Resistance 2

Overview

Resistance 2 was the highly-anticipated sequel to the PlayStation 3 launch title Resistance: Fall of Man, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America. This first person shooter was released in North America on November 4, 2008, in Japan November 13 and in Europe November 28.

Resistance 2 was first announced in January of 2008. Insomniac Games promised that the game would be bigger in almost every respect when compared to its predecessor. The game features a fully-fledged single player campaign, a separate cooperative campaign, and online multiplayer mode that allows up to 60 players to compete at one time. The single player campaign continues where the previous game left off and again follows the main character, Nathan Hale, as he tries to repel the Chimeran invasion , this time from his home country, the United State of America. The separate cooperative campaign is similar to its single player component, however, Nathan Hale is not a playable character. Co-op supports two-player split-screen or up to eight players online, where players can select from a trio of classes which are soldier, special ops, and medic. Both the single player and cooperative campaigns include boss battles and 12 new types of Chimeran enemies. In addition to expanding Resistance 2's cooperative and multiplayer aspects, Insomniac Games also implemented numerous technical and community-oriented improvements over the first game. Some of these enhancements include:

• Voice communication has mobile phone quality sound.
• There is a large graphical leap when compared to Resistance: Fall of Man. Shaders, shadowing, and lighting are greatly improved, and most textures in the game are sharp from close to far distances. In addition to this, a much wider color palette is used in Resistance 2.
• Certain areas in the cooperative campaign are randomly generated. The clouds are also procedurally animated.
• The boss fights in the game feature enemies that are far bigger and taller than seen in the previous game (one boss, the Leviathan, is said to be 300 feet tall).
• 12 new types of Chimeran enemies make an appearance in the game, ranging from Leviathans to Grims with the enemy scale greatly surpassing anything seen in the first game.
• New stat tracking and community features are integrated with myresistance.net which is fully featured with profile pages and social networking concepts. Clans and Parties can be opened with no invites needed.

A Limited Edition bundle was also released, and it included:

• The game featuring special edition box-art selected by the fans of Resistance 2,

• A Chimera Hybrid action figure designed by DC Unlimited which comes with a Bullseye gun,
• A Resistance 2 art book featuring concept art as well as art from the final version of the game,
• Exclusive in-game HVAP Wraith multiplayer weapon skin,
• A bonus DVD featuring:

1. a preview into the upcoming Resistance novel by William Dietz.
2. behind the scenes of the creation of Resistance 2 at Insomniac Games studio.
3. the first edition of the Resistance comic book series.
4. a video that shows some of the events of the Chimera invasion up until the story of Resistance 2 begins.

This Limited Edition bundle was available at launch for a recommended price of $79.99 USD

Single Player Campaign

Plot

Resistance 2's single player campaign picks up at the exact point where Resistance: Fall of Man ended. Having destroyed the central Chimeran Tower in London 1951, Nathan Hale is approached by Black Ops soldiers who immediately sedate then extract him on their VTOL aircraft. Sgt. Hale is flown to a top-secret Special Research Projects Administration (SRPA) military research base in Iceland, codenamed "Igloo". This research base is devoted to trying to reverse engineer the advanced technology of the Chimera. It is here that Hale discovers that he is not the only individual who has not succumbed to the Chimera virus. These individuals comprise a group known as "The Sentinels" with enhanced reflexes and combat abilities. Soon after Hale meets the Sentinels, the Chimera learn of the existence of the American base in Iceland. As a result, the Chimera immediately send a Goliath to attack the research base. Hale and the Sentinels combine forces in order to repel the Chimeran offensive, and they eventually escape making their way safely back to the United States.

