[Official] Resistance 2

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Videos

First ever look at Co-op:

Resistance 2 'Co-Op Switch' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21593

Resistance 2 'Co-Op Lift' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21594

Singleplayer:

Resistance 2 'Goliath' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21582

Resistance 2 'Bunker Battle' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21584

Resistance 2 'Firefight' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21589

Resistance 2 'Orick' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21585

Resistance 2 'Drone' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21588

Resistance 2 'Firefight' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21589

Multiplayer:

Resistance 2 'Defend Beacon' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21591

Resistance 2 'Victory' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21592

Mix of Everything (5 Videos of SP/MP)

http://www.gametrailers.com/game/6112.html

Screenshots

Screens to accompany videos above,

Previews

PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Resistance 2

If you're a regular reader of this site, then you shouldn't find yourself estranged upon hearing the name Resistance 2. In fact, it should really get you pumped up as you know as much as we do that it will be one of the biggest titles for the PS3 this holiday season. While many of you may be quietly ripping it up on Girl With A Stick, we haven't been left in the dark for our share of Chimera blasting. We've also got our own taste of the viral-infected shooter having played both the single player campaign and a full 8-player online co-op game.

We first started things off by going through the single player campaign. There were two levels available to us: the tutorial level at the very start which takes place in Iceland, and the second took us to the forests of Orick, California -- to which you've already witnessed the opening cinema. The Iceland level looked incredibly familiar; in fact, the very first screenshots ever revealed on this game came from the Iceland level. Think back ... that had a Goliath in it. A Goliath in the opening mission? That's pretty intense considering how these babies didn't appear until much later in the original title. From the very beginning of the game, we could already feel the pace and tone, and it was definitely set to awesome.

The Iceland mission was a lot of fun for a tutorial. It didn't even feel like a tutorial; it was basically a solid level which just showed off various weapons, different types of enemies, and -- like we said -- just really set the tone and pace for what else was to come. As for the Orick level, I hadn't personally played through it, but I had watched it being played over and over again with amusement. Part of that amusement was due to the fact that most who played it kept dying to the claws of the 'Predator-like' Chameleon Chimera. These are wickedly fast Chimera with invisibility cloaks that'll come up and kill in one hit. Avoiding them isn't easy, but it's possible by listening carefully for the sound they make and then keeping those sharp eyes peeled.

While we enjoyed our time with the single player experience, we certainly had exponentially more fun with the online co-op. Andrew and I joined forces to save mankind from the Chimera curse, he chose to be a medic and I took on the role of a soldier. As you probably already know, there are only three classes to choose from: medic, soldier, and special ops. Anyway, we suited up with six other journalists and Insomniac guys for a full 8-player game, and what we ended up with was probably the most fun online multiplayer experience I've ever had.

We entered one of the Iceland stages, and right away we were tackling giant-sized behemoths as a cohesive team. Things really got exciting when hordes (and I mean hordes) of Chimera started appearing ... and even one time dropping right down on us. It was a hectic battle -- in a positive respect of course. An interesting thing to take note of is that some of the enemies you'll encounter will have a red bar and a red star above their head. This signifies that they are a primary target, or consider them as "bosses" for their extra toughness. The more stars, the tougher the enemy; max number of stars is set at three. As for the red bar, it's the enemy boss' life meter.

Now, one other item regarding the co-op mode is that it can be really tough as well. It's easy to fail if you're not acting properly as a team. It's important that all team members act according to their roles and give each team member support because, quite frankly, you'll be fighting massive waves of enemies that will greatly outnumber you and outmatch you in stamina -- yeah, they obviously take more hits than you do. Overall, the co-op mode is going to definitely be fun for those that love small group squads versus massive enemy armies and just good old strategic combat. Simply put this mode is irresistible.

All in all, it was difficult to peel away from the gaming booth and end our time with R2, but hey, that's the way it's got to be. We're excited to see more and certain you're looking to get your very own hands-on time with the public beta next month. The release date of November 4 is a long time away from now, and yet, we can't help start pondering whether we're going out to vote that day or staying home indoors and fighting the good fight ... you know, for our country's sake. Save the country by voting for the right president, or save the country from a Chimeran invasion? It's a tough choice indeed.

Source: http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/09/23/ps3-fa...n-resistance-2/

This game sounds like it's shaping up to be rather good (Y)

Edited March 25, 2009 by Audioboxer

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Those are probably just the broll pieces too... 1up/IGN/Gamespot/Gametrailers all did Direct Feed from the event.

Source: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p...;postcount=1344

Mmmm!

Looks like we'll be getting quite a lot today :D

Also

Yeah, the embargo is in effect until noon PST.

So like 2 hours from now we should see everything!

[Ricardo Gil]

I'm gonna do the same I've been doing with LBP: ignore every bit of info until it gets out.

I just don't want the game to be spoiled by hype :no:

[intrinity1]

I CONCUR!!

I'm gonna do the same I've been doing with LBP: ignore every bit of info until it gets out.

I just don't want the game to be spoiled by hype :no:

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

You guys do this with every game or is this getting some sort of special treatment?

Hype for R2 so far is pretty non-existent.

Clearly this media blowout is to raise the bar a bit.

[Ricardo Gil]

You guys do this with every game or is this getting some sort of special treatment?

Hype for R2 so far is pretty non-existent.

Clearly this media blowout is to raise the bar a bit.

No, it's just that some recent games have been spoiled by hype and I decided to ignore "the buzz" from then on.

I want to be surprised and amazed by these two games I mentioned, and I truly hope they succeed in doing that.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

No, it's just that some recent games have been spoiled by hype and I decided to ignore "the buzz" from then on.

