Will Rainbow Six Extraction actually be good?

The Rainbow Six Siege community has been pretty skeptical of Rainbow Six Extraction. Ever since the trailer dropped two years ago, R6 fans have been immediately turned off by the concept of fighting aliens instead of terrorists. Some said it looked too easy. Others felt that Ubisoft could have just made Extraction DLC for Rainbow Six Siege. 

But is all the negativity warranted? 

What is Rainbow Six Extraction about?

Extraction takes place a few years after a parasitic alien species was discovered in New Mexico. The alien species has since evolved into the Archaeans and have started to take over different areas of North America. Operators equipped with the right skills to contain these invaders have been called upon to take on the Archaeans head on. 

Many Rainbow Six fans felt that the plot wasn't really what they had in mind for a game in the series. They wanted to just continue fighting terrorists and weren't fans of the science fiction story. 

Others were frustrated to see the same operators return. It seemed lazy and a bit uninspired. But other R6 fans pointed out that it only made sense to bring the same operators back. These are characters that the community already knows and loves and Extraction takes place in the same world as Siege. 

Is Rainbow Six Extraction too easy? 

The majority of the community's negative feedback has been from watching content creators play through the game early. Many streamers have noted that the game is too easy, but it should be noted that the game is locked on easy mode in the press version. 

One streamer recently played the game on the hardest mode. YouTuber Corecross explained that "everything" was thrown at his trio in this mode, calling it "very difficult" and "a hell of a lot of fun," even though some runs went badly for the squad. He noted that the game was quite intense in his commentary. 

The YouTube comments applauded Ubisoft for this harder version, seeming much more entertained this time around. Many said that the game looked better than they thought, although some were still not pleased with the demo overall due to other gameplay elements and plot points. 

What is Rainbow Six Extraction gameplay like?

While Extraction may not be the serious, terrorist-driven game that Siege is, the game can be enjoyed if seen more as a cooperative game with friends where you team up to fight crazy monsters. Instead of an intense focus on strategy, Extraction may be more about shooting up bad guys. 

Here is what critics have been saying so far: 

The gameplay is slow

Despite being all about crazy alien enemies, Extraction isn't as chaotic as many reviewers initially believed it would be. It has a slower pace much like Siege, with close-quarter shootouts more present than zany monster chases. 

Despite the gameplay being a bit slow, operators are still easy to kill like in Rainbow Six Siege. A few attacks can down a teammate, meaning you still have to be aware of your surroundings and use strategy to remain on top of the Archaeans. 

Operators work differently

The operators in Extraction were plucked from Siege, picked for their abilities and how well they would mesh in PvE gameplay. But reviewers noticed that the gadgets worked differently. For example, Vigil's backpack usually makes him invisible on cameras but in Extraction he is temporarily undetectable to the aliens.

Walls are still breakable

Operators are also not focused on destroying walls. There are still destructible walls, but breaching wasn't really a big part of the gameplay. Still, you can shoot through walls and reinforce doors and windows. This offers a variety of different gameplay possibilities and tactics that will ensure Extraction doesn't get stale fast, said some reviewers. 

Is Rainbow Six Extraction worth $60?

Many R6 fans are saying that Extraction isn't worth the full $60 since it doesn't seem as full-fledged as Rainbow Six Siege. But Rainbow Six Extraction isn't going to be $60 anyway. Extraction was originally announced as a full-priced game but has since been dropped to $39.99. 

While this is good news for players in the R6 community who don't feel it's worth the $60, it also has players worried that developers are not confident in the game. Some wonder if the game will be ready. Others feel that the game will be bare bones and underwhelming. 

But reviews have been positive so far. Most Extraction players, including streamers and reviewers, have felt the game was fun. While it may not be as complex as Rainbow Six Siege, Extraction is still an entertaining entry in the Tom Clancey series that still requires strategy and mechanical skills to take down the alien enemy.