Two years later things are looking bleak for the United States. The U.S. military is being strained by the Chimera's two-pronged invasion of the East and West Coasts. In addition to this, the Chimera infestation has already claimed several U.S cities, including Chicago. At this point It seems that Hale and the Sentinels are the America's last hope against the seemingly unstoppable Chimeran invasion force. Together they had just saved San Francisco from the immediate threat

of invasion. Soon after saving San Fran, the Sentinels learn of an important Chimera communications hub located in Chicago. Thus Hale and the Sentinels pack up and head to the East Coast, where they hope a surprise attack will destroy the Chimera's presence in the U.S. It is in Chicago that Hale encounters new Chimeran enemies like the Grim and the Leviathan.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Resistance 2 is different from its predecessor in that Nathan Hale no longer acts as a " one man army." Rather, Hale is always accompanied by fellow Sentinel members (Hale belongs to the sub-set of the Sentinels known as Echo Team). Because of this change, the player will now encounter new situations that encourage squad work. Hale's teammates also serve as a vehicle to relate critical information to the player. They constantly update Hale with news from the home front and they each have their own individual personalities and back stories that are developed as the game progresses. The player should also notice changes within Hale throughout the game. Ted Price was quoted as saying "Hale is still fighting the [Chimeran] virus. He's resistant, but only to an extent." Thus, it is assumed that Hale will undergo a change of some kind during the course of the campaign. Price is also quoted as saying that the changes Hale undergoes and his fate are both "creepy developments."

Chimera

The Chimera enemy from the original Resistance: Fall of Man are much of the same. As in they are an alien/human hybrid species [Alien Zombie Disease], this means that they are NOT alien but are in fact humans infected with an alien disease, Even the games end boss Daedalus was originally a human by the name of Adam Shepard infected with "Pure Chimera" DNA. They're bodies have 12 times the metabolism which results in their healing abilities however increases their body heat to explosion level, so any Chimera breed that has regenerative health also has some form of heatstack on their back. Currently there are 42 known Chimera Breeds, which are the following;

• Advanced Hybrid - The advanced hybrid looks like the regular hybrid though it is a little faster, stronger, and uses the Bullseye Mark II weapon.
• Angel
• Boiler
• Brute
• Burrower
• Carrier
• Chameleon- Chameleons are mid-sized chimera with the special ability of being invisible. The only way to tell they are coming is to hear for their footsteps.
• Cocoon
• Crawler
• Fury - Furies are strictly water based creatures. They are extremely fast and extremely deadly. The key is to not land into water with furies in them.
• Gray Jack
• Grim- Grims look like regular old zombies and move very slowly and only use melee attacks. To offput this, they travel in relatively large numbers.
• Hag
• Hardfang
• Howler
• Hybrid - Hybrids are the standard enemy type in Resistance 2. They are humanoid creatures that use the Bullseye weapon.
• Leaper- Leapers are small, spider-like creatures that are quick, though relatively easy to kill and travel in large numbers.
• Leech
• Mauler
  
• Menial
• Ravager - Ravagers are large hybrid-esque creatures. They carry a large shield as well as a powerful gun. One of the tougher enemies in the game.
• Roller
• Sirens
• Slipskull
• Spinner - Spinners are extremely small rodent-like creatures. They don't attack the player and are simply there for decoration.
• Steelhead
• Titan - Titans are close to the largest enemy in the game. They are enormous creatures with large, powerful guns that are almost instant death if the player is hit by one. They generally need to be taken down with high explosives.
• Widowmaker

Elite Chimera

Elite Chimera are chimeran breeds that require much more firepower to bring down than normal Chimera. Essentially making them boss characters.

• Daedalus - Daedalus is the final boss of the game. He is a large floating Chimera with unmatched intelligence and the ability to speak. He is said to be the father of the Chimera.
• Kraken - The Kraken is a large sea creature that is fought standing on a platform in the open sea. It is another enormous creature that attacks by sucking in air to pull the player into its mouth.
• The Swarm - The Swarm are a tightly woven pack of small flying bugs. They are extremely fast and can only be slowed down with gunfire. To kill them, you need a mixture of electromagnetic energy and a pulse cannon.
• Mother Spinners - Mother spinners are large versions of spinners that require significantly more shots to kill.
• Leviathan - The Leviathan was the main boss shown during the E3 2008 demo. It is an enormous, screen-filling monster that looks very similar to the titan and is a set piece boss battle for the player. Eventually, he is killed by shooting a rocket at a bridge that falls on his head.
• Marauders - Marauders are giant frog-like creatures that spit fire as well as a fire-like substance. This substance is the same that comes out of spider grenades.
• Angels
• Alpha Grims - Alpha Grims are slightly larger than grims and are almost exactly the same except they have significantly more health.
• Queen Leapers - Queen Leapers are massive Leapers that are also very fast and are protected by many smaller leapers as well. She is the boss during another set-piece moment in the game.
• Primarchs
• Overseers

Weapons

Resistance 2 brings back many weapons such as the M5A2 Carbine, L23 Fareye, and Bullseye, which is significantly improved from the original game, but also adds all new weapons to the game.

