Resistance 2 Review

In a sense, Resistance 2 doesn't quite feel like a traditional sequel to Insomniac's original installment in this FPS series. It has the same universe and the same action-packed feel that the first carried, but many things from the gameplay to the multiplayer has been changed. Some people will love how they changed things up rather than just make small additions, and others may complain that it feels too different. But it's hard to argue that Resistance 2 isn't a worthy game to have in your collection.

Resistance 2 sees protagonist Nathan Hale travel to the United States in order to once again battle the Chimera, who have launched a full scale invasion of both the east and west coasts. This time out Hale is part of a special task force of soldiers called "The Sentinels", who, like him, are infected with the Chimeran virus, but keep it under control with special inhibitors and are thus able to reap the benefits. The storytelling is decently done, and the story itself can be intriguing at times. The story has plenty of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat, and while it's nothing that will set new highs for gaming stories, Resistance 2 does a good overall job with the story. But make note that the famous narrator from the original does not appear in the second installment.

In the single player campaign you will travel across the globe to different locations to take on the Chimera. These levels are full of enemies for you to blast through, and you'll ocaisonally come across one of the bosses. One big addition to Resistance 2 is the HUGE boss battles. You'll encounter bosses as big as skyscrapers, in which case you have to maneuver around it and come up with a way to take it down. The bosses look fantastic, and it really is just a blast taking them down. This provides a nice break from the regular gameplay.

Also given an overhaul is the overall gameplay mechanics of the game. There is now a Call of Duty type aiming system, where you can hold down the L1 button to zoom in for a more accurate shot. They also have removed the weapon-wheel in this version, and you now have access to only 2 weapons at a time. You can swap weapons whenever you come across a new one, and you'll almost always have access to the appropriate weapon so having only 2 guns works well.

This time around the campaign mode is noticeably shorter than it was in the first Resistance. The game can be completed by the average player in 7-8 hours. It may sound disappointing, but I have found that it actually improved the experience. You get an epic campaign the whole way through, without it ever feeling like it's being dragged on. It also encouraged me to replay the campaign because I knew I wouldn't have to spend to long on it.

As good as single player is, that isn't even the highlight of this game.

The original set the bar for next generation FPS multiplayer. It gave simple yet addicting matches with virtually lag-free 40 player multiplayer. This time around they have bumped it to 60 players, and even added co-op.

For starters, the stat tracking system is absolutely one of the greatest I have ever seen. Your reward for getting kills, completing objectives, etc. is XP, and this is all added up to increase your level. You have different levels for co-op and competitive, but you also have a main level which is fgenerated from the XP gained in Campaign, Co-op, and Competitive. There are also plenty of awards/ribbons in your profile to encourage you to keep playing.

Competitive multiplayer is split into four modes-- Deathmatch, Team Deatchmatch, Core Control (CTF), and Skirmish. Skirmish is where teams are divided into teams, and each team must complete objectives ordered to them by the leader. The matches are fast-paced and overall just a blast to play. My only complaint is that often times the small matches are better than large, because having 60 players on a map can just be overwhelming, and it can be hard to stay alive for more than a few seconds on occasions.

The big addition this time is Co-op. Up to 8 players can participate in this mode. Each player chooses from one of three classes-- Soldier, Spec Ops, or Medic. The main goal of a Soldier is to kill the chimera, Spec Ops provide the Soldiers with ammo, Medics heal the other players. Each of the classes are fun to play, and you're bound to find one you like and want to use as your main class. If you get in a good match, it feels awesome working together as a team to complete the mission. Sometimes the game will throw hundreds of enemies at you at once, and it's very challenging, but still loads of fun working to take them all out.

Graphically, Resistance 2 isn't being mentioned with the best games. It has a lot of blurry, undetailed textures, and it just doesn't look as smooth as games like MGS4 or Killzone 2. However, something that's being overlooked is how much action is taking place. There are so many things going on at a time, and I find it pretty impressive that the game looks as good as it does.

Resistance 2 is one of the most fun experiences I've ever had with an FPS game. It has a very good single player campaign along with an online experience that is aruguably the best available right now. I would recommend Resistance 2 to just about everyone who owns a PS3.


Score: 9.6