Great Multi-Player.
I picked this game up a few weeks prior to GTA IV coming out. I really enjoyed it, and feel that the multi-player is really where this game excels. While I do enjoy Halo 3 for what it has done for the gaming community, I prefer "real" shooters to "futuristic" shooters. In other words, I enjoy shooting true-to-life weapons versus plasma alien rifles.

The single player, story mode is a short, but I can easily fill in the time with the multi-player and terrorist hunt modes. Clearly not as good as C.O.D. 4 - simply for the record.

As many others have mentioned, if you're looking for a "continuation" of the original Vegas story, then you might be disappointed. If you're looking for a solid XBox 360 shooter, this is where it's at. Worth the purchase.

Great game if that is the type that you are looking for.
I purchased this game without knowing too much about it and also without playing "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 1". I had recently been introduced to "Call of Duty 4" and immediately became obsessed with the multi-player aspect of the game. Many people online playing "Call of Duty 4" were all talking about this new game coming out and how great it was going to be (referring to "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2"). I was in such a first-person shooter frenzy that I bought RSV2 as soon as it hit stores. I must say the gameplay in RSV2 is very slow moving compared to the run-and-gun style that COD4 is, and that I have come to love. RSV2 is a tactical game and you need to take your time analyzing the situation before you take any action. Not my style, but that doesn't mean it's not your style. So like I said in the title, A great game, if that is the type you're looking for.

Vegas 1 is still the king.. but this one isn't too shabby...
I am close to a 1000/1000 score (less than 10K XP to go for elite) and I thought it would be a good time to review. Overall the two games are very similar. Graphics are slightly better in V2. I like the new XP system- ranking up to elite is much easier than V1 (more obtainable goals = more fun to play in my book). Villa is a great MP map. Also T-hunt seems more fun to me on V2 (albeit tougher AI). That is where it ends though. Vegas 1 had (hands down) a better story mode. The MP maps on V1 had a much more classic feel- better balanced. Fortunately Kill House and Streets made it to V2. I was going to buy V2 for a friend (uninitiated) as a birthday gift but now I am seriously considering V1 instead. It is just a better game. V2 is still a decent sequel though 4/5 stars for me. V1 gets 5/5.

Great co-op, but not at the expense of solo campaign
Despite giving the impression of a "more of the same" sequel prior to launch, RSV2 managed to win my heart in ways the first could never imagine. There are still a few problems, but overall the game is adequately polished and highly addictive.

A tactical shooter, by definition, is geared toward teamwork and strategy. It only seems natural that such a game should offer a truly superb cooperative experience and RSV2 does just that. Be it split-screen, co-op campaign, or even terrorist hunting, there is a heap of great team-oriented play to be had here.

The best part is that in delivering a co-op smorgasbord, RSV2 (unlike certain other co-op focused games) didn't sacrifice the single player campaign. With seven acts consisting of several scenes each, you've got hours and hours of solo play available as well. The scenes and environments, though not particularly unique to Las Vegas, are extremely detailed and offer wide variety. My favourite place involved an indoor rock-climbing facility- an extremely creative idea, in my opinion.

The pièce de résistance for me was the character development through experience. Your character, complete with the myriad of possible unique armour, clothing and weapon combinations, are persistent throughout any game mode- online or off.

For all its glory, though, the game is not entirely without flaws. As cool as most of the unlockables were, some just didn't make sense. Who thought that pink camouflage was a great idea for a high-level reward? The AI is also still more A than I, with terrorists stupidly running into your crosshairs despite how many already felt your wrath. Your teammates can also be complete dolts when it comes to ordering grenade tosses or staying within the cover of their own smoke.

In spite of these minor blemishes, the bigger picture of RSV2 is still quite magnificent. Online or off, there is enough replay value here to last a very long time. If you can only buy one shooter right now, this may be the one you want!

To every game maker- Keep trying
This game is worth the purchase. The best thing is that you CAN play split screen COOP with someone else in your own living room, which is mostly how I play it. The worst: tossing a grenade is a joke. Be ready for a limp wristed toss that falls far short of your intended targets and blows you up. This is not the case in COD4. Another surprising problem is that you can't climb every rope that enemies use to repel down. Why not? This game is NOT as entertaining as COD4 and has nowhere near the production quality nor story quality in single player. Online play may be good. I am still hoping for a local coop mode in a COD game. When that happens I may buy two just to up the sales stats to show there is a demand for it. Come on IW, get with it.