By Ned Jordan

While PS3 owners are still awaiting the much ballyhooed Killzone 2, the PS3's other marquee exclusive shooter series Resistance has released both its debut game and a sequel. Luckily for PS3 gamers Resistance 2 is a top-tier game in its own right and provides plenty enough excitement to make them forget about Killzone 2 for now.

Resistance 2 continues the story of its predecessor. It is still the 1950s in a world in which World War II was interrupted by an alien invasion. In the first game you were an American soldier named Nathan Hale helping the British defend their island from the alien Chimera. In Resistance 2 you reprise the role of Hale, but this time you're fighting on your own soil as the Chimera have taken the fight to North America. In reality this story sounds a lot more interesting than it really is. The game is pretty weak in its narrative elements and the game doesn't seem to know how to work within its premise. The weapons, equipment, uniforms, aircraft, and just about every tool of war looks like it is from 50 years in the future rather than 50 years in the past. It's a shame that the game's premise and setting are not properly utilized and exploited, but luckily the gameplay is exciting enough that the story can be pretty much ignored.

Right from the first level you'll know that you're in for an action-packed ride. You crash land into the middle of an all-out assault on a base in Iceland led by a towering, multi-story assault mech. Guess who has to take it out? The game not only manages to maintain the intensity of the first level throughout the campaign, but to ratchet up as you move from one level to the next. There's an amazing variety of enemies in the game, as well as plenty of memorable and challenging bosses, and each has its own unique style of attack; you'll face swarms, air attacks, brute force melee, military style assaults, and more. Resistance 2 is by no means an easy game, although it does help out a bit to select the right weapon for the job. The game is pretty liberal with its checkpoints, but there will still be spots that will be frustrating because you'll need to replay them a few times before you get through. The positive side of this is that you'll have a greater feeling of accomplishment once you do make it to the end of a level.

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