Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I enjoyed playing Lockdown on the PS2 back in the day. It had a decent single player mode, and some fun online play. I recently picked the PC version up on a Steam sale, and while it's sad that the online play is long gone, the single player mode is fun so long as you take it for what it is. Lockdown was first developed on the PS2 and Xbox and released in September of 2005. This PC port was released 5-months later. This means that Lockdown is a "consolized" version of Rainbow Six if you will. If you take the game for what it offers, you'll probably find some enjoyment out of it. However, if you're looking for the deep tactical features of previous games, things like pre-planning every step of the mission step-by-step, you'll be sorely disappointed with R6: Lockdown.
There is a little tactical feel in giving commands to your teammates throughout the missions, even if teammate AI is dumber than a box of hammers, but those deep tactical-FPS elements that made R6 and Ghost Recon so good have been watered down for a more straightforward, and what I would call, Hollywooded-up experience where the game moves from set-piece to set-piece as a means of progression. This is opposed to having a more open exploration with tactical planning feel to it like the previous games. The game is a very linear experience overall. Perhaps a precursor, if you will, to design elements later found in Rainbow Six Vegas.
Hardcore Rainbow Six fans were probably sorely disappointed with Rainbow Six: Lockdown when it hit, but I would liken it to SWAT: Global Strike Team which was released on the PS2 and Original Xbox where it's a streamlined, consoled-up version of a deeper tactical franchise. I, personally, have always enjoyed Lockdown for what it is. It is a shallow shell of the Rainbow Six games that came before, but I've always been able to enjoy it for what it offers, and not hated it for what it doesn't. Whenit comes to PS2 Tom Clancy Games, it's still way better than the PS2 port of Ghost Recon 2 and G.R.A.W., but not better than the PS3 port of Rainbow Six 3, which is, surprisingly, a solid port of the Xbox version of Rainbow Six 3 which is also different from Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield
For PC gamers looking to dive into a deep, Red Storm-developed tactical FPS, this isn't the Rainbow Six for you. However, for those with nostalgia for playing Lockdown back in the day on the PS2 or Original Xbox, or those who don't mind a more shallow, "consolized" tactical FPS game, Lockdown is worth picking up for cheap. I think I only spent around $2.50 for it, maybe less on a Steam sale, and I'll get more than my money's worth out of it. It's just a shame that it can no longer be played online, because it's online play was actually pretty fun on the PS2 back in the day. The official UBI servers are long gone, but I know people tunnel the game through Lan to play it online still. I've never personally looked into how to do it, but there are still ways to play it online if you have your heart set on it.
The Bottom Line: This is a bad Rainbow Six game, but not a bad game in it's own right. Hardcore R6 fans should skip this one, but if you're a forgiving gamer, or a nostalgic PS2/Xbox owner who played this back in the day, Lockdown is enjoyable for what it is. If you find it cheap enough, you'll get your money's worth out of it.
#rainbowsix #pcgaming #retrogaming #ps2 #xbox
I enjoyed playing Lockdown on the PS2 back in the day. It had a decent single player mode, and some fun online play. I recently picked the PC version up on a Steam sale, and while it's sad that the online play is long gone, the single player mode is fun so long as you take it for what it is. Lockdown was first developed on the PS2 and Xbox and released in September of 2005. This PC port was released 5-months later. This means that Lockdown is a "consolized" version of Rainbow Six if you will. If you take the game for what it offers, you'll probably find some enjoyment out of it. However, if you're looking for the deep tactical features of previous games, things like pre-planning every step of the mission step-by-step, you'll be sorely disappointed with R6: Lockdown.
There is a little tactical feel in giving commands to your teammates throughout the missions, even if teammate AI is dumber than a box of hammers, but those deep tactical-FPS elements that made R6 and Ghost Recon so good have been watered down for a more straightforward, and what I would call, Hollywooded-up experience where the game moves from set-piece to set-piece as a means of progression. This is opposed to having a more open exploration with tactical planning feel to it like the previous games. The game is a very linear experience overall. Perhaps a precursor, if you will, to design elements later found in Rainbow Six Vegas.
Hardcore Rainbow Six fans were probably sorely disappointed with Rainbow Six: Lockdown when it hit, but I would liken it to SWAT: Global Strike Team which was released on the PS2 and Original Xbox where it's a streamlined, consoled-up version of a deeper tactical franchise. I, personally, have always enjoyed Lockdown for what it is. It is a shallow shell of the Rainbow Six games that came before, but I've always been able to enjoy it for what it offers, and not hated it for what it doesn't. Whenit comes to PS2 Tom Clancy Games, it's still way better than the PS2 port of Ghost Recon 2 and G.R.A.W., but not better than the PS3 port of Rainbow Six 3, which is, surprisingly, a solid port of the Xbox version of Rainbow Six 3 which is also different from Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield
For PC gamers looking to dive into a deep, Red Storm-developed tactical FPS, this isn't the Rainbow Six for you. However, for those with nostalgia for playing Lockdown back in the day on the PS2 or Original Xbox, or those who don't mind a more shallow, "consolized" tactical FPS game, Lockdown is worth picking up for cheap. I think I only spent around $2.50 for it, maybe less on a Steam sale, and I'll get more than my money's worth out of it. It's just a shame that it can no longer be played online, because it's online play was actually pretty fun on the PS2 back in the day. The official UBI servers are long gone, but I know people tunnel the game through Lan to play it online still. I've never personally looked into how to do it, but there are still ways to play it online if you have your heart set on it.
The Bottom Line: This is a bad Rainbow Six game, but not a bad game in it's own right. Hardcore R6 fans should skip this one, but if you're a forgiving gamer, or a nostalgic PS2/Xbox owner who played this back in the day, Lockdown is enjoyable for what it is. If you find it cheap enough, you'll get your money's worth out of it.
#rainbowsix #pcgaming #retrogaming #ps2 #xbox