I want to be surprised and amazed by these two games I mentioned, and I truly hope they succeed in doing that.

Fair enough, I'd stay clear then!

It's already confirmed the SP footage will be showing off two new levels.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Media is starting to come out! - (5 videos) http://www.gametrailers.com/game/6112.html

Gogogogo!

Also,

http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21589

http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21584

http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21582

http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21588

Resistance 2 'Co-Op Switch' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21593

Resistance 2 'Co-Op Lift' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21594

Edited September 23, 2008 by Audioboxer

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Damn this game has been polished up, it's looking pretty damn stunning now :drool:

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

-moved to 1st post-

Edited September 23, 2008 by Audioboxer

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

With the amount of new content I've just turned this into an official thread for R2 chat!

Edited September 23, 2008 by Audioboxer

[OzO63]

Nice one Audioboxer! :woot: I only picked up the original not long ago and i really enjoyed it, this looks bloody stunning tho.. defo gonna pick this up :D

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

LBP stealing all the love from this thread :p

This video from post 1 is awesome!

Resistance 2 'Goliath' gameplay HD - http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21582

Don't think it's bigger than the Leviathan though!

Edited September 23, 2008 by Audioboxer

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Resistance 2 Gets Huge Facelift

18 new HD screens right here!

New 10-minute-long HD video here!

The most popular launch title on the PlayStation 3 was Resistance: Fall of Man, a first-person shooter from Ratchet & Clank creator Insomniac Games. Being first certainly had its advantages--the chief being prime exposure to nearly every early adopter of the PS3, which helped to lay a firm foundation for the studio's new alien-shooting franchise. But the downside was time. Rushed out to make a day-one launch, Insomniac no doubt had to cut some corners to pair up its new FPS with the PS3 release. The biggest sacrifice? Graphics.

Now with two games of experience under its belt, Insomniac is pushing Resistance 2--a third-generation PS3 title--to new graphical heights. And it's looking incredibly sharp. When I saw the game earlier in the year for GamePro's August cover story, the concepts and execution were both there, but graphically, Resistance 2 was running with old character models and moderate detail. But last week's showing of a near-final version of the game proved that a few months of development time is a wonderful thing. To put it plainly, Resistance 2 is looking hot.

Single-player

Resistance 2's single-player campaign continues the spread of the Chimera from the first game, where the alien enemies are breaching American soil. The plot begins in London, again following Nathan Hale, a part of the Chimera virus-resistant Sentinels, a group of human soldiers trained to fight the alien force. The first level takes place in Iceland, but from there, Hale and the resistance will fight in the United States in locales such as Chicago and San Francisco.

Everything in the single-player campaign, from the strikingly realistic lighting to the eerily designed Chimera character models, is presented with remarkable visual detail. And unlike the first game, cut scenes look almost movie-esque, ditching the narration for an impressive cinematic experience. What's more impressive, though, is that both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes take only a slight dip in graphical performance.

8-Player Cooperative

I spent about an hour playing Resistance 2's ambitious multiplayer modes, specifically the 8-player co-op portion that kept me on my toes throughout the experience. Co-op presents you will the choice to play one three classes: Soldier, Special Ops, and Medic. Each class has a secondary function, and a special berserk maneuver. The Soldier emits a small, static shield with the mini-gun, and a larger shield, respectively. Spec Ops drops ammo, and increased-damage ammo. And the Medic provides health along with the ability to shoot out a special health ray.

The co-op mode is played in teams of 8 where you're lead through hordes and hordes of Chimeran enemies. Sometimes you'll be fending off onslaughts of Grims, zombie-like baddies. Often, larger Chimera will impede your progress, and the occasional huge beastie attempts to stomp you down. Staying alive is key to the team's success, though, and it's a team effort all around. Spec Ops need to pay attention to icons that indicate which team members are low on ammo, and Medics must revive fallen enemies, because if everyone dies, it's game over. Lastly, Soldiers have the most firepower, so it's essential that they keep the gunfire flowing.

60-Player Online

Online multiplayer takes a rather different approach than co-op in Resistance 2, offering huge 60-player battles. But instead of just throwing players into a giant mess of a fight, Insomniac creates smaller objective-based fights within the bigger battle. At all times, you'll have an on-screen objective that leads you to a specific area, often to infiltrate or defend a point. You'll also be assigned to a smaller group of players so you can travel in mini teams to be more effective. What stood out to me are the intricacies of the level design. Taking a nod from games like Halo or even Insomniac's Ratchet series, launch pads shoot you to rooftops creating instant vantage points for either sniping or dropping in on unsuspecting enemies.

Resistance 2 has come a long way since its unveiling earlier this year, and I was blown away by how far this game has come in terms of quality. If you don't have an Xbox 360, Resistance 2 should be your FPS of choice this holiday season.

Source: http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/20...-huge-facelift/

Where's the love, this is looking pretty ****ing awesome! :D

Resistance 2 Brings MMO Sensibilities to the World of Shooter Coop

Resistance 2 offers gamers a suite of experiences, a collection of modes that alone feel almost like stand-alone titles, but together compliment each other in a way that gives the shooter some major staying power.

Yesterday Insomniac president Ted Price told a gathering of game writers that their upcoming shooter will be the studio's "biggest and best game we've ever made."

And it's not just because the developer feels they hit it out of the ballpark with the game's single-player experience, or that they think their game offers the deepest multiplayer competitive mode around. It's also because the game's cooperative mode, which seems to tap into the dungeon-crawling, monster-bashing roots of massively multiplayer online games.

