Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction

Last updated
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction
Rainbow Six Extraction cover art.jpg
Developer(s) Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher(s) Ubisoft
Director(s) Patrik Methé
Producer(s) Antoine Vimal de Monteil
Designer(s) Alicia Fortier
Series Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Engine AnvilNext 2.0
Platform(s)
ReleaseJanuary 20, 2022 [1]
Genre(s) Tactical shooter
Mode(s) Multiplayer

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction (originally known as Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Quarantine) is an online multiplayer tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. A spin-off of Rainbow Six Siege (2015), Extraction is a cooperative multiplayer game in which players must work together to combat and defeat a type of parasite-like aliens called the Archæans. The game was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Amazon Luna, Google Stadia, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on January 20, 2022. It received mixed reviews from critics.

Contents

Gameplay

Rainbow Six Extraction is a cooperative multiplayer game that can support up to three players. In Extraction, the operators must infiltrate an alien-infested location and complete objectives, such as collecting samples, extracting materials from computers, and gathering intel. Each play session, known as an "incursion", is made up of three interconnected sub-maps, and players will be assigned any one of the twelve objectives randomly in each sub-map. [2] The location of the objectives and the placement of enemies are procedurally generated. [3] Once the player secured their objective, they can choose to extract themselves, or explore the next sub-map. A new area can be more difficult than the previous, but players receive more rewards by completing them successfully. Extracting early ensures the safety of operators. If an operator is taken down by an enemy, they will become missing in action or Inactive, and players cannot play as them until they have rescued them in an extraction mission. Characters which are severely injured in the previous mission will also remain hurt and will only recover slowly. [4]

Many operators from Siege return in Extraction, as they have formed the Rainbow Exogenous Analysis and Containment Team (REACT) in order to contain the alien threat. [5] Before the commencement of any mission, players can choose their operator from a pool of 18. Each operator has their own unique weapons and gadgets. For instance, Pulse has a heartbeat sensor that allows him to spot enemies through walls, while Alibi can deploy a holographic decoy to distract enemies. Team composition is essential for success, as the players in the same session must select three different characters. [6] Like Siege, players can send out recon drones to scout the area, reinforce doors and windows to seal entrances, and shoot through walls. Players must work together and coordinate with each other in order to succeed. The game has a ping system which allows players to reveal the locations of hostile threats and resources to other players. [2]

The aliens featured in the game are called the "Archæans". In addition to the standard enemies, there are also special variants, such as the spikers that can shoot sharp projectiles from their body, and rooters that can slow the player down significantly. [3] Areas are covered with a calcified lime called "sprawl". Players are significantly slowed down while they stand on Sprawl, while enemies will become much stronger. Sprawl can be repelled by shooting at it. [3] Unlike most other cooperative multiplayer games, Extraction has a slower pace. Players' health does not regenerate, and health pick-ups, supplies and ammo are scarce. Stealth is encouraged. If the player is detected by an opponent after making too much noise, it will shriek and attract more enemies. [7]

Development

Rainbow Six Extraction was developed by Ubisoft Montreal as a spin-off of 2015's Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege . According to Jason Schreier, Extraction originated from a project named Pioneer which was first teased in Watch Dogs 2 (2016). Pioneer was originally envisioned as a sci-fi exploration game, until it was repurposed in 2019 with Siege's engine AnvilNext 2.0. [8] [9] The game is based on a time-limited game mode in Siege named Outbreak in 2018, in which players must combat hostile aliens in New Mexico. [10] Despite that, Ubisoft reiterated that the game is a mainline title in the series, as Extraction was intended as an experience for players who are not interested in playing player-versus-player multiplayer video game. [2] By having Siege characters playable in Extraction, the team believed they can attract players from Siege to play the game, and enable Extraction to become a good entry point for new players. [4]

