Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown
Added October 7th, 2005 by Grandest
Introduction:
After more than half a year in delays, Lockdown, the latest installment in the acclaimed Rainbow Six franchise, is finally here. This installment in the tactical shooter series is an attempt to revamp the series. The challenge was to make it a bit fresher and faster paced in order to compete with other tactical shooters that focus more on the “shooter” and less on the “tactical.” Can the new game keep up with the likes of Counter-Strike and Black Hawk Down and stay true to its roots? or does it falter and take the series a step in the wrong direction? Let’s don our flak jackets, grab our assault rifles, and find out.
Gameplay:
Previously the Rainbow Six series was always about realism and true to life gameplay while also providing a fun experience. This time around Ubisoft made the decision to revamp the series and provide a more action oriented experience in the vein of Counter Strike, while maintaining the intense realism of a Tom Clancy game. The pace of the game has quickened a bit, while retaining some of the features that were innovated by the series in the past.
After more than half a year in delays, Lockdown, the latest installment in the acclaimed Rainbow Six franchise, is finally here. This installment in the tactical shooter series is an attempt to revamp the series. The challenge was to make it a bit fresher and faster paced in order to compete with other tactical shooters that focus more on the “shooter” and less on the “tactical.” Can the new game keep up with the likes of Counter-Strike and Black Hawk Down and stay true to its roots? or does it falter and take the series a step in the wrong direction? Let’s don our flak jackets, grab our assault rifles, and find out.
Gameplay:
Previously the Rainbow Six series was always about realism and true to life gameplay while also providing a fun experience. This time around Ubisoft made the decision to revamp the series and provide a more action oriented experience in the vein of Counter Strike, while maintaining the intense realism of a Tom Clancy game. The pace of the game has quickened a bit, while retaining some of the features that were innovated by the series in the past.
The single player side of the game still allows you to manage a four man squad, outfit them with the equipment of your choice, and take them into combat. The gameplay is fast and furious, while still encouraging the player to take their time through the level, as you can easily turn a corner and get laid out by enemy fire. The A.I. isn’t that great, but it does provide an adequate challenge. One thing that I really didn't like was that there were scripted enemies in the game programmed to jump out behind you and lay waste to your squad, a la Doom 3. In Doom 3 it wasn't as annoying as you had body armor and could take a few hits. In this game, these enemies can decimate your entire squad before you can locate the enemy. These situations often force you to reload your previous save and can really detract from the gameplay. Thankfully there aren't too many of these debacles in the game.
The main body of the gameplay consists of missions located in urban environments that follow a story arc surrounding a terrorist organization. The story isn’t really very interesting. Thankfully, the gameplay makes up for that fact. You can creep through the missions while commanding your squad and capping baddies from a distance or you can go at it “run and gun” style blasting your way through. This time around, the “run and gun” method isn’t discouraged as much as before. In fact, it is a more viable option in Lockdown than it was in the preceding slower paced games found in the series.
The outfitting options are all there and it really helps to pick a gun that fits your style of play. A scoped weapon will work well for those that like to pick people off from afar, and a shotgun will suit someone who likes to get down and dirty up close and personal.
The level design is good, for the most part, but there were a few too many times when I was confused as to where I should go next. I was able to finally find the correct path after a few minutes and several wrong turns. Scouring the level trying to figure out where to go really detracts from the immersion factor.
A new feature this year is the sniping missions strewn throughout the game. In them you take the place of the team’s sniper. As your team advances on the objective, you pick off bad guys from a distance. These portions of the game are a nice diversion and nicely break up the action while not being too dull or unpolished, as most “mini-game” type levels tend to be.
One of the major parts of the Tom Clancy brand of games has been their outstanding online features. Lockdown doesn’t disappoint in this area. It supports up to 16 players, clans (called squads), downloadable content, and a variety of game types to keep the action fresh. There is also an RPG style feature this year called the P.E.C. Mode (Persistent Elite Creation Mode). In this mode you customize your character and take him into online matches. As you play and win, experience points are gained (the same as you would in an RPG) to spend on various skills and upgrades to your character. This mode also allows for various character types, although there really isn’t too much of a reason to choose one from another, as all the classes behave very similarly. It really doesn’t matter what class you are, you’ll just end up running around and shooting anyway. This mode is nicely implemented and allows for some nice variety in the genre.
