Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas

Rainbow Six Vegas changes the series with multiple new features, such as a new health system where the player regenerates health while not taking fire (the player may sometimes be killed instantly, without a chance to regenerate health; this usually happens from grenades, as well as taking close-range fire from very powerful weapons, particularly to the head). The player's vision is greatly impaired while damaged, similar to the health system in Gears of War.[14] Furthermore, a third-person view has been included for moments where players can blind-fire around corners to lay down suppression or covering fire.[14] Other changes include a larger enemy presence and much tougher artificial intelligence,[15] a shift in focus to where kills will be much harder to obtain, a reincarnated aiming system similar to the aiming system of the old Rainbow Six games and a context-sensitive D-pad based command system for the player's squad and sections of gameplay where the player will scale buildings and cause environmental damage. The player can also give voice commands using the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 headset,[15] but teammates are no longer audible through the headset.

There is no mission planning feature or save system; instead, the game uses a checkpoint system.[15] The developers also opted to almost entirely exclude cutscenes, telling the story through video feeds on a heads-up display. The player also has various skills, such as the ability to rappel up and down buildings while shooting and the ability to fast rope into an area.

In 2010, Rainbow operatives Logan Keller, Gabriel Nowak and Kan Akahashi are deployed to a Mexican border town, where they are tasked with capturing Irena Morales, a terrorist ringleader. As the team reaches its landing zone, Logan is separated from the others after he fast-ropes down first.

Logan fights his way through the town and manages to regroup with Gabriel and Kan at an old church. After infiltrating a train yard and freeing a group of hostages, the team eventually makes its way to a mine where Irena is hiding. However, they are ambushed, and Gabriel and Kan are captured as Irena escapes.

Alone and armed only with his sidearm, Logan fights his way through an abandoned factory, eventually escaping by helicopter. He is then redeployed to handle a related crisis in Las Vegas. He is dropped outside the Calypso Casino and links up with his new team: Michael Walters and Jung Park. The team clears out the casino and saves a group of hostages, including a NATO weapons researcher, who reveals that another researcher has been captured.

The team then rescues a kidnapped reporter, who informs them that the terrorists are using a news van as a communications hub. Logan's team destroys the hub, then heads to rescue the other weapons researcher. Rainbow is dropped on the Vertigo Spire luxury hotel, where the team finds and rescues the missing researcher, who informs the team about a micro-pulse bomb that was planted in the Vertigo. Michael disarms the bomb, and the team is then extracted to locate Gabriel and Kan.

The team is dispatched to Dante's Casino, where they find Gabriel and Kan. However, Kan is fatally wounded during extraction, but manages to reveal that the attack in Las Vegas is a distraction before dying. The team then proceeds to a theatre to hack a terrorist server where they discover that Irena's target is the Nevada Dam.

As they arrive at the dam, the team discovers another micro-pulse bomb which they defuse. They then encounter a hostage who informs them that the dam will collapse if they do not activate an emergency release valve. After activating the valve, the team proceed into the facility, where they discover that it is a weapons research lab. They also find that the terrorists have a micro-pulse missile on top of the dam.

Logan presses forward, confronts Irena, and kills her. The team then heads to the top of the dam and destroys the missile. Logan receives a transmission from Gabriel, who tells him that he was Irena's mole before hijacking the team's helicopter.

As Gabriel attempts to escape with the helicopter, Logan can either let him escape or shoot him down. Afterward, Logan and the team are sent out to locate the organization behind Irena and Gabriel's terrorist activity. Later, a news clip states that a helicopter had crashed into a lake, but no bodies were found.

The game was in development for more than 2 years.[16] 180 people worked on the game.[16]

The Xbox 360 edition of Rainbow Six: Vegas was released to very positive reviews from major gaming news outlets, such as GameSpy (5/5),[46] GameSpot (9.1/10),[42] IGN (9.3/10),[55] and TeamXbox (9.5/10).[63] IGN called Vegas the "best first-person shooter on the Xbox 360", while GameSpot described the game as an "excellent, immersive tactical shooter". Hyper's Cam Shea commended the game for its "fantastic visual design, game mechanics and multiplayer". However, he criticized "some of the voice acting and terrorist supply closets".[64] The PC and PS3 versions have also received positive reviews,[27][31] while the PSP version received mixed reviews.[28][32]

Rainbow Six Vegas has won numerous awards, including "Best First-Person Shooter",[65] "Best Xbox 360 First-Person Shooter",[66] "Best Online Game",[67] and "Best Xbox Live Game"[68] in IGN's Best of 2006, as well as an "Editor's Choice Award" from GameSpot. Gaming Target also selected the title as one of "52 Games We will Still Be Playing From 2006".[69] It also received the "Best Online Game" award from Official Xbox Magazine in their annual Game of the Year awards. The editors of Computer Games Magazine presented Vegas with their 2006 "Best Action Game" award and named it the fourth-best computer game of the year.[70]

According to Ubisoft,[71] as of March 31, 2007, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas had sold 1.7 million copies. The Xbox 360 version received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[72] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[73]

In early 2007, Rainbow Six: Vegas became the first Xbox 360 title to join the Major League Gaming (MLG) Circuit. It premiered in the opening event of the season in Charlotte, North Carolina. This game had its last showing at Las Vegas Nevada, the final stop on the 2007 MLG Pro Circuit. However, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, the game's sequel, was featured on the 2008 MLG Pro Circuit, with its first showing in San Diego, California.

• Official website (archived)
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas at MobyGames
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas (PSP) at MobyGames