In Rainbow Six Siege, small tactical choices always lead to big consequences. Every round is a new lesson in what you could have done better, with your mistakes acting as a stern teacher. Taking these lessons to heart and adjusting your team's strategy accordingly keeps each match feeling fresh and exciting, and a drip-feed of new operators, loadouts, and abilities constantly introduces new considerations. The thrill of seeing your plan succeed--whether that's a collection of traps that stops the enemy in their tracks, a well-placed breaching hole that sets the stage for an ambush, or two operators' abilities working together to pull the rug out from the opposing team--is what makes Siege not only a compelling shooter but one of the best examples of teamwork, tactics, and crack shooting out there.

Despite its evolution over the past four years, Rainbow Six Siege has always been a battle between attackers and defenders over a single objective. There are five operators per team, each with their own special gadgets that can be used to slow the attackers' assault or poke holes in the defenders' fortifications. Every round, attackers need to move in on a specific objective; depending on the mode, they'll need to sneak in and extract a hostage, create a pathway to secure a specific room, or strategize carefully to defuse a bomb. Bomb is the quintessential Siege mode, as it makes every operator feel viable and balanced. Pushing the objective, finding an opening to plant the defuser, and then protecting said defuser gives the attacking side a steep, rewarding climb to victory, and it's the defenders' job to knock them down and keep them from reaching that summit.

Playing video games with friends is usually more fun than playing alone, and the benefits of communicating and working together make Siege a more enjoyable experience when playing with people you know. Thankfully, solo-queuing isn't an entirely lost cause, as it's not uncommon to find like-minded players interested in coordinating as a team, but you will inevitably come across players more interested in taking the objective on their own. Siege incentivizes teamwork, and when a group of players executes a coordinated assault on the garage in House or top floor of Kanal, it results in some of the most exciting moments you can experience in a team-based first-person shooter.

Siege isn't all about shooting; there's also a large focus on learning and utilizing each operator's unique gadget to assist in taking or holding the objective. The attacking side's abilities range from breaching reinforced walls and creating new doors to dismantling defender gadgets and using cameras to reveal enemy locations. Choosing the right operator and creating a good team of operators whose abilities work well together can make a heavily fortified room much easier to breach. For example, using Thatcher's EMP grenades to destroy signal disruptors can give Thermite's breaching charge the opportunity to create a door into the objective. Meanwhile Fuse's barrage of explosives can force defenders into triggering Lion's motion-detection drone.

On the defending side, operator gadgets consist largely of tools that slow the attackers' pursuit of the objective or prevent it altogether. Mute's signal disruptors cut out the use of any electronic gadgets, such as the recon drones and Thermite's charges. On the other hand, there are gadgets that can incapacitate an attacker altogether. A well-placed welcome mat from Frost can trap an unsuspecting attacker, serving them up for a free kill shot after you hear that unmistakable clamp.

Siege does a great job with its gadget audio, with distinctive sounds that alert you to who you're up against--Zofia's impact grenades make a very distinct, almost hollow sound and can't be mistaken for Ash's breaching rounds or any of the other explosives. The gadgets are what make Siege's combat distinct from other shooters, and while you'll likely get into at least one firefight per round, using your gadget effectively to slow the enemy is just as rewarding as nailing that clutch headshot.

In Rainbow Six Siege, small tactical choices always lead to big consequences. Every round is a new lesson in what you could have done better, with your mistakes acting as a stern teacher. Taking these lessons to heart and adjusting your team's strategy accordingly keeps each match feeling fresh and exciting, and a drip-feed of new operators, loadouts, and abilities constantly introduces new considerations. The thrill of seeing your plan succeed--whether that's a collection of traps that stops the enemy in their tracks, a well-placed breaching hole that sets the stage for an ambush, or two operators' abilities working together to pull the rug out from the opposing team--is what makes Siege not only a compelling shooter but one of the best examples of teamwork, tactics, and crack shooting out there. Despite its evolution over the past four years, Rainbow Six Siege has always been a battle between attackers and defenders over a single objective. There are five operators per team, each with their own special gadgets that can be used to slow the attackers' assault or poke holes in the defenders' fortifications. Every round, attackers need to move in on a specific objective; depending on the mode, they'll need to sneak in and extract a hostage, create a pathway to secure a specific room, or strategize carefully to defuse a bomb. Bomb is the quintessential Siege mode, as it makes every operator feel viable and balanced. Pushing the objective, finding an opening to plant the defuser, and then protecting said defuser gives the attacking side a steep, rewarding climb to victory, and it's the defenders' job to knock them down and keep them from reaching that summit. Playing video games with friends is usually more fun than playing alone, and the benefits of communicating and working together make Siege a more enjoyable experience when playing with people you know. Thankfully, solo-queuing isn't an entirely lost cause, as it's not uncommon to find like-minded players interested in coordinating as a team, but you will inevitably come across players more interested in taking the objective on their own. Siege incentivizes teamwork, and when a group of players executes a coordinated assault on the garage in House or top floor of Kanal, it results in some of the most exciting moments you can experience in a team-based first-person shooter. Siege isn't all about shooting; there's also a large focus on learning and utilizing each operator's unique gadget to assist in taking or holding the objective. The attacking side's abilities range from breaching reinforced walls and creating new doors to dismantling defender gadgets and using cameras to reveal enemy locations. Choosing the right operator and creating a good team of operators whose abilities work well together can make a heavily fortified room much easier to breach. For example, using Thatcher's EMP grenades to destroy signal disruptors can give Thermite's breaching charge the opportunity to create a door into the objective. Meanwhile Fuse's barrage of explosives can force defenders into triggering Lion's motion-detection drone. On the defending side, operator gadgets consist largely of tools that slow the attackers' pursuit of the objective or prevent it altogether. Mute's signal disruptors cut out the use of any electronic gadgets, such as the recon drones and Thermite's charges. On the other hand, there are gadgets that can incapacitate an attacker altogether. A well-placed welcome mat from Frost can trap an unsuspecting attacker, serving them up for a free kill shot after you hear that unmistakable clamp. Siege does a great job with its gadget audio, with distinctive sounds that alert you to who you're up against--Zofia's impact grenades make a very distinct, almost hollow sound and can't be mistaken for Ash's breaching rounds or any of the other explosives. The gadgets are what make Siege's combat distinct from other shooters, and while you'll likely get into at least one firefight per round, using your gadget effectively to slow the enemy is just as rewarding as nailing that clutch headshot.