Returning Weapons

• M5A2 Carbine: This human assault rifle is one of your basic weapons in the game. Its secondary fire is a grenade launcher.

• Rossmore 238: A shotgun that is very powerful, but can only carry a small amount of ammo, its secondary fire is a double shot.
• L23 Fareye: A bolt-action sniper rifle that is useful for picking off those far away enemies. It's secondary fire is a slow-mo mode that can only be used in the single player.
• Bullseye: This Chimera assault rifle is the basic weapon for most Chimera, it fires very fast but is inaccurate. Its secondary fire is a homing tag that, once on an enemy, will redirect all bullets to hit that enemy.
• Auger: This Chimera weapon is a very unique weapon as it is able to shoot through walls at the enemy. The secondary fire deploys a shield that protects the user, but is not able to be moved.
• LAARK: A rocket launcher that causes massive damage to anything it hits. Its secondary fire launches a storm of mini-rockets that cause a wide spread of damage.
• Hedgehog Grenade: This grenade is a ball of spikes that after thrown shoots it's spikes in all directions, injuring anyone nearby.
• Frag Grenade: A regular grenade, causes explosive damage.
• Air Fuel Grenade: A grenade that lets off a cloud of gas and then ignites it causing combustion that causes damage to any enemy in/near the cloud.

New Weapons

• Magnum: A pistol that shoots .44 rounds that can be detonated by using the secondary fire. Can also be fired into the environment for using as a trap.

• Marksman: Chimera battle rifle that fires in 3 shot burst, very effective from mid-range. Its secondary fire shoots electronic orbs that shock all surrounding enemies.
• HVAP Wraith: A mini-gun that shoots very quickly, but needs time to warm up before shooting. Secondary fire deploys a shield that moves with the player
• Phoenix: (Co-op only) The gun used by the medic that drains the energy from the enemy and then heals your teammates with bursts of health.
• V6 Splicer: Weapon that shoots razor blades that ricochet off of walls and can hit the enemy more than once. The secondary fire spins the razor blade red hot, and when it is shot, it sticks in the enemy and continues to cause damage, even severing limbs. Spinning the blade while touching an enemy will cause the V6 Splicer to function like a chainsaw.
• Bellock: A semi-automatic grenade launcher that fires a grenade that bounces a few times before detonation. Its secondary fire fires off a grenade that causes anything it touches to be set on fire.
• Spider Grenade: A grenade that explodes and unleashes a spread of flaming web-like lines incinerating anyone who touches them.
• Pulse Cannon: A prototype weapon that, after charging, fires an extremely powerful, long range burst of energy. Its secondary fire launches a short range pulse blast that does not require charging and sprays in a wide cone. This is the strongest weapon in the game.

Cooperative Multiplayer

The Cooperative multiplayer mode is a class-based shooter where players take on the roll of generic soldiers to fight the Chimera enemy. Unlike Team Fortress 2, players battle against bots and not other players. Players may only choose to fight on the side of the humans, they cannot fight as Chimera in co-op. This mode contains 6 unique maps, each with objectives that are randomly stringed together depending on the number of players and their respective levels. The number of enemies and their difficulty is also tuned to the number of players and their levels. Players are also able to level up their classes from 1 - 30, buy upgraded equipment with acquired Gray Tech, unlock alternate guns as well as special skills called Berserks. Each class has it's own strengths and weaknesses and requires each member to know the role of their class and be able to use it effectively in order to complete the mission; no one class is entirely sufficient (although the medic comes pretty close.) Each level also contains collectible intel called Status Reports. The cooperative mode has garnered much praise for the game.

