearing on the rest of the game, but the real-life tactics that players learn can easily be used.

Players can apply their newfound counter-terrorist expertise with Covert Ops‘ mission disc, which contains three full-sized missions and six small maps. The three full missions are loosely organized into a short campaign with no cohesive storyline. The first of these, Lucky Snare, takes place in a jungle, where a plane has been shot down by opportunistic extremists. A simple hostage rescue becomes nerve-wracking as the foliage makes it difficult to spot camouflaged enemies. Arctic Zebra, the second full mission, is set at a remote Artic research base, where a satellite has been hijacked. In addition to rescuing scientist hostages, an electronics expert must plant a bug in the satellite in order to track after it is sold on the black market. The final mission, Brazen Heart, sends Rainbow into a U.S. missile silo, where terrorists have removed certain concrete blocks that should not be removed. Brazen Heart is a good old-fashioned “neutralize” mission, permitting players to break out the big guns without fear of civilian casualties. The six smaller maps have no stories behind them, but allow players to explore a few new settings, such as a trailer park, a store, and a hospital.

Of course, all of the play options offered by Rogue Spear can be found in Covert Ops. In addition to the campaign, the nine new maps can also be played as standalone scenarios, allowing Rainbow commanders to engage in the standard Lone Wolf, Terrorist Hunt, Defend, or Recon missions. Successfully completing a custom standalone operation earns players a bronze, silver, or gold medal, depending on the difficulty level.