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"Resistance 2"

12/16/08

"Resistance: Fall of Man" was great as a single-player experience.  Good action, great weapons, nasty bad guys, fun story.  I played through it a second time recently, and I have to say, for the $20 I spent on it, the value was through the roof.

"Resistance 2" does very, very little to improve upon the original single-player game, but that's okay, because that was already a good product.  Your man Nathan Hale shows up two years after the events of the first game still feeling the effects of the alien impregnation he suffered, and as a result, he spends the entire sequel slowly becoming one of the evil bastards he has sworn to wipe off the face of the earth.  Jumping back into the fray against the evil Chimera, Hale once again slaughters all manners of bad guys with many of the same weapons he used last time, plus a couple of new ones, like a chain gun, an alien sniper rifle and a pulse cannon for extra-large business.

Really, the single-player game changes almost nothing from the first game other than new locations to blow shit up; save for a mechanic that switches to the now-in-vogue "only two weapons at a time" format (a change from the first game, which let you carry as many weapons as you could find), "Resistance 2" is just the first game with slightly better graphics, sounds and enemy AI.  It also feels slightly longer than the first game, which gives you about a dozen hours of action.

The major change to this sequel is the multiplayer.  Although I did not give the first game much of a run online, I did give it a run in the sequel...and, damn, this is cool stuff.  60 (SIXTY) people can play against each other at one time, meaning that killing is never far from your location.  Like many other online games these days, the format is set up around a career mode that allows you to earn experience points to level up your online "character", to give you access to better weapons and player perks as long as you like blowing hours of time online.  (Kids love that these days, as it allows them to talk to real people less and less as these games get better and better.)  Now, is "Resistance 2" online better than, say, "Halo 3" or "Call of Duty 4"?  Uhh, no.  And, not even close.  But, it's still an addition that makes for good times as a PS3 owner, and some of the maps offer nice vantage points for all play styles (the shotgun guy, the sniper guy, the sneak-up-with-a-rifle-butt guy).  And, you can also play on co-op maps with 8 total players in a class-based system that has medics and soldiers, as well as the ammo pack guy, harkening back to your days loving "Return to Castle Wolfenstein."

If you are a PS3 owner itching to pull the trigger, "Resistance 2" fits the bill, but there are so many deals now to get the first game for cheap that it is definitely worth buying both games.

Rating:  Opening Weekend

 

Feedback?  Comments?  Salma Hayek's digits?  justin@bellviewmovies.com

 

Bellview Rating System:

"Opening Weekend":  Buy this game right away, and don't ask me any questions as to why that's a good move.  A game experience that will almost guarantee repeated controller abuse, lots of ManScreaming and high resale value, you will assuredly play this bad boy for months on end. 

"$40":  Usually after games have been out for a while, they drop in price slightly, or can be bought for slightly cheaper in combination with other new games.  Usually, that's about $40.  You'll feel good getting the game for this price, since it isn't quite run-out-and-get-it-right-now good, but it has enough game in the box for a few weeks' worth of enjoyment.

"eBay":  This game is not too bad, but you'd be better off buying it used from either half.com or eBay.  You also might let a friend buy this game, let s/he beat it, and then try to buy it from them to make them feel better.  Yes, this does tend to feel like "Sloppy Seconds."

"Rental":  Like my cousin Ron, you should always rent games that you aren't sure about first, to make sure that your $50 is going towards something worthwhile.  For games in this category, this is the maximum amount of money ($5) and/or time (3-5 days) you'll need to either gain satisfaction from the game, or beat the game in its entirety.  Rental-rated games are also sometimes perfect for a weekend when you are going to be at home on your ass, with some time to kill.

"Dogshit":  Games like this should have never been released.  If you play this game for any reason, you will regret every second of the experience.  Further, if you can get this game for free, don't do it, because even for FREE, it will still be a negative experience for you!