Topping all of that off, Price said, is an upcoming community portal which will include live game stats and some things other game portal sites haven't done before.

On offering last night was a chance to check out the recently tweaked multiplayer competitive mode, the first two levels of the game's campaign and the monster-spawning 8-person cooperative mode.

I sat down with seven other gamers to play through an entire scenario. In it we were given a rolling set of objectives which had us battling an increasingly overwhelming number of bad guys.

Unlike in the other modes, players start the game by choosing one of three archetypes: medic, special ops or soldier. The soldier is your basic tank with the ability to throw up a shield and chew through enemies with a heavy chaingun. Medics have the ability to shoot a Ghostbusters-esque stream of light that either sucks life away from a bad guy or heals a good one. Special ops come armed with a long-distance weapon and instead of throwing grenades they lob ammo packs.

On first blush the mode looks an awful lot like a World of Warcraft instance, but without the loot. A group of eight huddle around one another, healing, reloading and shooting as they work as a team toward a single objective.

Instead of drawing from the single player campaign, the mode will use a series of separate stories that play out over the course of the map, allowing gamers to go through them in any order without confusing what's happening.

As you play through a map your character can level up, automatically upgrading their armor and weapons up to four times for the map. Price said that as with the single player campaign and competitive mode, any experience you game while playing coop goes to your character's permanent overall Resistance 2 rank.

Coop can support upwards of 100 enemies in a single frame, so the name of the game is sticking close together and supporting one another.

In my play through of a map we criss-crossed a sizable map, stumbling upon packs of enemies. Some stood near respawn areas, others seemed to be laying in wait. The map's many objectives had us going in and out of buildings as well.

In general, we stuck closely together with the soldiers up front acting as shield-packing tanks while the medics and special ops folks hovered around behind us making sure we were ammoed up and well healed.

While the match I played seemed to rely more on brute force than strategy to succeed, that didn't make beating the lengthy map any less exhilarating. I can't imagine I would find this mode satisfying enough to support the weight of a triple-A title, but as another option, a different way to play, I quite enjoyed it.

Of course this means you can't play through the entire game in cooperative mode, but I'm not sure if that's a bad thing. First it allows the developers to preserve the story and single-player experience, but it also doesn't feel like a cheap add-on of a mode.

Source: http://kotaku.com/5053679/resistance-2-bri...of-shooter-coop

And some more GIFS!

[Cloud Constructors]

Resistance 1 sucked ths one looks promising though

[crazzyyfool]

I know it says 8-player CO-OP but can someone tell me if thats like CO-OP in R1 where you get to play the normal single-player game in spilt screen mode with a mate?

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I know it says 8-player CO-OP but can someone tell me if thats like CO-OP in R1 where you get to play the normal single-player game in spilt screen mode with a mate?

It's got it's own SP campaign :woot:

So there's the normal SP campaign, the 8-player co-op campaign and 60 player online.

[crazzyyfool]

It's got it's own SP campaign :woot:

So there's the normal SP campaign, the 8-player co-op campaign and 60 player online.

Not sure I'm liking that. :unsure: Just want to know if you can play the normal bog-standard game in split-screen two-player mode like R1.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Another preview,

Resistance 2 Hands-on

What's stirring and coming to life at Insomniac Studios should have every single PlayStation 3 gamer excited. After a whole night with a near-final build of Resistance 2, not only am I confident Insomniac has met all appropriate expectations for a Fall of Man sequel, but in many areas exceeded them beyond anyone's wildest dreams. The storyline? Better. The graphics? Way better. The multiplayer? Worse. Just kidding, it's incredible. Read on to find out why this game will rock your world.

The evening began with an introduction by Insomniac CEO Ted Price, stating that everyone would be getting a crack at not only two levels in the single-player campaign, but the eight-player co-op campaign and 60-player online as well. After his opening comments, Price jumped into a level known as Orick (the Redwoods renamed) to give us a demonstration of the game's single-player. Right away, you could see Resistance 2 is more colorful than its predecessor, and sports incredibly high resolution textures that put Fall of Man to shame. As Price made his way through the level, improvements like A.I. enhancements, better lighting and particle effects, and an intense gore system became apparent.

To briefly talk about the gore, Insomniac seems to be leaning more towards a chunk system where specific limbs -- heads, arms, legs, and hands to name a few -- are detachable. When they're blown off, organs become visible. Also, if chucks or blood spew onto the sides of buildings or walls, they will stick and slug their way down. This one isn't for the kiddies.

On the graphics front, Resistance 2 is looking fantastic. According to Ted Price, every week the team is adding more polish and tweaking the visuals to improve the overall presentation of the game. One scene that specifically stood out during Price's demonstration was in Orick; the sun's rays pierced the branches and tops of the trees, leaving a glistening yellow tint on the lush forest floor.

After Price's demonstration, everyone moved to the open stations and jumped into either single-player or multiplayer games. Since I knew I'd be spending most of my time in multiplayer, I decided to take on the two available single-player levels first. The two scenarios were presented to press that night.

First off was Iceland, where you're tasked with navigating a SRPA (Special Research Project Administration) station as it's being destroyed by a Chimera invasion. The level manages to both offer a solid tutorial for players and begin the game with a bang. From the start, Insomniac gives players an up and in your face look at the sheer scale of Resistance 2 as massive Goliaths and hundreds of Chimera soldiers lay siege to the SRPA base. As you make your way across the outdoor terrain, you will have a few shots at taking down one of the Goliaths by shooting rockets at motors on its back. This experience hearkens back to the beginning of God of War -- it's a great tutorial, an epic intro, and a boss battle all in one.

