Rainbow Six Siege is the intense, punishing instalment in the franchise that it so desperately needs to bring it back to the forefront alongside some of the best team first person shooter titles out there. The games, fondly remembered for how damn difficult they were, lay on the precipice of being forgotten about altogether following the empty announcement of Rainbow Six Patriots three years ago.
Don’t worry though – your prayers have been answered.
The trailer throws you into the fray, as your rag-tag SWAT team are looking for the best way into a house which is barricaded from the inside by an assortment of player-controlled terrorists. You scout the second floor with your drone, and sneak a peak at the hostage’s location just before you’re spotted. From there, you burst through the windows like a militant Mormon and secure the asset.
The short gameplay trailer looks perfect, showing how working together as a unit can be both fun and rewarding. If you can grab a core group of people that you trust to help you complete objectives and cover your six, your life will be made significantly easier. The reveal showcased the scripted nature adopted by nearly everyone tonight, so I’m sure nobody will be a whisker away from screaming MAYDAY MAYDAY down your headsets like the team in the footage, but a little collaboration could really allow you to flex your strategic muscles.
Traditionally, walls and doors are a great way to feel safe – the hostage even decided to construct her house out of plaster and bricks, and filled the gaps with lovely oak doors. Unfortunately, that no longer seems to be the case, as we’re all going to have to learn to think outside the box. With bullets treating everything like it was made of paper, players will really have to be conscious of their movement and the enemy position, as well as learning to catch the enemy team off-guard. Gone are the days where walls are your friends.
Of course, if bullets have lost all respect for household foundations, then needless to say that explosive devices share the same attitude. Kitted out with some sticky explosive devices, you don’t even have to think linearly anymore – as in the video, you can sod the door and go in from the ceiling or, dare I say, pull the floor from underneath them. It’s like one big MC Esher painting, but with a little more, uh, sense.
Verdict? I love it. And that’s not just because I adore destructible environments, but because it all comes together so well. The structure falling apart give you windows of opportunity to slow the enemy down, or provide a clear shot for a sniper waiting in the wings. Baiting a team into a room and blowing the floor away is going to be great fun, and I’m sure Ubisoft have other ingenius possibilities written on a chalkboard somewhere in France.
My cynicism about Assassin’s Creed Unity aside, this has been my highlight of a very impressive showcase from Ubisoft at E3 2014. The inclusion of gameplay footage, a feature which feels more like a commodity nowadays when announcing games, was nigh-on flawless despite being in pre-alpha. Pre-alpha.
Imagine how amazing that shit’s gonna look when it drops in 2015?
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