Gaming
In the line of fire, we’ve ranked every core Rainbow Six game from greenhorn recruit to elite operative... which comes out on top?
The Rainbow Six series is officially old enough to drink in America this year. But despite a 45-million-strong unique player base for Rainbow Six Siege, not every entry in the series was a red-dot-accurate hit with fans.
Ubisoft has experimented with the series over the years with varying degrees of tactical effectiveness. Some of this experimentation includes mobile versions of Rainbow Six, which you won’t find on this core-focused list. And nor will you find the likes of Rainbow Six: Take-Down, which was a South Korean exclusive.
So pick your gear, then lock and load for this ballistic Siege countdown.
10. Rainbow Six: Critical Hour (2006)
Such was its disappointment, both critically and commercially, that it was only released on Xbox in America, with a European release and PlayStation 2 port scrapped. Ouch...
In terms of the core series, Critical Hour was the first big failure for Rainbow Six. On one tactical-gloved hand, it saluted the roots of the series more than Lockdown, with the return of nonlinear levels for console and less of an emphasis on run-and-gun gameplay. On the other dangerously exposed hand, Critical Hour’s lack of content was as noticeable as a counter-terrorist without a helmet or Kevlar vest. Such was its disappointment, both critically and commercially, that it was only released on Xbox in America, with a European release and PlayStation 2 port scrapped. Ouch.
9. Rainbow Six: Lone Wolf (2002)
Then Rainbow Six: Lone Wolf breached the PS1 genre with its emphasis on smarts over shooting...
This was a trial by fire for PS1 players of the time. In a gaming year obsessed with the addictive arcade shooting of TimeSplitters 2, and the sci-fi destructibility of Red Faction II, Medal of Honor: Frontline was about as close as PlayStation shooters got to trying to be realistic. Then Rainbow Six: Lone Wolf breached the PS1 genre with its emphasis on smarts over shooting, a requirement for careful planning, and punishing difficulty. Even the hardcore fans would find it tough to appreciate the expansion-type length of this not-so-full-fledged release.
8. Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow (2004)
Black Arrow also allowed Ubisoft to fix unforeseen online advantages from Rainbow Six 3, like cheap lean-walking tricks...
While Lone Wolf proved a trial by fire for PlayStationers, Xbox’s Team Green players loved Rainbow Six 3 (a rebranded console port of PC’s Raven Shield) so much that Ubisoft primed and tossed out a sort-of-sequel in 2004. The main focus of Black Arrow was Xbox’s budding Xbox Live online platform, proving that tactical shooters had appeal and could work on a controller, much to the chagrin of the PC master race. Black Arrow also allowed Ubisoft to fix unforeseen online advantages from Rainbow Six 3, like cheap lean-walking tricks. Both of these titles ditched the longwinded planning phase and removed character switching, opting for a leaner, meaner take on the Rainbow formula.
7. Rainbow Six: Lockdown (2005)
Still, there were different experiences to be had depending on whether you played on console or PC...
Lockdown was the first Rainbow Six game built with PC and consoles in mind. Controversially for purists, it was also the first game that nixed the love-it-or-skip-it planning phase. The multiplatform design approach led to some welcome quality-of-life changes, most notably optional in-game saving (you don’t have to use it, hardcore Clancy fans) and on-the-fly squad orders. Still, there were different experiences to be had depending on whether you played on console or PC. Consolers had hokey sniper missions, but boasted cutscenes that made the Rainbow operatives more interesting. PC ditched both of those in favour of redesigned levels that favoured nonlinear gameplay. Pity about the naff AI, though.
6. Rainbow Six: Vegas (2006)
Most of the game was played in first-person view, but snapping to cover pulled the camera back for third-person blind-firing and around-corners intel gathering...
The first Rainbow Six game for the seventh console generation (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3) was a big departure from what’d come before. Regenerating health reared its zeitgeisty head, but it was the inclusion of an organic shift between first-person and third-person views that proved the coolest addition. Most of the game was played in first-person view, but snapping to cover pulled the camera back for third-person blind-firing and around-corners intel gathering without having to face-check baddies. Competitive multiplayer was, of course, present, but there was also hours of fun to be found in the always entertaining Terrorist Hunt mode that included procedurally placed enemies.
5. Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield (2003)
The competitive multiplayer, though, was the real feather in the beret for Raven Shield...
Confusing numbering systems aren’t just the domain of Battlefield, Kingdom Hearts or Assassin’s Creed, it seems. The fifth Rainbow Six game (if you’re counting Take-Down) was officially the third game in the core series. By this stage, the popularity of Counter-Strike was too much for Ubi to ignore. The influences were for the better (like the inclusion of visible weapon models), though, and Rainbow still had Counter beat on a mighty arsenal with satisfying customisation. The competitive multiplayer, though, was the real feather in the beret for Raven Shield, flanked by two quality PC-exclusive expansions (including an early instance of DLC-over-expansion in Iron Wrath).
4. Rainbow Six (1998)
Pre-mission planning was considered essential, but there was a tonne of fun in tackling each tough scenario in real-time...
While the shooter world of the time was obsessed with the low lethality of Half-Life, the arena shooting of Unreal, and the sci-fi classiness of Starsiege: Tribes, the OG Rainbow Six Siege dared to defy trends. In these Red Storm Entertainment, pre-Ubisoft days, Rainbow Six would set the standard as the game by which to sight your tactical shooter. Pre-mission planning was considered essential, but there was a tonne of fun in tackling each tough scenario in real-time, plans be damned. You wouldn’t last long, but this approach was like an old-school first-person take on Dark Souls’ punishing gameplay.
3. Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (2008)
Vegas 2 stood as intertwined prequel and sequel to the original Vegas spin-off. The follow-up was more evolution than revolution...
This is the last Rainbow Six game to have a campaign, and if Ubisoft Montreal’s 10-year, multiplayer-obsessed plan for Rainbow Six Siege is any indication, it may well prove to be the last. At least for a long time. Vegas 2 stood as intertwined prequel and sequel to the original Vegas spin-off. The follow-up was more evolution than revolution, taking a hefty chunk of what was great about Vegas and improving on it to a fine combat-knife point. Better AI so solo campaigning was viable. Tweaked commands. And better competitive multiplayer.
2. Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear (1999)
Answering the age-old counter-terrorist question: does a 16x scope on a shotgun help or hinder accuracy?
Live. Die. Repeat. This is the catchphrase of the terribly titled but totally awesome Edge of Tomorrow, but also the mantra of the perfectionist Rainbow Six player. This year-later sophomore follow-up to the inaugural Rainbow Six had incremental improvements, and a trio of quality expansion packs (read: old-school physical DLC). Big ups to Urban Operations, in particular, for adding almighty mod support. For lazy pre-map planners, like the writer of this piece, co-op was a guilt-free way of throwing preparation to the wind and answering the age-old counter-terrorist question: does a 16x scope on a shotgun help or hinder accuracy?
1. Rainbow Six Siege (2015)
Like a fine wine, Siege is ultimate proof that a long-running series can get better with age...
Like a fine wine, Siege is ultimate proof that a long-running series can get better with age. More than this, it proves that a live-service approach to a game with a rocky launch can improve over time, helped a tonne by fantastic developer transparency. Siege takes the chess-like tactical importance of the series' origins and smashes it into a destructible blender with MOBA-like operators and high-lethality fragging. Beyond the series, Siege’s legacy is showing how to do multiplayer longevity the right way: a united player base with accessible content.
Might Have Made It... Rainbow Six: Patriots
The pitch and gameplay videos were more enticing than the prospect of George R. R. Martin finally finishing A Song of Ice and Fire...
This one hurts more than a nade to the nads. Patriots never saw the light of day, but the pitch and gameplay videos were more enticing than the prospect of George R. R. Martin finally finishing A Song of Ice and Fire. This is because Patriots’ core concept was so damn provocative: American terrorists attacking the Global Financial Crisis-ing one percent, where you played as Rainbow Six operative, terrorist and even hostage. There was even a teased tinge of Spec Ops: The Line to the storytelling, with an exploration of the fertile grey area between relatable terrorists and stopping-them-at-all-costs Team Rainbow leadership.
