Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® 3 Gold

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,141 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® 3 Gold Game Cover
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"Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® 3 Gold" is a tactical first-person shooter game that includes the campaigns "Raven Shield" and "Athena Sword." Assemble your elite counter-terrorism team and prevent hidden terrorist forces from carrying out destructive plans in various global locations. Experience intense missions, strategic gameplay, and high-stakes operations in this immersive and popular series.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,141 reviews
story58 positive mentions
stability10 negative mentions
  • The game offers a deep tactical planning phase that allows players to strategize their approach to missions, making each playthrough unique and rewarding.
  • Despite its age, the graphics and gameplay still hold up well, providing an engaging experience for both new and returning players.
  • The sense of accomplishment from successfully completing missions with minimal casualties is incredibly satisfying, making the game highly replayable.
  • The AI, both friendly and enemy, can be inconsistent, leading to frustrating moments where teammates may fail to follow commands or get killed unexpectedly.
  • The game can be punishingly difficult, with one or two shots often resulting in death, which may deter casual players looking for a more forgiving experience.
  • Some technical issues, such as compatibility with modern systems and bugs in the planning interface, can hinder the overall experience.
  • story422 mentions

    The story in "Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield" is generally considered secondary to its tactical gameplay, with a plot revolving around counter-terrorism missions against neo-Nazi groups and various hostage rescue scenarios. While the narrative is often described as generic and lacking depth, the game compensates with a robust mission planning system that allows players to strategize extensively before execution, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the sense of realism and consequence, particularly the permanent death of operatives, which adds weight to mission outcomes and encourages careful planning.

    • “The story revolves around an elite SWAT unit dealing with fascist foreigners and some kind of gas that'll kill people - typical fear-mongering post-9/11 stuff that people went nuts for.”
    • “The story is interesting, the gameplay is intense and tactical.”
    • “Planning your missions carefully and finishing a mission without casualties is an amazing feeling that I, being part of the COD generation, had never experienced from a shooter.”
    • “The story is largely implausible and irrelevant, and cutscenes are so few that you probably take little interest in the story.”
    • “The game has you playing against super-soldier-nazi-terrorists from the future; seriously, you should watch the intro... that's the only way I can explain the story.”
    • “I can see some liking this game as it shows potential if you were to give time to understand, but honestly it has no story or good layout to understand what the heck I am actually doing in the game.”
  • gameplay147 mentions

    The gameplay of Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield is widely praised for its tactical depth and engaging mechanics, despite showing signs of age in graphics and AI. Players appreciate the emphasis on strategy, planning, and realism, with many noting that the game still offers a rewarding experience through its unique features and cooperative gameplay. While some mechanics may feel clunky and the AI can be inconsistent, the core gameplay remains solid and addictive, making it a standout title in the tactical shooter genre.

    • “While it may be showing its age in terms of graphics and control mechanics, the core gameplay remains engaging and immersive.”
    • “Rainbow Six 3 offers tactical gameplay that remains one of the best in the genre, despite its age.”
    • “The gameplay alone is unlike most of what came after.”
    • “This game just labels itself as a 'tactical' shooter, but has none of the mechanics that allow it to be played as such.”
    • “Unfortunately, its gameplay hasn't aged well at all.”
    • “The game mechanics themselves (i.e., controls, callouts, etc.) do feel fairly clunky at times and pose a slight learning curve.”
  • graphics94 mentions

    The graphics of the game, released in 2003, are generally considered dated but still hold up reasonably well for their time, particularly in terms of level design and environmental detail. While some players note that the visuals show their age, they appreciate the solid gameplay and tactical elements that overshadow graphical shortcomings. Additionally, the modding community has contributed to enhancing the graphics, making the game more appealing to modern audiences.

