Review: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Xbox One)

January 3rd, 2016 at 9:56 pm -

Like Battlefield and Call of Duty, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six series has been entertaining console and PC gamers alike for well over a decade. But unlike the competition (which uses fast-paced gameplay and quick respawn times), Rainbow Six Siege for Xbox One uses a slow, tactical approach to the gunplay that causes hearts to race and tensions to run high. The game also uses a punishing, ‘once you’re dead, it’s game over until the next round’ formula. This rigorous style of gameplay has been a staple of the franchise since its inception, and it helps to separate Rainbow Six from the competition.

Initially, the Rainbow Six series (like most FPS) provided gamers with a story-driven, single-player campaign and online multiplayer matches; this has since changed. Rainbow Six Siege is strictly an online game, shedding its single-player campaign heritage for expanded multiplayer features and character class customization. Like before, the online matches rotate between the attacking teams, as both try to stop the other from completing mission objectives.

However, the dynamics used to accomplish these tasks have changed. For example: instead of using a generic character template and building a weapon load out, Rainbow Six Siege provides a variety of Operator ‘classes’ that have different nationalities, perks and abilities. Moreover, these classes are divided into sub-classes such as the SAS, GSG 9 and FBI Swat, to name just a few.

The game starts the player with a generic ‘Recruit’ template until enough Reknown is accumulated to purchase a better class. Ironically, the Recruit is the only class that can be used by multiple players at once. The game prevents fellow teammates from using the same unlockable classes. For example: if a fellow teammate selects the Sledge class before you do, it will be unavailable until the next round. This can cause frustration for new players, especially if they haven’t unlocked more than one Operator.

Luckily, Siege provides more than one game mode to earn ‘Reknown’, an in-game currency that is used to purchase new accessories, classes and gear from the Main Menu. Since the game uses a leveling system similar to Call of Duty and Battlefield, the player must acquire XP by successfully completing online missions. Before the player can play Ranked matches, their profile must reach level twenty through a series of casual matches. Ranked mode is difficult to play, and it penalizes gamers for rage quitting. The competition is not only fierce, but it’s less forgiving than Casual mode. Don’t be surprised if you encounter the occasional gamer that likes to play squad leader.

The gameplay is like most first-person shooters, but at a much slower pace. Plus, the action changes depending on which side the player is on (i.e. Attackers or Defenders), The Attackers approach combat more aggressively than the Defenders, and the gear that is used by both teams is worlds apart. For example: The Termite class from the Attackers side can use plastic explosives to destroy doors; The Sledge class can demolish walls with his trusty demolition hammer; and the Montagne class can lead the charge with his Extendible Shield, among others.

The Attacker category can now rappel up the side of buildings, drop down through skylights, and even swing through windows to surprise the opposition. The player has absolute control over their weapons while rappelling, which is essential to surviving in the larger maps. Depending on the map being played, the Attackers start by controlling miniature, ground-based drones to locate and mark any hostages, enemy players and/or bombs on the premises. This process can be rather tedious (and even boring), but luckily it only lasts for about forty-four seconds.

The Defenders are a rag-tag collection of fighters that use a variety of tools that include bulletproof barricades, Signal Disrupters, and mounted LMGs that can be used by the entire team. Gamers looking for firepower rather than speed should unlock Tachanka and Rook first; their armor is by far the best in the game.

Like the Attackers, the Defenders category has evolved from the days of Raven Shield (PC) and Vegas 2 (Xbox 360). At the beginning of each match, the defending team must barricade the doors and windows before the start counter reaches zero. This is achieved by pressing and holding X button. The player can also drop barbwire (to decrease the other team’s movement speed), install sensor bombs on doorways, and drop bullet shields for protection. And if all else fails, they can lay prone on their back by holding down on the Left Analog Stick and pressing B button. This new prone position gives the player better mobility while aiming.

The action is as good as any Rainbow Six title. Whether you’re storming a compound or guarding a hostage on an airliner, there is something very exciting about the tension that slowly builds up before both teams engage each other in combat. Nearby explosions rattle walls; gunfire echoes through hallways; and the screams of dying team members and enemies alike heighten the tension. Laying prone on your back and aiming a single barrel shotgun with Left Trigger — waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger with RT– encompasses everything the franchise stands for.

But on the technical side of things, the Rainbow Six Siege servers make connecting to matches or hosting an Xbox Live Party very difficult. It’s not uncommon for the game’s server to kick party members from the game and the XBL party itself. Even first-time logins to the Siege multiplayer server can cause unexplainable errors that can only be rectified by signing out of Xbox Live. And then there are issues with the server freezing the game when pairing players together for a match. A recent patch was released to address the aforementioned bugs/crashes, but so far it has only reduced their frequency instead of permanently fixing them.

With gripes aside, Rainbow Six Siege by Ubisoft is definitely a contender for Game of the Year. The server issues can be a headache, but luckily they’re not as frequent as before. Here’s hoping that Ubisoft will pinpoint the issues and finally remove them; Rainbow Six Siege depends on it.

Mike Pittaro
Platform: Xbox One (Also Available for PS4 & PC)
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
ESRB: M (Mature)
Price: $59.99

Rainbow Six Siege Official Website:
https://www.ubisoft.com/en-US/game/rainbow-six-siege/