Resistance: Fall of Man was hands down the best launch title for the PS3, and it was a very good game in its own right. The campaign was strong enough, the weapons were varied and interesting, and it brought 40 player online multiplayer to the package. Resistance 2 takes everything the previous game did and improves on it in every way.
Graphically speaking, Resistance 2 is very solid, but definitely not a top-tier showcase for this gen. The guns look very realistic, the character models are decent enough, but the graphics don't jump out at you on a consistent basis. The sense of scale however, both with the bosses and the world overall (check out the Chimeran ships in the background, or how the bosses interact with the environment for example) is quite incredible, even revolutionary in some ways.
The gameplay in Resistance is much improved from the first game: Insomniac based the controls on COD4 while staying with each weapon having a secondary fire ability. The action only slows down enough to let you catch your breath here and there, and the weapons are where the game truly shines. The Auger, with it's ability to shoot though solid objects, and then Fareye, a sniper-rifle that allows you to slow down time for limited periods, are my person favorites. Insomniac even managed to make a pistol, the Magnum with it's exploding secondary fire, not only an interesting weapon, but also one of the most useful.
Story-wise, Resistance 2 doesn't disappoint either. It's a bit challenging to understand exactly what is going on, but after playing through the game twice I understand that is intentional. You are meant to find the hidden "Intel" throughout the game, and Insomniac even has several clever websites that are used to fill in some gaps. The main character, Nathan Hale, is much more likable this time around (he talks for one) and the other soldiers are as well. I was very glad that they dumped the British female narrator, as she was difficult to understand and slowed down the pacing of the game. The most interesting part of the story to me is it's setting: 1950's USA reeling from an alien "invasion". There are several radios scattered through the levels and the radio voice does a great job providing a sense of time and creates a sense for the nearly hopeless atmoshpere. One thing that is left out this time is the campaign co-op mode (split screen for the first game), but this mitigated by the outstanding multiplayer options. The other notable exception is the lack of vehicles in the gameplay, but the action is so tight and immersive you don't really miss it (you do shoot out of some moving vehicles here and there however).
Competitive multiplayer is absolutely crazy. This game handles 60 player online multiplayer. The most fun though, is playing ranked games because you gain XP. XP works in different ways, most notably granting you additional "berserks" (a version of COD4's Perks). There are several modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Skirmish, a version of Capture the Flag, and a version of Attack and Defend.
Cooperative multiplayer is crazy addictive. Up to 8 players can play simultaneously, and there are several missions. Perhaps the best part about the game though is the class system and how each class benefits the others. There are three classes: soldier, medic, and special ops. The soldiers have shields that shield themselves and there teammates, medics drain the hit points from the enemy and heal their teammates, and special ops provide additional ammo for both parties. Each class provides a very different gaming experience, and each one has different abilities that you unlock while leveling up. I usually hate playing as the passive, assistance-focused classes, the the Medics are actually my favorite class to play in this game. This mode also adds to the story as there are pieces of info provided as you play this mode as well.
All three modes tie in together because all three provide XP that help increase you're overall rank. Insomniac even created a pretty robust community at myresistance.net to view your stats as well as those of others. In fact, this is probably the most community focused game on the PS3, maybe even this generation.
Overall, Resistance 2 is a phenomenal game, and an absolute must buy for any PS3 owner. It's been the most enjoyable game I've played yet this holiday season. I'm on my 3rd time through the Campaign (I'm trying out Superhuman difficulty which is the hardest) and it never gets old. Cooperative multiplayer has me hooked: it's beyond addictive, and is this years COD4 in that sense for me.
Score: 9.5/10
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