Resistance 2

Massively Online

Competitive mode is the third and final dimension of Resistance 2, and it supports a whopping 60 players for massive-scale online battles. The mode types are split between standard team deathmatch and capture-the-flag scenarios, with a new Skirmish mode that splits both teams into small squads to accomplish a series of simple objectives. If you enjoyed Halo 3 or Unreal Tournament 3, the sci-fi weapons and gameplay types in Resistance 2's competitive mode will probably appeal to you. Aside from the unusually large player counts and the objective-driven Skirmish mode, Resistance 2's competitive play hits all the marks you'd expect from a modern online shooter, save for drivable vehicles. One welcome touch is a focus on instant gratification. Because you earn experience points by inflicting damage on enemy players, you can earn new guns and abilities without scoring a single kill. Finally, in an impressive technical achievement, Resistance 2's networking code appears to be rock solid across the board, serving up consistently lag-free matches at the advertised 60-player count.

Resistance 2

Doing the Math

Playing a game as big and ambitious as Resistance 2 is inspiring: Insomniac Games is clearly pushing the envelope with the game's "all-in-one" approach. On the flip side, the game's sheer size and scale works against it in a few important ways. Take the graphics, for example, which are vibrant and pleasing but lack the hi-def "oomph" we take for granted in cutting-edge showstoppers such as Gears of War 2 and Call of Duty 4. Resistance 2 skews more closely to Halo 3's visual style, with its emphasis on bigger and brighter, but less realistic looking, environments. These visual weaknesses are amplified in the online cooperative and competitive modes, resulting in stiff-looking characters and flat lighting effects, which suggests that the studio strained to balance the game's huge size with technological and logistical limitations. The result is a (mostly) happy medium, and a game that looks good in some places and a little iffy in others.

The most important challenge to creating a game as enormous and multi-layered as Resistance 2, though, is keeping the gameplay unique and meaningful. Luckily, Insomniac Games largely delivers on this goal -- each of the three modes is genuinely worth playing. And if you don't like one of them, chances are good that one of the others will hook you. Taken individually, none of the three modes delivers on its full potential, but taken as a whole, the trio makes for a powerful package and offers a tremendous dollars-to-gameplay ratio. Resistance 2 represents one heck of a bargain and is definitely 2008's answer to the feature-packed Half-Life 2: The Orange Box.

Resistance 2

Piece de Resistance?

Resistance 2 doesn't represent a true revolution, but it could spark the beginning of one. By treating the game as a suite of diverse, interconnected micro-worlds rather than one or two monolithic play modes, Insomniac Games has created an online shooter with community at its heart. And while the results here aren't always as polished and as gorgeous as you might hope, this is a good game that could signal even better things to come. If you're a PlayStation 3 owner, Resistance 2 is a solid choice to get your shooter fix.

PROS: Enjoyable online play, plenty of unlockable equipment, tight controls, intoxicatingly powerful weapons
CONS: Uneven graphics and production values, cookie-cutter online stages, frustrating trial-and-error campaign challenges, skimpy storytelling
Resistance 2

Comments [183]

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vadthrawn

This looks very promising. The online component has my attention with 8-player co-op. I don't expect much difference between the multiplayer other than the co-op over other shooter games though. This is one of those games to be jealous of a PS3 owner. It looks like an all-around good game. By the review only I can't tell if this is going to be a console definer as people were hoping but it is very close. I don't think it quite makes it but it's going to be one hell of a ride. I'd love to hear some people's impressions after this comes out this week.

215505
Ps3fan1

This game is a must have, OMG I don't know what to do with myself so many games releasing week after week . Having the money is one thing but finding the time is another. lol

xXTylerDurdenXx

I think this will be better than gears.
No flame, im just saying, the online is really fun, co-op and competitive, and add in a good single player.
Gears 2 gets a 5 and this gets a 4, but who cares. Getting both regardless.

Gue1

but weren't Gamepro the one that said: "Resistance Better than Halo and bigger than COD4"? what happened with that?

besides this site scored Heavenly Sword higher and that game was a real piece of crap!

NastyN8

@themisfit138

one your stupid. two this game has a average score of 90% im pretty sure one low score from game pro will drop its average. Its a good game and it smokes halo any day of the week. Better connection first off, 60 players online, 8 player co op, and a 10 times more in depth single player story mode. lol master chief sucks nut compared to Nathan Hale

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