Although Tom Clancy's tales of international espionage have inspired two major console releases this month, the adrenaline-fuelled thrills of Rainbow Six 3 are a world away from Splinter Cell's stealthy action. Wheras Pandora Tomorrow follows the sneaky exploits of a lone operative, Rainbow Six 3 puts players in charge of a squad of counter-terrorist agents as they try to defuse sensitive situations across the globe.
The emphasis here is on team play and making split-second decisions; when storming and enemy HQ, for instance, it's not unusual to find a terrorist holding a hostage in a headlock, giving you only moments to assess the situation, make a move to save the prisoner and order your squad to cover your ass.
Best of all though, the game's intense, nerve-wracking action can be taken online, giving players an opportunity to challenge other gamers across Europe and even bark orders at their comrades via Sony's new voice chat headset.