At this point, there's no use making sense of Resistance 2's story (or the prequel's). This is a post World War II first person shooter set in the U.S., except it's hard imagining we're in the '50s with aliens (not little green men) running around, and even stranger with the advanced extraterrestrial weapons and futuristic airships. However, Resistance 2 has big ass monsters and a crazy 60-person multiplayer mode. Ridiculous story? Tell that to the 300 foot tall Leviathan.
Resistance 2's developer, Insomniac Games, does an excellent job throwing us into tense situations. Throughout our brief journey, we wandered through dark and alien infested apartment buildings, battled a giant monster in Chicago and narrowly avoided becoming a snack for a vicious Fury, an underwater creature that makes a beeline for hapless swimmers. Bullets and lasers fly in all directions, barrels explode and enormous creatures blot out the sun. This is why we own PlayStation 3s.
Resistance 2
After a valiant struggle to stop the Chimera invasion in Europe, mankind must make its last stand on the shores of the United States. In the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling PLAYSTATION 3 game, Resistance 2 places players in the heroic role of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he struggles against overwhelming odds to defend mankind from the unstoppable Chimera. While wrestling with this insidious war machine, Hale must also battle the virus raging inside of his own body that threatens to transform him into the very creatures he fights against. Powered by Insomniac Games' third-generation PLAYSTATION 3 technology, Resistance 2 will deliver unprecedented console gaming breakthroughs with a standalone eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer. An epic single-player campaign will feature a new weapons arsenal to combat giant boss encounters that increase the scale of the conflict to new heights. And players will enjoy a new level of community support. (Screenshot 1 of 28)
After a valiant struggle to stop the Chimera invasion in Europe, mankind must make its last stand on the shores of the United States. In the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling PLAYSTATION 3 game, Resistance 2 places players in the heroic role of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he struggles against overwhelming odds to defend mankind from the unstoppable Chimera. While wrestling with this insidious war machine, Hale must also battle the virus raging inside of his own body that threatens to transform him into the very creatures he fights against. Powered by Insomniac Games' third-generation PLAYSTATION 3 technology, Resistance 2 will deliver unprecedented console gaming breakthroughs with a standalone eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer. An epic single-player campaign will feature a new weapons arsenal to combat giant boss encounters that increase the scale of the conflict to new heights. And players will enjoy a new level of community support. (Screenshot 2 of 28)
After a valiant struggle to stop the Chimera invasion in Europe, mankind must make its last stand on the shores of the United States. In the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling PLAYSTATION 3 game, Resistance 2 places players in the heroic role of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he struggles against overwhelming odds to defend mankind from the unstoppable Chimera. While wrestling with this insidious war machine, Hale must also battle the virus raging inside of his own body that threatens to transform him into the very creatures he fights against. Powered by Insomniac Games' third-generation PLAYSTATION 3 technology, Resistance 2 will deliver unprecedented console gaming breakthroughs with a standalone eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer. An epic single-player campaign will feature a new weapons arsenal to combat giant boss encounters that increase the scale of the conflict to new heights. And players will enjoy a new level of community support. (Screenshot 3 of 28)
After a valiant struggle to stop the Chimera invasion in Europe, mankind must make its last stand on the shores of the United States. In the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling PLAYSTATION 3 game, Resistance 2 places players in the heroic role of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he struggles against overwhelming odds to defend mankind from the unstoppable Chimera. While wrestling with this insidious war machine, Hale must also battle the virus raging inside of his own body that threatens to transform him into the very creatures he fights against. Powered by Insomniac Games' third-generation PLAYSTATION 3 technology, Resistance 2 will deliver unprecedented console gaming breakthroughs with a standalone eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer. An epic single-player campaign will feature a new weapons arsenal to combat giant boss encounters that increase the scale of the conflict to new heights. And players will enjoy a new level of community support. (Screenshot 4 of 28)
After a valiant struggle to stop the Chimera invasion in Europe, mankind must make its last stand on the shores of the United States. In the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling PLAYSTATION 3 game, Resistance 2 places players in the heroic role of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he struggles against overwhelming odds to defend mankind from the unstoppable Chimera. While wrestling with this insidious war machine, Hale must also battle the virus raging inside of his own body that threatens to transform him into the very creatures he fights against. Powered by Insomniac Games' third-generation PLAYSTATION 3 technology, Resistance 2 will deliver unprecedented console gaming breakthroughs with a standalone eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer. An epic single-player campaign will feature a new weapons arsenal to combat giant boss encounters that increase the scale of the conflict to new heights. And players will enjoy a new level of community support. (Screenshot 5 of 28)
