I am not an FPS fan. The few readers who have followed me thus far know this. I am also not a big online multiplayer participant, save for the few times I dare enter the Street Fighter IV ranked room, vodka in hand to cushion the pain of my defeat.
(For the record, I am better than average in the SF IV matches I play when I try. I accede to trophy hunters; they are kindred souls!)
So when Rainbow Six: Siege became free-to-play for Xbox One owners for this weekend only, I was somewhat hesitant to jump in. (NOTE: it is also free-to-play on PC this weekend. The PlayStation 4 version was not as fortunate.) I am not good at competitive FPS by any stretch of the imagination. Normally, I would have never tried this game. However, it was free, and my Digital Crack mates were on hand to cushion the blow to my psyche. At least I would only be made fun of by them, and they’re mostly morons!
(I kid. My podcast mates are intelligent and insightful. I degrade them only because I’m writing this, and they won’t know I insulted them until after I post it. I GOT THE POWER!)
After an hour of playing Rainbow Six: Siege, I finally saw what Grumpy Joe kept pining about. This game is fun!
When played with a group of friends, it is an extremely fun game. The tactical nature of the game becomes more prescient when you are trying to work out plans of attack within your team. For MP-averse jerks like me, playing with like-minded people makes playing the game fun. It doesn’t mean that it makes you a better player; I sucked like there was no tomorrow! But I was able to stink within the context of fun, and fun is what a game should be.
The tension in the game ramps up for me the moment I enter the objective. Even with my teammates nearby, I found myself moving slowly, crouched and weapon up. Initially, I would shoot at anything that moved; that did not please my teammates, as friendly fire is a thing. Once I was a couple of missions in, I got a feel for what to expect, and I relaxed a bit. Firefights are still tense affairs since you do not regenerate health, but I felt able to handle it. And I did…until I’d get headshot!
There are multiple Operators accessible within the game to fill a role, whether offensive or defensive. All of them can be unlocked via progression with in-game currency. While struggling at early points as a Recruit sucks, progressing with friends makes the progression chore easier. Two hours in, I had two new Operators with upgrades to their basic loadouts. An extra hour in, I knew what I was doing with them enough to not doom my team. The amount of variety here makes it fun to experiment.
Rainbow Six: Siege is limited in its focus. This game is mostly multiplayer; Ubisoft recently added Situations to appease those who like to go solo, but those looking for a true single-player campaign need not apply. Further, the maps and modes are plentiful enough that you will not play repeated scenarios constantly, but the repetition will kick in eventually. After three hours of playing, I kept seeing the some similar maps and scenarios. Games that rely on multiplayer will face this problem eventually.
Still, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Rainbow Six: Siege. If I could guarantee constant playtime with my Digital Crack mates, I would buy in. However, I would not buy it if I have to fend for myself. Nothing changes the fact that I suck as multiplayer FPSes with a vengeance!
