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.[2] Furthermore, a third-person view has been included for moments where players can blind-fire around corners to lay down suppression or covering fire.[2] Other changes include a larger enemy presence and much tougher artificial intelligence,[3] 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,[3] 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.[3] 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 the year 2010, Rainbow operatives Logan Keller (Andrew Pifko), Gabriel Nowak (Thomas Michael) and Kan Akahashi (Denis Akiyama) are on a mission in a Mexican border town, assisted by intelligence officer Joanna Torres (Athena Karkanis) and pilot Brody Lukin (Andrew Pifko). Their objective is to arrest Irena Morales (Amanda Martinez), a terrorist ringleader. As the team reaches its landing zone in a helicopter, Logan fast-ropes down first but is separated from his group.

Logan fights his way through the terrorist-infested streets and meets up with Gabriel and Kan at an old Spanish church. After infiltrating a train yard and freeing a group of hostages, Rainbow eventually makes their way to a mine where Irena is hiding. However, after a surprise attack, Irena escapes and Gabriel and Kan are captured by terrorists.

Alone and armed only with his sidearm, Logan fights his way through an abandoned factory, eventually escaping by helicopter. He is then instructed to handle a related crisis in Las Vegas. He is dropped outside the Calypso Casino and links up with his new team: Michael Walters (Isaac C. Singleton Jr.), a British demolitions expert, and Jung Park (Paul Sun Hyung Lee), a Korean electronics expert. The team clears out the casino and saves a group of hostages. They also rescue a NATO weapons researcher, who reveals that a second researcher has been captured.

Rainbow is then taken to the Red Lotus casino in order to rescue a kidnapped reporter. The reporter informs them that the terrorists are using a news van as a communications hub. Logan's team destroys the hub, then flies out to rescue the kidnapped weapons researcher. Rainbow is dropped on the Vertigo Spire, a luxury hotel along the likes of the Stratosphere. The team finds and rescues the missing researcher, who informs the team about a micro-pulse bomb that was placed in the Vertigo. Michael disarms the bomb, and Rainbow is then extracted to locate Gabriel and Kan.

The team is dispatched to Dante's Casino, where they find and free Gabriel. They also find Kan, but he is fatally shot in an ambush. Before he dies, Kan reveals that the attack in Las Vegas is a distraction, and Irena's terrorists are planning a far bigger attack. The team proceeds to a theatre to hack a terrorist server. Irena's target is revealed to be the Nevada Dam (very similar to the Hoover Dam).

Rainbow arrives at the dam, where they discover another micro-pulse bomb. After Michael defuses the bomb, the team fast-ropes to the bottom of the dam. A hostage informs them that the dam will buckle unless they open an emergency release valve. The crisis is resolved and the team proceeds further into the dam, where they find that it is a weapons research lab. It turns out the terrorists have a micro-pulse missile on top of the dam.

Logan presses forward, confronts Irena Morales herself 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 is Irena's mole. He proceeds to hijack the team's helicopter and throws out Joanna and Brody.

Gabriel attempts to escape with the helicopter. Logan can either let Gabriel escape or he can shoot it down with his weapon. Afterward, Logan and the team are sent out to find the organization behind Irena's and Gabriel's terrorist activity. When the mission completes, the words "To Be Continued" appear on the screen, implying a sequel. As the credits roll, a news clip states that a helicopter had crashed in the lake, but Gabriel's body was not found.

The Xbox 360 edition of Rainbow Six: Vegas was released to very positive reviews from major gaming news outlets, such as GameSpy (5/5),[33] GameSpot (9.1/10),[29] IGN (9.3/10),[42] and TeamXbox (9.5/10).[50] 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".[51] The PC and PS3 versions have also received positive reviews,[14][18] while the PSP version received mixed reviews.[15][19]

Rainbow Six Vegas has won numerous awards, including "Best First-Person Shooter",[52] "Best Xbox 360 First-Person Shooter",[53] "Best Online Game",[54] and "Best Xbox Live Game"[55] 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".[56] 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.[57]

According to Ubisoft,[58] 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),[59] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[60]

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.

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