Rainbow Six Extraction Review!　Team up in teams of three to face off against the unknown life form, the Archieen!

Rainbow Six Extraction" will be released for PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S and PC on January 20, 2022 (Thursday), the latest in the "Rainbow Six" series, which boasts worldwide popularity not only as an FPS but also as an e-sports event. This is the latest title in the Rainbow Six series. This time, we had the opportunity to play the full version of the game and we would like to share with you our review of the game.

Fighting the unknown life form "Archieen" in three sub-zones

One day, a meteorite falls in the U.S. state of New Mexico, causing an outbreak of unknown origin. Subsequently, "chimeric parasites," the cause of the spread of the infection, appear in various locations, leading to a major incident that shakes the entire United States. The player heads to the site as a member of a unit called "REACT" and engages in a battle to bring the situation under control. This is the story of the game.

In contrast to the previous game, in which the main focus was on the battle against other players, this game is centered on the battle against a life form called "Archaeon". This is the so-called "PvE" (Player vs. Environment) genre, in which the main focus is on players fighting against the enemies of the game. Players form teams of one or two or three to carry out various missions in an environment infested with archiens.

The stage is divided into three "subzones," each with one objective per subzone. The objective is to accomplish a total of three objectives. There are various types of objectives, such as blowing up targets, capturing targets, and collecting information, and the content changes each time the same stage is attempted. However, whether or not to accomplish each objective is optional, and the mission can be interrupted at any time from the escape point if necessary.

What must be taken care of during a mission is the management of physical strength. The player-controlled operators do not automatically regenerate their health. Some items such as "medical kits" and the operator abilities described below can be used to compensate for this, but they will only temporarily increase the operator's strength. Enemy attacks are generally severe, so it is important to complete the mission without taking damage.

If the operator's health reaches zero, he or she will be captured by the enemy and the current mission will fail. Experience gained from destroying enemies and accomplishing objectives will also disappear. Of particular importance is the fact that operators captured by the enemy cannot be used until they are rescued. In order to save your friends, you can use a different operator to take on the mission, but of course you run the risk of being killed by the enemy.

When an operator's health reaches zero in a multiplayer game, the operator is "down". If an ally revives the operator during this time, the downed operator can recover on the spot. The second time, however, the operator is "stunned" and cannot be revived. In this case, the operator cannot be revived, and someone must carry him to the recovery device at the escape point. Having zero energy is fatal not only to oneself but also to one's team.

In between the zones is a space called the "airlock. Inside are ammunition and other supply items to help you regain your strength.

In order to avoid chipping the operator, careful maneuvering is required so that the mission can be completed while maintaining as much physical strength as possible. Archieen are sensitive to sounds made by the player, so if you equip a "suppressor" to reduce the sound of gunfire, or move slowly to muffle their footsteps, you can attack them unilaterally without them noticing you. Shooting at their weak points will basically take them down with a single shot, so there is no need to worry about being hit back, and it also helps to conserve ammunition. When attacking Archieen, it is better to focus on the weak points as much as possible.

Operators with Various Capabilities

There are a total of 18 operators in this work. They are composed of specialists from various countries and have various roles, such as attack and support. At first, only nine operators can be used, but as the "milestone" levels are raised, they are gradually released.

Operators can use one main and one sub weapon, one "REACT tech," which is equipment such as mines and hand grenades, and "abilities," which are unique equipment. Abilities can temporarily increase the health of allies, detect surrounding enemies, and destroy walls to create passages, all of which are essential for completing missions.

In particular, the abilities to heal and search for enemies were of great help to me many times during the mission. In this game, where a single blow can be fatal, spotting is essential for a preemptive attack, and recovery is essential to prevent the operator from going down or being stunned. However, these powerful abilities are limited in use, with some limiting the number of times they can be used, and others requiring time before they can be used again, thus striking a good balance between advantages and disadvantages.

As experience is accumulated and leveled up, the number of weapons and REACT techs that operators can equip increases, as well as their "speed" and "armor. Speed" refers to movement speed, and "armor" refers to defensive strength. Operators who were fragile at first will become more resilient, so even if their playing skills are not up to par, they can compensate to a certain extent with their status.