One of the early challenges during the game's development is combining elements of a horde mode shooter into Rainbow Six. While most other games focus extensively on using firearms to gun down enemies, Extraction instead focuses on the objectives and surviving the encounters with the aliens, as the team believed that the characters in the game, which are members of a SWAT team, should not be "entrenched and shoot and mow down hundreds of enemies" and instead should surprise the enemies by ambushing them. [2] Teammates would become missing in action, as the team believed that this feature can induce a sense of tension, since players always need to decide whether they would continue venturing further into the containment zone at the risk of losing an operator temporarily. [4]

The game was revealed during E3 2019 as Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Quarantine and was set to be released in 2020 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. [11] The game was delayed in October 2019 alongside two other Ubisoft titles to fiscal year 2020-2021 in order to give the team more time. [12] It was then delayed again to fiscal year 2021-2022 due to development challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. [13] Also during the pandemic, Ubisoft reportedly dropped the Quarantine name due to its association with the pandemic, [14] using the internal codename Parasite until they announced the new title as Extraction in June 2021. [15] In July, it was delayed once more to January 2022. [16] An email invitation for a Technical Test went out to “selected” participants on November 2, 2021, with the test itself taking place from November 5–7. [17] The game was released on January 20, 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Luna, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S with cross-platform play supported. [18] Ubisoft also lowered the launch price of Extraction, and introduced free co-op passes for players. [19] Ubisoft also revealed on January 5, 2022 that Extraction would launch day one on Xbox Game Pass for Console, Cloud, and PC users.

According to an official Ubisoft Support employee, development on the game has been paused indefinitely since around Q4 2022.

Reception

Rainbow Six Extraction received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. [20] [21] [22] The game attracted three million players within its first week of release. [31]

The Washington Post praised the title's extraction mechanic, saying that it "lends the game a layer of drama and, at times, humor. Back-seat sessions in which one player is tasked with rescuing his downed teammates... become nail-biter spectacles". [32] PC Gamer liked the vulnerability of characters, writing that "This fragility builds tension as we step deeper into enemy territory trying not to alert an Archaean long enough for it to scream", but criticized the higher difficulties as being unbalanced. [28] While disliking the repetitiveness of the game modes, IGN appreciated the visual design. [27] GameSpot lauded the shooting mechanics, tactical depth generated by interconnected zones, and progression track, while criticizing the unremarkable story, operator disparity, and specific studies. [25] Push Square called some of the art direction "spectacular", going on to similarly praise the health system, stealth, and setting while citing the unimpressive AI, enemy design, level progression, story, and lack of engaging gameplay as major drawbacks. [30]

The game's lack of innovation was commonly criticised. PCGamesN felt that the game misused Siege's mechanics and operators, "All of those ingredients are present in Extraction, but they’ve been mixed in such a way that they fail to impart any flavour." He further compared Extraction to the limited-time game mode Outbreak in Siege. [29] GamesRadar+ appreciated the alien races, multiplayer, and iteration upon Siege's ideas while panning it for lacking identity and being repetitive. [26] Game Informer praised the weapon handling, enemy variety, and polish, but called the title "incredibly safe and markedly less gripping than its predecessor." [24] EGM concluded that Siege's mechanics were successfully adapted for cooperative play but called the game "more boring than it has any right to be...more of an obligation than an escape." [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tactical shooter</span> Video game terminology

Tactical shooter is a sub-genre of first- and third-person shooters, associated with using strategy, planning, and tactics in gameplay, as well as the realistic simulations of ballistics, accurate firearm mechanics, physics and stamina, and low time to kill. Dating back to the late 1980s, the genre first rose to prominence in the late 1990s with the releases of several well-received tactical shooters. The popularity of the genre saw a decline in the late 2000s as more the arcade-like fast-paced action of other types of shooters rose to prominence, but it has seen a revitalization since the mid-2010s with the successful releases of several modern tactical shooters.

