I remember watching videogamedunkey's video of him playing the Alpha version of this game earlier this year (or was it last year? I don't remember). It was full of bugs and wacky glitches, but man it sure looked fun.
Fast-forward to a few weeks ago. I got a new GTX 980Ti, and was able to get the game for free about 3 days before release. Also turns out they were having Open Beta that weekend, too!
I tried it out, and man was it fun. It's very different than your typical shooter. I mean, you've still got the same movements, gunplay, and animations... but the way you play the game completely changes.
How the game works is there are 3-5 rounds in a match, and you alternate between Attacking and Defending.
Attacking:
You're infiltrating the house/building in order to either extract a hostage, defuse a bomb, secure a bio-weapon, or just wipe out the enemy team. You start the match with about 30 seconds of driving a little drone to scope out the place. If you find the target, good job! Now it's marked. If you don't find it, oh well, you'll have to search during the attack.
Attackers are safe outside. They can repel up and down walls, and breach through breakable walls or windows. They also have access to their drones at any time during the match (unless it was shot). Attacking is a ton of fun and gives you tons of options as to where you want to come in from.
Defending:
Your job is to protect the hostage, bombs, bio-weapons, or just wipe out the Attackers (or OPFOR). You start the match by trying to keep the target hidden, by means of setting traps for the drones or just outright destroying them.
The really cool part about defending is when the match starts. Everybody just... shuts up, and listens. Footsteps, creaks, explosions, gunshots... anything. The game's audio is amazingly accurate, and you can rely on the direction of a footstep to tell you where the enemy is coming from.
Defenders can barricade windows and doorways with strong but breakable wooden barricades. They also have a limited number of reinforcements they can apply to breakable walls. Basically, their room is a fort. They can also access security cameras that are in set locations in and outside of the building.. though those can be shot, too!
There isn't much customization to be had in Siege, but the variety of "classes" or "operators" is pretty great. Each Operator has a unique ability/weapon/gadget, such as Pulse's 'heartbeat sensor', which can detect enemies through walls for a certain distance, or Ash's breaching gun, which can destroy a wall/door/window from far away. The game is balanced pretty well, and each team is usually pretty varied in operator choices.
What amazes me most is just how well the game works. The audio, which lets you hear where and what something is. The teamwork, where people actually communicate and coordinate attacks and defenses. The strategy, where you have drones and cameras and destructible environments. The speed and tension, where each match never lasts over a few minutes, yet, you look up after awhile and realize you've been playing for 5 hours straight.. again!
Out of all the new first-person-shooters to launch in 2015, Rainbow Six: Siege is the one to choose if you want to experience something truly "new" to the genre.
And no, before you ask, I'm not an Ubisoft rep or anything. I just really love the game.
9/10.