With a total of 18 operators, it is difficult to raise the level of the game, but there are cases in which it is better to use as many operators as possible in this game. The point mentioned earlier that "operators' health does not automatically recover" applies outside of missions as well. Strictly speaking, the operator's reduced strength will not be recovered after returning from a mission. In order to recover, you need to complete several missions with different operators.

It is possible to continue using the operator as is, but it is dangerous enough even if the initial strength is low. As a result, the player is forced to go out with a replacement operator to recover his injured comrades. At first glance, this seems like a disadvantage, but at the same time it means more opportunities to use different operators.

If you are playing a game that encourages cooperative play and you have been using one of your favorite characters for a long time, you will be in trouble if another player chooses to use that character, because you will have no replacement. In this game, however, players are naturally encouraged to use multiple operators, so they have a wider range of options to choose from. In the course of trying out the game, you may come to like an operator you have never used before because you didn't like him or her. In this sense, the system of this game is like a compatibility test between the player and the operators.

The fact that the player's health does not automatically recover creates a sense of tension, and at the same time, the difficulty of the game functions as an opportunity to check the player's aptitude, which seems very clever. The ease with which each mission takes only about 20 minutes made it possible to try out multiple operators in a short period of time.

Three players plus voice chat is ideal when playing

For this review, we played with a party of three, including two experienced FPS players. Even the lowest difficulty level, "medium," was difficult, and at first we could only clear two objectives. After playing for a few hours, we got used to it and were able to complete even the "high" difficulty level missions, but it was still not stable.

Although I did not try it this time, I also felt that the difficulty level is higher when two people are involved in a mission than when one person is alone; if one of the two falls, the other has to cover the injured person, so neither of them can move freely. Another significant feature of this mission is that the level of difficulty is finely calibrated according to the number of people participating in the mission. If one person is knocked down or knocked out, the remaining person has to take care of two people's worth of compensation, making the mission even more difficult. If there are three people in the team, the one who is free can support the others.

However, it is also true that this difficulty makes team play more interesting. The strategy meeting to decide whether to continue the mission with one of the team members missing, or who will take the fallen recovery item, is like being a member of the Special Forces, and the sense of realism is greatly enhanced. As already mentioned, the game is designed to use different operators for each team, so it is interesting to create a different tactical plan each time.

Voice chat is recommended for teams to coordinate with each other. Simple chat with canned messages is implemented, so even in "Quick Play," where you play randomly selected people, you can collaborate to some extent. Nevertheless, in this game, where just a few enemies attacking you can put you at a disadvantage at once, communication by canned text alone is somewhat inadequate. At least until you get used to it, it is better to use voice chat to communicate as needed.

Although the game's hard-hitting style of difficulty makes it less exhilarating to slay hordes of enemies, the real appeal of "Rainbow Six Extraction" lies in the tactical nature of working together with friends and making plans to move forward. The new "PvE" format has also lowered the hurdle for those who are interested in FPS games but are not comfortable playing against other players. This title will be compatible with the "Xbox Game Pass" subscription service, so those who have subscribed may want to give it a try first.

（This title will be compatible with the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, so subscribers may want to give it a try first.)

Game Information
Rainbow Six Extraction
Release date: January 20, 2022
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC
Price:
Normal Edition 6,600 yen (tax included)
Deluxe Edition: 7,920 yen (including tax)
Genre: Cooperative tactical first-person shooter
Players: 1-3 players online
CERO: C

Notes
Upgrading from the PlayStation4 version to the PlayStation5 version
Owners of the PlayStation4 version of "Rainbow Six Extraction" (packaged and digital versions) can upgrade to the PS5 version for 100 yen (tax included).
To play the upgraded PS5 digital version of "Rainbow Six Extraction" on PS5, the PS4 disc of "Rainbow Six Extraction" that you purchased must be in your PS5.
You must have a PS5 to upgrade from the disc version; upgrades are not available for the PS5 Digital Edition. Digital Editions are available as both PS4 downloadable and PS5 downloadable versions. You will also need to register with PlayStation Network, have sufficient storage space, and a high-speed Internet connection and its connection fee.

Upgrading from the Xbox One version to the Xbox Series X
Rainbow Six Extraction is Smart Delivery compatible. Once you purchase the game, you can play both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X versions of "Rainbow Six Extraction" on either console.

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