Resistance 2

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Insomniac Games
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release Date: November 4, 2008

Reviewer: Dan

Can 2008 get any better for Gaming? It seems like nothing but gigantic titles have been showing up for both (actual) next-gen systems, making it worthwhile to own a PS3 for something other than Blu-rays and making you hope your 360 doesn't go RROD on you. Resistance 2 is yet another game in the stream of fantastic games to recently show up that must not be overlooked.

In case you haven't played the first, you play as (former Sergeant, now Lieutenant) Nathan Hale, an American soldier first sent to England along with 5,000 other troops to try and defeat the Chimera, the Alien-Human hybrid menace that swept across Europe. If you need to know all of the backstory, there's a free video on the PSN you can download to fill in the gap between the Chimera first landing to where you begin the single-player campaign as the lone survivor of the 5,000 sent to England.

Unlike some games that sort of ease you into the story, R2 tosses you directly in the line of fire when the base in Iceland you're stationed at comes under attack from the Chimera. Right away, you'll see the much-touted massive size and scale of some of the enemies you must face. You'll probably notice two new things right from the beginning (well, old things if you play a lot of Halo). You no longer have that annoying health bar. Instead, you're given regenerating health, which functions in a similar manner as Call of Duty. To up the realism a bit, you are now limited to carrying only two weapons at a time. This is, however, offset by the fact that each weapon has an alternate fire mode.

For those of you who played the last game, you'll also notice that Hale has a voice this time around, with the story being moved along in his own words rather than through a narrator. But as far as the story goes, I can't really say too much about the single player campaign, because I've been completely addicted to the online Co-op mode.

Now this is where Resistance 2 shines. An entire separate story is being told through the efforts of the Spectre Team, a special operations group sent into various Grey Areas (territory in which the Chimera control) to complete various objectives. Not since Return to Castle Wolfenstein have I played such a fun class-based game.

The classes you can choose from include a Soldier, a Medic, and a member of a Special Ops group. The Soldier carries a chaingun with the ability to project a shield in front of him to protect himself and those behind him. The Special Ops character carries an assault rifle (basically the Battle Rifle from Halo 3) and supplies everyone with ammo. The Medic carries a strange weapon that sucks the life out of enemies and fires a healing beam out of it to give the rest of the team health.

I really cannot stress the importance of having a balanced team any higher. From my experience, 2 Medics along with 3 Soldiers and 3 Spec Ops seems to be the best team possible. A Soldier is the one doing all of the killing with their shields up. The Spec Ops needs to keep providing ammo to the soldiers in order for them to be able to keep those shields up. The Medic, obviously, heals anyone that needs it. If you follow that strategy, chances are that no one on your team will die. If you think you're John Rambo and try to go at it alone, you will most likely die rather quickly. Trust me. I've tried that. Doesn't work.

The nice thing about each of the stages you play on in the Co-op mode is that they are different each time you play them. Some of the objectives will be the same, but each time they will be in a different order with different sets each time. That way, the co-op stays fresh and doesn't end up getting boring as you level up. Oh, forgot to mention that one. Much like COD4, R2 has a level and rank system that allows you to unlock new weapons, abilities, and other augments to your character. Each character type has their own experience and level, so you'll have to get good at all three to totally max out your character.

The competitive multiplayer is also a lot of fun to play, although I haven't played nearly as much of it (This actually seems to be the thing with the online aspect of R2. Anyone who plays online will stick primarily with either co-op or competitive). What I can tell you is that you will encounter some epic online battles. 30 vs. 30 is the norm for this game, one of the larger multiplayer experiences you'll find in the FPS world. Some game modes will give you the classic Team Deathmatch mode, but probably the best action you will find in this mode would be the squad based fighting.

Some of the competitive modes will require you to form up into one of several squads, each with an objective on truly massive maps. Typically the objectives include one side protecting an area while another team assaults it. When one objective is completed or overrun, your squad links up with another squad to help complete their mission.

Visually, I don't think the game is going to stun anyone out there, but it certainly isn't one of its weaknesses. For the best eye candy, you'll have to go through the single player mode. I'm guessing they tune down the graphics a bit on multiplayer to help reduce lag, which, to be honest, is pretty much non-existant. I've rarely seen an online game run smoother.

Final Verdict

I honestly cannot find much wrong with Resistance 2. It's one of the few games that have shown up recently that actually feel completed on day one. I wish I could tell you all more about the single player and competitive multiplayer modes, but I've been playing co-op pretty much any time I have the game turned on. If you own a PS3 for something other than watching movies, then this is a must buy game. If you're a fan of first person shooters and you can't find something to like about this game, then there is something wrong with you. 10 out of 10.

E3 2008 Trailer