Now the game has some nice features, but does it play well? I’d have to say, that while fun, the game is a small step down for the series. The transition to a Counter-Strike style of gameplay doesn’t go over as smoothly as I’m sure they wanted. You are stuck playing a game that feels more like a Rainbow 6 game, but plays like Counter-Strike. This isn’t a bad thing though. The game is fast paced and fun, with plenty of action to keep you hooked for a while.
The multiplayer portion of the game is definitely better than the single player side of things. I still had some problems with it though. The level designs are good, but unlike some other games, you can play any game type on any level. This may sound like a good thing except when you’re playing a team deathmatch game on a map designed for conquest. This results in the match quickly devolving into a spawn killing frenzy with the two sides shooting down one small hallway at each other when there is a large map out there for them to explore. Selecting mainly objective based games can solve this, as these game types force you to venture all over the map. If you’re a team deathmatch fan, you may be a little disappointed.
Graphics:
Graphics are not one of the game’s strong points. Textures are muddy, everything is slightly fuzzy, and animations are poor. The team was very clearly trying to get the very last out of the engine, but it really shows its age, especially after last year’s Halo 2 upped the bar for graphics in a shooter. There are some nice effects, such as the bullets fracturing the glass of your mask and the heat haze. Unfortunately, for the most part the effects are mediocre. The real disappointment is that they really can hamper the gameplay in some situations. The muddy textures on the character models and the environments can blend together on some maps, making it very difficult to see where your adversaries are. At first I chalked it up to the camouflage on the characters, but it is still very hard to see your enemies when they're 20 feet away and running around the room. This is a nuisance in single player, but it is unacceptable in multiplayer.
The main body of the gameplay consists of missions located in urban environments that follow a story arc surrounding a terrorist organization. The story isn’t really very interesting. Thankfully, the gameplay makes up for that fact. You can creep through the missions while commanding your squad and capping baddies from a distance or you can go at it “run and gun” style blasting your way through. This time around, the “run and gun” method isn’t discouraged as much as before. In fact, it is a more viable option in Lockdown than it was in the preceding slower paced games found in the series.
The outfitting options are all there and it really helps to pick a gun that fits your style of play. A scoped weapon will work well for those that like to pick people off from afar, and a shotgun will suit someone who likes to get down and dirty up close and personal.
The level design is good, for the most part, but there were a few too many times when I was confused as to where I should go next. I was able to finally find the correct path after a few minutes and several wrong turns. Scouring the level trying to figure out where to go really detracts from the immersion factor.
A new feature this year is the sniping missions strewn throughout the game. In them you take the place of the team’s sniper. As your team advances on the objective, you pick off bad guys from a distance. These portions of the game are a nice diversion and nicely break up the action while not being too dull or unpolished, as most “mini-game” type levels tend to be.
One of the major parts of the Tom Clancy brand of games has been their outstanding online features. Lockdown doesn’t disappoint in this area. It supports up to 16 players, clans (called squads), downloadable content, and a variety of game types to keep the action fresh. There is also an RPG style feature this year called the P.E.C. Mode (Persistent Elite Creation Mode). In this mode you customize your character and take him into online matches. As you play and win, experience points are gained (the same as you would in an RPG) to spend on various skills and upgrades to your character. This mode also allows for various character types, although there really isn’t too much of a reason to choose one from another, as all the classes behave very similarly. It really doesn’t matter what class you are, you’ll just end up running around and shooting anyway. This mode is nicely implemented and allows for some nice variety in the genre.
Now the game has some nice features, but does it play well? I’d have to say, that while fun, the game is a small step down for the series. The transition to a Counter-Strike style of gameplay doesn’t go over as smoothly as I’m sure they wanted. You are stuck playing a game that feels more like a Rainbow 6 game, but plays like Counter-Strike. This isn’t a bad thing though. The game is fast paced and fun, with plenty of action to keep you hooked for a while.
The multiplayer portion of the game is definitely better than the single player side of things. I still had some problems with it though. The level designs are good, but unlike some other games, you can play any game type on any level. This may sound like a good thing except when you’re playing a team deathmatch game on a map designed for conquest. This results in the match quickly devolving into a spawn killing frenzy with the two sides shooting down one small hallway at each other when there is a large map out there for them to explore. Selecting mainly objective based games can solve this, as these game types force you to venture all over the map. If you’re a team deathmatch fan, you may be a little disappointed.
