Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3

 Xbox
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 35 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 35
  3. Negative: 3 out of 35
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  1. Ryencoke
    Mar 10, 2006
    10
    Why can't they make another great game like this? I mean, Black Arrow was good too, but this one was just to perfect. I remember playing Xbox Live and I couldn't get off, it was to intense to good, it was perfect everything about this game is just amazing. It was the best Xbox Live experience I have ever had, I hope they can someday make another like this. Since they Why can't they make another great game like this? I mean, Black Arrow was good too, but this one was just to perfect. I remember playing Xbox Live and I couldn't get off, it was to intense to good, it was perfect everything about this game is just amazing. It was the best Xbox Live experience I have ever had, I hope they can someday make another like this. Since they horrendously screwed up on lockdown.… Expand
  2. Uter
    Dec 23, 2003
    4
    I would say that this is the worst 1st person shooter I've tried on Xbox. The graphics are inconsistently good. There'll be some awesome shadows and textures, and yet terrible ones (n64 quality) elsewhere. The team gameplay is reasonably well done, but I don't find it exciting having to babysit a gaggle of squadmates. The gameplay is very deliberate and slow paced. Most of I would say that this is the worst 1st person shooter I've tried on Xbox. The graphics are inconsistently good. There'll be some awesome shadows and textures, and yet terrible ones (n64 quality) elsewhere. The team gameplay is reasonably well done, but I don't find it exciting having to babysit a gaggle of squadmates. The gameplay is very deliberate and slow paced. Most of the environmental objects aren't interactive like other modern fps'. The biggest thing that bugged me about RS3 is that they didn't bother to include any type of offline multiplayer. So for the majority of people who don't have xbox live there's just the lame single player game. So to sum up, the gameplay is slow and unexciting, the graphics are below average, and there's not much replay value. … Expand
  3. JonKnowsit
    Oct 23, 2003
    10
    This Game Will ROCK!!! If you like shooters, This is a MUST!
  4. AndrewA.
    Oct 31, 2003
    10
    Man, this game rocks! Consider this as the next best fps or the best game science halo! Everything is awsome with the game. The grapics everything. Tell you what, this could be the next GAME OF THE YEAR!
  5. Utfan323
    Jan 3, 2004
    10
    Great. i've had it for 3 days and played it for about 3 hours a day. it just so fun and xbox live is very very fun it's so cool. it is hard at first but it gets easier.
  6. DeathMan
    Nov 18, 2003
    6
    If you've played the Rainbow games on any other system you will be highly disappoited. One of the things I loved about the other Rainbow games was their, "Hey, there's a building filled with bad guys. Couple hostages in there, too. You need to come up with a plan," approach. Every last detail was yours to tweak. On Xbox you can't even select extra ammo as a kit option. I If you've played the Rainbow games on any other system you will be highly disappoited. One of the things I loved about the other Rainbow games was their, "Hey, there's a building filled with bad guys. Couple hostages in there, too. You need to come up with a plan," approach. Every last detail was yours to tweak. On Xbox you can't even select extra ammo as a kit option. I think a direct port of Raven Shield would have have been much more exciting and compelling to the more tactically advanced gamers on Xbox. And I swear that if I see one more barrel or parked car in front of a perfectly good door I'm going to throw a tantrum. That is just unacceptable. If you can't open the door what is it's point? It's a door!!!… Expand
  7. Tom
    Nov 10, 2003
    5
    This game isn't very good. Horrible AI, and the game play is fairly repetitive, peak around a corner and shoot a guy.... repeat as many times as desired. I would recommend people rent this before they spend their money on a disappointment.
  8. JustinD.
    Nov 21, 2003
    10
    Warning! this is not your average first person shooter. it is extremely tactical and requires great skill. dont expect unreal championship when you buy this game. it is the best xbox live game. Way better then counter-strike. a must have.
