are you kidding Consummate???
part 2 is a MASSIVE step up!! no running option in 1, and the second player in 2 player split cannot kit out.
graphics much better also. 2 is basically very similar to 1, but has had alot of fine tuning. i played 2 first, then rented 1 to see if i should buy, lasted 2 hours then played some COD4, and back to rainbow2.
oh, and not to lead the thread down a different path: there are plenty of online players for rainbow2. most are yanks.
ps: my 60gb PS3 is at sony repair center. stopped reading discs.
pull your finger out sony!!!! offer 3 year warranty periods and also get your repaid turn around down from 25 business days (quoted) to 10+/- jeeeez!!! $1000 console, broken, and in shop for 5 weeks is poor.