Rainbow Six Siege Beta Impressions

Now that the Rainbow Six Siege Beta has closed, I'd like to share some thoughts on my experience. As it was a beta, connectivity reflected the unfinished build and should not represent the final game. Most times that's true, but I really hope they tighten up their servers for the December 1st release. I had issues connecting to squads through the friends list on Xbox One and found matches two out of three attempts. Once I did find a match, the connectivity held up and remained manageable.

The multiplayer gameplay places you on a five-player squad that requires teamwork and communication in order to succeed.  You either attack or defend a location/objective such as a bomb. The teams have a series of player classes that you may unlock with in-game currency earned through experience, and the class can only be used by one player and only applies to either the attacking or defending team. The class you choose provides you with unique abilities, items and weapons that contribute to a well-rounded squad. A good team requires player classes that compliment each other and are used effectively in relation to the in-game scenarios as well as the actions of teammates. Above all, the squad's voice communication and tactical approach to the objective allows for the ultimate playing experience. If your teammates aren't talking, they can't tell you what they're doing, what they're seeing and how they can help to make your squad better. The best matches I played involved five players with microphones, calling out actions, sightings and developments in the scenario as the opposing team dropped into the bomb room or when you breach a window into the enemy's stronghold.

The hyper-realistic response in Siege's gameplay creates a frantic atmosphere. It doesn't take an entire clip to take down an enemy player. In fact, it usually only takes a few well-placed rounds. The wide range of playing style options makes for a nerve-racking fight as you don't always know where the enemy is. Each match begins with the attacking team sending in drones to find the opposition, while the defenders place fortifications in their position of choice. From there, the attackers choose a route into the building and make their way through to complete the objective or die trying.

I particularly enjoyed the vertically of the maps that often included three floors and a number of rooms. Many of the walls are destructible allow for more breaching options and fewer safe places to defend. One match I recall vividly placed me and a teammate on the main floor of a colonial home positioned at Bomb A while three of my other squadmates were down the hall with Bomb B. The attacking team found "B" with their drones and moved in to take the location, but failed to defuse the device. The teammates that didn't make it watched out for any movement on the upper floor where the enemy has breached Bomb B room and myself and the remaining squad members held up under desks and behind furniture waiting for the enemy to make their way in. It was a very tense experience waiting for the opposition to breach from any location. The remaining enemy players breached from two locations, the ceiling directly above the bomb and the double door entrance to the room. We managed to eliminate the other team before they could reach the bomb, ending the match in our favour. Without communication and teamwork, that match would have gone south in a hurry.

The Terrorist Hunt game mode pits a team of five attackers against tens of enemy AI characters who are barricaded inside a building. The object requires you to kill every terrorist before they take you out. I played this mode on the Realistic difficulty, which provided me with a higher experience point reward. Some of the enemy classes seem to take a few more bullets than they really should, such as the suicide bombers. I would prefer if they could be managed a little more realistically, but they sure made it a challenge. This game mode is most enjoyable for those who like to play as attackers and I hope they include a defending objective in the full release.

I am afraid the lack of maps and character classes may shorten the life of Rainbow Six Siege. Ubisoft confirmed that the game will not contain a story mode or campaign, and instead will boast a number of campaign-like objectives. I find it highly ironic that a licensed property stamped with "Tom Clancy," the late author of many novels, does not include a story. Shooters that lack a campaign have become more common on consoles in the last two years, and none of them have been a great success (Titanfall, Evolve). They may be fun, but they don't always have the legs to justify the multiplayer only approach. Rainbow Six Siege is going to need some serious post-launch support to keep players coming back. Ubisoft doesn't exactly have a great track record for this, but I hope this will be a different case. The class unlocking system and progression is a perfect example of a game that requires that you play early and often, or else you will end up behind the other players. You may not enjoy your experience unless they provide new players with quick unlocks.

Another multiplayer shooter out this fall is Star Wars: Battlefront, releasing on November 18 with an open beta beginning October 8. Some believe this too will falter following release, but I believe if there is one multiplayer shooter that will have legs it is a licensed Star Wars game. This thing looks and feels authentic and I will provide my impressions in the days to come.