The three-player co-op survival shooter has come a long way since the debut of Valve's seminal Left 4 Dead back in 2008, but that hasn't stopped the comparisons rolling in for titles that tick the co-op-survival-shooter checklist. Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Extraction could be pitched as "Yo, how about Rainbow Six Siege but Left 4 Dead?" but this new gameplay deep dive presents something very different. And admittedly very cool.

With the competitive focus of Rainbow Six Siege showing no signs of slowing down, Extraction brings that same tactical and diverse Operator focus to the world of PvE -- where the threat is an alien entity known as the Archæans. From game modes to gadgets to Operator abilities and the type of tactical action you can expect, this is a great little summary and slice of Extraction.

Check it out.

Rainbow Six Extraction lets players join the REACT Team and assemble a one to three-player squad of well-known and beloved operators from Rainbow Six Siege to confront mysterious alien creatures known as Archæans. Equipped with more than 65 weapons, ten legacy Rainbow Six Siege tech and 15 exclusive REACT tech, the operators have been adapted to best take on the alien threat. For players new to Rainbow Six who want to go at their own pace, Extraction is also fully playable solo.

Players will deploy into 4 varied regions across the U.S., including New York, San Francisco, and two other regions, and face the alien threat in 12 all-new, unpredictable maps. Each map is roughly three times the size of previous Rainbow Six Siege maps, and contains unique dynamic modifiers, ensuring no incursion is ever the same. Tackle 13 different mission objectives during tactical incursions including one called ‘Gateway Objective’, in which players must face off against a Protean, a deadly Archæan variant that has adopted the form of REACT operators and mimics their behavior.

For Rainbow Six Siege fans, Extraction introduces not only entirely new Rainbow Six lore featuring many of their favourite characters from Siege, plus the 12 wholly unique maps to dominate, but also a brand-new twist to familiar gameplay features: for the first time, players can progress through custom leveling system for each of the 18 Rainbow Six operators, allowing them to advance their Operator’s gear, weapons and abilities in an entirely new way. As they level up, players will also permanently unlock new containment zones, Operators, customization items, new REACT tech, higher difficulty levels, and more.

Yeah, it is looking good -- and the alien designs and strategic setups all look very different to the traditional Left 4 Dead-lite we've seen elsewhere. That whole scene of rescuing a fallen squad-mate from a cocoon to then place them in a sci-fi bed chamber dealy for resurrection? The sort of detail you want to see in a modern PvE shooter.

Rainbow Six Extraction is on track for a January 2022 release on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC. Cross-play and cross-progression will be supported from day one. For more be sure to check out our recent hands-on preview and interview with the development team.