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Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield

EMAIL PRINT pc

9.5 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 29 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 34 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Ubi Soft

Developer: Ubi Soft Montreal - Red Storm Entertainment

Genre(s): Tactical Shooter, Action

Players: 16

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: March 18, 2003

Summary

Command an elite, multinational squad of special operatives against a hidden terrorist foe. In Raven Shield, the third installment to the wildly popular Rainbow Six series, RAINBOW races against time to stop terror and unravel a mystery. In locations around the world, from London to the Caribbean to Rio de Janeiro, lead team RAINBOW in a desperate effort to battle a madman and foil his doomsday plot. Features 15 all-new single-player missions, 6 dedicated multiplayer maps. Built on next-generation Unreal technology for unequaled visual effects. 57 weapons with real-world accessories for endless customization. Real-world tactics and methods from Mike Grasso, Senior Instructor for LAPD SWAT and LAPD Medal of Valor winner. [Ubi Soft]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Athena Sword

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central Game Revolution GameSpot Guide

Also On The Web: GameSpot Preview IGN Preview Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Gamezilla!

Simply the best tactical shooter on the market. The high level of detail and the wealth of options offer a great amount of replay potential.

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GameNow

Imagine that Rainbow Six is "Splinter Cell" injected full of steroids...you get the same stealthy action, but it's pumped up on reality. [June 2003, p.57]

Eurogamer

We haven't played a more atmospheric single or multiplayer tactical action game since "SWAT3," and despite its shortcomings there is still nothing that comes close to rivalling it for sheer breathe-down-your neck tension.

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Armchair Empire

While retaining its gameplay and adding numerous improvements, R6: Raven Shield is definitely worth checking out for any realistic tactical shooter fan.

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GamePro

Everything’s been upgraded and/or redone to make tactical team gameplay as cohesive and fun as the series has always been. Just make sure you have a powerful machine to enjoy every aspect of the game.

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Gamer's Pulse

An outstanding visual and audio presentation, marred only by cheesy music, support quality gameplay.

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Computer Gaming World

A host of revisions and improvements propel Raven Shield way past the original R6 games in design and playability, making Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield the new benchmark in tac sims. [June 2003, p.82]

PC Arena

It’s by far the best-looking and most-realistic game in the series, and finally begins to deliver the team-based tactical gameplay its predecessors haven’t quite pulled off.

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Game Chronicles

Most of the changes and improvements in Raven Shield are more evolutionary than revolutionary, but Raven Shield is by far the best game in the Tom Clancy series and easily the best “thinking man’s” FPS game currently available.

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Computer Games Online RO

A good story never hurts and this is what the Rainbow series lacks right now, storyline and emotional involvement of the player.

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GameSpy

A great game franchise gets an even tighter engine. Frustrating AI may turn off some players, but this is still the best tactical shooter available.

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PC Format

easily the best instalment yet – it looks great, plays great, and has oodles of expansion potential. The only downer is that even on higher-end machines, things can really chug in crowded areas. Still, that’s the price you pay for freedom.

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GameSpot

The game suffers from a number of small flaws (and sometimes bigger ones, where the AI is concerned), yet it still does many things exceptionally well.

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IGN

It's smart, unforgiving and genuinely exhilarating.

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PC Gameworld

A fantastic tactical shooter that is marred by inconsistencies and minor flaws in design. It is the best in the series, and continues with the same great gameplay that made us fall in love with it in the first place.

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Electric Playground

I wouldn't go so far as to call it quite the revolution it could have been, but it comes close. And in the world of action/stealth/strategy games, the series still has no equal.

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Game Over Online

The shining star in multiplayer continues to be co-operative play. Raven Shield is able to convey sheer bouts of terror as naturally and easily as before.

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Game Revolution

The level of detail for the urban environments is jaw dropping. Colors are sharp and crisp and the textures are terrific. A ragdoll physics engine serves up some impressive death animations.

