The introduction scene was very well done right down to the start of the game but then that is where the disappointment
My first impression was mixed. The introduction scene was very well done right down to the start of the game but then that is where the disappointment started. I believe I died a bunch of times in the first opening sequence. I find this funny because I played Killzone 2 right after and never died once. That alone tells you something about the game.
The game is technically sound, with a solid graphics engine, ok gunplay and reasonable enemy AI. But everything else just falls off the rails. The storyline is good but not great. Characters are constantly shouting and pulling you from location to location with no clear explanation of what you're supposed to do or why you should care. You fight alongside squad mates whom you never get to know, a clear misuse of NPCs to player experience. I frequently wasn't even sure if I was still playing as protagonist Nathan Hale, as the game would show Hale in cut scenes or in-engine sequences that suggested he could be an NPC. The game feels hurried and rushed, pulling you through levels at breakneck speed with no time to get your bearings straight or understand what the point of any given level is. Again user experience is left out the window as the player is pushed and pushed to no clear end.
Level design doesn't help matters much, as laughably linear pathways funnel you ever forward. Resistance 2 plays as a rail shooter without the rails, teasing you with fantastic environments ... somewhere over there ... and blocking you off with invisible walls or tactlessly placed obstructions that remove any semblance of immersion. As you explore the wreckage of post-invasion, 1950s United States, you never feel like you're exploring genuine environments. You always know you're in a video game level, endlessly blasting away at critters in your monotonous drive forward. Even boss fights are reduced to pre-programmed sequences that feel completely inorganic. Sure, the sometimes colossal foes make a great first impression, but you better get quick with the sequence or it's game over for you. There is no sense of discovery, merely more obvious patterning pushing you forward.
The entire experience became so aggravating I had to quit halfway through the campaign and just like that, disappointed and it was over. I expected so much more from such a massive title but I was shocked to discover that all it offered was a tease.
When compared to the ample supply of excellent AAA shooters on the market, there's really no excuse for playing through something as remedial as Resistance 2.
One thing I found very interesting was the dude on the radio show, Henry Stillman. There is so much passion in his voice, wow very well done. Props to Insomniac…I found myself looking forward to the next radio broadcast but the frustration won and I could only find the first 3 before giving up.
Insomniac is capable of much better than what Resistance 2 put on display, so this experience won't make me look forward to the inevitable Resistance 3 any less. A smart developer will recognize and learn from its mistakes, so I hope the next installment in Nathan Hale's world will finally live up to the franchise's elite potential.