  9. Spatula
    Nov 23, 2003
    10
    Great game. i have no live and no headset, yet i had a blast with this game. it's still in my xbox since the day i bought it. i have finished it in easy setting and mainly play the custom missions now. unlike previous rainbow games, this one does not have planning. it's more of a straight shooter. obviously you organize your team and tell them what to do, but it is satisfyingGreat game. i have no live and no headset, yet i had a blast with this game. it's still in my xbox since the day i bought it. i have finished it in easy setting and mainly play the custom missions now. unlike previous rainbow games, this one does not have planning. it's more of a straight shooter. obviously you organize your team and tell them what to do, but it is satisfying from a complete new point of view and not very tedious like the pc version. i think they made a wise choice making this one a pure action game, since consoles are designed for robust actions, and its basically more fun to "plan on the go". i believe this game is as fun as halo, rather short though. more levels should have been created...like Golyo says. but the 14 levels are quite well done. i believe programmers who do games like this should grow beyond the "oil refinery" and "shipyard" kind of levels that we see in EVERY single covert-ops/special forces genre games. it's just not very fun, it makes the whole experience seem faker than it should be. hostages in the embassy, or hi-jacked airline and storming some dudes home is so much more cinematic and more closer to what these swat commando guys do. also, much like in preivious rainbow games when you go to save hostages, you realize you are rescuing like 2 hostages!!!...what the hell is that? what about like 20 hostages, that would make it more interesting right?...and like real life some of them should die in accidental shootings and such and the player should get rewarded by how many he saves. but no, that aint the case...you get 2 loosers crying for help, one of them dies...bam...mission over. oh well, the perfect swat game hasnt been born i guess but rainbow six 3 deserves 10 for being such a solid fun game, lots of bullets and blood. (too bad the bodies dissappear when you turn around). the rag-doll effects are top notch and fun to watch. weapons are good, a bit bulky. "we need more realistic environments"!!!! are you ubisoft geniuses listening???...we wanna see pillows torn appart by bullets, objects break on impact, tiles on the walls break up, people get shot and fall out of windows, terrorists that all look different, suffering and crawling animations before they die, topple over furniture and break stuff as they get hit and loose their balance....phew!....that's my wish, and i believe the wish of most FPS fans..... so, ubisoft masters...do us a favor and hook us up with all the above in the next rainbow game. thanks!… Expand
  10. MichaelC.
    Nov 6, 2003
    9
    The best FPS on XBox since Halo, and one of the first shooters to incorporate squad dynamics that I didn't find tedious (yes, that means I didn't like Ghost Recon). Phenomenal graphics, decent controls, in-depth realism, and sweet gameplay make this a must-have.
  11. MRGLADIATOR
    Dec 1, 2003
    8
    Another tom clancy game here we go again so far it may sound i dont like this game well ur absolutly wrong this once again doesnt disappoint really cool game though i warn you only hardcore gamers should play this if u wanna complete it. i give it a 8 out of 10
  12. LordPC
    Dec 30, 2003
    10
    The best online experience I've ever had!
  13. J.B.
    Oct 31, 2003
    10
    Awesome, simply awesome. the best game game i've played yet, all kinds of options and great online.
  14. ScottD.
    Jan 15, 2004
    8
    If you like "realistic" tactical shooters, then you will love this game. The graphics are very good, as the characters and weapons are very detailed. Sound is also great, hook your XBox up the surround sound and rattle the house. Each weapon has the sound characteristics of its real-life counterpart. Likewise, shooting different backgrounds creates different noise (like shooting concrete If you like "realistic" tactical shooters, then you will love this game. The graphics are very good, as the characters and weapons are very detailed. Sound is also great, hook your XBox up the surround sound and rattle the house. Each weapon has the sound characteristics of its real-life counterpart. Likewise, shooting different backgrounds creates different noise (like shooting concrete v. shooting a couch). The game features a fair amount of weaponry from different militaries around the world. Little touches like this add to the realism. Control on this game is good too. I like being able to quickly switch from your primary weapon to secondary (a la SOCOM). Commanding your squad is easy but somewhat limited. While your squad may save your hide every now and then, usually they are pretty worthless. The biggest drawback to this game is its predictability. Enemy AI is pretty poor, and they react pretty much the same way all the time. While there is a few silenced weapons, it doesn't seem like enemies react to sound very much; the enemies act the same whether you use the 50 cal sniper rifle or the silenced MP5. The game is pretty tough when you start on the easiest level, and you would think that subsequent difficulty levels would add more enemies or make them smarter, but instead, the greater difficulty levels just decreases the number of saves you have (big whoop). This really dimishes the replay value. All in all, this is a great game if you like the genre, though I'm still waiting for an XBox version of SOCOM (PLEASE!!)… Expand
