GRAW 2 - Like Rainbow 6 Vegas?

Hey long time listener, infrequent caller,
I never tried GRAW or GRAW2 but I love the cover system in Rainbow 6: Vegas. It's spoiled me. I just plain like shooting around corners. Does GRAW 2 use the same engine, have the same controls? Reviews don't seem to bother mentioning this.

Thanks!

The game engine in Graw 2 is very different than the one in Vegas. You do use cover and can do the same things but it works differently. This leads into controls.

On those, they're vastly different. The basics are close if not the same but things like switching weapons, using grenades, and any number of other things are more complicated/cumbersome in GRAW 2 than in Vegas. On top of that, Graw 2 has an entirely different engine for multiplayer than it does for singleplayer. It has no cover system in multiplayer and the game plays very differently than it does in singleplayer. If multiplayer is important to you this is definitely something to consider.

Are we talking about Consoles or PC? If Console, Thin_J pretty much nailed it. Although, I didn't find controls to be 'cumbersome' at all. I agree that it's some thing to get used to because most of the buttons have double function... but after 30min, it should feel more natural.

Thanks guys,
I'm talking Xbox360 here and I'm amazed by the cover controls in R6. Pity it's not the same in GRAW2 but since co-op is generally why I buy these games I still might check it out.
Thanks again,

Just to note, GRAW 2 or even GRAW co-op mode is not the same as in Vegas. Where in Vegas, you could play SP Campaign in co-op... in GRAW/2 you have multiplayer based co-op. It is separate from SP campaign and it has its own "story", objectives, etc... So with that, there is no actual cover in co-op. You can lean, but no fancy back to the wall stuff!

Yeah, the cover in Vegas is definitely far superior. I never found myself actually using cover much in GRAW 2 cause I found it to be more of a hindrance than anything else. I covered behind things, I just didn't let the game do it for me.

Also, welcome GamerDad. I see you on GamePolitics a lot.

I've played GRAW and liked it, but then I played R6:V and it spoiled me. So I went and played GRAW2 and I really don't like it, the cover sucks, your buddies seem to be {ableist slur}s and if you tell them to take cover behind a crate, one of the 3 ends up not in cover and he gets shot. I just can't get a feel for the game.

Nei wrote:

You can lean, but no fancy back to the wall stuff!

But can you be a worm in R6:V?

GRAW 2 online has no cover system, which is unfortunate, because it worked pretty well for me in the singleplayer. Rainbow Six has the best cover system IMO and I'm hoping other devs adopt something similar for their shooters.

Nei wrote:

Although, I didn't find controls to be 'cumbersome' at all.

Graw has maybe the worst system for throwing grenades in the history of games.

Switching weapons is terrible as well.

Yes I got used to it and played the game fine. It's still a slow and pretty much stupid way to do it especially relative to how it's done in other games. Vegas is better thought out all around.

stupidhaiku wrote:
Nei wrote:

You can lean, but no fancy back to the wall stuff!

But can you be a worm in R6:V?

...no, but I don't think there was any need for it in R6.

Thin_J wrote:
Nei wrote:

Although, I didn't find controls to be 'cumbersome' at all.

Graw has maybe the worst system for throwing grenades in the history of games.

Switching weapons is terrible as well.

Yes I got used to it and played the game fine. It's still a slow and pretty much stupid way to do it especially relative to how it's done in other games. Vegas is better thought out all around.

Well, I had no issues with both Vegas or GRAW... but I might be more lenient and just go with it.

As noted above, different engines with different controls. Vegas' cover system is way slicker, but GRAW's is still fun. Vegas' squad AI and overall squad gameplay design is also superior, but again, GRAW's is still enjoyable.

I personally prefer the overall look of the GRAW games, in terms of graphics. And the GRAW titles offer a lot more gameplay variety. GRAW has you working with armored, aircraft, and other units, often in larger-scale and more varied conflicts. In Vegas, it's you and your squadmates running around and taking out bad guys. Vegas is more of a one-trick pony, but one that knows the trick well. And it's a very cool trick.

Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, but I've really enjoyed both GRAW games as well as Vegas. I think I'd have to pick GRAW 2 as my favorite, though, by a very slight margin.

93_confirmed wrote:

Rainbow Six has the best cover system IMO and I'm hoping other devs adopt something similar for their shooters.

I'd prefer they come up with something better.

in multiplayer GRAW seems to focus more on squad based actions while RB6 favors solo'ing more.

Rainbow Six focuses on tight quarters combat, 2 guys firing at each other with uzis, 5 feet from each other. GRAW is more long ranged, almost sniper combat - it also feels more arcadey to me, you have a ton of autoaim and I find GRAW one of the most relaxing shooters to play, at least in multiplayer.

R6 singleplayer is clearly superior. It's designed around a series of huge set-piece battles, as you already know, and no other game is quite like it. GRAW is more old fashioned, with "encounters" strung together like your more traditional shooter design. I don't mind GRAW singleplayer, it can be fun at times, but it doesn't match R6:Vegas.

GRAW multiplayer, though, is very different than the single player game. You've got the only 8+ player co-op mode that I know of, and it plain rocks. We've played GRAW 1&2 multiplayer almost every week since the first game was released, and it always seems fresh.

Thanks for the welcome, I hope to hang here more.
Okay, since co-op and cover IS what I want - dammit - thanks, you guys saved me some cash!

GamerDad wrote:

Okay, since co-op and cover IS what I want - dammit - I should buy Gears of Wars

You may prefer the military setting, but Gears really is one of the best games of the last 3-4 years. I'm guessing that you've got children that you're concerned about exposing to violence - Gears is darker than R6 and has the crazy chainsaw attack which splashes blood all over the screen (which you can turn off I believe). However, I feel that Gears plays out like a rated R summer movie, gory in a comic-book kind of way, no less violent than R6 just different. It also has some of the coolest experiences you can have on the 360 and an excellent co-op mode and much the same cover system. Compared to R6 and GRAW, Gears straddles both types, long and short range combat plus melee and everything else.

I just picked up Rainbow Six: Vegas used and am enjoying the multiplayer again. Nice that both of the expansion pack maps are free as well.

Anyone interested in playing, send me a message. I'll probably be on a bit this week.