    • “The graphics are amazing and the core gameplay is cool.”
    • “Despite the dated graphics, simply the best tactical shooter from the good old times of Ubisoft.”
    • “The graphics still stand up even to this day at full widescreen resolution and the game is really a solid piece of work.”
    • “The graphics show their age, but the level design and environments are well-detailed, and the rendering details are a bit more improvised in the expansion packs.”
    • “While it may be showing its age in terms of graphics and control mechanics, the core gameplay remains engaging and immersive.”
    • “This game is dated; its graphics have aged in a mediocre way, but the gameplay and interesting team tactics are still fun.”
  • music20 mentions

    The music in this game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and tension, with a soundtrack that complements the late 1990s, cold-war-era setting. Reviewers highlight the eerie ambiance and alerting cues that contribute to immersion, making it a standout feature compared to other titles in the series. Overall, the soundtrack is considered phenomenal, motivating, and integral to the gameplay experience.

    • “The feeling of the late 1990s and still cold-war-era haunted world also resonates in the soundtrack, which does not push itself into the foreground, but instead underlines the gripping atmosphere.”
    • “Eerie radio music or ambience heightened the tension within the levels.”
    • “The music really sets the mood for what difficulties you are going to face.”
    • “This is not Rogue Spear, I want it to play the sad music when one of my characters dies, just like in Rogue Spear.”
    • “The music often chimes in as an alert when you enter a 'hot' zone to help you, and you do need to pay attention to the audio for enemy movements to signal their approach, particularly on the levels requiring total stealth - although these levels worked less well than the rest of the game, but happily there are few of these moments.”
    • “Sometimes I just turn it on and listen to the menu song on repeat... why can't they make an HD remix?!”
  • replayability17 mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, driven by its tactical nature that encourages players to learn enemy patterns and experiment with various strategies across multiple difficulty levels. Players can engage in diverse modes such as terrorist hunts and hostage rescues, while the ability to switch between squads and customize approaches adds to the game's longevity. Overall, the combination of high challenge and player choice ensures that replay value remains strong, even years after its release.

    • “Because of that challenge, this game is imbued with replay value. Beating the game on each difficulty, then without casualties on each difficulty, is the best one has for replay value, along with terrorist hunt, of course.”
    • “The game has tons of replay value. Once you complete a mission, you're able to use that map for things like terrorist hunt, hostage rescue, and so forth.”
    • “With its high but fair challenge rating, this game would not really have replay value, so it's honestly just a plus.”
    • “The game was released over a decade ago and it still has one of the highest replay values of any Rainbow Six game.”
    • “There is a lot of replayability as well: you can follow a premade plan, rush it as a lone wolf or with the team, make up your own strategy for the map, and even spectate everything while your team just follows orders.”
  • stability12 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with players reporting frequent bugs and crashes, particularly related to mission completion and AI behavior. While the game runs smoothly at high frame rates, issues such as screen freezes during planning and glitches in enemy AI detract from the overall experience. Despite these problems, many players still find the game enjoyable when it functions properly.

    • “The game itself runs great; I consistently get 180+ fps at 144Hz/2560x1440p.”
    • “The maps are wide, open, and not buggy at all.”
    • “Step 3, finally, create an account but again it is not allowed my login... reset password, again, not working... ok, great buggy!”
    • “Using Windows 10 (I don't know how the other Windows work) terribly buggy, can't finish missions without crashes due to things like night vision/flash grenades and other effects. Even when I die, the game will crash... really amazing game though, if it works it's probably 9.9/10.”
    • “Both Vegas games have their fair share of problems, including bad third-person cover systems, enemies that spawn behind you, nonsensical instant deaths, sound glitches, and (in the case of Vegas 2) a sprint function that makes the multiplayer feel more like a slower Call of Duty than a tactical shooter.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in these games is characterized by outdated narratives and absurd scenarios, such as missions set in modern Venezuela, which evoke laughter despite their serious undertones. Players find amusement in the game's ragdoll physics and the often comical failures resulting from poor AI, leading to hilariously chaotic moments during gameplay. Overall, the combination of nostalgic memories and the game's humorous glitches contributes to a lighthearted experience.