After a valiant struggle to stop the Chimera invasion in Europe, mankind must make its last stand on the shores of the United States. In the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling PLAYSTATION 3 game, Resistance 2 places players in the heroic role of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he struggles against overwhelming odds to defend mankind from the unstoppable Chimera. While wrestling with this insidious war machine, Hale must also battle the virus raging inside of his own body that threatens to transform him into the very creatures he fights against. Powered by Insomniac Games' third-generation PLAYSTATION 3 technology, Resistance 2 will deliver unprecedented console gaming breakthroughs with a standalone eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer. An epic single-player campaign will feature a new weapons arsenal to combat giant boss encounters that increase the scale of the conflict to new heights. And players will enjoy a new level of community support. (Screenshot 6 of 28)
After a valiant struggle to stop the Chimera invasion in Europe, mankind must make its last stand on the shores of the United States. In the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling PLAYSTATION 3 game, Resistance 2 places players in the heroic role of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he struggles against overwhelming odds to defend mankind from the unstoppable Chimera. While wrestling with this insidious war machine, Hale must also battle the virus raging inside of his own body that threatens to transform him into the very creatures he fights against. Powered by Insomniac Games' third-generation PLAYSTATION 3 technology, Resistance 2 will deliver unprecedented console gaming breakthroughs with a standalone eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer. An epic single-player campaign will feature a new weapons arsenal to combat giant boss encounters that increase the scale of the conflict to new heights. And players will enjoy a new level of community support. (Screenshot 7 of 28)
After a valiant struggle to stop the Chimera invasion in Europe, mankind must make its last stand on the shores of the United States. In the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling PLAYSTATION 3 game, Resistance 2 places players in the heroic role of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he struggles against overwhelming odds to defend mankind from the unstoppable Chimera. While wrestling with this insidious war machine, Hale must also battle the virus raging inside of his own body that threatens to transform him into the very creatures he fights against. Powered by Insomniac Games' third-generation PLAYSTATION 3 technology, Resistance 2 will deliver unprecedented console gaming breakthroughs with a standalone eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer. An epic single-player campaign will feature a new weapons arsenal to combat giant boss encounters that increase the scale of the conflict to new heights. And players will enjoy a new level of community support. (Screenshot 8 of 28)
After a valiant struggle to stop the Chimera invasion in Europe, mankind must make its last stand on the shores of the United States. In the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling PLAYSTATION 3 game, Resistance 2 places players in the heroic role of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he struggles against overwhelming odds to defend mankind from the unstoppable Chimera. While wrestling with this insidious war machine, Hale must also battle the virus raging inside of his own body that threatens to transform him into the very creatures he fights against. Powered by Insomniac Games' third-generation PLAYSTATION 3 technology, Resistance 2 will deliver unprecedented console gaming breakthroughs with a standalone eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer. An epic single-player campaign will feature a new weapons arsenal to combat giant boss encounters that increase the scale of the conflict to new heights. And players will enjoy a new level of community support. (Screenshot 9 of 28)
After a valiant struggle to stop the Chimera invasion in Europe, mankind must make its last stand on the shores of the United States. In the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling PLAYSTATION 3 game, Resistance 2 places players in the heroic role of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he struggles against overwhelming odds to defend mankind from the unstoppable Chimera. While wrestling with this insidious war machine, Hale must also battle the virus raging inside of his own body that threatens to transform him into the very creatures he fights against. Powered by Insomniac Games' third-generation PLAYSTATION 3 technology, Resistance 2 will deliver unprecedented console gaming breakthroughs with a standalone eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer. An epic single-player campaign will feature a new weapons arsenal to combat giant boss encounters that increase the scale of the conflict to new heights. And players will enjoy a new level of community support. (Screenshot 10 of 28)
Weapons play a huge role in the game. The mini gun spits hundreds of rounds a minute and its secondary fire drops a shield to hide behind. Then there's the Splicer, a gun that shoots razor sharp blades that chops enemies into bloody pieces. We're also huge fans of the Auger, which lets us target and shoot through walls. Of course, there's nothing wrong with the series' trusty Carbine, which features automatic fire and a grenade launcher. At the same time, none of these weapons are as cool as the ones found in Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank franchise. You also get to use them fairly early, which somewhat ruins the chance of surprise later on.
Single player is great, but it has a few annoying problems starting with Nathan Hale, the game's hero. Not only does he look plain, but the guy has almost no personality. He's just a grunt, and that makes it difficult identifying with him or feeling for his cause. Because of that glaring flaw, Resistance 2 is a first person shooter without soul. We love playing, but don't feel any desire to rescue America from alien evil. We just love shooting things.
