R6: Lockdown is released...

Magnum50 · 02-15-2006, 06:43 PM

The long running Rainbow Six series has released a new version for us PC Gamers titled Rainbow 6:Lockdown.

The package is currently shipping to pre-orders and stores near you, but you can buy it as a download at:
http://www.direct2drive.com/

I think it's only fair to advise all "Tactical Gamer" members and visitors that a number of online sites are giving it poor first impressions with idiotic AI both from the enemies and your partners. It has been said more then once that this version of Rainbow Six is more action then tactics.

I played the demo two weeks ago and was very disappointed as with most everyone I talked to.

I feel obligated to purchase the game and will be giving you my honest opinion, both a first impression and a detailed review. Unless you really want the next in a once great series, I would recommend you wait and research the game first.

(Don't forget Ghost Recon Advance Warfighter, the SWAT 4 add-on, and Armed Assault is just around the corner, you might want to save your money.)

A first impression will come sometime next week, with a detailed review within reasonable time.

TychoCelchuuu · 02-15-2006, 10:59 PM

I played the demo and it was the worst tactical shooter ever. They couldn't have done more things wrong.

First of all, all the guns feel exactly the same, and you get no feedback about where your bullets are hitting. Neither your allies nor your enemies are able to hit the broad side of a barn, but that doesn't matter because most of the time they don't bother shooting. The "plan out a strategy" part of the game has been replaced with "choose 1 of 3 ways to open a door." The levels are horribly bland: you walk into rooms where there is NOTHING. It is just a GRAY BOX. Even DOOM had better levels than a freaking gray box, I mean, come on. Every once in a while there are explosions, which are never explained because there are no bad guys around the area that blew up. Terrorists sometimes speak with an accent and sometimes don't. Hostages sometimes run IN FRONT of you, take cover, and then you have to go searching for them (I accidentally fragged one because he had somehow made it like 4 rooms ahead of me). The levels are 100% linear: you MUST go through every single doorway in the same order every time. The advisor who is in contact with you warns you about a guy with an RPG on a ledge and about snipers hidden in a building, but decides not to tell you about the guy's 3 friends, or the 4 people in the courtyard. Maybe he's just sadistic. Once, I was running to take cover behind a car (which is burning for no good reason), and one of my teammates yelled "Chavez, get your ass into cover!" Excuse me? Get my ass into cover? I'm your squad leader, you jerk. We're an elite paramilitary force that fights global terrorism. If I tell you to do something that looks like suicide, you do it immediately without asking questions. Did YOU just tell ME to get my ass into cover? Jeez. And when you enter the bank vault to secure the hostages, there's only one dude guarding them, and he magically does not hear you even when you sprint right around the corner. Terrorists magically appear behind you once you're in the bank, for no apparent reason. I could go on but I think you get the picture. SWAT 4 is a much much much much much much better bet. Raven Shield is a much better game. Even Rogue Spear is more fun. Heck, it looks about as nice.

millipede777 · 02-15-2006, 11:41 PM

Tycho, you pretty much summed up the entire demo perfectly. It's really freaking boring because the enemies are all dumb as bricks (I won't even get started on your squad or the hostages) and the gameplay is about the most linear thing I have ever played.

**dawolf** · 02-16-2006, 09:27 PM

I hated that demo. Being a Rainbow6 player from the beginning its a pity to see this once great series going down the console drain. Linear levels, TRIGGERS that let pop out 3 bad guys behind you, 2 to your left and 1 to your right when you pass a certain area of the map - and everyone everytime at the exact SAME locations is stupid, boring and does not do the Rainbow6 heritage any justice. My impression from the demo is thats a dumb console shooter which accidencially is named after a once great tactical shooter series.

jex · 02-20-2006, 12:24 PM

Utter tripe is all I can say about the demo. In this day and age it is a total disappointment to see this kind of shovelware still coming out. What ever happened to progress for christ sake? We had the apolol space program, then the shuttle. Ford model T, ford of today. The abacus - babbage - PC... So why aren't games progressing in the same way? Lock down actually goes backwards from where RvS left off.

For a start it's only 4 player (due to crappy small maps no doubt), there's no scope in TvT multiplayer (small maps?). No planning and no move/lean. It seems that everything that the Rainbow 6 series was famed for has been taken out and some souless POS offering sacrificed in its place.

RvS is a great game, this should have expanded on it and made it better.