Rainbow Six Siege always felt out of reach, a hill far too high to climb. Its gameplay wasn’t quite what I was used to, requiring near-instant reaction times with far too many tools to rely on, not to mention over 20 operators to choose from.
To put it more clearly, Siege was too complicated, and I always wished there was an easier way for me to find my footing in the game without being totally crushed by the opposition.
Enter Siege X, which aptly commemorates the tenth year of Rainbow Six Siege in the same breath that it introduces a whole new mode for fans to enjoy. It keeps the same SWAT-like qualities of its namesake while inviting a fresh new take on the tactical shooter experience, all with shiny new interiors and maps to boot.
The Call of Duty fan in me wasn’t just impressed. I’m itching to get back in and try more of its thrilling gameplay — and it's all thanks to Dual Front.
New look, same Siege (but better)
It’s no secret that Rainbow Six Siege was showing its age. Owing to ten long years since its initial release, Siege's maps are starting to look straight out of the PS3 era. But that's all about to change.
Ubisoft and developer Ubisoft Montreal have painstakingly worked to polish several maps. There's a special, loving feel added into the mix — not just in terms of graphics or textures but lighting, too.
A total of five maps are being redesigned for the Siege X update, including Clubhouse, Bank, Kafe, Border, and Chalet. More maps will be modernized over time, so don't expect these to be the only ones getting all the love.
Although primarily visual in nature, there are some huge effects these changes have on gameplay, especially with shadows. This makes spotting enemies around corners or hiding in specific spots under lights easier. That's a nice touch, especially for someone like me who's not too accustomed to checking cameras all the time.
And it doesn't stop there, as "Destructible Ingredients" adds a fresh spin to firefights. These include gas pipes, metal detectors, and fire extinguishers. The latter is my favorite, offering a quick and easy getaway with its five-second cloud of smoke. More savvy players can shoot a gas pipe to cause an explosion, releasing a small fire that will block entryways and halls.
Ubisoft has also given animations a major tweaking, specifically rappelling. You'll have a bit more freedom of movement when you rappel up and down outer walls and surfaces, allowing you to turn corners and even sprint. I found it to be a world of change, offering broader incentives to use rappelling more efficiently and strategically to access the enemy's HQ.
Speaking of enemy HQs, let me gush about my new favorite obsession: Dual Front.
Respawning what makes Siege so special
While cosmetics and graphics are one thing, Siege is in for another major overhaul in its gameplay loop. A new mode, aptly called Dual Front, aims to reinvigorate the franchise, cajoling casual gamers with less-intensive combat and stringent gameplay set upon the backdrop of what makes Siege, Siege.
How does Dual Front do this? By implementing a 6v6 format that’s designed around offensive and defensive objectives. Think of it like Call of Duty’s Hardpoint, except there’s much more baked into the action.
Your main objective is to take over as much of the map as possible, but with six players on each side, you have to divvy up the firepower as best as possible. So, you can either lock down your own HQ and protect it from incoming hostiles or infiltrate the enemy team’s HQ to overtake it.
Or, you can simply hang out in the Neutral Zone and get your kills up, slowing down the opposition (which is what I did mostly). It's not the best mode of play, but it's better than getting in the way of intense firefights (which is what I did, before sticking to the Neutral Zone).
Dual Front is challenging and rewarding, spiced up with random encounters that can be beneficial in tight spots, like saving and extracting hostages in said Neutral Zones. These can be the difference between winning and losing in certain cases, gifting Dual Front a fresh perspective on the now decade-old FPS.
And, best of all for a filthy casual like me, headshots aren't a one-shot kill.
Adding to this is a rotating roster of Operators. If you're like me and your head spins the moment you peek at the list of Operators, you won't have to worry, as a seasonal checklist of characters will give Dual Front a continual freshness all its own.
Plus, map designs make way for a more fluid gameplay loop. Ubisoft has structured maps more symmetrically, as both sides are identical but with varied colors and prop placements. This makes firefights and enemy encounters slightly less stressful, as there won't be any random openings you haven't already considered, and you're both on equal footing.
But what makes Dual Front a major highlight for me is respawns — not just the new functionality, but also the way Ubisoft implements spawn areas. You have three varied areas to choose from when spawning at the beginning of each match, as well as respawning after dying. This adds a layer of variety to the experience as you quickly determine which objective might be more appealing for your playstyle at any given moment.
In more traditional matches, you'd be left watching your teammates pick up all the slack after you perished. But in Dual Front, you can keep coming back and even change your Operator in the process, as often as you like (provided the Operator isn't already picked by one of your teammates), all in a way that doesn't break the synergy or balance of games.
That's what makes this such a major milestone. It gives newer players a chance to try out all the awesome Siege content they've been missing in the past ten years without the added weight of its stringent gameplay.
Siege’s golden era
Despite my rudimentary skills in Siege, I was floored by the sweeping changes here. Some things could be tweaked, namely audio, which received an overhaul but is still underwhelming. And while enhanced maps are a huge win for players, they might lead to some performance concerns for those playing on less-powerful systems.
Overall, these are huge changes to an already well-beloved experience. It's set to get even better as Ubisoft will add more Operators in tandem with map updates and general improvements over the course of the next few months. I personally would love to see additional Destructible Ingredients added to the mix, like a fire alarm or something audio-related to add to the metal detector.
Ubisoft is even making some changes to the User Interface (UI), adding a red smoke effect to buttons and new click sounds. This might seem minimal, but it gives the experience a whole new flair that it's long needed.
Plus, anti-cheating measures have been greatly improved. While I don't have any real personal experience with this in Siege, the bevy of cheaters plaguing Call of Duty is one of the main reasons I stopped playing. It's nice to see a developer making major strides in this area. And it seems the community agrees.
Rainbow Six Siege is arguably about to enter its golden era. If you've ever been curious but were dissuaded by its hardcore gameplay, now's the best time to try, especially since it's going free-to-play. On release, you'll be able to freely jump into unranked quickplay games, Dual Front, and casual playlists with a total of 26 Operators to choose from.
You can experience Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege X and all its great changes on June 10, or jump into the beta right now.
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