<i>Tom Clancys Ghost Recon</i> (2001 video game) 2001 video game

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon is a tactical shooter video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubi Soft in 2001 for Microsoft Windows. It is the first game in the Ghost Recon series. It was ported to Mac OS, Xbox and PlayStation 2 in 2002 and to the GameCube in 2003. Ports for N-Gage and Game Boy Advance were planned, but later canceled. Unlike Clancy's other tactical shooter series, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon is not based on any of his books.

<i>Tom Clancys Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield</i> 2003 video game

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield is a 2003 tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubi Soft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It is the third entry in the Rainbow Six series. The game's plot follows Rainbow, a secret international counterterrorist organization, as they respond to a wave of terrorist attacks threatening South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Storm Entertainment</span> American video game developer

Red Storm Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and studio of Ubisoft based in Cary, North Carolina. Founded in November 1996 between author Tom Clancy, manager Doug Littlejohns, and software development company Virtus Corporation, Red Storm develops games in the Tom Clancy's franchise. Ubisoft acquired the studio in August 2000.

<i>Tom Clancys Rainbow Six: Lockdown</i> 2005 video game

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown is a 2005 tactical first-person shooter video game published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and Microsoft Windows. It is the fourth game in the Rainbow Six series. The game's plot follows Rainbow, an international counterterrorist organization, as they battle a terrorist organization that has stolen a deadly bioweapon.

<i>Tom Clancys Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter</i> 2006 video game

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (GRAW) is a tactical shooter video game released for the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows in 2006. As in previous Ghost Recon games, players command their team while neutralizing hostile forces and completing various mission objectives. These objectives can range from escorting friendly units across the map to rescuing hostages or taking out enemy artillery.

<i>Tom Clancys Rainbow Six: Critical Hour</i> 2006 video game

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Critical Hour is a 2006 tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft exclusively for the Xbox. It is the fifth game in the Rainbow Six series. The game's plot, set during John Clark's retirement as leader of international counterterrorist organization Rainbow, recaps several past missions Clark handled during his time commanding Rainbow.

<i>Tom Clancys Rainbow Six: Vegas</i> 2006 video game

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas is the sixth game in the Rainbow Six series of video games. It was released in November 2006 for the Xbox 360, December 2006 for Windows, and in June 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. The game's storyline follows a new team that is dispatched to Las Vegas, Nevada to defeat international terrorist Irena Morales and her army of mercenaries that are repeatedly attacking key locations in the city. A sequel developed by Ubisoft Montreal was released on Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 consoles in March 2008 and on PC in April 2008. The game is also playable on Xbox Series X with online features still available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ubisoft Anvil</span> Game engine developed by Ubisoft Montreal

Ubisoft Anvil is a game engine created by Ubisoft Montreal and used in the Assassin's Creed video game series as well as other Ubisoft games. The engine is used on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Stadia. Ubisoft Anvil is one of the primary game engines used by Ubisoft along with Disrupt, Dunia, and Snowdrop.

<i>Tom Clancys Splinter Cell: Conviction</i> 2010 video game

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction is a 2010 stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Microsoft Game Studios and Ubisoft. The game is a sequel to Splinter Cell: Double Agent and part of the Splinter Cell series. Key members of the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas team, such as creative director Maxime Béland worked on the game. It released for Windows and Xbox 360 in April 2010. Gameloft released a handheld version for Apple's iOS in May/July 2010. There are also versions available for Android, Windows Phone and Bada, as well as a side-scrolling 2D version for mobile phones.

<i>Tom Clancys Rainbow Six: Vegas 2</i> 2008 video game

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 is the seventh installment in the Rainbow Six series. It is a first-person shooter video game and the sequel to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas. It was announced by Ubisoft on November 20, 2007. The game was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in March 2008. The Microsoft Windows version, however, was delayed until April 2008. It was released in Japan on April 24, 2008, for the Xbox 360 and on May 29, 2008, for the PlayStation 3. This game is also available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility.

