After yesterday's April Fools joke about the Rainbow Six sequel, today comes the real deal, as Tom Clancy's Rogue Spear has been announced by Red Storm Entertainment. Thanks Billy at Voodoo Extreme. Here's the dope on the sequel:

Feedback from players showed an interest in a more realistic, real world story-with that in mind, we're considering the idea of two vastly different, well-known international terrorist groups forming an alliance. This alliance would join forces in an effort to achieve even greater, more sinister goals worldwide than those they could accomplish separately. As in the original, the missions will progress in a linear storyline, with the first few crisis situations appearing to be unrelated, and leading up to a challenging and explosive ending.

The sequel is currently scheduled for sixteen separate levels, and eighteen unique missions (some levels will be used in different time periods during the game). Again, as in the original, there will be a mix of hostage rescue, surveillance, and demolitions missions.

SOME (not all) New Features:

• REPLAY: Players will be able to record missions and watch them later. Viewers will be able to watch from the perspective of any operative on the team.
• Improved AI and Team Behavior: No more team members crowding, or getting stuck behind you!
• Improved graphics: including revised special effects and lighting
• Weather Effects: including snow and rain.
• New Weapons and items: will include a grenade launcher
• Observer mode: (originally in the Mission Pack, but it will carry over into the sequel)
• New Multiplayer game types
• Multiplayer Feature: A special Multiplayer "arm patch" option, so that teams/squads can customize their uniforms and distinguish team members during multiplayer firefights.