  15. CameronS.
    Jan 6, 2004
    9
    Class single player, and a brilliant touch is choosing your weapons before the mission. Top graphics, top sound, if only they had put in a offline multiplayer it may have been close to halo quality. Good work Clancy!
  16. IanC.
    Nov 11, 2003
    10
    OK, what we need for any game is a fair rating judged according to what the game professes to deliver as opposed to horribly subjective reports from gamers who clearly prefer other genres. Rainbow Six promised to be an action packed counter-terrorism based first person shooter, with involving team based play. And it delivers, big time. You will find yourself in shootouts down corridors, OK, what we need for any game is a fair rating judged according to what the game professes to deliver as opposed to horribly subjective reports from gamers who clearly prefer other genres. Rainbow Six promised to be an action packed counter-terrorism based first person shooter, with involving team based play. And it delivers, big time. You will find yourself in shootouts down corridors, peeking and shooting, peeking and shooting, yes,because that is what probably tends to happen in situations such as these. And I'll tell you, nothing in any game so far has made me feel as unbeatable as holding position behind cover while a terrorist loses his nerve and starts spraying the corridor while screaming like a madman, the firing stopping and hearing him reloading, and then just peeking and and taking him out with a single, well-placed, silenced shot to the head. Awesome. If you want all out explosions, buy Unreal Championship. The beauty of this game is that you really feel like you are part of an elite-counter terrorism squad. You sneak around, take guys out who can't see you, push doors open slowly, toss gas grenades in and then (when you hear the coughing) charge in and clear the room. Swift, tense, professional. The AI is perfectly adequate, and the bad guys react as realistically as you could ask for (running for cover, hiding behind objects, moving in on your position etc). Your team react brilliantly as well, and having spent many hours on SEALS, Ghost Recon etc, it was a real thrill to tell them to hold position and watch them take up sensible covering spots that fully protect you as you prepare to move in solo. A bad guy runs out in front of you and you don't react quickly enough, he goes down anyway 'cause your teammates got him. I absolutely adore this game, it is by far and away the most thrilling, involving, fun first person shooter I have EVER played, but that's because I prefer realism to all-out kill-a-minute deathmatches. WARNING - you'll probably get more attached to this game as you keep playing. It takes a lot of skill, it is hard to begin with, and the first two levels are a TOTAL disappointment, and no reflection of later levels. The Alpine village seems to be over before it begins, and the tunnel level is boring to say the least. But you wait 'till you are sneaking around the mansion rescuing hostages, or covering each other on an infiltration of Alcatraz. Trust me, if you ever had a place in your heart for Goldeneye 64, you will love this. It is worth buying an XBox for - that good.… Expand
  17. Golyo
    Nov 12, 2003
    9
    i got the game. shoved it in my xbox. played for 11 hours straight!. i finished the first ten levels (there are 14). here's all you need to know: i dont have live nor the headset, i am a solo gamer. i love this game a lot. there are certain things that piss me off, the environment interaction is not consistent from one level to next. meaning, you can blow away a t.v set in venezuella i got the game. shoved it in my xbox. played for 11 hours straight!. i finished the first ten levels (there are 14). here's all you need to know: i dont have live nor the headset, i am a solo gamer. i love this game a lot. there are certain things that piss me off, the environment interaction is not consistent from one level to next. meaning, you can blow away a t.v set in venezuella but can't in the penthouse level. some windows expole when hit, some dont. the rich guys house is a complete waste...there are millions of vases and paintings and objects and such, non of them are destructable. that heving been said...i love the action, graphics,control and a.i. i am stuck in level ten because its a "stealth" mission, which bores me...but thank god you get 14 levels and most of it is brain splatting action. lots of blood. i love the rag doll death motions of enemies, love to shoot them and watch their bodies just roll down the stairs and such, like hitman 2. missions are pretty simple but well designed. since i dont have any friends and no live...i like the custom mission option where you set a level with lots of bad guys and just spread lead all over (kind of like bots...no mission, just action) you get to fire lots of weird weapons...like special forces special edition whatever machine guns...which is cool, nice modeling on them. lovely bomb animatics...sound design is quite impressive. this is the kind of game you never wanna finish, leaving that "one" level for future enjoyement. but the game sucks you in big time and you cannot stop. i wish the game had like 24 levels, hell...make it 250!. make the game 3 discs...i dont care, i'll spend the extra 150 green!...anyway, easily on my top 3 xbox game list. buy it or be sorry you did not.… Expand
  18. OliverCat
    Nov 13, 2003
    9
    Great game. Me and my matelove it. Buy it or weep. Ian hits it on the head in a long winded kind'a way...
