Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas

About

In Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas, players lead a team of elite operatives in a battle against terrorists in Las Vegas. The game features tactical squad-based shooting, where strategy and teamwork are crucial for success. With a variety of weapons, customizable characters, and a thrilling storyline, Rainbow Six Vegas offers an immersive and challenging gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas screenshot

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 760 reviews

story56 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

Engaging and challenging gameplay that requires tactical planning and teamwork.
Unique setting in Las Vegas with varied environments and well-designed levels.
Satisfying gunplay with a good selection of weapons and customization options.

Frustrating checkpoint system that can lead to repetitive gameplay after dying.
Poorly optimized for PC, resulting in technical issues and crashes.
AI can be inconsistent, with teammates sometimes failing to follow commands effectively.

story
197 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The story of "Rainbow Six: Vegas" is generally viewed as mediocre, with many players finding it predictable and lacking depth, often serving merely as a backdrop for gameplay. While some appreciate the action and plot twists, others criticize the execution and pacing, noting that it feels incomplete and leads directly into the sequel for resolution. Overall, the narrative is seen as a mix of engaging moments and frustrating shortcomings, with a significant number of players expressing disappointment in its delivery and character development.
- “The story, characters, audio, mechanics, graphics, everything was perfect.”
- “The story is wonderful, very compelling and intriguing - very Tom Clancy-ish.”
- “The single player story is about 10 hours’ worth of content, which allows you to get to know characters and game mechanics well.”
- “The single player story I found to be nonsensical and kind of hard to follow; really, you should only play if the gameplay loop interests you.”
- “The story is lackluster and uninviting, but that's minuscule when a game has such a good grip on how to properly gauge the player.”
- “The story is very rudimentary, dull, and it has one of the worst endings I’ve seen put in a video game.”
gameplay
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
58%
9%
The gameplay of "Rainbow Six: Vegas" is characterized by its tactical squad-based mechanics and cover system, which many players find engaging despite the game's age and some dated visuals. While the core mechanics remain solid and enjoyable, criticisms include a lack of depth in tactical options, inconsistent AI behavior, and frustrating checkpoint systems that can disrupt the flow of play. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of tactical shooters, though it may feel restrictive and repetitive compared to modern titles.
- “Rainbow Six: Vegas represents a pinnacle in the evolution of Rainbow Six gameplay at the time, delivering an outstanding tactical shooter experience that remains timeless.”
- “The mechanics are excellent, with cover-based combat and the team command system; this game is about as intuitive as it gets.”
- “Great for its unique gameplay, involving managing tactics for a small team and a great cover system.”
- “While the core gameplay that we love is mostly intact (minus sprinting), it really does feel like a lesser game without the progression system and character customization.”
- “The levels are too long, the checkpoints far and few between; the gameplay feels restrictive and there's way too many enemies for just three players to handle.”
- “The gameplay is reminiscent of Gears of War, except you're in first-person mode when not in cover, and you can issue basic tactical orders to your teammates.”
graphics
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
55%
17%
The graphics of "Rainbow Six: Vegas" are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 2006 release, yet many players still find them appealing for their time, with some elements holding up decently. While the visuals may suffer from blurriness and a lack of modern graphical options, they are often praised for their detailed environments and realistic lighting effects. Overall, the game's graphics are seen as a mixed bag, with nostalgia for their era tempered by the recognition of their limitations in today's gaming landscape.
- “The game's graphics were impressive for its time, featuring detailed environments and realistic lighting effects that brought the most unique location and level design.”
- “Great graphics that still hold up today, awesome tactical gameplay (I recommend you play on realistic).”
- “Back in the day, the graphics in Rainbow Six: Vegas were considered gorgeous.”
- “The graphics are dated now, but the gameplay is still good.”
- “The graphics haven’t aged very well either.”
- “The graphics are not the best even for 2006, and strikingly bad when you're in a helicopter over Vegas.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to enhance tension during combat and fit various situations well, while others criticize it as minimal or lacking originality. Many players appreciate the sound effects and voice acting, which contribute to the overall immersion, but some feel the soundtrack does not stand out compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, while the music adds to the atmosphere, it may not be memorable or groundbreaking.
- “The music is very good and fits the situations very well.”
- “Soundtrack is alright, giving a tense atmosphere every time you get in combat.”
- “The music & voice casting are awesome and the story is solid.”
- “The music is surprisingly bad for a Rainbow Six game, and parts of it sound like it was copied from Rich Ragsdale's work (I didn't see his name in the credits).”
- “This game doesn't work after the intro movie; it just gets stuck on a last intro movie screen and starts playing the lobby music.”
- “The music is fairly minimal and does not really add to things the way it does in Spec Ops: The Line, for example.”
optimization
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
53%
27%
Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, with many users noting that it struggles on modern hardware despite running smoothly on lower-end systems. Performance issues, including crashes and limited graphics options, detract from the experience, and the game is often seen as a poorly executed port from consoles. While some players can manage to run it without significant problems, the lack of optimization remains a common complaint.
- “The game runs smoothly even on a potato PC and has good replayability.”
- “In terms of performance, modern systems handle the game seamlessly.”
- “Used to be unoptimized, but I am sure that computers nowadays can easily just power through it.”
- “I can run far more advanced games on my PC with no problem; this is just not optimized at all.”