In addition, some of these battles fail to live up to the hype. For months, we salivated at the thought of fighting the aforementioned Leviathan. This beautifully designed monster slowly lumbers through Chicago punching buildings and swatting helicopters. Visually, it's one of the greatest levels we've seen, but it's far from being an intense and challenging battle.
Enemies also have a nasty habit of zeroing in on us instead of our computer-controlled teammates. Several times, we watched as aliens walked past our comrades and attacked us en masse. That leads to another issue, Resistance 2 is a "learn by dying" video game. We figured out how to defeat enemies not by exploiting their weaknesses but dying multiple times until we made the necessary adjustments. On a lesser extent, Resistance 2's single player campaign lacks a co-op mode. Seeing as how you play alongside non-player characters most of the time, this makes no sense.
There is, however, a separate co-op mode where up to eight players work as a team to blast through Chimera, and the three human classes (Special Ops, Medic and Soldier) have different abilities that benefit each other. We're much more impressed, however, with the 60 person multiplayer mode. As crazy as it sounds, Insomniac achieved order in chaos by splitting each team into mini squads and giving them specific objectives. So, for example, you may have to capture a diner, but the opposing team needs to defend it. You can still run off and kill whomever you want, but it's best to work together.
All of this, including the single player campaign, ties into a perks system that enables you to level up your character by playing all three modes. Not only does it encourage you to play through Resistance 2 (thus getting your monies worth), but it's also fun to slowly transform this average dude into a bloodthirsty killing machine, thanks to Berserkers, special abilities that help you on the battlefield. Considering thousands of other games intend to do the same thing, it's best you level up, lest you get your ass handed to you by stronger players.
Much has been made about Resistance 2's detailed graphics, and for the most part, the game looks amazing. However, the famous shots of the Leviathan and the commercial that proudly displays the gorgeous San Francisco scene do not represent what the entire game looks like. It's pretty overall, but that high level of visual quality doesn't appear in every level, and the fire and explosion effects aren't that impressive.
The same can be said of the audio. All of the weapons sound great, but the uninteresting soundtrack failed to get us pumped. There's also this weird hiccup where some characters sound like they're speaking through a radio, despite being a foot away. Furthermore, turning around often lowers the volume of whomever is speaking. Failing to hear instructions on how to kill an enemy or which path to take may kill you.
Because of the multiplayer modes, as well as the enjoyable single player campaign, Resistance 2 is best described as a great first person shooter and a worthy sequel. Insomniac missed an opportunity to give Nathan Hale a pulse, and for multiplatform gamers, Co-op is nowhere near as cool as Gears of War 2's Horde mode, but don't let this game's shortcomings prevent you from experiencing one of the year's best shooters.
Reader Comments (17)
"Weapons play a huge role in the game." ^^ I stopped reading there....... -_-
omfg this guy that rights this really has no ****in clue what hes talking about and is a ****in fanboy for gears of war and im not saying R2 is better than gears of war 2 or gears of war 2 is better than resistance there both great games to have and play
Alright, what the ****? Shouldn't this have been looked at by someone who has even a passing knowledge of the first game? Hale shows no personality because the virus affected his brain - to say the game is bad for that is like saying a wheelchair bound character is horrible because he can't jump. The Solo campaign was built around a single players experience - how the **** are you supposed to do the Leviathan fight with two people? And the game makes perfect godamn sense - a meteor crashes in Russia, carrying a mutagenic virus. It takes over the Russian people, and allows them to support a psychic link, allowing all their minds to work as one - hence both allowing the single supermind to come up with highly advcanced weaponary, and allowing them to all recognise Hale on sight as the biggest threat.
How do you 2 know if gears 2 should even be gears considered gears 1.5, no 1 has even played the game Besides the guys who made it or the pepole who reviewed it for game sites. And just because you hate it dosent mean you should say it's a bad game, I mean I hated Oblivion but that doesent mean its a bad game. Also I think 60 players on multiplayer is a little too much.
Have either one of you played Gears of War 2? Probably not.
wow, you can tell he is a gears fanboy and using that again R2, i like both games but to say that Horde mode is better than R2 co-op proves that you been smoking some kind crack. I hope you can sleep well knowing that.
WTF at this fanboy reviewer? Its not even a review, its a nag on everything just look at his gears 1.5 review compared. And then WTF at the ending saying gears 1.5 co-op is better, hello this is R2 not gears 1.5!..lmao gears cant even change your clothes or get upgrades + it supports less players, doesnt have randomized geometry,lit goes on like you have to pay money to even play..LOL