Resistance 2

Resistance 2

The opening moments of Resistance 2 are nothing short of spectacular. Crawling from the wreckage of a downed transport helicopter you emerge into the hazy sunlight of an autumn scrubland, a scene that juxtaposes sharply with the giant mechanized robot towering above you. It’s a truly arresting moment.

Resistance 2 is, in every way that matters, a bigger and better game than its predecessor, itself one of the PlayStation 3’s most popular launch titles. Once again you’re thrown into an epic battle against the alien Chimera but this time the battles are larger, the environments richer and more detailed and, of course, with eight-player co-operative player, now your friends can come along for the ride too. The story is just as throwaway as it was before and, while there are plenty of background narrative details such as the Intel documents scattered throughout each location, jaw-dropping action is the star of this tale.

Throughout the game you’ll be visiting a vast array of different destinations, from city centres all the way out to the deepest countryside. These places swarm with Chimera from clicking alien scorpions all the way up to towering giants as tall as buildings. The enemy AI is competent so the game offers a steep challenge throughout. Nevertheless, the desire to see what’s around the next corner will force you onwards even when the going gets tough.

In the much-vaunted co-operative mode you and up to seven other players choose one of three specific classes to play as. The Medic drains enemy health and passes it on to teammates. The Special Ops class provides ammunition to the other players when they run low while the Soldier carries a Gatling gun that also generates a protective shield to act as impromptu cover. As each player serves a different function there’s a pleasing team dynamic, everyone helping one another in their different roles. Players also earn experience and currency during missions, which can be spent on unlocking more weapons and special abilities.

The game modes are rounded off by a strong competitive option that allows up to a staggering 60 players to battle it out with almost no lag. Standard Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag (known here as "Core Control") modes are joined by Skirmish in which teams receive on-the-fly objectives to complete.

The result is a well-rounded game that enlarges the scope of first person shooters in many different ways, from the size of the enemies in the single player campaign through to the sheer number of players that can play together in co-op and competitive modes. Highly recommended.

4 out of 5