<i>Tom Clancys H.A.W.X</i> Arcade flight video game

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X is an arcade flight video game developed by Ubisoft Bucharest and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and by Gameloft for BlackBerry PlayBook, iOS, Palm Pre, Android and Symbian^3. It was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in North America on March 3, 2009, for Windows on March 17, for iOS on December 9, for BlackBerry on January 8, 2010, for Palm Pre on April 2, for Android on September 13, and for Symbian on January 16, 2011. A Wii version was announced, but was ultimately canceled. In September 2010, a sequel titled Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X 2 was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The Microsoft Windows and Wii versions were released in November 2010. In November 2018, Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X was added to the Xbox One's Backwards Compatibility list although only through physical media as it is not available on the Xbox Marketplace.

<i>Tom Clancys Ghost Recon: Future Soldier</i> 2012 video game

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a third-person tactical shooter video game developed and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It was released in May and June 2012. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier was announced to be in development by Ubisoft on January 22, 2009. The game has a futuristic take on the Ghost Recon series. The campaign has settings such as Bolivia, Zambia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, and Norway.

<i>Tom Clancys Rainbow 6: Patriots</i> Video game

Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Patriots is a cancelled first-person shooter video game, part of the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series, announced on the cover of the December 2011 issue of Game Informer. It was to be published by Ubisoft, and was developed by the company's Montreal studio, with additional development by Ubisoft Toronto and Red Storm Entertainment. Due to the death of Tom Clancy in October 2013, concern was raised that this game would become the last to bear his name. Ubisoft has since stated that they will continue putting Tom Clancy's name on future Tom Clancy titles out of respect for the late author.

<i>Tom Clancys The Division</i> 2016 video game

Tom Clancy's The Division is an online-only action role-playing video game developed by Massive Entertainment and published in 2016 by Ubisoft, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. It is set in a near future New York City in the aftermath of a viral pandemic; the player, a Special Agent of the Strategic Homeland Division, is tasked with helping the group rebuild its operations in Manhattan, investigate the nature of the outbreak, and combat criminal activity in its wake. The Division is structured with elements of role-playing games, as well as cooperative and player versus player online multiplayer. This game also marks the debut of Massive and Ubisoft's Snowdrop game engine.

<i>Tom Clancys Rainbow Six Siege</i> 2015 video game

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is an online tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released worldwide for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on December 1, 2015; the game was also released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S exactly five years later on December 1, 2020. The title received a port for Google Stadia on June 30, 2021, and one for Amazon Luna in January 2022. The game puts heavy emphasis on environmental destruction and cooperation between players. Each player assumes control of an attacker or a defender in different gameplay modes such as rescuing a hostage, defusing a bomb, and taking control of an objective within a room. The title has no campaign but features a series of short, offline missions called, "situations" that can be played solo. These missions have a loose narrative, focusing on recruits going through training to prepare them for future encounters with the "White Masks", a terrorist group that threatens the safety of the world.

<i>Tom Clancys</i> Video games based on works of Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy's is a branding used by video game company Ubisoft for several video games, some of which feature the works of American author Tom Clancy, while others do not. Various sub-series are often unrelated to each other with a few exceptions, although most are shooters set in modern or near-future military settings.

<i>Tom Clancys Ghost Recon Wildlands</i> 2017 video game set in Bolivia

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands is a third-person tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Paris and Ubisoft Milan, and published by Ubisoft. It was released worldwide on March 7, 2017, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One as the tenth installment in the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon franchise and is the first game in the Ghost Recon series to feature an open world environment.

