Reviewer's Specs:

• Windows 98 OSR1 Beta 1
• EPoX KP6-BS Motherboard
• Dual Intel PII 400 CPU's at 448Mhz
• 256 Megs of 100 MHz SDRAM
• Two 12 Meg Diamond Monster 3D II's
• Diamond Viper V550 16 Meg SDRAM
• Western Digital 6.4 UDMA and Western Digital 3.1 GIG HD's.
• ViewSonic 21" G810 .25 mm
• Microsoft DSS 80 Speakers
• Sound Blaster AWE-64
• Creative 24X CDROM
• 3COM 3C905B 10/100 Network card
• Thrustmaster HOTAS

Not too long ago I had a good friend telling me about this awesome game he was playing. Each time we spoke on the phone he would go into great detail telling me how he would be killing this guy and that guy with one shot to the head. He had a bunch of different weapons, armor, uniforms, player profiles and maps to choose from. He went into excruciating detail and finally drove me about insane with curiosity.

Finally, one weekend when we got together to for a LAN meet Danny showed me what he had been talking about all week. My introduction to Rainbow Six was one of complete awe. This was the "other LAN game" we had all been waiting for.

Rainbow Six is built with multi-player in mind. It was perfect for our LAN meets. Running Ethernet at 100mbs showed absolutely no lag at all. I still remember that weekend like yesterday. I got every ounce worth of the $50 forked out to get it.

Now, Red Storm has introduced the next part in the Rainbow Six story, Eagle Watch. The add-on has been an excellent addition to an already superior game. What is especially remarkable is that Red Storm have not merely upgraded the single player game or just added a few new multiplayer parts, they have created missions and options for both the single player and that devoted multiplayer LAN or Internet player.

When I received my copy of Eagle Watch, I tore into that box so fast the CD literally flew out and into my trash can! Holy Cow! I swiped that sucker out and flew it into my hard drive and began the install. My cousin Robbie was in town from Alaska and we rotated turns playing the first mission which is stationed on the test site of the Russian Space Shuttle Buran.

First thing we both noticed was that the game was indeed harder (on elite level). I had already read Maurice's review of the (mostly) single player aspect but WOW it was much more dynamic now. Terrorists that see other terrorists get shot, or walk past their dead bodies, now react.

Also, using un-silenced weapons may not bring an immediate halt to your game by getting the hostages killed immediately, the terrorists just come running (functioning as a team mind you) to intercept you! The AI has indeed been tweaked quite a bit and the work really shows. Terrorists now react more like real humans and RUN when shot at and injured.

Click to continue

That weekend we got together with a few friends and began some serious multiplayer action. It was awesome! The game was totally stable and ran flawlessly. Many new options are available now for Eagle Watch multiplayer. Not only can you now split up into teams but you can elect to have terrorists intermix into the areas around you.

The game can start all team members together or separated, making friendly fire a serious issue to be addressed for each player before he pulls the trigger. More than once one of my teammates (don't worry Ramsey, I won't mention your name) shot myself and all our other teammates, thus ending our game.

There are several new maps in EW, many of which are simply excellent for multiplayer:

• Capitol building
• Taj Majal
• Re-done Killhouse2 (our personal favorite)
• Big Ben
• Space Shuttle (Buran)
• Water Ride
• Re-done Extra large Kill Street (another personal favorite)

We found that playing Killhouse2 and the new re-designed Street Hunt was simply outstanding. With some of the new choices in place, like assassination and scatter hunt, we were having a blast.

Here is a quick breakdown on some of the new "setups" for multiplayer teams:

Assassination:

Each team starts at a random location on the map. The locations tended to become routine after a few games but a little tweaking should correct that. Each team has a civilian who stays with them and whom they must protect. The object is to kill the other teams members (all of them) or kill their civilian which ends the game. We found this to be EXCELLENT fun! Great strategy involved!!

Terrorist Hunt:

Each team starts in a random location. The object is to kill 50% of the terrorists before the other team. The first one to kill over 50% of the terrorists (or all the members of the other team) wins (another intuitive idea from Red Storm).

Save Your Base:

Each team has a bomb in the other's headquarters. The object is to get into the other team's headquarters and disarm the bomb before they disarm yours or kill all the members of the other team.

Each map can have a "scatter" option, which simply means that instead of starting as a team, group members start separated and must figure out who is who before shooting! This is an excellent idea but needs some work. About 75% of the time when playing "scatter" (whatever map) with terrorists, roughly 60% of the players would die in the first second because they would be shot by a terrorist.

Red Storm needs to work on making sure that when the game starts under these scenario conditions each team member has a safe place to begin the game, rather than "generating" right between two or more terrorists. Often, I would not even be able to move before I was dead. Not much fun.

If you ever played Rainbow Six and found it to be an entertaining game, Eagle Watch is an absolute MUST. If you have not played Rainbow Six and have often wondered what all the hubbub is about, check out the game!!! For those of you who are looking for a great complement to Falcon 4.0 in multiplayer, this is the "other" game you have been looking for! TRUST ME! =)

• Multiplayer Stability: 95%
• Multiplayer Options: 95%
• Multiplayer Fun Factor: 98%
• Multiplayer Speed (in terms of lag): 98%
• Multiplayer Overall: 98% (this game is a MUST on everyone's hard drive at all times!)

For more information about Eagle Watch check out my colleague Maurice Fitzgerald's review of Eagle Watch.