Resistance 2 is everything that a stellar sequel should be, and then some. The graphics, sound, and scale of the game have received dramatic overhauls since the first Resistance, and the new additions make R2 one of the top shooters released on consoles.
From the moment that the single player campaign begins, it is clear that Insomniac tried to, and succeded at creating a campaign that will keep players in awe at almost all times. From a tense assault in a towering redwood forest to a more confined, Quake-esque battle through a Chimeran ship, R2's levels provide plenty of variety and entertainment. The Chicago level in particular is masterfully executed, and stands as one of the best levels of any game I've played. Unfortunately, the story does not always meet the high standards set by the gameplay. The beginning in particular feels pretty disjointed, and some of the early CG cutscenes are a bit cheesy. The final minutes of the campaign are the sole exception here: They are unexpected and will leave players wanting more.
R2 also features a full co-op campaign for up to eight players, and available on or offline. This campaign is at least as strong as the single player game. It plays totally differently, but is just as intense in many ways. While the single player campaign casts players as nigh-invincible soldier Nathan Hale, allowing them to wade through plenty of enemies without dying, the multiplayer modes cast players as weaker Specters. Also, while Hale can weild any weapon, there are three distinct classes in co-op, each with their own function. Because of the difference in player strength, weapon loadouts, and the massive armies of enemies that assault the team, teamwork is a must. The medic class can heal allies, but only if he kills enough enemies to restore his restorative energies. The spec-ops class weilds a three-shot-burst rifle and can provide allies with additional reserves of ammo, and the soldier class is the main damage dealer of the group, weilding a chaingun. If the massive size and quantity of levels, ranking system complete with class upgrades, and huge emphasis on teamwork weren't enough to make the co-op an instant classic, each level rearranges itself subtly every time it is played, ensuring that no experience is ever the same. People will be playing co-op in R2 at this time next year, and with good reason.
The competitive multiplayer is the weakest aspect of the package, but it is still above average. The main problem with competitive play is that the weapons are so much weaker than they are in the other campaigns, making it difficult to adjust at first. Once that hurdle is passed, the four different online modes are mostly a joy to play. One quirk that has presented itself recently is that, although the box promises epic games consisting of 60 players, the quick game feature never leads to a full game. Playing with 10-20 players is more common, but still pretty fun.
R2's presentation is simply excellent, especially the graphics. The size of the enemies and the scale of the encounters are unrivaled on consoles or, for the most part, PC. Environments are crisp, clean, and bright; they really are a joy to behold. The same is true of character and weapon models. The sound works very well, but doesn't pack quite the same punch as a few of the other top ranking shooters. 1950s era music is used from time to time to pretty good effect, but it doesn't come close to having the same effect that this style of music had in Bioshock. Overall, the presentation is superb, but doesn't quite reach the levels of the current industry leaders like MGS4.
There is one more quirk with R2 that bears mentioning. It has a pretty steep difficulty curve. The casual difficulty feels more like normal in other games, and normal more like hard. It is probably best to play through once on casual before playing through a second time on normal or hard.
Shooter fans would have to be insane to pass up R2. It is easily able to stand alongside the genre heavyweights, and its three different game modes each bring something unique and fun to the table. Resistance 2 is the latest in a series of absolutely, positively, must-buy games released this holiday.
Graphics: 10/10: Pretty much amazing. Not as good as MGS4, but the massive scale makes up for it.
Sound: 8.75/10: Music is alright, but the monster sounds are quite good.
Gameplay: 9.75/10: A little difficult, but R2 always keeps players on their toes by constantly introducing new enemy types and gameplay modes.
Entertainment: 10/10: Truly the most entertaining shooter I've played in a very long time. The story might not pack much of a punch until (literally) the last minute, but the gameplay more than makes up for it.