Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Editor's Notes

Xbox One disc version reviewed. It's worth noting that the reviewer used two diffenent disc copies, both of which gave read errors and one was completely unusable. The discs were in pristine condition and the specific console has no prior history of disc drive issues.

Introduction

'Rainbow Six Siege' is the first proper 'Rainbow Six' game since 2008’s 'Vegas 2'. A predecessor called 'Patriots' had been in the works at Ubisoft for some time, but was scuttled in 2014. 'Siege' has no single-player campaign outside of the tutorials, though it does have a co-op PVE component.

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

In 'Siege', players take the role of specialized counterterrorism units tasked with carrying out various objectives while shooting bad guys. There are twenty distinct commandos that can be chosen - some are classics, such as a light machine gunner, while others reflect the adoption of more modern technology, like drone handlers. Many of the classes can employ various means of demolition, from sledgehammers to breaching charges.

Every match has a similar premise, even in different gametypes - perhaps best described as an explosive, destructive king of the hill. One team plays the attackers, the other the defenders, and swap each round until someone wins three rounds. Each round is preceded by a minute or so of preparation.

As the attacker, I controlled a little drone that scooted around the map, looking for objectives, enemy players, and traps. As the defender, my team set up the traps and reinforced doors, windows, and even wall sections with blockades and awaited the imminent arrival of our guests. In some matches we babysat a hostage, in others we had to protect electronic bomb defusers.

While environmental destructibility has been loudly championed by the devs, I was pleased and a bit surprised at how well it had been implemented. Years of shooters have conditioned me to constantly scan doors and sometimes windows for threats, but in 'Siege' I was just as likely to be shot through a wall or even the floor (a brilliant tactic if planned well). Pristine houses and offices are quickly turned into rubble via the many means of breaching available. This is a much more realistic and less video gamey representation of how buildings work. It has long amused me that flimsy materials like drywall are indestructible in games, even in the midst of huge explosions and fully automatic, heavy caliber weaponry. There are probably technical and gameplay limitations to justify this state of affairs, but Ubi will hear none of it. Every room is completely three-dimensional, and if defenders successfully bottleneck a door, they can soon look forward to a sledge smashing through the wall on their flank or coordinated breach charges on each side. As the attacker I liked the role of distraction, putting heavy fire through doors and pinning down defenders while my teammates looked for less orthodox ways of entry.

The weapons are pretty standard shooter fare, but that’s not to say they aren’t fun. Far from it. They are well balanced and responsive, from the pistols up to the heavy rifles. The holo sights in particular are very accurate. The other equipment also lends itself well for creativity. The Bandit operator, for instance, has a collection of electrified cables that can be attached to all kinds of things, including barricades. I found joy in electrifying metal barriers that my teammates had placed, and then watching enemies try to vault over them and receive a nasty shock. All of the gadgets have a hard counter from certain other classes, so selecting a diverse kit in the prematch is recommended.

Even with the decent roster of fighters, 'Siege' is pretty thin in content. The levels are nothing special, and don’t take advantage of the really cool destruction system. They are usually nondescript, boring buildings. The best part of the level design is the claustrophobic, close-quarters nature of the maps. No pesky snipers here, just lots of grenades and shotguns. As with many online shooters, good communication (or even just communicating at all) can mean the difference between victory and defeat. For gamers who like to play on their own, it might be best to take a pass. The only exception is the terrorist hunt player vs AI mode, which can be played solo (not offline), but is very repetitive. Terrorist hunt can also be played in online co-op with other players, which is more fun but not as much as other horde type games on the market.

Despite being a full release title with the accompanying price point, 'Siege' is heavy on the microtransactions. It’s not as pervasive as a mobile or free-to-play title, but progression is pretty slow without spending real dollars on renown boosters.