The second level featured was Orick, CA, where after damaging a Chimera mother ship in San Francisco, Hale and his team of Sentinels follow it to the Redwood forest. From what's been shown, this is by far one of the most vibrant levels in Resistance 2, showcasing abundant green foliage and giant sun-drenched trees. The beginning of the level starts with a cinematic where Hale and a convoy of soldiers are trucking their way through the Redwoods when they are ambushed by Chimera. Jumping right into the fight, you make your way up the road, often taking cover behind razed vehicles and within heavy fog and smoke. After disposing of Chimera in the street, you follow the lead of your sentinel foot soldiers and enter the forest.

Once in the thick of the forest, you and your squad come upon a few hewn soldiers, or rather limbs and intestines scattered across the ground. One of your sentinels? scouts then looks ahead for what may have caused this massacre, only to find out the hard way -- skewered and ripped apart by a cloaked Chameleon. This is where things get intense. Upon entering the forest, the shotgun is introduced, and it serves as your best defense against the Chameleons later on. Now, you dominate the Chameleons, then Hale and his team must take out some annoying flying drones. They swarm in droves throughout the level; they're easy to destroy, but irritating nonetheless. Later in Orick, the best part of my single-player hands-on experience came when I was being hunted down by multiple Chameleons. Never before has my adrenaline been so high while playing a game. These sneaky monsters come stampeding towards you, cloaked and intimidating with their loud stomping and ground-shaking steps.

Moving onto the eight-player co-op campaign, I was able to get a few moments in playing as the special ops and soldier classes. What many at the event said about co-op was true; it surprisingly feels a lot like an instance in World of Warcraft where you and your teammates go from arena to arena taking on increasingly harder enemies. As you injure and kill enemies, you rack up experience points, leveling up your character. The experience unlocks new equipment such as armor and weapons as well as badges that give your character class new abilities. The abilities -- ranging from enhanced shields to healing -- can be mixed matched between classes.

According to Ted Price, there will be sections of the co-op campaign that pit players against over 100 enemies in a single frame simultaneously. Now I only experienced fighting about 40 or 50 at the same time, but that in and of itself was very intense. In a brief chat with Insomniac's multiplayer lead Mike Roloson, I was told that co-op will feature completely new boss battles outside of the single-player campaign, meaning that if you play both campaigns, you will be exposed to completely new enemies not available in the other modes. Also, players who put time and effort into all three modes -- single-player, co-op, and multiplayer -- rather than just sticking to one will level much more quickly. Plus, you'll unlock trophies, such as the all hailed Platinum trophy, which is earned by completing both campaigns, reaching max level, and unlocking all badges, armor, and weapons.

Finally, we come to competitive multiplayer. Looking for a lag free, 60-player online battle that supports badges, massive environments, soldier classes, and an insane amount of stats? If so, Resistance 2 is your game. Right from the start, players are immersed into a frantic mission based multiplayer that has squads playing tug-of-war over contrasting objectives. Those who don't stick to their squads and run amuck can get easily lost in the sheer size of the maps. There are four maps in total and they are sectioned off to smaller areas depending on the number of players and mode selected. One of the facets I found most amazing about the online was that despite 60-player play and the immense size of the maps, everything was still highly detailed and ran without hiccups.

Probably the most enjoyable weapon I used in multiplayer had to be the newly introduced Splicer, which can be used as both a melee weapon and long range shredder. Basically, by holding down the alternate fire, the saw blade spins red hot and anything that you run your blade into is "spliced" into pieces. Then for regular fire, simply shoot and hit your targets with as many saw blades as possible, and eventually they either explode or die. Another nifty trick is to spin the blade red hot and then fire it into an enemy, watching it work its way into their bodies and deal damage over time.

Now in terms of Trophies, Home, and downloadable content, Roloson did confirm that all will be supported. He said that he hasn't really seen anything on Home as the Resistance Room is being developed by another group inside Insomniac, but everything should be ready for when Home launches later this year. As for Trophies, you can unlock them by simply killing enemies in particular ways -- reaching 100 headshots is one -- or completing sections of the game like taking down the Leviathan. One of the Trophies that sadly wasn?t approved for the final game had to do with killing a T-bagger. According to Roloson, if you spot someone in multiplayer kneeling on a dead body and you kill them, you'd have unlocked this trophy. Alas, it is not to be. Finally, for those asking about downloadable content, Insomniac is already hard at work on providing new stuff for post-launch.

All in all, everyone who owns a PS3 had better get their pre-orders in now, as Resistance 2 is a must own title. With hours upon hours of single-player and co-op play and an infinitely playable multiplayer, this will be a title that people will be playing until the PS4 launches. When Ted Price stated at the event that Resistance 2 "is the biggest and best game we've ever made," he was right.

Source: http://www.psu.com/Resistance-2-Hands-on--a0004896-p1.php

Again, sounding good(Y) (Y)

One of the Trophies that sadly wasn?t approved for the final game had to do with killing a T-bagger. According to Roloson, if you spot someone in multiplayer kneeling on a dead body and you kill them, you'd have unlocked this trophy. Alas, it is not to be.

<:rofl::rofl:

Not sure I'm liking :unsure:nsure: Just want to know if you can play the normal bog-standard game in split-screen two-player mode like R1.

I have no idea sorry.

As for the 8 player co-op campaign, it runs along side the main story I believe.

Effectively it adds another full campaign to the game, which = more value for money.

I'll see if the normal SP campaign has co-op still.