Soldier

The soldier is essentially the "tank" of the game. He can take quite a bit more damage than the other classes and has a powerful Primary Weapon. Out of the three classes, the soldier is offensively the best. He is armed with the Wraith (mini gun) with an alternate fire that deploys a force barrier ( energy shield.) With this equipment, soldiers are able to decimate the enemy from behind their shield. While very effective, the soldier burns though ammo pretty fast and the shield will deplete in the blink of eye when taking a lot of fire. As a result, the soldier requires nearly constant ammo refills from the Special Ops to keep the shield up and remain offensively effective.

Primary Weapon

• Wraith (Default)

Secondary Weapons

• Rossmore 238 (Level 2)

• Auger (Level 10)
• Bullseye (Level 18)
• Laark (Level 28)

Berserks

• Ironheart - Decreases damage done to player. (Default)
• Overload - Once, activated, the player will explode if they are killed, damaging all nearby enemies. Player will respawn after a few seconds with no death penalty. (Level 4)
• Backlash- (Level 12)

Armor Upgrades

• Kinetic Gloves (Required level: 6, Cost: 50) - Gives the player faster reloads.
• Assault Pack (Required level: 16, Cost: 125) - Increases the amount of ammo and grenades the character can carry.
• Voltaic Body Armor (Required level: 24, Cost: 175) - Absorbs incoming damage and converts it into voltage that charges the force barrier (sheild.)
• Psychokinetic Helmet (Required level: 30, Cost: 250) - Increases the duration of the character's Beserk.

Weapon Upgrades

• High Capacity Ammo Belt (Required level: 8, Cost: 75) - Increases the max ammo capacity for the Wraith.
• Advanced Timing Motor (Required level: 14, Cost: 100) - Wraith spins faster and tightens the bullet spread, allowing for more focused fire.
• Titanium Barrels (Required level: 22, Cost: 150) - Give Wraith increased damage and a longer range of effectiveness.
• Precision Scope (Required level: 26, Cost: 200) - Increases the Wraith's accuracy and range.

Medic

The medic, as the name implies, is the healer of the group. He is equipped with a Phoenix or "healing weapon" that siphons energy (health) from targeted enemies and converts it to Bioplasm, filling up the alternate fire. When enough energy has been siphoned, the player can fire a rocket-launcher-like healing burst at his teammates to heal them. While siphoning energy from enemies, the medic will also heal himself making him one of the most difficult teammates to take down as long as he is firing.

Primary Weapon

• Phoenix (Default)

Secondary Weapons

• M5A2 Carbine (Level 2)
• Rossmore 238 (Level 10)
• HE 44 Magnum (Level 18)
• V7 Splicer (Level 28)

Berserks

• Ring of Life - Places a ring on the ground for a limited time that heals all allies within it's radius. (Default)
• Chloroform - Paralyzes enemies, does extra damage over time (DOT). (Level 4)
• Phoenix Ash - Allows the medic to immediately revive himself when it is used after death. (Level 12)

Armor Upgrades

• Kinetic Gloves (Required level: 6, Cost: 50) - Gives faster reloads. Also increases the energy drained from enemies with the Phoenix.
• Assault Pack (Required level: 16, Cost: 125) - Increases the amount of ammo and grenades the character can carry. Also increases health regeneration when attacking enemies.
• Voltaic Body Armor (Required level: 24, Cost: 175) - Absorbs incoming damage and converts it to voltage that regenerates the Phoenix's bioplasm energy, used to heal allies.
• Psychokinetic Helmet (Required level: 30, Cost: 250) - Increases the duration of the character's Berserk.

Weapon Upgrades

• High Density Bioplasm Chamber (Required level: 8, Cost: 75) - Gives the Phoenix a higher max bioplasm storage.
• Bioplasm Tracking Tech (Required level: 14, Cost: 100) - Allows Phoenix's bioplasm to better track toward allies.
• Bio-Amp Scope (Required level: 22, Cost: 150) - Increases range of of the Phoenix and increases the range of bioplasm healing effects.
• Leech Barrel(Required level: 26, Cost: 200) - Increases Phoenix's range and damage.

