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The Skinny: With only a number to distinguish it, you might think
Resistance 2, the sequel to
Resistance: Fall of Man, is basically the same game. But as we learned from talking to Ted Price, the President and CEO of Insomniac Games, the next chapter in this sci-fi first-person shooter series -- which Sony will release Nov. 4th on the PlayStation 3 -- has plenty of fight left in it.
1.
The game is great for people who don't play well with others. Though it starts where the original game ended,
Resistance 2 quickly jumps ahead two years, to the Chimeran invasion of the United States on May 13, 1953. "We've taken a very different approach to the story," Price says. "In the first game, we told the story of Nathan Hale [from the third-person]. Now it's told from his perspective, and is told much more in the game. This is important because this story is deeper and more convoluted, though we also answer more questions."
2.
But it's also great for people who do. Unlike in most games, the cooperative mode in
Resistance 2 doesn't just comprise you and a friend replaying the single-player mode -- instead, you and up to seven friends will play a totally new story. "It takes place at approximately the same time [as the single-player game]," Price explains, "and not only references the single-player game, but also things going on in the upcoming PSP game [
Resistance: Retribution]."
3.
And also for those who do, but only to shoot them in the face. Resistance 2 includes the usual multiplayer modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Core Control ("Our version of Capture The Flag, but with some different rules"), as well as the new Skirmish, in which squads of up to eight players work together to complete objectives. What you won't expect, however, is that Skirmish and Team Deathmatch matches can involve up to 60 players, while Core Control boasts 40, and Deathmatch supports 20. Which is why...
4.
Unlike Sarah Palin, Insomniac likes community organizers. "We're doing a lot with community through the Web site, myresistance.net," Price notes. "We're offering a ton of tools to help people get connected, which is something often overlooked, especially in a game with big online components."
5.
Like Palin, though, Insomniac loves its guns. While
Resistance 2 doesn't let you carry an entire weapons cache on your back like you did in the first game -- you're now limited to two at a time -- they have added five new weapons, and added new features to the old. "The Splicer is one of my favorite new weapons," Price says, grinning. "It fires electromagnetically charged saw blades, which hack away at enemies. You can actually charge it up before you release it, and it will just sit there, churning up on an enemy."
The Crispy Forecast: Sorry for the bad pun, but no fan of sci-fi FPSes will be able to resist this sequel.
This preview is based on an interview and demo conducted during a Sony event.