What The Critics Are Saying About Rainbow Six: Extraction

Tom Clancy properties are making a comeback. In 2021, Michael B. Jordan entered the Clancy-verse in "Without Remorse," a short feature that helped satiate fans' desire for more special ops excitement. Now, a new Tom Clancy video game has arrived in the form of "Rainbow Six: Extraction." "Rainbow Six" titles sometimes fly under the radar, sporting low Metacritic scores that hide their true awesomeness. The trend may be continuing in the latest game, "Rainbow Six: Extraction." After being delayed and overshadowed by Ubisoft's mysterious Tom Clancy crossover, "Extraction" has finally arrived on all platforms. Unfortunately, critics weren't overwhelmingly impressed by the latest Tom Clancy game, and some had very specific complaints.

"Extraction" has a much more science fiction themed plot than previous "Rainbow Six" games, which featured more realistic missions. The disconnect was noticeable to critics, who took varying positions on the setting's effectiveness. Luke Winkie at IGN described "Extraction" as "very much a traditional co-op shooter augmented by the sublime mechanics Ubisoft mastered in the ever-popular Siege." In fact, Winkie said that in many ways "Extraction" feels like an "elaborate expansion to Siege," especially considering that its science fiction premise is so different from what players came to expect while playing "Siege" for years. Other reviewers followed suit, arguing that "Extraction" feels more like DLC than a brand new "Rainbow Six" title.

Austen Goslin at Polygon had similar complaints to Winkie, commenting that the main enemy of the game — alien hordes taking over certain cities — is simply too boring to sustain gamers' interest. Goslin ultimately concluded that "Extraction" was a "flat experience" because it rarely rewarded players in ways that seemed like, well, rewards. After grinding for hours on difficult enemies, many players expect significant upgrades that make them feel powerful, but that's not the case with "Extraction." 

Joe Donnelly at GamesRadar+ disagreed with many reviewers, calling the alien race "terrifying," and claiming that "Extraction" neatly builds on the standards "Siege" established, making it a natural progression of the series. While Donnelly admitted that the action in "Extraction" can sometimes feel repetitive, he noted that it works well as a multiplayer action experience. 

Jordan Rameé at GameSpot admitted that "Extraction" is extremely fun to play, with all the smooth mechanics of "Siege" repackaged into a new science fiction-themed skin. That being said, he argued that the game doesn't add anything to the larger "Rainbow Six" franchise. In fact, many reviews seemed to touch on how "Extraction" sets itself apart from the rest of the series by focusing on decidedly more fantastical themes and enemies. While alien shenanigans are surely fun, many reviewers questioned how they would fit in with the rest of the hyper-realistic "Rainbow Six" family.