Also, more from PSU

[10-minute Resistance 2 video blowoutut

Alright, here they are, as promised; the videos below contain a glorious 10 minutes of in-game footage from Resistance 2. In the first video, explosions abound and limbs fly as Nathan Hale battles furiously through wave after wave of Chimera in the single-player campaign. In the second, hardened heroes band together and fight the Chimera in the game's co-op mode, then 60 players face off in the massive competitive online multiplayer mode. Now that Resistance 2 is officially astounding, only one question remains -- why are you still reading this? Watch the videos already!

Videos: http://www.psu.com/10-minute-Resistance-2-...-a004895-p0.php

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

And another hands on from IGN (they have more new videos on their site as well)

Resistance 2 Hands-on

US, September 23, 2008 - If you own a PS3, you most likely have experienced one of the best titles for the system: a war epic where mankind didn't fight the Second World War, but instead fought for their survival against a daunting alien menace. Resistance introduced the Chimera, a mysterious alien race that decimated the human resistance of Europe and almost devastated Great Britain were it not for the combined actions of UK and American soldiers. But just like any great villain, the Chimera won't be eliminated so easily, and have regrouped to launch an assault on the defenseless shores of North America. The only man that can stop them is the hero of the first game, Nathan Hale, but as we've seen in images and videos released so far, even that looks like quite a daunting task. A few days ago, myself and a few other journalists were given the opportunity to check out an almost finished build of the game to see what Hale's fight on American soil would be like when it's released on November 4.

Taking place two years after the events of the first game, Resistance 2 picks up immediately where the first title left off and will focus once again on the actions of Nathan Hale fighting against the Chimera. Hale joins a group of super soldiers known as The Sentinels, powerful warriors who seem to have the same immunity to the Chimeran disease as he does. However, if you were hoping that Rachel Parker would be returning to narrate the story and what happens to his newly found allies, you're out of luck. This story is solely from Hale's perspective and develops through a series of in-game briefings, cutscenes and collected intel to establish the story as it unfolds before Hale's eyes. The result is a narrative that is designed to draw the player into both the larger than life scale of the attacks on America and the grand scale of the monsters themselves.

The first opportunity that we had to experience this was in the tutorial mission, which is designed to "ease" you into the gameplay by throwing you directly into the midst of battle. This level is set in Iceland, where The Sentinels have set up a base to watch over the threat that could expand from Europe at any time. Unfortunately for them, the Chimera launch a surprise attack upon the base, forcing Hale's squad to attempt to save the remaining soldiers and repel the hordes. This is much easier said than done, because leading the strike is a gigantic half-Chimeran/half-metallic creature known as a Goliath. Packing machine gun turrets, rocket launchers and gigantic claws, the Goliath is an extremely dangerous monster to battle out in the open. Couple this with new Chimeran flood tactics, and you can only imagine just how easily overrun this base, and defenseless towns must be.

Lucklily for you, you won't have to take this monster on by yourself; you'll have some help from a fellow squad member who will give you tips on how to play and where to aim to inflict the most damage, such as taking out the enormous monster's power coils with a LAARK rocket. Although you'll discover familiar weapons like the aforementioned rocket launcher, new firearms will also be introduced, such as the new Magnum, which fires extremely powerful rounds that can take out most enemies. These rounds have a secondary benefit in that you can pull the secondary fire button and detonate any round fired into a Chimera, causing radial damage to nearby threats. You'll also find that a number of the older weapons have received a facelift in how they work, such as Bullseye tags that make the targeted creature glow as you blast away at it from safety.

"Safety" in many ways feels like a relative term, because you really get a sense that monsters are constantly coming at you from all sides. In fact, Ted Price, President of Insomniac, specifically mentioned that the development team wanted to provide a sense that you can be attacked at any time. This was particularly true within the Orick, California level, a stage that was only recently revealed a few days ago on our site. Set about three levels into the game, the the level takes place immediately after Hale and his squad of Sentinels had managed to somehow take down one of the gigantic Capital ships that we've seen in previously released trailers. The gameplay picks up after Hale and his convoy of Sentinels are ambushed in the redwood forest by a large force of monsters. While taking out Chimera that rushed the injured and confused was nothing new, and sniping Chimera up on a ridge was somewhat familiar, this comfort level was immediately removed as we attempted to regroup with our squad and ran into a new enemy known as the Chameleon.

Resembling the Predator from the movies, complete with cloaking abilities, the Chameleon ran through our ranks, picking off and eviscerating NPCs one by one until we were alone. While it was somewhat tricky to pick them up from a distance, the shimmer of the creature before they attacked was the only clue that I and others were given before they were charged and cut to pieces, forcing a reload. However, once all of us got used to seeing these creatures, we knew exactly how to approach and eliminate them safely. Reassessing our tactics quickly became a vital survival skill, because, while we would charge ahead and blast our way through, drones floating overhead or other creatures, such as the Augur-wielding monsters from the first game, would erect large energy shields and use them to charge forward and smash us.

These weren't the only Augur-wielding enemies that we had to worry about, because the Chimera had set large computerized turrets in the motor lodges of the small Californian town that had been infested with Chimera. These turrets rapid fired Augur bolts at anything that moved, and quickly honed in on your location. Impervious to damage, the only weakness to the machines was by using your cover and getting around to the rear of the machine, where you could eventually turn it off. However, even using cover was somewhat of a daunting prospect at first glance, because some of the walls, barricades and other structures had been covered with flesh-like pods that pulsed and shivered as we approached them. While it wasn't apparent whether or not the creatures inside were threats that would attack, it did seem as though the things inside were the remains of the unfortunate humans that were captured and converted by the Chimera on the spot, which was a rather unpleasant feature to move past as we blasted our way to the end of the level.

