The Tom Clancy legacy lives on in its novels and literary work and continues through the many video games that spawn from their action-packed stories. Following the theme of intricate plot lines between governments and military forces, Tom Clancy games keep the same line of being one of the primary titles in the tactical shooter genre, and from there, go to different approaches.

That's why you will see different branches with Tom Clancy's name: Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell, and The Division. All of them with different styles, but they always stuck to the roots that made them the best tactical shooters on the market.

So, we are going through a list of the 15 best Tom Clancy games that still hold up to this age of gaming.

• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Release Date: April 13, 2010
• Available on: PC and Xbox 360
• Metacritic Score: 85

The first Splinter Cell game that will open a list containing almost the entire saga (Essentials, for PSP, didn't make the cut). Conviction had a high bar to surpass established by the previous games, being launched as the sixth from the franchise. Although, we are confident enough to say that the Splinter Cell series doesn't have a bad game in its catalog. 

Going back to Splinter Cell Conviction, what leaves it this far on the list is that the rest of the games shine brighter. 

The co-op multiplayer is its strongest aspect. You can play with a friend and carry out twin executions, where your enemy needs to be only in one player's line of sight to do it. And while its campaign is in the "middle of the road" in terms of story and engagement, Conviction stealth elements are smoother and faster than their predecessors. It changed the cover system, and now you don't have any help knowing if you are really in the shadows. And, of course, it improves a lot if you play it in co-op mode. 

Unfortunately, the competitive multiplayer mode, Face-Off, is really forgettable and lacks many features not only from Conviction but also from previous multiplayer modes.

• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Release Date: January 20, 2022
• Available on: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S
• Metacritic Score: 73

In 2018, Rainbow Six Siege released a limited-time event called Outbreak. It was so popular and loved by the community that it ended up being the main inspiration for the last Rainbow Six game, called Extraction.

But its development was bumpy and troubled thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ubisoft even decided to change the initial name of the game, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Quarantine, as it would seem inappropriate. And what about the game itself?

The solo game can be daunting and will feel repetitive after doing a few missions. Like we said about Conviction earlier, it shines on the multiplayer, as you can go with the other two players, building a proper squad to confront different kinds of enemies. 

The aggressiveness of the aliens gives more thrill than a normal Rainbow Six match, trading it with data gathering of the map. And the difficulty can scale quickly in the latest stages of each mission, so you and your teammates should cooperate.

What holds Extraction back is the grindy gameplay elements of the game. You have to level up each Operator, and it doesn't feel that you are getting new things, but rather you have been locked from your equipment and need to get it back. It doesn't feel right even more if you know each character from Siege. 

Ultimately, a fun experience with friends that you'll have to spend some time on just to "unlock the game."

• Developer: Red Storm Entertainment
• Release Date: September 25, 2002
• Available on: PC and Xbox
• Metacritic Score: 82

"Quick Save" and "Quick Load." Remember those options as you are going to use them regularly with the brutal difficulty that the first game of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series can bring to inexperienced players.

But, if you are ready to jump to this oldie-but-goldie game, the Island Thunder expansion is a good first step. It has everything that the base game offered and some more, being the very cornerstone of what will come to the series.

Bear in mind that we are talking about the original Ghost Recon, a 2001 FPS. Unlike other military shooters from the time, this was one of the finest. But twenty years later, this game has a very slow pace, focusing more on the tactical approach to missions rather than the shooting.

• Developer: Red Storm Entertainment
• Release Date: March 19, 2003
• Available on: PC
• Metacritic Score: 83

With Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Raven Shield, the franchise kept progressing to the right path and yet still had its issues (named AI). The third title of the Rainbow Six series introduces us to the mission planning stage. Once we are done setting our loadout for each mission, we can set our and other teams' paths and how they should approach the mission. It can be a bit difficult and frustrating to understand it at first glance, and if you don't have the patience to learn it properly, you can load a pre-set plan. 

It was one of the biggest improvements that Raven Shield brought to the map, but the same problem for the last two games persists: the AI sometimes can be really smart but sometimes is completely dumb. And it will affect not only enemies but your allies too. 

Overall, it's a fine game, and you can get a Ubisoft Connect key of Rainbow Six Raven Shield for less than three dollars on RoyalCDKeys.

• Developer: Ubisoft Paris
• Release Date: March 7, 2017
• Available on: PC, PS4, and Xbox One
• Metacritic Score: 76

Another game that shines on the co-op aspect rather than the single-player mode. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands was primarily developed with the concept of playing it with friends or online matchmaking, and it is really notorious here.