Graphics:
Graphics are not one of the game’s strong points. Textures are muddy, everything is slightly fuzzy, and animations are poor. The team was very clearly trying to get the very last out of the engine, but it really shows its age, especially after last year’s Halo 2 upped the bar for graphics in a shooter. There are some nice effects, such as the bullets fracturing the glass of your mask and the heat haze. Unfortunately, for the most part the effects are mediocre. The real disappointment is that they really can hamper the gameplay in some situations. The muddy textures on the character models and the environments can blend together on some maps, making it very difficult to see where your adversaries are. At first I chalked it up to the camouflage on the characters, but it is still very hard to see your enemies when they're 20 feet away and running around the room. This is a nuisance in single player, but it is unacceptable in multiplayer.
Audio:
The sound quality in Lockdown is good overall. The weapon and environment sounds are good and the guns sound like they should. The sound effects in the Tom Clancy games have been known to be good, and this game does not disappoint. The voiceovers are a different matter. Some of the voices are alright but others really start to grate on you. One of your squad members has an accent that sounds like a man trying to force an accent and hold his breath at the same time. The announcer in multiplayer also becomes annoying after a short time. The comments made by your squad are terrible. Overall, the audio is average, hampered by horrendous voice acting.
Controls:
The controls in the game follow the norm set down by the first Halo and used in most every FPS on the Xbox. The game controls well and you don't find yourself thinking about the controls too much, as you shouldn't. The game also has some alternate sets for those that don't like using the normal set of controls. The included "Southpaw" set for lefties is broken and doesn't work, even though it's found in the menu. This won't affect most people, but if you are left-handed and can't, or won't, use the normal set of controls you should be aware of this. It is disturbing knowing that Ubi has been aware of this issue since Rainbow Six 3 and still haven't fixed the problem. For the rest of us though, the controls are good.
Replay:
This game offers much in the way of replay value. With the excellent multiplayer portion you'll find yourself playing the game long after you finish the single player campaign. Those with Xbox Live should be able to get a lot of time out of this game, especially with DLC planned for down the road and the amount of game types currently available. For those without Live, the game offers plenty of split-screen action and the co-op in the game is especially fun. If you get this game, expect to get a lot out of it.
The sound quality in Lockdown is good overall. The weapon and environment sounds are good and the guns sound like they should. The sound effects in the Tom Clancy games have been known to be good, and this game does not disappoint. The voiceovers are a different matter. Some of the voices are alright but others really start to grate on you. One of your squad members has an accent that sounds like a man trying to force an accent and hold his breath at the same time. The announcer in multiplayer also becomes annoying after a short time. The comments made by your squad are terrible. Overall, the audio is average, hampered by horrendous voice acting.
Controls:
The controls in the game follow the norm set down by the first Halo and used in most every FPS on the Xbox. The game controls well and you don't find yourself thinking about the controls too much, as you shouldn't. The game also has some alternate sets for those that don't like using the normal set of controls. The included "Southpaw" set for lefties is broken and doesn't work, even though it's found in the menu. This won't affect most people, but if you are left-handed and can't, or won't, use the normal set of controls you should be aware of this. It is disturbing knowing that Ubi has been aware of this issue since Rainbow Six 3 and still haven't fixed the problem. For the rest of us though, the controls are good.
Replay:
This game offers much in the way of replay value. With the excellent multiplayer portion you'll find yourself playing the game long after you finish the single player campaign. Those with Xbox Live should be able to get a lot of time out of this game, especially with DLC planned for down the road and the amount of game types currently available. For those without Live, the game offers plenty of split-screen action and the co-op in the game is especially fun. If you get this game, expect to get a lot out of it.
Summary:
Overall this game is a slightly above average shooter with plenty in the way of multiplayer options and a forgettable single player campaign. The game offers a lot of gameplay to both fans of fast paced military shooters and also of good online games. It doesn't offer very much to those without online capabilities though. I suggest renting the game, or passing on it altogether, for those that don't have Xbox Live.
Overall this game is a slightly above average shooter with plenty in the way of multiplayer options and a forgettable single player campaign. The game offers a lot of gameplay to both fans of fast paced military shooters and also of good online games. It doesn't offer very much to those without online capabilities though. I suggest renting the game, or passing on it altogether, for those that don't have Xbox Live.