While the playthrough of the two single-player levels was awesome, checking out the co-op mode was just as cool. After receiving a large amount of comments in their forums regarding the lack of co-op in the first title, the team decided to implement the mode in Resistance 2, providing up to eight player co-op with three primary features as the key to its success. The first element is keeping the scale of the battles and monsters exactly the same as it would be in the single player experience, so players will face off against the same giant creatures that I previously mentioned in the single player campaign as well as many smaller Chimera. Additionally, the game will intentionally scale the size of the encounters to match the number of players in the co-op game at one time, so if you go in with one friend, you'll probably face off against individual large Chimera that are tricky to defeat, but possible with some skill. On the other hand, if you move into battle with the full compliment of eight soldiers, Insomniac plans on having up to 100 enemies on screen at once swarming and attacking you. All of these enemies can be of different sizes and shapes, giving your squad a significant challenge.

The second element the development team wanted to work on was the story elements, which run parallel to the single-player story of Resistance 2. The players in the co-op game are part of a separate squad of Sentinels dispatched behind enemy lines to track down and steal special Chimera equipment known as Gray Tech. Finding these items within the game will change as you move through each location, performing tasks like powering down Chimeran spires and machines before you move toward your eventual "end zone" with your final objective. However, progress within the co-op mode won't be a linear affair; the development team went out of their way to make sure that the playing paths were constantly randomized so stages didn't look the same from play to play. What's more, the story of the Co-op mode will branch in many different directions, allowing players to determine their own squad's tale against the Chimeran threat.

The final element the team focused on was breaking out character classes for players to specialize in and use within the game. Three separate classes will be included in the Co-op game, each with their own separate abilities: Soldiers are the tanks of the group, with more health than any other class and the power to deploy energy shields to soak up damage. Spec Ops are the power of the squad, inflicting more damage than anyone else and replenishing the ammo of everyone's weapons. Medics are obviously support, but have weapons that leech the health of enemies and convert it into healing power for your squad. Medics can also revive fallen soldiers much faster than anyone else, which is important because there is no health regeneration in this mode (Plus, while anyone can revive someone in battle, the medics are much better at it). While players initially choose what class they want to be, they're not locked down in that position for the rest of the round. In fact, you're given the opportunity to switch back and forth between any one of the classes, gaining experience and leveling up your troops based on the actions you perform.

Obviously, the easiest way to gain experience is by killing Chimera and accomplishing your objectives, but the Insomniac guys wanted to also provide bonuses for players that work as a team. For example, medics that focus on healing players or soldiers that constantly erect shields receive bonuses for performing their class-specific duties. Experience is important because not only will it level up your soldiers, allowing them access to new weapons and gear, but it will power special powers known as Berserks. Berserks are incredible skills that can turn the tide of a battle, strengthening your squad with supernatural abilities. The Medic, for example, can generate a regenerative area of effect around themselves, healing any team member nearby, while Spec Ops will provide ammunition that is much stronger than before and soldiers will create stronger shields. By defeating enemies, the experience goes into a Berserk meter, and once it's full, players are able to trigger their particular skill, with the draining meter dictating the duration of the ability itself.

If you are looking for fast and furious gameplay, it's definitely here. I dropped into a battlefield with three medics, three soldiers and two spec ops. Playing as a medic was an interesting experience, as you drain enemies with your Phoenix energy gun with primary fire and redistribute that health with secondary fire to your allies. It didn't feel like a tame support role as it can sometimes be in other titles, as you'll be able to weaken the enemies for your allies to take out, and even kill some outright if they've been heavily injured with consistent draining. However, the game definitely tossed a large handful of Chimera at us, including numerous rocket launching creatures known as Titans at checkpoints known as nodes.

These "Node Bosses" tried to defend their "bases" as best they could, which would force us to re-examine how we'd approach a location, even establishing choke points to strip away the weaker Chimera to leave the stronger one isolated and exposed. However, our squad also noted that the Chimera would try to us the exact same tactics on us, which made battles against three dozen or more monsters a heated and tense exchange of fire. Even more challenging was the fact that not all of the creatures were the same; some of them had one or more stars above their heads, indicating that they were elites and much stronger than typical chimera. Not only did those become a priority to eliminate quickly before they could inflict damage, but they also provided more experience for the squad as a whole, boosting our levels accordingly.

There's one other thing that I want to note regarding the experience collection, which is that Ted Price pointed out that the points, ribbons and medals collected in co-op will carry over to the other modes as well, meaning that you can get to a certain point in co-op and notice that you've unlocked a new weapon in the single player campaign, or that your multiplayer soldiers are stronger.

Speaking of multiplayer, the battlefield was extremely pitched, with the 60 player battles raging across the various maps that we played on. Even with watching about two or three rounds and playing a few myself, I was struck by the fact that it didn't seem as though I was watching the same location twice. I was informed that, combined across the traditional multiplayer modes (like Deathmatch) and the squad-based Skirmish mode, there will be more than 70 maps for players to fight across, which could be one of the largest multiplayer experiences ever made.

Considering that scale, it's no wonder that the Skirmish mode splits players into five man squads and delivers objectives to them as the battle rages on. While you'll sometimes gain the exact same goal as that of another squad on your side, you'll always have a sense of what you need to do and where you'll need to go, primarily because those objectives seemed to reflect the conditions on the battlefield. For example, pushing forward as a squad, my team captured an objective just before the enemy arrived, but were quickly forced to defend the checkpoint from incoming attacks for a period of time. Fortunately, we were able to use a number of berserks to improve our damage and our speed to help us in the repelling of our opponents.

The use of these abilities turned the tide of the battle, although we found that players were easily able to combine these skills with different weapons to create some deadly combinations for their side. One of those included using the expanded size of the Augur shield to protect their squad along with the healing ring effect to turtle at a base, while another was using the invisibility berserk along with the new saw blade weapon known as the Splicer to become a deadly assassin.

Although I only had a few hours to play all three modes of Resistance 2, it struck me as phenomenally deep -- much more than we'd ever expected. Essentially three full games in one cohesive Blu-ray package, Resistance 2 could easily be one of the largest games of the year and definitely in contention for Game of the Year honors when it is released at the beginning of November.

Source: http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/912/912569p1.html

Another shining preview!

Getting pretty hyped for this now :D

There's enough content in here to watch/read to keep R2 fans busy for a day or two I think.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Resistance 2: Updated Hands-On With Single-Player, Cooperative, and Competitive Multiplayer

The original Resistance for the PlayStation 3 carried the moniker "Fall of Man" and chronicled humanity's coexistence problem with a hostile alien force known as the Chimera. While it may not have an official subtitle, Insomniac's upcoming Resistance 2 might as well be summed up as "fallen man, kicked in face," as things aren't going well for humankind. We recently got a chance to try out an updated work-in-progress version of R2 at a recent press event and were impressed. Insomniac offered us three helpings from Resistance 2's ambitious trio of modes. The single-player sampling featured two levels, the opening stage in Iceland and the third level set in Orick, California. The cooperative demo was a single mission for up to eight players, and, finally, the competitive multiplayer was a quick-and-dirty skirmish match for up to 60 players.

The single-player game eased us into the array of demos by kicking off with the Iceland level that starts out the game and picks up shortly after the end of the original Resistance. We catch up with antihero Nathan Hale as he's filled in on how things have been going around the world. The good news is that there are apparently other soldiers like Hale who are not only resistant to the Chimera virus currently ravaging the population but also share Hale's enhanced physical attributes. The soldiers have been gathered together into an elite task force called the Sentinels at a military base in Iceland. Handy, right?

The bad news is that not long after you get all this information, all hell breaks loose and the Iceland base comes under heavy attack by the Chimera--it's here that you take control of Hale. Your goal is to get out alive, which is a tall order considering the Chimera are intent on leveling the joint. The level mixes the standard hand-holding you'd expect in a tutorial level (which comes courtesy of a soldier leading you through the base) with a hefty dose of dramatic set pieces that showcase R2's impressive scale. The level reacquaints you with familiar weapons, such as the carbine, Rossmore, and LAARK, and also introduces a sexy new weapon, a .44 Magnum whose alternate firing mode lets you detonate its bullets, which is incredibly handy. You're also introduced to old and new enemies, ranging from standard Chimera soldiers to robotic drones and massive shield-wielding ravagers who enjoy charging and punching you until you're dead. However, those enemies pale in comparison to the massive walker you have to deal with in the early part of the level.

The second demo we tried was set in Orick, California (no, we haven't heard of it either, but we checked the Internet and it does in fact exist), which is the third level in the game. It begins with--wait for it--all hell breaking loose on Hale and a group of Sentinels as they ride along in a convoy. The opening cinematic sets the stage as you see Hale sense a trap and get a face full of weapon fire in the process. The goal of the level is to track down a damaged airship and take it out. The tricky part is that it requires a lengthy run through territory that's filled with Chimera. The new big baddie in the level was the Predator-like chamelon, who can turn invisible and has a penchant for charging and slashing with its blades. While deadly, it thankfully can't handle a shotgun to the face. The run to the downed ship was a scenic trip through the ravaged forests in Orick as well as a logging town that was chock-full of Chimera. We also got a taste of some human ingenuity thanks to a stretch of the level where we were helped out by a remote-controlled drone that ran interference for us. The dramatic conclusion had us finding a way around hellfire turrets, which are just as deadly as they sound.

While the single-player demo made a good impression, it was also pretty much what we were expecting, given what we'd seen previously. On the other hand, Resistance 2's cooperative multiplayer mode was a pleasant and addictive surprise. The mode supports up to eight players and offers up a complementary narrative that provides backstory to supplement the single-player story. The cooperative game challenges squads of eight players with a series of missions set in different locales. The missions can be tackled in any order you like and will unlock as you go. Each mission will feature randomized paths to ensure that repeated play-throughs are different.

The real hook to the co-op multiplayer mode is the class and experience system. You'll be able to play as one of three classes--medic, spec ops, or soldier--and you'll earn experience that will let you level up as you play. Each of the classes will feature unique attributes, which are key in battle. Soldiers are the damage-absorbing tanks of the group and have the ability to deploy shields. Their primary weapon is a powerful rifle that's slow to start firing, but when it does, it tears through enemies. Spec ops serve a dual purpose in the group; they deal a hefty amount of damage--although they can't take much--and they drop ammo for the team. The ammo drops are essential for soldiers and will need to be restocked on a regular basis in battle. Last but not least are the medics, who are the team's healers and, at the moment, our favorite class. The medic's rifle, the Phoenix, lets the class dole out damage and heal the team. The weapon's primary fire shoots out a beam that drains energy from enemies. The energy is stored in the rifle and is used to fire charges that do area-of-effect healing. The rifle can store up to 10 charges at a time.

