‘Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2’ just above average

‘Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2’

(Ubisoft) for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Genre: Shooter; Rating: M

Grade: B

There is nothing truly groundbreaking or new to “Rainbow Six Vegas 2,” but when you have a game that’s already awesome, there’s nothing more to do than pick up a controller and start saving Vegas. Because without it, it would be a lesser world. You will direct a three-person squad, and you’ll have an excellent selection of weapons to choose from — though some are completely useless in firefights. In particular, the sniper rifles never come into play. This is a real bummer considering how much fun they are to use, but the opportunities are beyond scant. The level design is much like the first “Vegas” game, but there’s less casino action than before. This is sad because blasting away through craps tables and slots was half the fun.

‘God of War: Chains of Olympus’

(Sony) for PSP

Genre: Action; Rating: M

Grade: A-

You won’t like Kratos when he’s angry. The mythic warrior of ancient times is back, but this time on the handheld PSP. It’s almost like he never left the console, because “Chains of Olympus” is one of the few PSP games that play and feel like a console title. Dramatic action sequences abound, as the story takes place before the original “God of War” game. But it’s really thin on content, so you will almost glaze over the plot points as you await the chance to slaughter more creatures and undead things. The game play is straight out of the playbook from the other “God of War” games, so if you have any experience there you’ll be just fine. Even though it’s on the PSP, “Chains of Olympus” certainly acts like a console game. The visual detail and score are amazing, with the frame rate and action providing unrelenting fun.

‘Singstar 90s’

(Sony) for PlayStation 2

Genre: Party; Rating: T, for Teen

Grade: D

One of the ways Sony has tried to break into the party-play genre is through its “SingStar” franchise, where gamers do their best karaoke and earn points based on how well they warble. This franchise has done a decent job of releasing iterations that appeal to select music fans. But this collection is so disconnected from one track to the next. While it has some solid offerings, it lacks staying power because most people will want one genre and ignore the others. Those who want to rock out to Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots won’t share a room with those who want to belt out Natalie Imbruglia or Technotronic. The newest mode of play is the duet mode, where you can sing one set of lyrics while the computer or a friend sings the other. If you really need to enjoy Paula Abdul’s “Opposites Attract” or Extreme’s “More Than Words” in duet form, good luck to you, because I want no part of it.

—Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard