Rainbow Six Siege – Velvet Shell Update
Ubisoft

Our five on five battle had been whittled down to one vs. one. Blood splatters were displayed across many of the palatial party estate’s walls, accompanied by bullet holes both large and small. Playing as Jackal, one of Rainbow Six Siege’s new Spanish operators, I knew I had to save my remaining footprint detection charge for when I absolutely needed it. So, for the time being I chose to avoid the holes in the walls for fear that my last adversary, Mira, the new Spanish defensive operator, wouldn’t get the drop on me and shoot me through one of them.

But as I neared the mark that indicated where my assault team’s objective was located, a biohazard container, I came into view of something that worried me even more than the kill-holes. It was one of Mira’s black mirrors. The one way mirror was nestled in a reinforced wall, so there was nothing I could do to cause damage to it since I didn’t have any enhanced breaching weapons.

In addition to that, Mira could have been viewing me right at that moment, waiting for me to get into closer range of her. But I had no other option, I had to cross the expanse of the wide room in order to get to the objective since there was only fifteen seconds left in the match. Flanking would have taken too long.

Then I remembered that I still had one remaining footprint detection charge left. So, while still remaining in relative cover around one of the corners from the party room, I activated my Eyenox Model III and it hummed to life. Soon, I could clearly make out a pair of small red footprints leading from my very position, through a lightly barricaded door, to right behind the mirror itself. An indicator then flashed on-screen, showing me the approximate location of my final foe.

I threw a flashbang at the mirror and it detonated right in front of it. Launching myself into the room, I prayed that my grenade had blinded my wily enemy. Suddenly, I could hear the gas canister which was located at the base of the one-way mirror pop and fizzle. The mirror ejected from its casing, which would allow Mira to shoot at me through the open space that remained.

But it was too late, I’d quickly smashed through the wooden door barricade and tossed my remaining flashbang into the room. I entered the objective room and quickly turned to where Mira was hunkered down behind the mirror—her hands were still rubbing her eyes from the flash. I took aim with my mighty ITA12L shotgun and commenced to fill her with holes. Game over.

As you can see, Rainbow Six Siege’s latest free update, title Velvet Shell, offers two new Spanish operators with vastly distinctive abilities. Established in 1977, Spain’s Grupo Especial de Operaciones, or G.E.O., are the special operations force of the country’s National Police Force, or Cuerpo Nacional de Policía. The update also offers a great new level, Coastline, a sprawling Ibizan party estate.

The estate is set against a beautiful coastline (get it?) complete with sailboats and yachts lazily moving through the sea. Atop the estate are breachable trapdoors as well as a roofless atrium, which means plenty of verticality options for attackers. The place is also filled with wide open lounge spaces with relatively limited hard cover options, which means once inside, attackers will have to utilize solid team tactics in order to survive. Some areas are also inundated with thumping house music, which can obscure boot clomps as well as other sounds that indicate enemy activity.

Operator-wise, we have the update’s assault operator, Jackal. Jackal has the option of carrying either a C7 assault rifle, a PDW9 submachinegun, or a ITA12L shotgun as his primary weapon, and a ITA12S shotgun or USP40 pistol as his secondary. No, that wasn’t a typo, Jackal is the first of Rainbow Six Siege’s many operators to have a shotgun option for a secondary weapon.

But even more potentially dangerous than his formidable weapon loadout options is his Eyenox Model III. This handy optical device can scan nearby areas and will pick up any enemy footprints within them. Not only that, but the more recent prints are indicated in red, and from there he can triangulate their present location. That enables him to track, find, and shoot hidden enemies.

Then we have the aptly named Mira on defense. She has the option of choosing either a lethal (and frankly over-powered in my opinion) Vector .45 ACP submachinegun, or an equally nasty ITA12L shotgun. She has similar options for secondary weapons, making her the second operator within the game to be able to choose a shotgun as a backup weapon.

Mira’s main attraction, however, is her ability to embed Black Mirrors (get it – Mira?) within walls. These sneaky defensive devices are composed of indestructible glass. They are also one-way mirrors offering defenders ample viewing opportunities of any attackers in the area, but all that the attackers will be able to see is a black glossy surface. Pop the gas canister just beneath the mirror, and the glass filling will eject so that the space will quickly transform into a kill-hole.

In all, the Rainbow Six Siege – Velvet Shell Update offers some unique opportunities for both offensive and defensive-minded players. It’s sprawling new map, Coastline, features many avenues of attack, but at the same time, its wide-open interior spaces can be perfect kill zones for defenders. Therefore, Velvet Shell, more than any other map, requires solid teamwork, coordination, and communication. Take it for a spin, it’s free for owners of the base game.

SCORE: 75%

Rainbow Six Siege – Velvet Shell offers some excellent visuals that suit its swanky theme. However, you have to have a fast gaming PC or gaming laptop in order to play it at a decent framerate. So, you may just want to invest in a decent gaming rig: