In 2015, Ubisoft releasedRainbow Six Siege,at the time a brand-new take on an old brand. While previousRainbow Sixgames had emphasized single-player campaigns,Siegedecided to embrace the potential of a fully multiplayer game. It was a huge hit, and the game’s biggest strength is its diverse range of playable characters. Withover 65 operators to choose from,Rainbow Six Siegepresents a united team of various ethnicities, genders, nationalities, and skillsets.
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The primary game mode is teams of Rainbow Six Operators against other Rainbow Six Operators, rather than doing actual counter-terrorism. While the developers have done a lot to develop each character’s personality and backstory, the game’s focus on online multiplayer does not leave a lot of room for developing a story without relying on external material.
As well-loved asSiegeis, it would be refreshing to see a newRainbow Sixgame thatbrings back the single-player campaign. And with so many great characters, it would make sense to give them their due. Of course, there is a small problem:Siegehas too many characters to fit into one campaign. A single-player game focused onRainbow Six: Siege’s roster would require some selection. But whichSiegeOperatorshave the most interesting stories to tell?
5Caveira
Taina Pereira is something of an anti-hero at best, if not an outright war criminal. Her special skill inSiegeis being able to “interrogate” enemies for information on their teammates, and it is made clear she is not afraid to get her hands dirty using “enhanced interrogation” to get results. But this type of anti-heroic approach might be fitting for a story about the morally duplicitous world of counter-terrorism, which can easily force even the most well-intentioned people into situations with no clear moral choice.
Her appearance inGhost Recon Wildlandsalso hinted at a more personal story, which included a brother held captive by the Santa Blanca Cartel. She was so determined to rescue him she risked charges of desertion to do so. This is the kind of characterization that could make an interesting narrative. The big question asked by her story would be “how far are you willing to go?” A shooter centered around Caveira could make for a really discomforting experiencein the vein ofSpec Ops: The Linethat explores how war shapes people and calls into question her status as a hero.
4Ela & Zofia
One of the more complex dynamics in the game is the difficult relationship between sistersElżbieta and Zofia Bosak. Their bios include a whole backstory involving an abusive father who forced them into his military academy that left both with deep-rooted trauma. Ela has a whole internal conflict centered around trying to become her own person, while Zofia has the struggle of reconciling her personal and professional life. And that is not even getting into the estrangement that already exists between both sisters.
The tension between Ela and Zofia is somewhat reflected by them being placed on opposing teams (Ela a defender and Zofia an attacker) and an achievement for killing one as the other. But there is a much bigger story here that is unable to come out through rounds of multiplayer. The difficulty Ela and Zofia have settling their differences would make a great throughline for a campaign, with room to explore their psychology and how both are affected by their traumatic experiences.
3Finka
Lera Melnikova has a backstory full of internal conflict, physical struggles, and desperation that is detailed on her bio but never really comes up in-game. She was born in Belarus shortly after the Chernobyl disaster, something which resulted in her developing neuropathy. Put simply, she has spent her whole life in a constant struggle to keep her muscles from deteriorating on her- a condition that left her witha relentless drive to push herselfto unrealistic standards and excel at everything. There is a fascinating story here that could make for an interesting game.
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A campaign centered on Finka could dive into her inner physical torment and how it affects her as a person. The first-person perspective common toRainbow Sixtitles could even be used to try to simulate some of the effects of her neuropathy. Naturally it could also dive into how determined she has become and her constant need to push herself, something that can be a benefit or a hindrance depending on the circumstances. It could also dive into her relationships with other operators. The bio mentioned her having a close bond with Valkyrie, who seems to be the one operator that understands why she acts as she does.
2Iana
Nienke Meijer stands out from the other operators on a few notable grounds. There is an interesting story about her ability to persist even when she is seemingly hindered by her albinism. But more interesting is the simple fact that, unlike the other operators, Iana is not a combat specialist. She does not come from an elite counter-terrorism unit and was practically a civillian before joining Rainbow. Her background is actually as an astronaut and engineer, with her mechanical skills being what got their attention. This adds an interesting aspect that has also not been explored inSiegebut could be given more depth in a single-player campaign.
Iana’s unique background offers a dynamic not seen in your typicalRainbow Sixgame. A campaign following her could dive into the experience of an ordinary person getting caught up in the overwhelming secrecy and intrigue of team Rainbow. Her engineering skillscould also allow more varied gameplaythat could include more stealth, diversionary tactics, and puzzle-solving engineering sections rather than the standard tactical shooting galleries ofRainbow Six Vegas.
1Nøkk
Nøkkis probably the most mysterious operator in the game. We know she’s female, originally from Denmark, and served in Jaeger Corps… and that’s about it. Though far from the only operator whose face has never been shown, Nøkk is the only one whose real name is listed as “classified” with very little being stated in her bio. It is mentioned that she is close to her mother and the secret illegitimate child of an extremely powerful man, but beyond that there is little to go on. This works for the purposes of multiplayer, the uncertainty adding a level of unease to an operator who already feels like a ghost. But there is a story here that would be worth exploring.
A Nøkk-centered game could be presented as a look behind the veil presented inSiege. Whether her face is finally revealed would be up to Ubisoft, but it would be cool to see the human being under all that gear and get to know her as a person. That could include diving more into her relationships with other members and exploring her career with Jaeger Corps.
