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Doubling Down with Rainbow Six: Vegas

When the chips are down and the deck is stacked against you, it’s good to know Team Rainbow is around to even the odds. The Rainbow Six series has always been about realistic tactics in realistic scenarios, but in 2006, they moved to a setting both realistic and fantastical: Las Vegas. Now, with the debut of Xbox One Backward Compatibility, Team Rainbow is prepared to bring their support to your Xbox One in two of their most memorable adventures.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas

When the first Rainbow Six: Vegas arrived on Xbox 360 in 2006, it garnered near-universal praise, with many calling it the best shooter on the platform. This was with good reason: The intensely tactical gameplay of the Rainbow Six series made the leap to the still-new system with flying colors. Set amid the glitz and glamor of a fictionalized Las Vegas, the game threw players into intense firefights on flashy casino floors, where gunfire mixed with clattering coins and bleeping slot machines.

The feature that got the most attention was the new cover system, which allowed players to stack up outside doors or lie in wait for enemies before taking them down. It was a simple, easy-to-use system that added countless layers of strategy to an already rich tactical experience.

Rendered in gorgeous detail, Rainbow Six: Vegas was a magnificent showpiece for the power of the Xbox 360, and boasted some of the most addictive multiplayer the system had seen. As a result, it won all kinds of awards, with some outlets calling it the best online game available, and others determining it to be the best first-person shooter, period.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2

Less than a year and a half later, fans were delighted to receive a worthy follow-up. 2008’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 expanded the story of the first game by portraying events from before, during, and after those of its predecessor. While it focused less on action on the Las Vegas Strip, Vegas 2 retained every bit of the tension and tactical gameplay – and then some.

Teammates and enemies alike got an upgrade to A.I., making the game both more challenging and more rewarding in single-player. The game also introduced a new customization and upgrade system, allowing players to craft their own version of protagonist Bishop, and then further customize him or her with a persistent upgrade system that applied across all game modes. And of course, multiplayer wasn’t ignored either, with expansions and refinements in nearly every area.

Thanks to the Backward Compatibility introduced in the New Xbox One Experience, you can play both of these excellent shooters on your Xbox One right now. Even better: If you pre-order Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege or pick up the game at launch, you get both Rainbow Six: Vegas and Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 for a limited time absolutely free. That’s three amazing Rainbow Six games for the price of one – all now playable on one system. That’s a sure bet however you look at it.