Ubisoft Mantreal took the Rainbow Six franchise in a new direction with Rainbow Six Extraction. Fighting against a parasitic alien race, this game forces players to use those R6 instincts in a fresh new way. Now, we’re getting a taste of the developer’s post-launch plans with Spillover, the first Crisis Event for Rainbow Six Extraction. I got to go hands-on with Spillover to see just how it's shaking up the experience for the co-op shooter.
In a crisis
Crisis Events are in-game events that last for three weeks, offering a new mode with unique challenges and objectives outside of standard play. They’re accessible to all players so long as they have three Operators available in their roster, and there’s a maximum of three players allowed in a party. Luckily, there are no React or Operator Progression requirements to participate.
Spillover is all about being on the defensive. In this particular Crisis Event, players are tasked with planting 9 dissolution canisters around different sections of a map. There’s far more planting spots than are required, so it’s up to you and your group to decide where you want to take your assault. Once you’ve determined a location, it’s time to set up shop and put up your best defensive efforts. Barricading walls, setting up turrets, and using your abilities to hold off the oncoming forces of enemies as best as possible.
Once a wave starts, players will need to defend the dissolution canister for a designated amount of time, typically in the neighborhood of a couple minutes. As enemies begin to pour in, they’ll have their sights set on destroying the canister. If they succeed, players will have to re-plant and attempt the wave again. In true Rainbow Six Extraction style, things get chaotic fast.
Battle instincts
Something really neat about Spillover is the strategy that comes in just picking what areas to defend and how to approach the oncoming waves. Each of the different planting areas has a unique enemy type, allowing players to pick their poison. My group quickly realized that the invisible enemies were giving us the biggest problems and opted to fight elites and spore enemies instead.
We also found that it was a bit more difficult to defend the canister in larger rooms and open areas, as the enemies had more entry points than we were able to keep tabs on. Defending tighter areas worked much better for us as we were able to narrow our focus and lock down the handful of doorways and windows. It’s strategic elements like this that play to the core philosophy of Rainbow Six.
Spillover also leans into the survival aspect of Rainbow Six Extraction. Players are given a total of 25 minutes to successfully plant 9 canisters around the map. At the start of the match, their base camp is loaded with a finite number of medkits, ability recharges, and ammunition. As the game goes on and players look to keep themselves sharp, these resources begin to wane. I was constantly communicating with my team, making sure it was okay that I grabbed one of our last medkits or loaded up on another magazine of ammo. There were waves that we simply didn’t have the resources to go around, so we had to hobble through a wave to the best of our ability. There’s always the option to extract and end the match prematurely, forcing players to weigh the risk of pushing for one or two more waves in favor of extra rewards, or getting out alive while you can.
The fight for survival continues
Rainbow Six Extraction’s first round of post-launch content is looking to deliver something new that feels authentic to the Rainbow Six experience. Spillover’s emphasis on defense will appeal to fans of Extraction and to the traditional series entries alike. It’s also a promising start Ubisoft Montreal's content plans for Rainbow Six Extraction.
-
Shacknews
replyDonovan Erskine posted a new article, Rainbow Six Extraction's Spillover Crisis Event puts players on the defensive