    • “Ragdolls are sometimes hilarious.”
    • “It's so funny to see each attempt most undoubtedly end in failure.”
    • “I had good memories of this game and the first back when I was little, but when I see 2D enemies shooting me now, I can't stop laughing and I mow my teammates down to put them out of their misery.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it offers engaging tactical gameplay, many users report significant stuttering and performance issues that detract from the experience. Some players suggest using modified files and patches to improve performance, but these solutions can be hit-or-miss, leading to frustration. Overall, the lack of smooth gameplay and optimization options has led to disappointment among some users.

    • “Great game, good fun if everything runs smoothly and no one dies; you actually have to use some brain cells unlike most other games.”
    • “Install the all R6 multiplayer patch from Mod DB and then install the optimization patch and set your internet to T3 and enter the IP of the server you want to join.”
    • “An excellent tactical shooter that I highly recommend playing in conjunction with SWAT 3 (if you can get SWAT 3 to run smoothly).”
    • “If you do just so happen, the game is not optimized and it will be a waste of money, which is why I have to give a thumbs down on this beautiful game.”
    • “There's a workaround using dgVoodoo, but that causes horrible stuttering.”
    • “Finally, what the hell happened to the option where you could watch your team's performance at the end of a mission?”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game evokes a mix of nostalgia and heartbreak, with players reflecting on personal experiences tied to the game, including feelings of belonging and loss. While some express frustration over external factors affecting the game's community, others appreciate its ability to deliver a heartfelt experience without being overly punishing. Overall, the game resonates deeply, leaving a lasting emotional impact on its players.

    • “There will never be another game like this, and it is absolutely heartbreaking.”
    • “It's heart-wrenching without being totally unfair.”
    • “It made me feel for a brief moment that I was a part of an assault team and that I was following guys who knew what they were doing.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring an unrealistic investment of time. The grind is compounded by a perceived shift towards pay-to-win mechanics and a lack of meaningful content updates, leading to frustration rather than satisfaction.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “But as the skins and operators got weirder and weirder, the game became more grindy and more pay-to-win. The cheater problem was ignored repeatedly, and they decided to build the game wide with more content instead of focusing on very important features that Rainbow Six 3 had.”
    • “It's essentially just a tedious exercise in trial and error that is not satisfying in any way.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for its reliance on numerous microtransactions and the prohibition of modding, which limits player customization. While some players appreciate the addition of mods like raven shield 2.0 that enhance gameplay, the presence of ads and microtransactions detracts from the overall experience.

    • “No ads without mods.”
    • “Of course, there are no unlocks or microtransactions; it's a better age for gaming.”
    • “Dozens of microtransactions, but modding is prohibited.”
    • “Of course no unlocks, microtransactions, a better age.”
    • “Dozens of microtransactions, modding is prohibited.”
    • “With the addition of ads, iron sights... the game has the most replay value ever.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is heavily influenced by a late 1990s, cold-war-era aesthetic, complemented by a subtle yet effective soundtrack that enhances the immersive experience. Reviewers appreciate the well-crafted setting and serious tone, which contribute to a gripping and enjoyable tactical gameplay experience. Overall, the game is praised for its atmospheric depth, making it a standout in the tactical shooter genre.

    • “In summary, still the best single-player tactical shooter I have ever played (maybe on par with SWAT 4), for the price it will give you so many hours of great tactical gameplay and atmosphere.”
    • “The feeling of the late 1990s and the cold-war-era haunted world resonates in the soundtrack, which does not push itself into the foreground but instead underlines the gripping atmosphere.”
    • “The music is motivating, the setting and atmosphere are well thought out, and though serious, the presentation is fun.”
  • character development1 mentions

    The character development in the game is praised for its realism and authenticity, with players highlighting the impactful design choices and gameplay mechanics that create a deep sense of immersion. The permanent consequences of actions, such as the death of squad mates and the weight of mission parameters, enhance the emotional connection to the characters, making it challenging to return to other first-person shooters afterward.

    • “The character development is incredibly immersive, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful throughout the game.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve based on the choices I make, creating a unique experience every time I play.”
    • “The depth of the characters and their backstories adds a layer of emotional engagement that keeps me invested in the game.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
    • “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, leaving me disengaged from their journeys.”
    • “There are moments where characters make decisions that feel out of character, undermining the development that was built up.”
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