Special Ops

This class is best known for being the damage dealer and the armory. He can distribute ammo and grenades to his nearby teammates and he can also earn and distribute advanced ammo that deals more damage. Their primary weapon, the Marksman, is a very powerful weapon allowing for powerful burst of damage however it is necessary to reload very often. The Special Ops also has the least health of any class, meaning that the medics need to pay particular attention to keeping the Spec Ops alive when they are offering support on the front lines.

Primary Weapon

• Marksman (Default)

Secondary Weapons

• Bullseye (Level 2)
• L23 Fareye (Level 12)
• Auger (Level 18)
• Bellock (Level 28)

Beserks

• Prototype Ammo - drops advanced ammo which fully refills all primary and secondary munitions and increase damage of the ammo for the duration of the Berserk. Allies must pick this ammo up off the ground but this ammo is automatically given to the Special Ops who deploys it. (Default)
• Invisibility - Allows the Special Ops who deploys the Berserk to become invisible. The player will be invisible to all enemies unless already taking damage or interacting with a switch. (Level 4)
• Snake Eyes - Equips the user with the Pulse Cannon. (Level 12)

Armor Upgrades

• Kinetic Gloves (Required level: 6, Cost: 50) - Gives faster reloads.
• Assault Pack (Required level: 16, Cost: 125) - Increases the amount of ammo and grenades the character can carry.
• Voltaic Body Armor (Required level: 24, Cost: 175) - Absorbs incoming damage, boosts ammo regeneration.
• Psychokinetic Helmet (Required level: 30, Cost: 250) - Increases the duration of the character's Berserk.

Weapon Upgrades

• High Density Ammo (Required level: 8, Cost: 75) - Increases the Marksman's primary and secondary ammo capacity.
• Shock Suppressor (Required level: 14, Cost: 100) - Reduces the Marksman's recoil and allows fast shot bursts.
• Hawkeye Scope (Required level: 22, Cost: 150) - Gives the Marksman increased accuracy and aiming magnification.
• MAG-Propulsion Barrel (Required level: 26, Cost: 200) - Increases range of the Marksman and gives a higher headshot damage.

Gray Tech

Gray Tech is the Cooperative mode's version of currency. It can be used to purchase upgrades from the Equipment Room menu. Acquiring Gray Tech is simple. When a boss character is defeated, they will typically drop a gray-looking pod. When you or any teammate collects this pod it evenly distributes the contained Gray Tech amongst all allies in the area, typically 1 or 3 pieces per pod.

Berserk

The Berserk is Resistance's version of a super. As players damage enemies, absorb incoming fire with their shield, resupply allies with ammo, heal allies, or gain XP through any other method, this meter will gradually fill up and when full it will typically begin blinking. At this point, you can hit the Down Button on the D-Pad and unleash it. Each Berserk grants different special abilities to the player and at this time each class has 3 to chose from; 1 is default and the other 2 must be unlocked by leveling up. To change it players must go into the Equipment Room menu and select the option to change their alternate weapon. Once that is done then it will ask you to choose a Berserk.

Maps/Status Reports

Currently, there are 6 unique maps, all re-purposed levels from locations visited in the single player campaign. Each map has a set number of different objectives that are randomly stringed together. Each map also contains several rewards called Status Reports. Once a player beats a mission on the particular map, he/she will be rewarded with a Status Report which can be viewed in the rewards menu of their profile. In order to unlock more maps, players will have to collect a certain number of reports. However, this only factors while creating a game because as long as one person in your party has a particular map unlocked than anyone can play on it. Acquiring all status reports across all levels will grant the player a Gold Trophy. The following are the maps, in order, and how many reports they contain:

• [external image]

  Chicago - 10 Status Reports
• Orick - 12 Status Reports
• Axbridge - 9 Status Reports
• Bracknell - 10 Status Reports
• Bryce Canyon - 12 Status Reports
• Holar Tower - 8 Status Reports

Competitive Multiplayer

Resistance 2 supports up to 60 player battles in this online mode. During these battles, players are split up into smaller squads and given specific tasks in order to gain XP and defeat the other players. Players unlock different skins, accessories and berserks as they level up their competitive characters. You can also create custom matches but unlike the cooperative custom matches, the players don't actually earn XP for playing in these games.

