Playing «Rainbow Six Extraction»: who is this game for?
19.1.2022
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
The new co-op tactical shooter «Rainbow Six Extraction» swaps out human opponents for aliens. The usual «Rainbow Six Siege » operators remain. Does it work?
I admit I’ve only played «Rainbow Six Extraction» for a few hours. Ideally, I would’ve already stopped just after the tutorial. Sadly, my doubts only grew: who is this game designed for? Like its namesake «Rainbow Six Siege», it relies on a wide range of playable operators. These special units now even have individual levelling systems allowing for customisation. Unlike the popular e-sports title, however, you don’t play against human opponents. In two respects: «Rainbow Six Extraction» has you playing against AI-controlled aliens. Instead of defusing bombs or freeing hostages, it’s mostly about extracting… stuff. In other words, lots of rescue and collection missions.
The backstory has about as much depth as «Independence Day». A meteor released a foreign parasite, infecting anything it comes in contact with. Unfortunately, the protagonists are generic mannequins and can’t mask the lackadaisical story with the charm of a Will Smith or Jeff Goldblum.
Three missions for the price of one
Alone or in teams of up to three players, you’ll complete extraction missions in locations such as New York, San Francisco or Alaska. Levels always consist of three sections separated by locks. The further you venture, the more difficult they become. But your loot will be all the sweeter for it. At extraction points, you can leave the level at any time. Enemies consist of a number of aliens with different special abilities. Most of the time it pays to proceed quietly and kill enemies discreetly. As soon as an alien sounds the alarm, things get uncomfortable.
If you fall victim to the monsters, that operator will stay behind in the level. Before you can play then in your area again, you must evacuate them. A fallen operator automatically becomes a mission target on your next trip.
Aliens are no substitute for human opponents
The levels have a similar open structure as in Rainbow Six Siege and offer different paths that you can take. Without human opponents, however, they simply lack any incentive. The missions aren’t particularly exciting and using operators against computer opponents almost feels like a waste. These PVE missions (Player vs. Environment) already feel like warm-up exercises for actual multiplayer matches in «Siege».
The game was originally called «Rainbow Six Quarantine». A name obviously chosen before the current Corona pandemic, and dropped accordingly quickly thereafter. Thinking about it now, I’m pretty sure that’s how I’ll feel about this game generally. Sure, you can have fun together with two friends. Thing is, there are plenty of good co-op games out there, and Extraction just doesn’t have much to draw me in after the first few hours. The fact that it’ll be included in Xbox Game Pass at launch is also telling. But maybe it’s just me, and Ubisoft has its next long-running hit on its hands. Still, I’d put it in the «Ghost Recon Breakpoint» category.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.