If you're a long-time Rainbow Six Siege veteran, this is just the update you were looking for. There's no doubt that the new mode Dual Front entirely expands the game. Coming from having just mainly one mode that could quickly have players in and out of matches, Dual Front is much more engaging. There are new aspects with destructible environmental options. Being able to blow up gas lines and fire extinguishers, or to have metal detectors go off to pick up where someone is coming through, are solid upgrades to the experience. The problem is that no one utilizes these environmental changes online.

Coming from having just mainly one mode that could have players in an out of matches fairly quickly, Dual Front is much more engaging.

Long-time players know what works for them and what doesn't, including the plethora of Operators to choose from that offer just a few differing variations of each other. Somehow, most of the good ones are always locked before getting into a match and it alternates between offense and defense. If you're new to Rainbow Six Siege, there's plenty to try and the option to complete a wide variety of training and compete against the AI is all here. Most are here for the online experience, however, and much like going from the culinary school to the kitchen, that training doesn't prepare you for these players.

This latest update seems to be an opportunity to get new players into the game, and there's certainly a hook here. It comes down to the investment because the experience can be frustrating. The strategy involved in playing defense is a personal favorite, but it's all wiped out the door when someone shoots through a wall that you didn't know was possible and takes you out with one bullet. Meanwhile, you finally lock eyes with someone and shoot them and they don't go down, but you go down even when you had the upper hand. It's also difficult to decipher teammates from enemies, and this all takes times to become accustomed to the game. There are going to be a lot of players better than you, and you need to decide if this is worth the effort.

The Attempt at Modernizing the Game

Siege X offers graphical upgrades to its legacy maps. Clubhouse, Chalet, Border, Bank and Kafe feature resolution upgrades along with new lighting and shadows. This is a solid improvement over the previous version as players will need to retrain their eyes in certain areas based on how the light comes into buildings or bounces off of walls. It's easy to have long corridors wash out potential enemies in plain view. With the resolution upgrade -- and this might be a legacy issue -- the inability at 4K to set a frame rate to just under 120 so that screen tearing doesn't happen is a problem. The next available option is 90 and this needs to be patched.

The visuals aren't a generational leap. In fact, loading into Dual Front offers strange lighting off of the player models. The environments and player models remain solid enough, as this is an eSports title and the focus is on consistently high frame rates. This is a game where having high refresh and low latency equipment is pivotal. Playing with an 8,000 Hz polling rate mouse has made a big difference along with enabling NVIDIA Reflex.

The bigger question with the visuals comes into play with Ubisoft's ten-year plan for Siege X. This title is still available on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One -- is this really going to be a thing in ten years when the industry is on the brink of a second generational leap from the current one? This was the opportunity to leave the previous generation in the dust and players are most likely going to be at a disadvantage on that hardware anyway. It might not require much to run the game, but crossplay is a thing in Siege X.

The Audio Update is the Biggest Change

The overhaul to the audio technology in Siege X makes the biggest difference and is the biggest assistant in crucial situations. Headphones are monumentally important as explosion and effects will be positioned three-dimensionally. Sound will reverb and bounce off surfaces. There are no maps, so importance is placed on locating enemies with the audio. Staying as quiet as possible is the most important aspect of Siege X.

The overhaul to the audio technology in Siege X makes the biggest difference, and is the biggest assistant in crucial situations.

In a game as team-based as this, you would think microphones are the most important aspect. In most games, there's not a lot of people talking. An ongoing issue remains with audio chat simply not working with no work around. The overall audio quality, however, is excellent. The way explosions reverb through corridors is insane and almost uncomfortable. The amount of detail that went into this aspect can only be properly experienced with headphones.

How does this New Dual Front Play?

Rather than taking one map and putting teams on offense and defense, Dual Front throws it all in a bag and fills it with water. A large map featuring multiple buildings that belong to each team is divided as players will need to decide to play either defense or attack. The match lasts thirty minutes or until the entire area is taken over. This is much more encompassing than Core Siege, which is still available to play. The technical updates with the interactive environments aren't just tied to Dual Front as it covers all modes.

Dual Front allows for respawns, whereas Core Siege was one and done until each round. This is a continuous mode and respawns can be strategic. There's a lot more going on with Dual Front and it will be a big change for veterans. It's the perfect addition to the series and turns the volume up to 11. There's a side quest involved in getting hostages out as well. Dual Front eliminates repetition thanks to its more sandbox design and the ability to re-enter the battle. 6v6 is also perfect for the current map size. Seeing a 4v4 in the future with four buildings for a faster pace would be welcoming.

Other Notes and Updates for Siege X

Everything in Siege X is level-based with a good bit of content coming at level 20 and level 50. This gives you an idea of the amount of time required. At Level 7, there's a Deathmatch that opens and it's only guns. Since everyone feels so flat-footed and the aim is ridiculously sensitive, this isn't a great experience especially with no mini-map. There are multiple training opportunities that open up over time as well, allowing players to get an idea of how the game works, but not necessarily to succeed.

For the best of the best, an eSports tab was added to the main Hub providing schedules for either players or viewers. The game might have free access, but there are two other tiers. Progression does carry over from the previous game and Ubisoft does provide veteran rewards. An Elite Edition will unlocked both the Ranked Mode and Siege Cup along with 16 Operators from the start. The Ultimate Edition unlocks all 52 operators and provides four operator cosmetic bundles. The Elite Edition is $19.99 and the Ultimate Edition is $39.99.

Closing Comments:

Siege X is a much-needed update to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, but more could have been put into it. Dual Front is a gameplay overhaul that will keep veterans busy for a long time. The visual upgrades are solid, but aren't mind blowing as this is still an eSports title that requires high refresh rates and low latency. The audio overhaul will help players better identify locations and the experience truly begs to use headphones. This is still Rainbow Six Siege, though, so it's either going to click for players or it won't. There's a steep difficulty curve and it requires time investment. Yes, protecting a room in the final minute while using your tools to take down four people as the only survival is rewarding, but wasting 5-10 minutes trying to plan then getting shot through the floor with one bullet while no one on your team is willing to revive you is frustrating. The update is welcome, but it doesn't revolutionize the game.