With all of the excitement around new games this year, some titles are left in the dust. Rainbow Six: Siege is not among them. Gamers jump into the boots of counter-terrorist units from around the globe, to take on enemies from an terrorist organization known as the White Masks who plot to disrupt the world as we know it. But is it worth the $55 price tag, and will it provide the experience I’m looking for? Look no further for one of the best games of this year’s lineup.
Graphics
The graphics are one of the great aspects of the game, bringing to life the stress and tension experienced by the worlds best CTUs. I have experienced few frame rate drops while playing however there are still a few kinks to be worked out graphically, such as certain icons not appearing fully while in the middle of a firefight, or the occasional frame rate drop, but these problems can be fixed since it is still early days from the December 1st release date.
Story
Unfortunately the story of Rainbow Six: Siege was the weak link, if there was one in this game. The only real story is the opening cutscene of the game where a new character briefs you on your role in the game and gives you background information on the White Mask threat. After that you can find Situations, which serves more as a training mode to get the player accustomed to the dynamic gameplay mechanics than to provide a compelling storyline. In Situations you are pitted against the White Masks while also being tasked with an objective, such as defusing a chemical bomb, freeing a hostage, or eliminating a White Mask terror cell. However there is one redeeming factor in this that is Terrorist Hunt. In Terrorist Hunt the objective is to infiltrate and enemy stronghold and clear the base of terrorists using all of the abilities at your disposal. The mode features 3 different difficulties, with increasing rewards the harder the player pushes themselves.
Sound
The sound design of this game is really important to the overall quality of the game itself. The ability to hear the enemies below you through the floor when they breach a wall, or being able to hear an enemy sliding a fresh mag into his weapon from the next room over, saving you from an embarrassing wall-bang death. While on the attacking side of a team you spawn outside the building where your objective is. Outside, Ubisoft captured the crystal clear ambient sounds from the surrounding area, such as when you are in the city there are cars honking, sirens wailing, and other sounds you would hear in that location.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Rainbow Six: Siege really shines among other FPS games. It is really clean and crisp, and player movement and action move fluidly throughout the match. The objectives were well designed to provide a task to work to. The way the game is set up also promotes teamwork and communication to accomplish the objectives with rewards and bonuses for keeping members alive. The game takes a certain amount of skill to be good, however the developers managed to hit the nail on the head by producing a way to keep new players enticed and dedicated to progression. The only downside is if players immediately jump into the multiplayer with no operators, Which then forces them to choose from preset operators.
Final Verdict
This game is not to be underestimated by players used to titles like Call of Duty, or Battlefield, and could give Counterstrike a run for its money in the genre. Rainbow Six: Siege provides an aesthetically pleasing look into the world of CTUs around the globe. The sound design was very good and provides an added sense of reality to the satisfying gameplay experience. The price tag is well worth the experience provided in Ubisoft’s newest installment.
