Breath of fresh air

Today’s brand of multiplayer shooters are increasingly focussing on individual performance, weapon powerups and whatnot — most no longer require let alone emphasise teamwork and co-ordination. Most just reduce each match to a bunch of players looking to get the highest score. Enter Rainbow Six Siege, an attempt to bring back tactical shooters.

Ubisoft’s Offense vs Defense scenario shooter feels like a breath of fresh air given the heavy emphasis of coordination and communication. All games play out in the terrorist vs special ops format where the good guys must either defuse a bomb, rescue a hostage or eliminate the opposite team while the defenders barricade themselves into one of several rooms in rather large buildings. The great thing about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six is its destructible environment — no corner is safe. You’ll have enemies rappelling down sides of the building, dropping through the roof or even taking out the floor beneath you.

Rainbow Six Siege also offers a while variety of ways to approach each scenario, not just in terms of how you can interact with the map but with players, weapons and abilities too. Suppressed guns taking shots through the smallest opening in a wall or a host of enemies being led by a ballistic shield or two. You can also choose from a wide variety of ‘operators’ each with their own unique equipment slots that add a whole new element to your approach to the game. From electronic sensors, to thermal charges for breaking through reinforced walls and emp devices. However, even with all the new gadgest and guns, the emphasis still remains on coordination and communication. Without a structured approach a 5v5 match can quickly turn into a 5v1 game of cat and mouse — one wrong move and either team could be facing a major setback for the round so both offence and defence need to work with their teammates.

Rainbow Six Siege doesn’t really redefine the genre, but rather helps bring it to the modern era, finding that sweet spot between Call of Duty and the Esports Classic, Counter Strike.

While I feel the gameplay with its emphasis on teamwork is spot on, the complete lack of any form of singleplayer might put off many potential gamers. The game does come with a ‘Situations’ mode for some singleplayer gameplay but it is only to familiarise you with the game and the only alternative to PvP is Terrorist hunt where a fireteam of five players must eliminate 30 enemies and clear the area. A fun break from multiplayer if you ask me.

While the game itself is a lot of fun, it is plagued by server and connectivity issues that seem to have become the norm for any online launch. But once the server issues are sorted, I have no doubt Rainbow Six Siege will be one helluva shooter — just be sure to play it with friends for the best possible experience.