If anyone ever doubted whether or not Insomniac has lost its luster, then they should be aware that the answer to that question is an adamant no. Resistance 2 is better than its highly touted predecessor and PlayStation 3 launch title in Resistance: Fall of Man.

For those gamers who are unaware of the narrative of the original Resistance: Fall of Man, here is a succinct synopsis. Mankind is immersed in a battle against an alien faction known as the Chimera, and Sergeant Nathan Hale is humanity’s only hope. The plot is actually a little reminiscent of Halo 3, but instead of Master Chief there is Nathan Hale. Rather than the Covenant, there is the Chimera.

The storyline in this sequel occurs in a similar backdrop as Resistance: Fall of Man, but the ongoing war transpires in the United States instead of Europe. In addition, the sequel transpires after the events of Resistance: Fall of Man. Nathan Hale reprises his role as the protagonist, and his journey has led him all the way to San Francisco.

The Chimera’s malicious intentions entail annihilating America and eventually the entire world with a raid of monumental implications. To counter this, the Special Research Projects Administration or SRPA enters into the picture. The Special Research Projects Administration is a covert organization that is responsible for the creation of Sentinels. Sentinels are fighting juggernauts that have been injected with DNA coming from the Chimera. As a result, these sentinels possess uncanny attributes.

Seeing the Special Research Projects Administration as being the only solution, Nathan forms an alliance with them. There is an enjoyable plot to the game, and it trudges along at a brisk pace. It is like a rope with few unfastened knots.      

The gameplay in the original Resistance had a tightly woven first person shooter experience that put Insomniac on the map for this next generation of consoles, and Resistance 2 falls right in line. It is certainly a poignant moment to see a deceased human body one right after another. This pessimistic tone is explicitly expressed throughout the duration of the game up until the bitter conclusion.

The single player campaign has missions that are simply astonishing. Players will be saying “Oh, my God” faster than any devout figure. Some of the many adversaries that you will encounter are the gigantic Goliath machinelike spiders and the enormous 300 foot Leviathan. Undoubtedly, your blood will be pumping, and your heart will be racing during these scuffles. One of the many brawls entails Nathan and his allies fending the Chimera attacks with an abundance of bullets whizzing and machines exploding.

The ally and enemy artificial intelligence is fairly realistic. Both will take cover and try to flank their respective opposition. Insomniac seems to make the most creative weapons in video games. They did it in the Ratchet & Clank games, in the first Resistance, and they did it yet again in Resistance 2.

Just like the original, all weapons have primary and secondary firing modes. The Augur makes its return with a usual shield that is used as a secondary firing mechanism. There is even a revolver that has a primary fire that shoots bullets, and the secondary fire will make those bullets explode. The Bullseye weapon allows you to tag your foes with the secondary fire. When your opponents are tagged, your shot will automatically lock on them. This is perfect for attempting to eradicate monsters without conceding your location. There are rocket launchers, grenades, shotguns, and many more.

The two multiplayer modes are cooperative and competitive. Cooperative multiplayer mode is not necessarily your traditional cooperative multiplayer mode. This mode does not follow the tale of Nathan Hale, but it does follow a story that runs parallel to the single player campaign. Between two and eight players can join forces to relinquish the Chimera invasion and achieve other goals.

There are three multiplayer character types. They are called the Special operatives, Medics, and the Soldiers. Special Operatives are proficient at attacking from afar, Medics are responsible for healing their comrades, and the Soldiers are the assertive troops with heavy defenses. Each class does an ostentatious job of complementing each other, so working together is the name of the game.

In total, there are seven different cooperative multiplayer maps: Axebridge, Bracknell, Bryce Canyon, Chicago, Holar Tower, Iceland, and Orick. Conversely, the competitive multiplayer mode features four main modes. They are team death match, death match, core control, and skirmish. Core control has exactly the same premise as something like a capture the flag mode. A total of sixty players can play, and there are absolutely no frame rate flaws at all. The maps include some of the cooperative multiplayer maps such as Iceland, Orick, Holar Tower, Bryce Canyon, and Chicago. There are also three additional maps in Mexico, Louisiana, and Chicxulub Crater. Furthermore, there is a trophy system.

In terms of visuals, they are brilliant. The creatures with wrinkles and the little touches (ala sparks from ships) are breathtaking. The audio is another excellent aspect of the game. There is excellent music and sound effects, and the voice acting really brings the characters to life. Overall, this game is an engrossing experience from beginning to end. Anyone will find it arduous to resist Resistance 2.

Art Direction 9.5
In terms of visuals, there are brilliant. The creatures with wrinkles and the little touches (ala sparks from ships) are breathtaking.

Audio 9.5
The audio is another excellent aspect of the game. There is excellent music and sound effects, and the voice acting really brings the characters to life. 

Gameplay 9.5
The gameplay in the original Resistance had a tightly woven first person shooter experience that put Insomniac on the map for this next generation of consoles, and Resistance 2 falls right in line

Presentation 9.5
Although the game ends rather abruptly, it is still a solid piece of storytelling.

Replay Value 9.5
With all of the multiplayer modes and a single player mode, there is plenty here to keep you busy.

Final verdict 9.5

Sayed Islam
Heroes of Gaming
Freelance