When the XCOM team at Firaxis was slowly cut back, it felt like the end was near for the squad-based tactics genre. Indie studios would use the addictive combat aspects very effectively, but nothing much was happening in the high-profile publisher space. EA and Bit Reactor's Star Wars Zero Company proved that wrong.
It's not just EA taking a gamble with the genre, though, as Ubisoft has also thrown its hat into the ring now with Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Tactics. The company might not have the allure of Star Wars, but it does have a series that is all about tactical gameplay. It just needed a little perspective change.
The term "Rainbow Six" is now almost synonymous with Siege, the multiplayer live service game that has a decade of updates behind it. However, veteran fans may remember that the series began as a heavily tactical experience about counter-terrorism scenarios.
That's exactly where Rainbow Six Tactics is returning, without ditching the iconic special operator format introduced in Siege.
Just like in Zero Company, a squad of four will be deployed on missions for satisfying and stressful turn-based action. As expected, instead of being set on planets across the galaxy, Ubisoft is taking things terrestrial. Select from a roster of Rainbow units, customize their gear, and set up tactical battles that involve rescuing hostages, defusing bombs, and taking out specific targets. Fully destructible environments and a meta-layer for upgrading the base of operations are confirmed too.
Characters with unique abilities will be on full display here, another major highlight of Zero Company. In a single combat scenario, Finka can buff the entire team right before a firefight, Montagne could draw fire with his massive shield, Ash can set off her long-range explosives, and Nokk can easily avoid cameras to complete objectives during the commotion. It's not lightsabers or droids, but seeing those 99% hit-chance shots miss by a mile will deliver the exact same pain here.
This is the perfect avenue to take Rainbow Six into, creating a game that relies on both the newer generation game's iconic abilities and the retro series' methodical gameplay. Ubisoft may have chosen the perfect moment to reveal the game, considering the hype surrounding Zero Company.