References

  1. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (November 11, 2021). "Rainbow Six Extraction Gets a Release Date and a Lower Price". IGN . Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hornshaw, Phil (June 12, 2021). "Rainbow Six Extraction Sneaks You Into Alien Territory In Search Of Knowledge--And Fallen Comrades". GameSpot . Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Park, Morgan (June 12, 2021). "Rainbow Six Extraction isn't as Left 4 Dead as I thought it'd be". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Avard, Alex (June 12, 2016). "Rainbow Six Extraction preview: Hands-on with the PvE shooter formerly known as Quarantine". GamesRadar . Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  5. ↑ Wen, Alex (June 12, 2021). "Rainbow Six Extraction is full of creepy aliens in new trailers". The Verge . Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  6. ↑ Irvin, Dave (June 12, 2021). "Rainbow Six Extraction operators". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  7. ↑ McCaffery, Ryan (June 13, 2021). "Rainbow Six Extraction Hands-On: It's Full of Surprises – E3 2021". IGN . Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  8. ↑ Schreier, Jason (January 29, 2019). "The Real Story Behind Pioneer, The Troubled Sci-Fi Game Teased In Watch Dogs 2". Kotaku . Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  9. ↑ Peel, Jeremy (November 2, 2020). "Rainbow Six Quarantine's prototype was a zero-g space station puzzler". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  10. ↑ Grubb, Jeff (June 12, 2021). "Rainbow Six: Extraction gets re-revealed during Ubisoft's E3 2021 event". VentureBeat . Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  11. ↑ Reeves, Ben (June 10, 2019). "Rainbow Six Quarantine Is A New 3-Player Tactical Shooter". Game Informer . Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  12. ↑ Bankhurst, Adam (November 21, 2019). "Ubisoft Delays Watch Dogs Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods and Monsters, Ghost Recon Breakpoint and The Division 2 Underperform". IGN . Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  13. ↑ Wales, Matt (October 29, 2021). "Ubisoft delays Far Cry 6 and Rainbow Six Quarantine in latest financial report". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  14. ↑ Brown, Matt (February 26, 2021). "Report: Rainbow Six Quarantine renamed Parasite internally, final name to change further". Windows Central . Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  15. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (June 8, 2021). "Rainbow Six Extraction Is the Final Name for Ubisoft's New PvE Shooter". IGN . Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  16. ↑ "An Update on Rainbow Six Extraction". news.ubisoft.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  17. ↑ "Technical Test Invite Email". 5 November 2021.
  18. ↑ Jarrard, Chris (June 12, 2021). "Rainbow Six Extraction to feature crossplay between all platforms". Shacknews . Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ Park, Morgan (November 12, 2021). "Ubisoft lowers price of Rainbow Six Extraction, offers free co-op passes for friends". PC Gamer . Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  20. 1 2 "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  21. 1 2 "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  22. 1 2 "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  23. 1 2 Goroff, Michael (January 19, 2022). "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction review". Electronic Gaming Monthly . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  24. 1 2 Van Aken, Alex (January 19, 2022). "Rainbow Six Extraction Review – A Strange Encounter". Game Informer . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  25. 1 2 Ramee, Jordan (January 19, 2022). "Rainbow Six Extraction Review - Breach And Clear". GameSpot . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  26. 1 2 Donnelly, Joe (January 19, 2022). "Rainbow Six Extraction review: "A solid shooter held back by its source material"". GamesRadar . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  27. 1 2 Winkie, Luke (January 19, 2022). "Rainbow Six Extraction Review". IGN . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  28. 1 2 Park, Morgan (January 19, 2022). "Rainbow Six Extraction review". PC Gamer . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  29. 1 2 Forward, Jordan (January 19, 2022). "Rainbow Six Extraction review – dead ringer". PCGamesN . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  30. 1 2 Banas, Graham (January 22, 2022). "Rainbow Six: Extraction Review (PS5)". Push Square . Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  31. ↑ Maki, Jonas (January 27, 2021). "Rainbow Six: Extraction reaches three million players". Gamereactor. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  32. ↑ Klimentov, Mikhail (January 27, 2022). "'Rainbow Six Extraction' is really good. I don't believe it either". The Washington Post .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.