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GameCritics

Resonates much stronger than Sony's otherwise noble hand at tactical combat. Not only is the game not held back because of certain console-based restrictions (controllers, options available, graphics, etc.), but the game seems to be less about nationalism and more about the dedication and strife anti-terrorist groups must experience.

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PC Gamer

It's received some great tweaks and additions, but it definitely plays it safe in terms of gameplay and doesn't try to break new ground, which is disappointing. [Apr 2003, p.90]

G4 TV

The game's plot doesn't come together in any grand way, nor does it need to. The plot's just a latticework for the excellent, challenging missions.

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GMR Magazine

It's the shiny A.I. upgrade that's the game's biggest improvement (though it's still not perfect). [May 2003, p.64]

Yahoo! Games

Match-up restrictions aside, Raven Shield is not only a great multiplayer game, but a welcome next step in the Rainbow Six series for gamers that should meet, if not exceed, many of its fans expectations.

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ActionTrip

The underlining story that is supposed to tie the missions together is completely neglected. You just go from one location to another and deal away with potential threats; that's the crux of the matter.

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FiringSquad

A solid entry in the series but doesn’t really advance it meaningfully in any way. Indeed, in some ways – the brevity of the campaign, the so-so missions – it’s a step back from previous games.

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Game Informer

This game makes me yearn for "Ghost Recon," with its on-the-fly command structure and passable NPC intelligence. Rainbow Six 3 not only lacks these two very important features, but it also penalizes gamers who play by its own rules. [May 2003, p.93]

All Game Guide

A few more single-player missions, a deeper story line, interactive backgrounds, and some additional tweaking on the technical front could have pushed the game over the top.

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Computer Games Magazine

With solid netcode, short sharp snappy rounds, and game modes that focus the action without limiting it, this is punishing lethal gunplay at its best. [June 2003, p.75]

Cheat Code Central

Going through the same obligatory missions again and again may be more than some can tolerate.

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 34 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

holodoc gave it a10:
People are making a mistake when they say that this is a game. Its not. Its an experience! The one that makes you want to feel every time you die so you can enjoy it even more when you enter the mission again. It sure has some flaws like an unrealistically ruthless precision of terrorist weapons and a stupid hostage AI but not rating this game with 10 would be something I would be ashamed of. This game is a legend that will always be playable so therefore... "Alpha... Go, go, go!"

Chris S gave it a10:
By far the greatest rainbow six game out of the three (not including vegas). This game gave me hours upon hours of enjoyment. As a long time tom clancy fan i have enjoyed all rainbow six games, but 3 has definitly taken the cake, They have prefected this game from the previous ones in so many ways that you will play for hours. The missions are great and diverse, ranging from hostage rescue, elimination, bomb disarment etc. The planning of each mission is great letting you customise each members layout and waypoint. The only thing that bugged me is sometimes a single terrorist can wipe out your whole team that is under your command or the AI's, but besides that I found this to be one of the best tactical shooters, much better then SWAT series

Jeff gave it a10:
This is very similar to Rogue Spear and the 1st Rainbow Six, but it has a lot better graphics, sound, and new missions. This is my favorite shooter of all time, quite realistic. Ubisoft tech support sucks. I bought this game at Best Buy and the CD was corrupted (CRC error), the tech support guy basically told me "Oh well, it's no longer in print" Fortunately, I found an old ISO of it. No thanks to Ubisoft!

Oreo E. gave it a10:
Perhaps the mostr realistic, awesome game I have EVER played.

Dan S. gave it a10:
Great game! I played this game before and has real cool intro movies and also great equipment, weapons and many more. I recomend to play, everybody!

Perkeleen P. gave it an8:
The terrorists are freakin' commandos. They shoot you dead with one shot a pistol when you have a full armor. Lack of realism.

Graham M. gave it a 10:
You must buy this game!!!

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Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield

Game Info

Summary

Also On Metacritic

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

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Recent Releases