DEVELOPER: Insomniac

PUBLISHER: Sony

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 (out of 5 stars)

Some people questioned Insomniac’s decision to stray from their “Ratchet and Clank” roots to make the alternative reality run-and-gun shooter, “Resistance,” but any doubts were quickly eliminated when the game quickly became the PS3’s top-selling launch title. Now “Resistance 2” is upon us and the fight is brought even closer to home.

Events from the first game took care of the Chymeran threat in England, and now various U.S. locales such as California’s redwood forest, San Francisco and a small town in Idaho must be cleared of aliens. Players control Nathan Hale, the infected hero from the first title, as he embarks on yet another genocidal rampage for the good of mankind.

Cyber-soldiers can only carry two weapons into battle instead of the virtual cornucopia of hardware they packed in the first game. However, the available weapons are no less exotic, and each one still has an alternative fire mode. Believe me, players will want every piece of hardware they can get their hands on to fight against the seemingly endless waves of deadly enemies, some of which are simply gigantic.

“Resistance 2” takes online multiplayer gaming to new heights with a fun eight-player co-op mode and impressive 60-player multiplayer matches. Special levels with mighty enemies have been assembled for co-op, and players can choose between three classes to use in battle.

Adversarial online matches place combatants in squads on huge levels and each squad receives specific orders that assist the overall objective. This helps to focus each player’s actions so that they will help the team instead of only themselves. In addition, various power-ups, like energy shields, can be acquired by performing well.

“Resistance 2” is a gorgeous, action-packed game that will surely impress fans of the original title.

‘Gears of War 2’ Moves Underground

DEVELOPER: Epic

PUBLISHER: Microsoft

SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 (out of 5 stars)

Two years after Microsoft wowed gamers with a new duck-and-cover-style shooter called “Gears of War,” they have unleashed the much-anticipated sequel with the thought-provoking title, “Gears of War 2.” And if the date that the savage Locust Horde broke through Earth’s crust to eradicate mankind in the first game is referred to as ‘Emergence Day,’ then the sequel must have been kicked off with ‘Submergence Day.’

“Why is that?” you may ask. This time around, Marcus Fenix and his battle-hardened band of brothers take the bloody fight to the enemy’s lair in a desperate attempt to salvage what’s left of humanity. This means they must somehow punch their way deep inside the Earth to a realm none has seen before. Who knows what they’ll find, but one thing is for sure, they’ll probably riddle it with bullets.

When compared to the original game, “Gears 2” can be described as ‘bigger, badder and bloodier.’ Basically, it’s ‘more Epic.’ Budding Gears (soldiers) must fight several new types of enemies as well as gigantic monstrosities that were only briefly glimpsed in the first game. In addition, most enemy encounters are well thought-out, which keeps combat interesting throughout the whole adventure.

Without a doubt, the biggest addition to the game is the use of mobile cover, which varies between large, metal shields that can be carried and even planted in the ground to picking up a downed enemy and using him for cover. This seemingly small addition has a huge impact on combat, allowing players to incorporate new strategies to survive longer.

“Gears of War 2” incorporates the same type of useful cover system found in its predecessor, but using the same button to run that is used to take cover sometimes leads to unintentional actions on the battlefield. But that’s a small price to pay when the result is fantastic single player, co-op and multiplayer game play.

REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM

5 stars = Must Have

4 stars = Pretty Good

3 stars = Above Average

2 stars = Bargain Bin

1 star = Don't Bother

RATINGS KEY

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)

E: Everyone

E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)

T: Teen (13 and older)

M: Mature (17 and older)

To find out more about Jeb Haught and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.