Taking the drug cartel facilities as a Ghost team is really satisfying, as you have to spend quite a bit of time scouting your enemies before executing your game plan. The grinding aspect comes more naturally as you play the many different types of missions around without the need to waste additional money to get better gear.

Overall, Ghost Recon Wildlands is a great experience to play with friends, but it was stained by its rough launch, a common issue that we frequently see with Ubisoft titles. You can get an Xbox key for Ghost Recon Wildlands on RoyalCDKeys.

• Developer: Ubisoft Shanghai
• Release Date: October 17, 2006
• Available on: PC, PS3, and Xbox 360
• Metacritic Score: 85

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent follows the formula of the previous game, and with a later version, it will add some interesting features, such as returning ones. That’s the weird thing with Double Agent: the game changes significantly across different consoles.

Ubisoft Milan developed Double Agent for the original PS2 version and Xbox version, which sticks more to the original splinter cell, with the classic dark environments for their missions but lacking timed missions. It has a more traditional approach. 

Meanwhile, Ubisoft Shanghai made the PC and console versions for PS3 and Xbox 360, which made some changes like smoother gameplay and mission brought up in daylight and returning timed missions inside terrorist HQs. 

Although both versions are really well done, the one made by the Shanghai team receives most of the praise. And you can get the Double Agent PC version with a Ubisoft Connect CD key on RoyalCDKeys for less than three dollars.

• Developer: Red Storm Entertainment and Ubisoft Paris
• Release Date: March 6, 2007
• Available on: PC, PS3, and Xbox 360
• Metacritic Score: 86

Starting as a pure tactical shooter, Ghost Recon leans a bit more toward the pump-up action of FPS rather than falling completely into the tactical gameplay of the very first installment of the series. And the biggest praise that Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 receives is that it is like the first Advanced Warfighter, but improved and without the flaws that held the game back.

Better communication system to guide your teammates, vehicles, and drones; video feed in full format; no more sniper hunts and any of the features that hurt the previous entry. Advanced Warfighter 2 was the best step that Red Storm could make for the Ghost Recon franchise, and it built a big and loyal fan base that sticks together even today. 

The only "bad thing" about Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is the short campaign that can be done in less than five hours. It focuses more on the online multiplayer aspect, as it offers a lot of features and modes to enjoy.

• Developer: Ubisoft Toronto
• Release Date: August 20, 2013
• Available on: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii U
• Metacritic Score: 84

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist would be the last official game of the series until Ubisoft decides to launch whatever they are cooking for the next game. It would also be the first to have a new voice actor with Eric Jonshon reprising our protagonist, as Sam Fisher's original actor, Michael Ironside, stepped down from the role due to cancer diagnosis.

Blacklist improves every aspect of the last Splinter Cell game, Conviction, smoothing all the actions done by Sam Fisher and giving you options to approach missions on their well-designed levels. Yet, it diverges from its predecessor in the stealth game, as now you get some hints to know when you are completely concealed, with the lights over your suit guiding you.

It's a great experience as a single-player, but the multiplayer doesn't fall behind. On the contrary, it boosts the gameplay even further with a co-op campaign and a new Spies vs. Mercs mode that introduces 1vs3 fights. You can get a Ubisoft Connect CD key of Splinter Cell Blacklist at 7 dollars on RoyalCDKeys.

• Developer: Ubisoft Shanghai
• Release Date: March 23, 2004
• Available on: PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, GameCube, and GameBoy Advance
• Metacritic Score: 93

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow is the same game as the original Splinter Cell, keeping the same linear settings, incapacitating and evading enemies by engulfing them in shadows and going behind cover. It's basically the first Splinter Cell all over again, which is fine, as that game is really good. So, a bit more of the same is welcome.

The only thing that truly changed on Pandora Tomorrow was the game's darker narrative. Overall, it is an enhanced experience from the original, and Pandora Tomorrow maintains Splinter Cell as a top title during the PS2/Xbox era.

• Developer: Massive Entertainment
• Release Date: March 12, 2019
• Available on: PC, PS4, and Xbox One
• Metacritic Score: 84

Saying that “the smooth transition without loading screens when traveling from place to place is one of the best features in Tom Clancy's The Division 2” could sound weird with the fact that the launch of the game was truly a mess. Sadly, The Division 2 also suffered from the typical Ubisoft stigma of awful launches, despite fixing all these issues and being a completely gratifying multiplayer experience.