Besides their unique abilities, each class sees the battlefield in a specific way that's relevant to it. Soldiers see health reflected in character names. Spec ops see an ammo icon that changes color as players run low. Finally, medics see health bars under the team's name to keep track of who needs to be healed. Each class will earn experience from killing enemies as well as by playing their class properly. So, soldiers gain experience from shooting enemies, spec ops earns theirs from restocking the team's ammo, and medics earn it from healing the team and draining enemies. As the classes level up, they'll be able to access supplementary weapons and new abilities, such as the temporary berserk abilities that yield different performance enhancements. To complement the leveling, you'll be able to collect "grey tech" from special enemies that you can use to upgrade your gear. All told, each class will have four armor upgrades to go along with class and weapon grades.

The class system works out logically during gameplay, and it's clear that all groups will need some healers, ammo droppers, and damage dealers. The mix of players depends on the size of your group. While the mode supports as few as two and as many as eight players, the fewer people in your group, the less wiggle room you have for class choices. We played the available mission with each class and were impressed by how it played.

While the different character class types may sound like Team Fortress 2, R2's co-op feels more like an instance run in World of Warcraft with no ninja looting. Coordination is key to success, especially as you're directed through the environment to different objectives. The closer a group is to the full eight players, the better the odds that one or two weak links can be compensated for. Smaller groups will need all players to play their classes to perfection. We're pleased to see that Insomniac has left the mode open-ended in the sense that there are no restrictions to group combos in the mode. So, in theory, a team of eight medics could try to clear missions, although we reckon it would go slowly. On the flip side, a team of spec ops or soldiers could also try to get through missions, although the lack of healing will obviously make things interesting but not impossible (all classes can revive dead comrades, though medics revive the fastest). The only lingering question we have is how well teams will coordinate online using voice chat. We played the game in a large room and just yelled out when we needed support, so we're curious to see how much practice coordinating groups will take before players get comfortable.

The final bit of R2 we played was competitive multiplayer, which was available for some skirmish mode play. The mode has changed considerably since the various demos we've played, including the closed beta. The visuals have been polished up, weapons feel better, and the berserks are a better fit in combat now. While it's not expressly related to the competitive multiplayer, we were told that the experience you accumulate in R2's various modes all goes into the same pool of bragging rights for you, increasing your overall ranking, which is a nice touch. Your ranking ties in to the game's online leaderboards as well as the extremely detailed new community site with features that are being prepped for the game's release.

Resistance 2's overall presentation is, unsurprisingly, a significant improvement on its predecessor. The graphics have seen a sizable bump in detail and overall scale that really sells the epic-war-movie vibe. The game benefits from a host of technical bells and whistles that Insomniac has been perfecting in its previous PlayStation 3 titles. Lighting in the game is impressive and runs the gamut from flashy to subtle. Little touches, such as the game's new water and enhanced gore (now with more chunks and viscera), are nicely folded into the game. The most impressive thing right now, though, is the massive scale, which comes from the assorted giant enemies like the walker, the open feel to many of the areas, and the sheer number of things happening onscreen. The game's color palette has gotten more varied, which helps shake the bleak look of the original. The audio hasn't gotten as dramatic a bump as the visuals since the original Resistance audio was good and robust. What we heard during our play time was just a refined array of effects, more ambient sound, and effective voice acting that complemented the visuals nicely.

Based on what we played, Resistance 2 is shaping up well. Above and beyond the cosmetic upgrades to the graphics, which are looking good, the cooperative mode adds an impressive new dimension to R2's gameplay. If you're a fan of the original Resistance, you'll want to keep an eye out for Resistance 2, which appears to be improving on its predecessor in every way you'd want it to. Newcomers to the series will want to give the game a look this fall since there's nothing like it on the PlayStation 3. Resistance 2 is slated to ship November 4 on the PlayStation 3. Look for more on the game in the coming months.

Source: http://uk.gamespot.com/ps3/action/resistan...%3B1&page=1

Gamespot sound happy as well :)

[Fourjays Veteran]

I don't usually like FPSs much these days (not enough in them that is new), but I'm actually pretty impressed by this. The online support sounds pretty good - I like big battles (BF2). :D

[Plarkster]

Looks great! I'm really looking fwd to this coming out, Resistance is still one of the games I've enjoyed most on my PS3 so far and this looks even better!

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Resistance 2: The Latest

If you?ve read updated (and glowing) impressions of Resistance 2 this week, it?s down to the fact that Insomniac Games demonstrated all 3 modes (campaign, online co-op, competitive multiplayer) in LA and New York over the past few days.

I?ll leave the commentary to the professionals, but with the open beta on the horizon, I asked a few questions on behalf of those of you who haven?t yet gone hands-on with the beta (you know, 99.98% of you).

In this video, Insomniac?s James Stevenson explains what?s going into R2 during these final few weeks, what to expect in the upcoming public beta, and why your input is still very important, even in the late stages of development.

You heard him, the Insom team will be talking community soon, look for more details here.

Video Interview seen here: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/09/25/...e-2-the-latest/

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Resistance 2 is on the 1UP Show this week!

stream: http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3145462

download links

podcast: http://download.gamevideos.com/Podcasts/092608.m4v

WMV: http://download.gamevideos.com/Podcasts/Do...002_640x360.wmv

QT: http://download.gamevideos.com/Podcasts/Do...002_640x360.mov

Co-Op sounds pretty awesome!

It's kind of like WoW, 8 people, various classes (ammo/healing/tank/dps), all working to down big bosses :woot: :drool:

I think this has the potential to (if done well) revolutionize the console FPS to some extent. It kind of already is with 60 player online, but also with 8 player co-op.