  19. Daz
    Nov 24, 2003
    10
    This is a really great game. if you like this kind of game and can put up with a high level of difficulty (even on the easy setting) then buy this. it's a quicker game than ghost recon and has an equally good atmosphere. i think i'm quite good at these type of games but i've played this for many hours and i'm only half way through the single player game. when playing This is a really great game. if you like this kind of game and can put up with a high level of difficulty (even on the easy setting) then buy this. it's a quicker game than ghost recon and has an equally good atmosphere. i think i'm quite good at these type of games but i've played this for many hours and i'm only half way through the single player game. when playing online through the missions it's very impressive especially if you've already done the mission and know what to expect. i highly recommend this game.… Expand
  20. FPSMaster
    Nov 4, 2003
    10
    This game is the best game I've played in years. It's even better than halo (only because it's not only). This is a must buy.
  21. Patrick
    Dec 7, 2003
    10
    GREAT GAME! once i put it in the xbox couldnt stop. i suggest highly to get it. One of the greatest parts are the co-op missions. it is so tactical and percise that you feel like your right there holding the trigger! a must have!
  22. Demon27248
    Jul 8, 2012
    9
    A great accomplishment in game design. Great multiplayer, single player's still good. Both terrorist hunting & team survival will keep you entertained for quite a long time. Too bad they can't make a game like this anymore.
  23. dante_finn
    Dec 18, 2012
    9
    The most addictive and challenging gameplay.
  24. Alex_Pilgrim008
    Aug 2, 2022
    9
    An awesome tactical shooter that utilizes the Splinter Cell graphics engine. The story mode is all about clearing rooms using squad commands. When this was online, you could play through it cooperatively with three other buddies. Of course, the competitive multiplayer was the real reason this game was a success. It was the "Rainbow Six Siege" of its day. While it's limited to local play,An awesome tactical shooter that utilizes the Splinter Cell graphics engine. The story mode is all about clearing rooms using squad commands. When this was online, you could play through it cooperatively with three other buddies. Of course, the competitive multiplayer was the real reason this game was a success. It was the "Rainbow Six Siege" of its day. While it's limited to local play, Rainbow Six 3 is still enjoyable. But during its heydey, this was a 9 out of 10.… Expand
  25. TwigNigel69
    Jan 22, 2020
    4
    this game all I can really say is boring boring BORING this abomination of a game is one of the worst games I have ever played the missions are boring is very confusing on where to go and even though this game only sells for about $1 now just don't get it

Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best Xbox Game of 2003
21
#21 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2003
44
#44 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. Weekly Famitsu
    75
    8 / 7 / 8 / 7 - 30 silver [Vol 183; 16 July 2004]
  2. Xbox Nation Magazine
    90
    The game achieves excellence through realism, feel, and transparent interface. [Mar 2004, p.88]
  3. GMR Magazine
    80
    What really sets it apart from other first-person shooters, though, is the attention to technical and tactical detail, as well as the skill it demands from the player. [Jan 2004, p.78]
See all critic reviews »