The Rainbow Six Siege isn’t a new name for lovers of the online tactical shooter video game genre. An addition to the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchise, the game came as an improvement on the error-ridden Rainbow 6: Patriots. After Patriots was canceled, Ubisoft went back to the drawing board and came up with this masterpiece that has been ruling the tactical shooter division for over half a decade now. At inception, it wasn’t all rosy for the Siege, as some critics chastised the game for lacking content. This directly impacted their sales. Prompted by all this negativity, the developers began releasing post-launch updates using the Games as a Service model. With these updates, Rainbow Six: Siege very quickly became the best and now boasts over 45 million registered users around the world.

Being a siege game, this game focuses on replicating possible real-life sieges faced by the world’s leading counter-terrorism squads. Set in an easily destructible environment, the game emphasizes on teamwork and communication between players while a mission is ongoing. Its straightforward gameplay follows counter-terrorism unit recruits who are trained to tackle attacks from “White Masks”- a terrorist group that operates globally. Each round features two teams, divided into attackers and defender – put simply the good guys against the bad guys. Each team was initially made up of four players, but this was increased to five through the post-launch updates. Doomed to battle against each other for the same objective, each team is equipped with a unique set of weapons and ammunition as is befitting of their role.

Prior to the start of a round, the teams are given a minute to prepare their tactics before the fire fighting starts. In round involving hostage rescue, the Counter-terrorism unit – the attackers – would have access to drones with which they can survey the environment in search of the enemy, the hostage, and possible defensive traps set by the enemy forces. The Defenders, the terrorist group, would be busy trying to set up a defense without exposing the location of the hostage by destroying any spy-drones in sight. The round ends when either all the members of a team are dead or if the objective is achieved, in this instance, if the hostage is rescued. Once the one-minute is over, the most intense firefight in the history of gaming begins. 

A standout feature, which I believe adds to the realism of the game, is that operators cannot respawn once they’ve been killed in action during a round. The best they can do is help their team from the “Support Mode” which allows them access to drone cameras and security cameras.

As important as the firefight is, it isn’t all there is to Siege. A proper understanding of your gadgets and their workings can be extremely helpful in meeting your objective. On the attacking side, there is a need to understand what and how to detonate bombs to create new paths, how to use breach charges to breach reinforced walls and doorways, and defusing enemy bombs and traps. The defenders, on the other hand, require a knowledge of how to use signal disruptors, set traps that can halt an attacker’s attack. 

Another equipment that needs mastery are the guns. Not every gun performs the same duty. A shotgun may be useful for bursting holes through walls while a sub-machine gun would come in very handy when shooting at multiple targets.

Siege developers have paid particular attention to details. One can tell what weapon or gadget is being fired or deployed by the sound they make. Each gun sounds and shoots different from the other and although this is the norm for games like these, there is a remarkable difference. The camera view and the impact created by bullets hitting the walls also differ depending on the type of round fired and the kind of wall is hit. 

Siege also aims at developing players, strategic thinking, and adaptation to difficult situations and rapid changes. One can prepare all he wants, pick the best team, and the best gadget, and still, things may not go according to plan for your team. Thus, players must be able to adapt their plans, prepare for contingencies, and respond accurately to the resistance put up by the opposing team. Uncertainty wraps its cold fingers around every second in a match, someone or some trap could be lurking in any corner. What makes the difference between a win and a loss could be a few seconds of good or bad decisions. While the attacking team would want to play it cool as it calmly flushes the opponents out, the defending team would attempt to inundate the attackers, scatter their unified attack and pick them off one by one. This constant switch makes the game so tense and captivating that even from the spectator mode, you can’t afford to take a minute respite from the action.

It is not uncommon to find a new feature now and then. Siege is a game that has a long history of being adjusted intermittently by the developers. Sometimes, gadgets and features are utterly removed and maps may be altered with every new downloadable content. While this ensures that the game is continually improved, it could be unsettling for people who easily get attached to certain aspects of the game. This setback can be a blessing, in that it could give you the necessary push to leave your comfort zone and acquire new knowledge. 

Siege brings fun to the table always regardless of what mode or player you chose to use. Solo-missions can also be enjoyable especially if you are a lone-ranger by nature. But generally speaking, Siege encourages teamwork and communication, making the multiplayer an even more exciting experience. With the quality of gaming experience, Rainbow Six: Siege offers, I doubt if any other game can beat the standard anytime soon.