Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege vs Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is an FPS strategy game from Ubisoft Toronto (2015) while Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is an action-adventure strategy game (2005).
Quick answer: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory rates higher, 7.9 to 7.7 on the GamingPickz Score, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is the cheaper at Free.
What each one is
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is filed under FPS and Strategy. In contrast, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory under Action-Adventure and Strategy.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is an elite, tactical team-based shooter where superior planning and execution triumph.
Experience one of the most critically acclaimed stealth-action games of all time. Uncover a conspiracy that hits close to home and stop World War III.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Years 1–3 Angela Bassett performed voice works and motion capture for Aurelia "Six" Arnot, the former director of Team Rainbow. Three years after the Rainbow Program's deactivation, there is a resurgence of terrorist activities, with the White Mask being the most prominent. The terrorists' goals are unknown, yet they are causing chaos across the world. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . The game's multiplayer was widely praised by critics. Chris Carter from Destructoid praised the game's open-ended nature, which made each match unpredictable and helped the experience to stay fresh even after an extended period of playing. (Wikipedia)
Plot
In June 2007, tensions are running high between China , North Korea , South Korea , and Japan due to Japan's formation of an Information Self Defense Force (I-SDF). Considering this to be a violation of Article 9 of the post-World War II Constitution and blaming the I-SDF for information warfare attacks against their countries, Chinese and North Korean forces establish a blockade in the Yellow Sea against Japanese shipping. As Japan is an ally of the… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory received "universal acclaim" from critics for the Xbox and PC versions, while the PlayStation 2, N-Gage, and GameCube versions received "favorable" reviews, and the 3DS and DS versions received "mixed" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . A 2013 IGN review described Chaos Theory as a "peak" in the series. Shawn Elliott of 1UP. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege | Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.7/10 | 7.9/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (82%, 1,546,025) | Very Positive (93%, 5,797) |
| Critic aggregate | 79/100 | 92/100 |
| Price | Free | $9.99 |
| Install size | 65 GB | — |
| Steam Deck | unsupported | unsupported |
| Released | 2015 | 2005 |
| Developer | Ubisoft Toronto | — |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege vs Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegeFPS strategy gameTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos TheoryAction-adventure strategy gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegeFPS, PvP, TacticalTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos TheoryStealth, Action, Third PersonThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegeScore 7.7 · 82% on Steam · 79 criticTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory ✓Score 7.9 · 93% on Steam · 92 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege1,546,025 reviews · 6 add-ons · 65 GBTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory5,797 reviewsReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege ✓FreeTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory$9.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegeUnsupportedTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos TheoryUnsupportedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueTom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Multi-platform
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (GamingPickz Score 7.9)
- The cheaper right now: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege (Free)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege (1,546,025 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
MultiplayerTacticalShooterActionStrategyCo-op
Where they differ
FPSPvPe-sportsCompetitiveOnline Co-OpHero Shooter
StealthThird PersonClassicGreat SoundtrackAtmosphericSingleplayer
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is demanding, for players who want a challenge. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege | Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | Nvidia GTX 1650 4GB / AMD RX 5500XT 4GB / Intel ARC A380 6GB | — |
| Minimum CPU | AMD Ryzen 3 3100 / Intel i3-8100 | — |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | — |
| Install size | 65 GB | — |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege · Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege and 0 for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory in scope?
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege has drawn 1,546,025 Steam reviews, ships 6 add-ons and installs in 65 GB. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory has drawn 5,797 Steam reviews.
Is Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege or Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory rates higher (7.9 to 7.7). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege or Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory?
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is cheaper right now at Free, against $9.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege or Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory?
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory rates higher, 7.9 to 7.7 on the GamingPickz Score, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is the cheaper at Free. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.