- “Be aware that the game is absolutely not optimized for modern hardware.”
- “A great game plagued by poor PC optimization; luckily there are people still playing online!”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
93%
The game's stability is generally inconsistent, with users reporting a mix of minor glitches and occasional crashes, particularly on Windows 10. While some players experienced freezing issues and graphical bugs, others noted that these problems were not game-breaking and could often be resolved with mods or workarounds. Overall, the game shows its age with some clunkiness, but many still find it playable and enjoyable despite the stability concerns.
- “Even though the game is approaching fifteen years old, it looks amazing, runs great, and has a great story!”
- “The stability of the game is impressive; I rarely encounter any bugs or crashes.”
- “I've played for hours without any issues, which really enhances the overall experience.”
- “Especially with all the glitches and periodic crashes.”
- “Buggy mess on Windows 10.”
- “It freezes randomly and unfreezes after ctrl+alt+delete-ing out and alt+tabbing back in.”
replayability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
39%
23%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while the single-player campaign is considered linear and offers limited replay value, modes like Terrorist Hunt and co-op gameplay provide significant opportunities for varied experiences. Players appreciate the ability to approach objectives in multiple ways, enhancing replayability, though some feel the lack of detailed planning and strategy diminishes it. Ratings for replay value range from average to enjoyable, indicating a decent level of engagement for returning players.
- “Terrorist hunt adds a lot of replayability.”
- “Over 10 years later and the multiplayer may be gone, but the story seems replayable over and over again somehow.”
- “It's got some good replay value because there's multiple ways you can take your objective, one time breaching explosively through the door, and the next time coming down through the windows on the side of the building.”
- “I had fun with the singleplayer, but because of the rather linear nature, there is not too much replay value here.”
- “Gone is detailed planning, open-ended replayable missions, coordinating multiple teams, meaningful strategy, and tactics.”
- “Replay value: average”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The monetization aspect of the game is heavily criticized for its overwhelming presence of advertisements, particularly for Axe body spray and Dodge vehicles, which detracts from the gameplay experience. Players feel that the game prioritizes cash grabs over engaging content, leading to a disjointed experience that feels more like a marketing ploy than a cohesive narrative. Despite some appreciation for the game's atmosphere, the aggressive ad placements and clunky mechanics leave many feeling frustrated.
- “It had a shorter, dulled storyline of 'what was happening off the strip' that didn't keep me playing. I wanted to play a game in Vegas, not a side quest cash grab.”
- “I can assume that even this game could have fans - those who like to overcome the complexities of clumsy game design, those who were bitten by the aggressive advertisement at the time of release, and, most notably, those who liked cooperative game options.”
- “Also, the game is littered with advertisements for Axe body spray.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of amusing character interactions, quirky AI behaviors, and comical dialogue, creating a fun atmosphere. Players find the exaggerated animations, such as bobblehead-like character movements, both funny and slightly annoying, while the dynamic banter among enemies adds to the comedic experience. Overall, the game successfully combines humor with gameplay elements, making for an entertaining experience.
- “The character models still hold up after almost 18 years, but you can tell the game was made for 30 fps because at uncapped, the heads of the characters vibrate like bobbleheads, which is both hilarious and annoying when in cover.”
- “It's always a mixture of extreme self-confidence, humor, and then the failings of the AI as you kill yet another one of their buddies who runs out from cover.”
- “+ The dynamic chit-chat between enemies is hilarious.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, noting it can feel tedious and punishing, particularly in third-person shooters where the low time to kill exacerbates the need for repetitive gameplay. Many feel that it detracts from the overall enjoyment and flow of the game.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “This is always my least favorite part of third-person shooters, as punishment by being forced to wait to play the actual game again is always tedious, and it happens even more in this game due to the low time to kill.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a captivating and intense soundtrack that heightens immersion, particularly during combat. Additionally, the presence of resilient and useful companions adds depth to the overall experience, distinguishing it from other titles where allies feel more like background elements.
- “Soundtrack is alright, giving a tense atmosphere every time you get into combat.”
- “Unlike some games where the comrades who accompany you are irrelevant beyond atmosphere, these characters are pretty resilient and quite useful.”
- “The soundtrack is alright, giving a tense atmosphere every time you get into combat.”
- “Unlike some games where the comrades who accompany you are irrelevant beyond atmosphere, these characters are pretty resilient and useful.”
- “The developers mixed the game's atmosphere with a captivating and, at times, intense score, enhancing the immersion.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
Reviews indicate that the game suffers from a lack of meaningful character development, with many feeling that the extended campaign failed to capitalize on opportunities for deeper storytelling. Despite this, the unique character designs and gameplay options were noted as standout features, even if the overall narrative was deemed forgettable.
- “The character designs were unique, and many games today still miss these playable options.”
- “The story and the online game mods contributed significantly to the overall character development experience.”
- “The story is truly forgettable, and they missed a lot of opportunities for character development, especially considering how long this 8-hour campaign was stretched out.”

78%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews

Buy Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas

7h Median play time

42h Average play time

8h Main story

32h Completionist

5-113h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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This game contains adult content

82%3.7kreviews