It's been a while since we last heard from Rainbow Six franchise. The long-running tactical shooter franchise used to be one of the premier names for online multi-player action; however, the latest entry in the series, Rainbow Six: Siege, is entering a very gaming market from the one it used to lord over years ago.
In the years since the last entry in the franchise, 2007's Rainbow Six: Las Vegas 2, the shooter landscape has been turned on its head thanks to one name: Call of Duty. The influence of Activision's all-conquering FPS can be seen in almost every big budget shooter series as competitors scramble to recreate CoD's signature blend of high octane, pick-up-and-play fun.
Can Rainbow's strategic approach to competitive FPS still thrive today? Let's take a look at the early verdict from critics.
The Guardian's Tom Sheen awarded Siege 4 out 5 stars, writing that the cerebral gameplay of past entries is still there, but notes there are some undeniable - and maybe unwarranted, Call of Duty style changes.
"...it feels like the developers have followed the COD and Battlefield blueprint a little too much." He writes.
Gamesradar scored Siege a 3.5 out 5 stars, singling out the lack of a single player campaign and the presence of micro transactions as drawbacks.
"Skins and XP boosts are one thing, and Siege has those in abundance, but asking extra money for non-cosmetics such as classes - whether that currency is in-game or actual - feels greedy." writes reviewer Ben Griffin.
IGN's review-in-progress also touched on the lack of content, comparing Siege to other premium priced multiplayer games like Evolve and Star Wars: Battlefront.
Author Ryan McCaffrey says, "My time with Siege so far leaves me feeling like this Rainbow Six revival is a skeleton with not a lot of meat on its bones."
