02/09/2006>> Rainbow Six: Lockdown (PlayStation 2)
Genre: First-person Shooter
So, Rainbow Six's fourth installment is here in the form of Lockdown. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the Rainbow Six series, from the book to the games, and they also know how disappointed I was in Rainbow Six 3. Nonetheless, I went out and bought Lockdown to see the "great new improvement" made to the series. What do I think?
Graphics
The graphics are...okay at best. The characters are certainly modeled better, and there is way more detail in the backgrounds, but many of the cool visual effects that Rainbow Six 3 had are gone, the effects that are here are nothing great. The muzzle flash from the guns looks very cartoony and unrealistic; the guns look a little...strange? But for the most part, everything looks decent, especially the cut-scenes, which look almost real at times.
Sound
The sound can be explained in much the same way, as they're good, but not great. None of the guns really sound like they should, and lots of the sounds are either way too over exaggerated, or not enough. For example, you can hear enemies walking around through walls when you obviously shouldn't be able to, while explosions are extremely quiet. The voice acting on the other hand was pretty good in my opinion, and there's plenty. Unfortunately, none of the dialogue spoken by your team and commanders comes in through your headset like it did in Rainbow Six 3. Now the music...I have an issue with the music in this game...its heavy metal. Now it's not that it was bad, or that I don't like heavy music, because I do...just not in Rainbow Six. None of the music is actually played during a mission, but it still ruins the mood during the incredible-looking cut-scenes.
Controls
The controls are great...everything works better than it ever has. The controls are precise, easy to learn and operate, and just feel good overall. If you've played Rainbow Six 3 or just play 1st person shooters in general, you'll get right into the controls with easy.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Lockdown is where the line between tactical shooter and mindless shooter is blurred. Many new and innovative things have been added to the game, like being able to breach a door by shooting the lock to force it open, or shooting the hinges to actually knock the door over! You can also customize your team's load-out for the mission again, though you still control them in the same manner as in Rainbow Six 3 sadly. This also means that the game once again sends you out on a linear path from point A to B, shooting enemies along the way. Fortunately, there are actually rooms throughout the maps for you to explore along the way, which makes the game feel a little less linear, but it's basically the same idea as Rainbow Six 3. The team control system is improved, apparently, as well, with new commands like Suppress, Shotgun-breach, etc. Unfortunately, you have no control over what commands let you issue a Go-code to initiate the order and which don't, unlike Rainbow Six 3. The enemies also have some upgrades, like the ability to be shot in the chest seven times without dying.
There are also about seven hundred and thirty six thousand of them in each mission, which really makes the game feel like a bland shoot-em up at times. The AI is also a little hit or miss, as enemies are randomly smart beyond belief or suffering from idiocy. For instance, one enemy will shoot you in the head from a hundred yards out, killing you instantly, before you even round the corner, while another will sit with his back towards to from five feet away while you kill his pals sitting right next to him, waiting for you kill him too.
There is some variety this time though. The main game puts you in the boots of Domingo Chavez as you lead your team into hostile territory. Sometimes, the action gets too hot to handle however, so you then take control of Rainbow's sniper, Deter Weber, as you protect your team from afar. A side-game also lets you play as Recon man, Pak Suo-Won, and lets you "sneak" through the various stages disabling security cameras. There is also a reward system in this installment of Rainbow Six in the form of collecting items in each mission that gives you points which go towards unlocking more weapons, multiplayer characters, cheat codes, and development art. Speaking of the multiplayer, it's the real reason you'd want to buy the game. Split-screen multiplayer lets you team up with a friend to Co-op through the various missions, and online/LAN mode allows you to play Co-op, team deathmatch, capture the flag, and a variation in which a team must capture two of three objectives to win the game. It's a real blast to Co-op online with game, which is really the only reason I bought it in the first place. It's a blast.
Story
Okay...the story is same as it was in the first two games, though many elements from the book have been implemented. Basically, a group of terrorists have stolen a bio-weapon and plan to kill many people for some reason...actually; the reason is because they're tired of the government hurting the people. Yeah, these terrorists have their priorities in a jumble. Anyway, the game brings back some familiar faces from the first two games, like Roger McAllen and Jamal Murad, as well as introduces Alistair Stanley and Bill Tawney into the game version of Rainbow Six. I was really overjoyed when I saw that addition! So overall, it's a pretty good game, but gets annoying at times. It's better than Rainbow Six 3, but still can't compare to the first game or Rogue Spear.
Replay
Well, unless you've missed some special items throughout the game, or you're curious to play the Challenge mode, there's really not too much to do with the game once you beat it. Online is a blast, but I was getting pretty tired of it after a few hours or so.
Good but not great; that seems to be the theme of Rainbow Six: Lockdown. Rent it if you like Rainbow Six, but if you just want a good tactical shooter, I recommend Delta Force: Black Hawk Down over this.
Game Score
7.2
Reviewed By: Thomas Bisulca