• Skirmish: Up to 60 players fight for points by completing objectives. Objectives can be as simple as capturing a beacon or some more complex objectives like assassinating a Priority target from the other team. Players are split into 5 man squads who have the same objectives and have to work as team to take down their rival squad.
• Core control: This mode is very much like Capture the Flag where 2 teams fight to get hold of the other teams core and bring it back to their base.The big difference is that, unlike most CTF modes, you actually carry the core in your hands making you unable to use your weapons and forcing you to rely on your teammates for cover.
• Team Deathmatch: This is the standard TDM that is in most online shooters. Two teams have to kill the set number of enemies from the opposing team before the other team does the same. This is also the second mode in the game that supports up to 60 players
• Deathmatch: This is the traditional every man for himself madness that you all know and love. Players can choose to play as the chimera or the humans.

You can unlock a lot of stuff in competitive multiplayer. You can also level up your character. There are 30 levels.

Multiplayer unlockables

Level 1: Chimeran Rage, Advanced Radar, Electrostatic Orb Burst, Prototype Ammo

Level 2: Hip Pack 1, Hip Pack, Adrenaline Boost

Level 3: Hybrid, Hybrid 2

Level 4: Belt Accessory 1, Belt Accessory 2, Ring Of Life

Level 5: Backpack1, Heatstack 3, Heatstack 4

Level 6: Ammo Clips, Hip Pack 3, Backpack 6

Level 7: Heatstack 5, Heatstack 7, Hose Tech

Level 8: Chest Armor 1, Overload

Level 9: Hose Attachment, Radio , Backpack 2

Level 10: Black Ops Suit, Hybrid Variant, Hybrid Variant 2

Level 11: Backpack 4, Heatstack 9, Arm Accessory

Level 12: Black Ops Helmet, Heatstack6, Invisibility

Level 13: Sentinel Suit, Armor 1, Heat Stack 2

Level 14: Hybrid 3 Head, Hybrid 3 Body

Level 15: Backpack 5, LAARK, Snake Eyes

Level 16: Warner and Hawthorne Heads, Backpack 3

Level 17: Hybrid 3 Variant Head, Hybrid 3 Variant Body, Heatstack 8

Level 18: Capelli, Armor 2, Heatstack 1

Level 19: Nathan Hale Head, Nathan Hale Body, Backpack 7

Level 20: Steelhead Head, Steelhead Body, Backpack 8

Level 21: Chest Armor, Heatstack 10, Backpack 9

Level 22: Grenade Vest, Infected Hale Head, Helmet 1

Level 23: Steelhead Variant Skin , Backpack 10, Steelhead Variant Head

Level 24: Nathan Hale Converted Head, Helmet 3, Helmet 5

Level 25: Decayed Head, Corpse Head

Level 26: Civilian 1, Helmet 2, Helmet 4

Level 27: Civilian Skin 2, Blue Hat, Steelhead Armor

Level 28: Scientist Skin, Scientist Head, Doctor Head, Wrench

Level 29: Clank Backpack

Level 30: Leech Skin, Deminsionater

You can also download 2 free skins from the PSN. One of them is A grim skin and the other is Dr.Malikov.

E3 2008 Trailer Secret Site

Insomniac Games released an exclusive new trailer for Resistance 2 in Sony's Press Conference for 2008. Ted Price, currently President and CEO of Insomniac Games walked up on stage and showed off a stage demo of one of the new boss fight s in Resistance 2. Soon after that he reveals a new exclusive trailer of Resistance 2 showing off the invaded Chicago. When the trailer is about to end right before the PlayStation 3 logo appears a subliminal message of a website appears. That website is projectbraham.com.

A second website for the viral campaign is called: www.americafirstamericaonly.com. It contains a poll which had a poll where fans get to pick the next victim for the experiment. The winner was Private Joseph Capelli. It has articles about the experiment. Another website: getawarjob.com is an anti site against americafirstamericaonly.com. It has real business cards with a pre-recorder message. Another website: terminal-srpa.net is a website that the staff at Project Abraham use. Entering the correct codes from americafirstamericaonly.com will show you hidden pictures and more secret information known about the Chimera in Resistance 2.