August is a special time for football fans everywhere. After all, preseason football is in full swing, the regular season draws near and a grand tradition arrives near the end of the month, the annual release of Madden, and that magical time is upon us once again and there is good reason to be excited about Madden 17. 

Granted, some folks will no doubt roll their eyes at that notion since the game is sometimes referred to as nothing more than a sixty dollar roster update, and hey it's understandable that some fans outright lament the release of this game due to the fact that some years have been shockingly bad or a minor improvement on the year before, but I mean what I say because this year's release has managed to make some pretty impressive strides to provide the fans with an immersive and entertaining football experience.

Of course it all starts with the graphics and the game most certainly delivers in that category. Everywhere you look in Madden 17, great care has been put into replicating the stadiums and the players that inhabit them. It truly seems that the graphics engine is taking full advantage of what next gen consoles have to offer and every play is a downright feast for the eyes. But after the glamor and glitz wears off, the good news is, there's plenty more gameplay wise to keep you happy. A revamped running game makes pounding the rock all the more fun and some major enhancements were put in place on the defensive side of the ball as well, allowing for greater control of defensive backs to ensure no one picks you apart in the passing game. 

Video game sequels often times have it easy. With advanced graphics over their predecessors, along with new features and fun additions to an old formula, it's easy for these types of games to succeed and satisfy fans everywhere in the process. But sometimes, the company behind the game feels the need to challenge their audience a little bit more.

From time to time a powerful and intricate story is introduced that sets up a grand and sweeping epic. The kind where plot threads need to be resolved, or old scores need to be settled and then the powers that be are faced with quite a challenge. Not only do they have to deliver a far more advanced game than the original, but one that manages to tie everything together neatly and satisfy the audience, as was attempted with Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. 

Those who played the original were treated to an incredible gaming experience where the city of Sin was under siege from a terrorist attack, eventually revealing the fact that (SPOILERS) one of their own team was behind it all in an effort to bring down Rainbow in epic fashion. How or why, we didn't quite know, that was to be saved for the sequel and in the story department, Vegas 2 absolutely delivers. In fact, this game serves as both prequel and sequel story wise, taking us deep into the motivations of our traitor Gabriel Nowak to better understand his wild actions, but alas the glamour and glitz of the game ends there.

While the graphics have definitely improved a great deal in this sequel, and while it's awesome to battle it out in parts of Las Vegas that are rarely covered when it comes to this city, the gameplay is merely okay at best. Some of the new A.I. advancements for your teammates don't quite work as they are supposed to, leaving you high and dry during an attack and at times the levels simply drag on for too long and one can feel a touch bored staying in the same location, simply waiting for the next wave of bad guys to arrive so you can mow them down with impunity.  

If anything, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 is an imperfect follow up at best. While it is strong in its storytelling, it lacks greatly in the gameplay department and that's just a shame. Because the original was a powerhouse adventure that kept the action flowing and it's ability to surprise you with its visuals and its gameplay allowed for it stand out on its own. Sadly, there's little of that to be found here and really, the sole reason to play this one is to see the story through to its completion. Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible game, it's just missing the awe and wonder of the first...but it is nice to get some answers, and battle it out in Vegas, one last time...