Resistance 2 is a crushingly disappointing sequel to a great game.

User Rating: 5 | Resistance 2 PS3
Resistance: Fall of Man was a superb shooter that outdid many others in my opinion, mainly because it tossed aside all generic shooter elements in favor of smart and original gunplay that pleased on all fronts. The gritty tone, and great level design was reminiscent of old shooters that you don't see around anymore. It was the perfect launch game to go with the PS3. Due to a cliffhanger ending, we all anticipated a great sequel to go along with it.

Fast forward 2 years later and Resistance 2 arrives on shelves, and the results are lackluster across the board. Truth be told, it mystifies me how anyone can think that Resistance 2 is superior to Fall of Man. The first game was a unique and engaging shooter that required fast reflexes and a touchy trigger finger. Here, it abandons all of that in favor of a more generic, Hollywood style game.


VISUALS 5/10

Clearly this is Insomniacs response to the complaints about the lack of color from the first game. Personally, I liked that about the first game, but I was prepared to see some more color in Resistance 2, but this is just flat out hideous. All I see is a disgustingly ugly orange color pallet all over the screen. The awful lighting doesn't help either. In fact, it even strained my eyes at one point. Also, this game is apparently set in 1953. Pfff more like 2020. The setting in Resistance 1 felt almost like World War 2. Here, I feel like I'm playing some futuristic war in modern environments. Also on a side note, Iceland in this game looks nothing like the real Iceland.

Textures on the characters a pretty good, and the environmental textures are okay. The new design on the weapons are rather painfully generic, and they lack the originality from the first game, but thankfully their functions are intact. The only improvement I see in the visual presentation is the animations. They're not great, but they get the job done. That's saying a lot because they sucked in the first game. Still though, the whole game just looks really ugly.


SOUND 5/10

Remember the eerie atmosphere from the first game? Or the vicious snarls from the Chimera? Or the narrators eerie voice? That's all gone. The Chimera now sound like some choked up lions, and I no longer feel jumpy when I hear their growls around the corner. Also, there are very few distinct sounds between the different species of the Chimera.

Also, I don't usually pay attention to voice acting, but here, it's not intriguing in the slightest. Everyone sounds so burly and angry. Some of the dialogue is delivered so bad, that it sounds like its done intentionally. Not to mention, the sound effects in the gun battles sound a little suppressed, which reduces the little amount of immersion this game already has.

At least the music is good though. Sometimes it gets rather ridiculous, but there are a few tracks that perfectly suit the apocalyptic theme this game has going for it. Scratch that, the music is really good.


STORY 6/10

(Minor Spoilers)
Beginning right where the first game left off, Resistance 2 continues the plot of Nathan Hales condition (his Chimeran infection from the first game) but here, the game touches upon the seriousness of the situation. His condition worsens throughout the game, and gives you a feeling of interest in seeing what will happen to Hale.
(Minor Spoilers End Here)

There are dozens of subplots to complement this game, but Nathan Hales infection is sadly the only plot element that kept me interested. I'll admit that this is a rather original plot, but its execution is very underwhelming. The plot feels very spaced out, because there will be gaps in the game which barely touch upon the story. Not to mention, things take a really confusing turn towards the end.

My main issue with the story is the characters. Gone is Nathan Hales quiet character, gone is sergeant Cartrite, and gone is the eerie narrator from the first game. Say hello to these generic, macho, military baddies. Nathan Hale is still present, but his silent character has now been replaced by a generic commando character. The characters really turned me off, but Nathan Hales infection can make the games plot a little interesting.


GAMEPLAY 4/10

"Typical sequel. Bigger, flashier, but lacks everything that made the first game so special." This was the review deck of someone else who reviewed this game, but I forget who. In response to this all I have to say is that he couldn't be more right. I seriously don't know what the hell happened at Insomniac. They've screwed just about everything here.

First thing is the enemy AI. Among the most unbalanced I've ever seen in any game. They are stupidest morons ever, because they'll either attack in two ways; Stand out in the open like an idiot and shoot you from there, or they'll just blindly rush into and throw in a ridiculous amount of damage. The prime example is the behavior of enemies called Grims. They are these unarmed Chimera that attack with their arms. They must have super arms because they can hit you from two feet away. Not to mention, when swarm in on you, every thing gets completely unfair. They'll take you down in a few seconds even on the easiest difficulty.

I'll probably get responses along the lines of "You're just mad cuz you suck. It's called challenge!" Oh sorry, I didn't know that throwing endless waves of stupid enemies at you was considered fair.

They've also screwed with the health system. Gone is the unique partial regeneration from the first game. Now, it's nothing but regenerating health. Oh but don't worry! Your health goes down within seconds no matter what you're getting hit by. That's right, Insomniacs idea of a challenge has gone from tactically smart enemies, to blind enemies doing a ridiculous amount of damage to you like I said before.

Also, why get rid of the weapon wheel? Instead, we have a bunch of weapons lying around, constantly making you decide whether or not you should pick up that specified weapon. Not to mention, it makes the game pretty predictable. Say for example you see a rocket lying around. Then you know that something big is happening ahead.

CONCLUSION

Why take some unique product, and violate it with a generic mainstream make over? I know I've rambled on and on, and maybe I shouldn't have, but considering how superb Fall of Man was, I expected way more from Insomniac. Oh well, maybe Resistance 3 will turn out better...