The Division franchise was the response to the success that Destiny still holds up, being a shooter-looter live service game that will be supported continuously for several years. And the answer to the lack of the first Division game on this Tom Clancy video games list is that Division 2 captures all the good things of the predecessor and improves them.

What the campaign story lacks is patched with the "shooter aspect." The overall gameplay components stitch together to keep your hook in this post-apocalyptic conflict running around the US capital city. The open-world environment sets up the narrative and how everything is building up, but it doesn't go further than that. 

The progression of getting better gear throughout the missions comes at a natural and fine pace. Neither too fast nor too slow. And you will get a good time playing with friends or even using online matchmaking. 

The Dark Zone changed from the first title, as a big issue with this PvP mode was how unbalanced it could become because of the difference in each player's gear. That's no longer a problem, as now it pairs the gear level of all players to be the same. So, any newcomer can jump right in to experience the new Dark Zone mode. 

That progression isn't only reflected in weapons but also in improving your character. There are six classes (called Specializations), being Survivalist, Demolitionist, Sharpshooter, Gunner, Technician, and Firewall; and all of these feel distinctive, with their own Perk trees and gameplay mechanics that adapt to what your Specialization does.

The Division 2 is currently towards its eleventh Season, which will add new Manhunt, new game modes, and more gear and weapons. It also announced back in July that Ubisoft is developing a new mobile game that will fit in the Division universe.

• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Release Date: March 18, 2008
• Available on: PC, PS3, and Xbox 360
• Metacritic Score: 82

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 would be a big step for the tactical shooter franchise and crucial for what would be Rainbow Six Siege.

On the single-player aspect, the campaign follows the events of the previous Rainbow Six Vegas, and it has the same structure: a bunch of operations where you have to plan your loadout, but it no longer has the planning phase implemented in Raven Shield. Most of the campaign takes place in Las Vegas as terrorists attacked the Nevada city, which means there would be many missions on casinos once again. But it expanded the number of maps and improved the design to address a variety of situations and approaches you can do and confront.

With Rainbow Six Vegas 2, we started to see some deviation from the classic gameplay mechanics of previous games, as it focused more on your action rather than managing your squad. It makes it more evident with the AI of your allies, as they aren't as sharp as before, to say so. That doesn't happen with the terrorists, as it improved, making them one of the best AIs from the franchise.

To double down on the gameplay, now you have three categories to level up, Marksmanship, Assault, and CQB, which will unlock new weapons for your Operator. Each covers a specific style of combat, with headshots and long-range kills rewarding points for Marksmanship (which will unlock sniper rifles, for example), close-quarter encounters giving points on CQB (it will give shotguns), and explosives and turret section leveling up your Assault category (assault rifles). The fun part is that the progress is saved across the different modes, so you can grind them in Terrorist Hunt. 

Overall, Vegas 2 ends up being a mix of the Rainbow Six look with some gameplay and shooting aspects of a Ghost Recon game. If you want to relive what was the cornerstone experience for what will come for Siege, you can get a Ubisoft Connect CD key for Rainbow Six Vegas 2 on RoyalCDKeys for two dollars.

• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Release Date: November 17, 2002
• Available on: PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox, GameCube and GameBoy Advance
• Metacritic Score: 91

Sam Fisher, a former soldier of the Navy SEALs and former agent of the NSA, is called by an off-branch of National Security, the Third Echelon, to become the first recruit in the program "Splinter Cell." Fisher, out of the field for years, is back in action to investigate the disappearance of many CIA agents in Georgia, but the plot will soon thicken.

The very first game had a huge influence on stealth games and is a strong reason why we are making this Tom Clancy games list. It took all the lessons learned from Metal Gear Solid and improved the gameplay to make it a more fast-paced stealth action game. It gave us the iconic character of Sam Fisher and his distinguished night vision goggles. It became an "instant win" for Ubisoft and the most iconic franchise as a Tom Clancy title.

The gameplay mechanics offered a wide range of actions to take down your enemies, a nice surprise for a game of that era. Not only that, but the level design provided some variety of options to complete each mission, even though many would end up the same way. 

Another strong point was how they managed the lighting effects throughout the stages. Yet, a criticism you can make is that enemies aren't very smart, and their patterns are easily identifiable. But that’s due to being old and the first of this series of games. 

If you want to start from the very beginning of this great saga of Espionage games, you can get a Ubisoft Connect CD key for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell on RoyalCDKeys for less than three dollars.

