Greg Hastings Paintball 2 Impressions

Paintball might not be outright fatal, but it is still as fierce and action packed as any shooter. Greg Hastings is an expert paintball professional and is once again adding his name to this Super X Studios developed sequel, which is this time being published by Majesco.

Players can take control of Greg or select from nearly over a thousand different real-world paintball players. Up to 10-versus-10 players can go head-to-head online in a single match. Once the teams are picked, players are taken to real-world locations, including arenas in England and forests in America. Matches include traditional paintball elimination and team battles. While the game takes a first-person perspective, players are required to use a cover system, which is much in the vein of Gears of War. Staying in cover, ducking out, and quickly sliding or dashing is the safest strategy to stay protected and get the jump on the enemy team.

While there are the more common paintball rifles, there are also an array of firearms, including pistols, machine guns, explosive grenades, and even massive paint-shooting tanks. These individual guns can be further upgraded by completing matches in Career mode and purchasing upgrades from the game’s shop. Upgrades include ammo cartridges, scopes, and other means to customize your arsenal. Some weapons even make use of real paintball firing mechanics, requiring players to alternate between the right trigger and right shoulder to fire quickly.

Paintball matches aren’t the only rewards to be unlocked. Movies, images, bios of experts, and a full history of the sport can be unlocked by completing more fights and matches. Greg Hastings Paintball 2 excels at not only being a shooting game, but it is also a means to introduce newcomers to the world of paintball.

Greg Hastings Paintball 2 will be available in September 2010 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.