E3 2021 was upon us, and Ubisoft Forward was the first press conference from a major publisher. While we got to see a wide variety of games, one of the first titles on display, Rainbow Six Extraction, was also one of the most impressive. The game, which aims to shake up the Rainbow Six formula, pits three players against a procedurally generated, deadly, alien-filled environment. Players can upgrade their skills and equipment as they progress, but death resets their progress, making "Rainbow Six Extraction" a high-risk, high-reward experience.

Ubisoft showed off two key looks at the game: an extended story trailer and a mission in which three players team up to take on a facility in Alaska that has been overrun by the Archians, the alien race in question. There are a variety of Archians to defeat, including zombie-like grunts, sprawlers that cover the floor to alert enemies of their presence, armor-piercing spikers, and fire-breathing lurkers.

If you want to see the full gameplay for yourself, Ubisoft has uploaded a video to YouTube:

Rainbow Six Extraction uses essentially the same gameplay mechanics as Rainbow Six Siege, applied to the "cooperative zombie-killing" genre popularized by Left 4 Dead and Call of Duty's zombie mode. What sets Rainbow Six Extraction apart, however, is that it is not a high-octane run-and-gun experience. It still requires stealth, tactical cooperation, and skillful use of distractions on each map in order to escape alive.

And getting out alive is critical. This is because once the operators are captured, you will have to embark on a mission to rescue them. Operators like Hibana, who appears in the story trailer, have found themselves in just such a situation. How exactly this will play out during the mission remains to be seen, as the gameplay reveal jumped around several times to showcase the different locations on the Alaska level. [We do know that each map contains procedurally generated elements and that structures called airlocks separate the different sub-zones. The way to the airlock is all combat and stealth, and once in the airlock, there is a chance to regroup and resupply. Each subzone will be more challenging than the last, so players will probably have to decide whether to retreat with what they have collected or press on for better rewards.

Rainbow Six Extraction will be available on September 16 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia. It will also be available on Ubisoft+, Ubisoft's cloud gaming service. Pricing details are still unknown, but once it is a full-fledged release, the retail price is expected to be $70. We will keep you updated on Tom's Guide as information becomes available.