• Developer: Red Storm Entertainment Ubisoft Paris
• Release Date: May 22, 2012
• Available on: PC, PS3, and Xbox 360
• Metacritic Score: 79

Another fantastic game stained by an awful launch state. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier got a tough time during 2012, as it not only needed a bit of more "cooking" to its release, but the competition got stronger: the big three of shooter games were on a crucial path with Bungie Studios releasing their last Halo game with Halo: Reach; DICE was constantly pumping DLCs for the beloved Battlefield 3; and Activision was moving forward from Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 towards the release of Black Ops 2.

This isn't just throwing a bunch of names just to say so, as the gameplay of shooters from the 2010s were starting to adopt a "Call of Duty style" with more adrenaline and fast-paced shooting. And the Ghost Recon series will lean toward this gameplay, yet it would be just enough to maintain the identity and feel, making a true step forward from Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter games. 

Future Soldier keeps the squad management, where you have to scout the location and give the correct orders to your teammates to execute your plan properly. The AI improved, and the squad would even act on their own without going too far. The game kept the cover-shooter mechanics and gave it a bit more speed. And the amount of customization for your weapons you get from the get-go is fantastic, even challenging modern games.

If you want to give this great game a chance, you can get a Ubisoft Connect CD key for Ghost Recon Future Soldier on RoyalCDKeys.

• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Release Date: December 1, 2015
• Available on: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Amazon Luna
• Metacritic Score: 79

It took a bit longer, but a few years of support and constant content made Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege the "prime gem" of modern Ubisoft games. The Rainbow Six series took a step away from the single-player formula and brought all the tactical gameplay that the series Rainbow improved throughout many games and gave us an extraordinary multiplayer tactical shooter. It became a big name in the industry and on the Esports scene, with many tournaments and leagues worldwide.

If we have to take some flaws from this intimate shooter, we can mention that Rainbow Six Siege has a big learning curve for people that wants to start playing it, as it's one of the most complex tactical shooters in the market. Even though the objects are very simple (one team has to defuse one of two bombs while the other team defends), the various ways players can approach the situation by bringing their own tools never fall short.

Another block on the road is that it's a bit grindy to get most of the characters. Rainbow Six Siege has a massive roster of Operators, which are different for the two teams, Attackers and Defenders. But luckily, Ubisoft continues easing access for new players with bundles and special editions that come with many already unlocked.

Its tactical gameplay helps players enjoy the game without pinpoint accuracy while shooting. The correct use of the Operator’s gadgets can turn the tide of any round.

It’s one of the best games that Ubisoft has developed in the last couple of years, maintaining Tom Clancy's name and reputation high up. If you want to start today, you can get a Ubisoft Connect CD key for Rainbow Six Siege on RoyalCDKeys. There is also an offer for the Gold Edition, which comes with all the Operators from Years 1 and 2, the Year 5 pass, and an Xbox One/Series X|S CD Key of the base game.

• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Release Date: March 28, 2005
• Available on: PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, GameCube, and Nintendo DS
• Metacritic Score: 94

Why is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory the best Splinter Cell game? By simply capturing all the magic from the previous entries (the first Splinter Cell and Pandora Tomorrow) and enhancing the best mechanic of the game, which is the silent takedowns. 

Sam Fisher now has a knife, and he will ensure to make use of it. But not only does the knife bring new ways to defeat your enemies, it has a new set of skills, which gives the player even more options and a variety of animations to takedown any foe during your missions. It's a fine mix of the tactical approach of Tom Clancy's games with the espionage thriller in a single-player mode. 

But what made Splinter Cell Chaos Theory such critical acclaim was the Spies vs. Mercenaries multiplayer mode. A 2v2 fight between mercenaries fully armed with weapons and explosives but restricted to a first-person view against a duo of spies that can use the third-person view to their advantage and many gadgets to distract and annoy their opponents, but are very fragile and wouldn't resist a gunfight. A true display of "agility vs. strength," Splinter Cell Chaos Theory brought the most remembered multiplayer of any of the other games of the series.

The game's tactical mechanics are a staple in the "Clancy-verse." Then, you mix it up with espionage to get the Splinter Cell series, squad management and assault for Rainbow Six, or experiment a bit more with faster pacing as the Ghost Recon series have, that are still present even though Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (adding some RPG and survival elements). 

Tom Clancy's games have a long history in the gaming landscape, and while we are still waiting for what's next to come (please, revive Splinter Cell), if you are new to the series, you have plenty to discover and become one of the many fans around the globe.