If you were to tell me when I first bought this game that Rainbow 6 Siege would be my most played game on the PC, I would have scoffed at you. But years later and more than 1,300 hours in the game, I have seen the game evolve from almost dead on arrival to one of, if not the, best and most popular competitive Fps games of the past decade and a half. Which doesn't even start to get into the game itself and how quick and visceral it is. Though it still has problems and can be seen in how almost any as even small spikes of lag, or any other problem for that matter, can cause swift and painful deaths. Something that is not an issue in many other games.

If I were to try to describe this game with as few words as possible, I would most certainly use "crisp, impactful, visceral, and satisfying" as the quick deaths, hard-hitting gunplay, and fast movement all lead to one hell of an intense if quick firefight. That's not even touching on the build-up, which in itself is a whole different type of game. In the limited amount of time that you are given to set up you try to put down your gadgets and fortify the objective room as quickly as possible so that you can find a nice "safe" angle to watch(or spawn peak, I don't judge (monster) — all the while using your past experiences to try to pre-outplay your opponent.

As with many other games, the more you play, the more you know, and with so much to learn about every little element means that there is never a point at which you feel that you have "finished" the game. However, what makes it different is that in the game itself, you get both the strategic mind games and the skill-based/reaction-based gameplay. Meaning that from start to finish, if you go into this game with a half-open mind, maybe a little bit of fps experience, and even a friend or two, you will have a good time.

The only other thing I need to say about the game is not with the game itself but with the way that it is monetized. While a way to continue to make money on the game is essential for its continued growth, something that everyone wants, the current model is far from perfect. The team behind R6 seems to know this and, once again, seems to be pushing toward a better solution. The first move was to make all of the base operators and attachments free. However, continued steps toward making all operators more readily available to everyone are necessary and seem to be in the works.

The TL;DR Rainbow 6 Siege is a game that can and will provide endless hours of fun, tense, engaging gameplay that enthralls me every match I join, and yes, even when I die early in the round. I recommend this for anyone willing to at least give it a few hours because once this game gets its hooks into you, say goodbye to your social life.

Pay whatever amount you feel comfortable with.