PGC NEWS

Rainbow Six, a franchise born from the acclaimed novels of Tom Clancy, has evolved significantly under Ubisoft’s stewardship. After over 10 iterations, the series shifted towards online multiplayer with Rainbow Six Siege, pitting two five-person teams against each other in tactical combat utilizing unique operators with specialized weapons and abilities. While Siege garnered mixed reactions, its addictive gameplay and challenging team-based mechanics resonated with a large player base. Building on Siege’s success, Ubisoft ventured into uncharted territory with Rainbow Six Extraction, a PvE (Player Versus Environment) experience where players cooperate against a mysterious alien threat known as the Archaeans. This review explores whether Rainbow Six Extraction is worth your time and investment.

A Refined PvE Experience

Originating from Rainbow Six Siege’s Year 3 Season 1 “Outbreak” event, the core concept of Extraction offered a refreshing change of pace. Players teamed up in squads of three to confront a unique viral threat. This large-scale event, lauded for its innovative gameplay, combined Siege’s signature elements into a compelling PvE experience. However, “Outbreak” lasted only four weeks and has yet to return.

Answering the community’s call, Ubisoft released Rainbow Six Extraction as a standalone title, entirely separate from Siege and dedicated to PvE gameplay. Extraction excels as a tactical co-op shooter, sharing similarities with titles like GTFO and Ready or Not. Its gameplay emphasizes meticulous planning, strategic execution, and adaptability.

Rainbow Six Extraction’s diverse operators offer unique tactical advantages.

Thirteen randomly assigned objectives are spread across three sub-zones within each map. Objectives range from “Serial Scan,” requiring players to secure three locations within a limited time, to “Rescue,” tasking players with extracting a hostage from deep within Archaean territory. While objectives often revolve around securing areas or eliminating enemies, the expansive maps and dynamic objective placement ensure replayability and freshness.

Strategic planning is crucial for success in Extraction’s challenging missions.

The Prep Phase reveals objectives beforehand, allowing for strategic operator and loadout selection. The game’s map design is also commendable, with each zone featuring distinct themes, interconnected pathways, and ample flanking routes. Extraction successfully transforms a limited-time event into a fully realized game with polished design and high replay value.

High Risk, High Reward

Beyond the “Moderate” and “Cautious” difficulty settings, Rainbow Six Extraction presents a formidable challenge. The risk/reward system is finely tuned, creating an ideal environment for tactical experimentation and fostering communication and teamwork.

The game expertly implements difficulty spikes. Upon detecting players, enemies provide a brief window for stealthy takedowns or suppressed fire. Failure to capitalize on this window alerts nearby foes, and nests will spawn additional Archaeans, rapidly escalating the threat level. Missteps can quickly lead to unfavorable situations, even resulting in operators becoming MIA (Missing In Action), requiring subsequent rescue missions.

Extracting downed teammates is a crucial aspect of Extraction’s cooperative gameplay.

Conversely, completing missions at higher difficulties yields increased experience and progression rewards, unlocking new operator abilities, weapons, cosmetics, and React Tech. Beyond the four standard maps, the advanced “Wall-to-Wall” and ranked “Maelstrom” modes provide additional challenges and rewards for competitive players. These modes receive regular weekly updates, further enhancing replayability.

Rainbow Six Extraction features a variety of challenging enemy types.

Enhanced Audio-Visual Presentation

As a long-time Siege player, Extraction’s improved audio-visual fidelity is immediately apparent. The game leverages advanced lighting and shadow effects to create stunning visuals, particularly in confined spaces where the atmosphere is palpable.

Extraction’s environments are detailed and atmospheric.

Despite these graphical enhancements, performance remains stable even on older hardware. The sound design is equally impressive, with each Archaean type possessing distinct audio cues, allowing players to identify approaching threats. Larger enemies, like the Smasher, produce heavy footsteps and tremors, while smaller Archaeans can be detected by their characteristic growls.

The Archaeans present a diverse and terrifying threat.

Missed Opportunities and Repetitive Design

Built upon existing assets, Extraction misses opportunities to expand the narrative and explore the lore connecting it to Siege. The Codex, containing character bios and enemy intel, feels underwhelming and readily accessible online. The narrative feels shallow and underdeveloped.

Some of Extraction’s design choices feel underdeveloped.

Boss encounters suffer from repetitive “bullet-sponge” mechanics, requiring players to chip away at massive health bars. This tedious process detracts from the overall experience. The 18 operators, largely repurposed from Siege with minor tweaks, contribute to a sense of familiarity but lack originality. While appealing to veteran Siege players, this approach may hinder long-term player retention.

While familiar, the operator roster could benefit from more unique additions.

Conclusion

Rainbow Six Extraction delivers a compelling and challenging tactical co-op experience. Its polished gameplay, rewarding risk/reward system, and enhanced audio-visual presentation are commendable. However, missed narrative opportunities and repetitive design choices hold it back from its full potential. While Extraction provides a thrilling and engaging experience, continued support and fresh content will be crucial for its long-term success.