Ben-DutkaOur worst enemies are in our own backyard. Domestic terrorism is the new fear; the insurgents are organized, determined, and growing in number. As a member of the elite Rainbow Six team, it’s your job to push aside the red tape, rewrite the rules of war, and attempt to defuse the situation…by any means necessary. It’s an ambitious and controversial concept, but the developers are intent on delivering a singularly effective experience. Are you ready to become a Patriot?
Decision-making has become a staple of this new generation of gaming, and Ubisoft has embraced that philosophy for Rainbow Six: Patriots . You will be faced with many difficult moral decisions as you progress and sometimes, it’s all about simple – but tragic – mathematics. For instance, there will be times when the team must sacrifice one civilian so thousands of others can be saved. We’ll also see the story unwind from different perspectives, which should add flavor and authenticity.
In addition to choices that affect the plot, Ubisoft Montreal is also adopting a more freedom-oriented style of gameplay. While your quest will still be linear, there will be multiple ways to approach any given objective and apparently, we’ll have access to some of the military’s cutting-edge technology that can give you the necessary edge. In fact, based on what we’ve heard, the Rainbow team will utilize some amazing tech that includes scanning foes from afar.
Furthermore, the actual process of issuing commands should be even more in-depth and realistic. As most of you know, this series has always been about squad-based gameplay, so giving commands to your allies is part of the experience. In Patriots , the AI has been ramped up and can anticipate the correct course of action without your input. For instance, if you haven’t been detected yet, the team will go out of their way to remain hidden…I appreciate working with smart AI.
Overall, the entire presentation should flow better, and won’t be so cut-and-dry. Making a mistake in past entries usually meant death but this time, the team will be a little more resilient and capable of working around those mistakes. Also, the enemy AI will be enhanced as well, which means they won’t be so easy to dispatch or intimidate. Remember, we’ll be dealing with those who could be trained, and who are dead-set on having a hugely negative impact on the peace of society.
Multiplayer will be a part of the game, of course, but Ubisoft hasn’t gone into much detail just yet. We know players will be able to check out a map, plan their moves, and in general, get a bird’s-eye view of the objectives in question before starting. There will also be a leader, as there has been in the past. Overall, Rainbow Six: Patriots could be a fantastic, engaging and even thought-provoking title. The only bad news is that we have to wait until 2013. …plenty of time to get even more excited.
