Ever since the launch title Resistance: Fall of Man appeared on PS3 systems, there has been a lot of speculation on what its inevitable sequel would be like, and it’s been as loud as a fire alarm. Well, Resistance 2 is finally here and every expectation was at least been met, if not surpassed. Playing off the idea that the first Resistance title’s story did not go well for those of us who are Earth natives, Resistance 2 builds for us a world even more oppressive and apocalyptic than the previous title.

The title is definitely a showcase for the PS3’s HD skills; the game is sharply detailed and rendered, and the boss characters you face off with fill the screen not only with mass, but lovely details that make PS2’s Shadow of the Colossus seem like a children’s coloring book (even though that was a great title).

The level design is impressive in its size and scale, with plenty of room to explore without running into frequent loading delays. The visual effects on display are spectacular and the best aspect of the game is that the action is quick and fluid; especially on HD displays.

In fact, a game like this is certainly a motivator to finally pop for at least a 720p set to play it on, if not a True 1080p HD system, simply because standard definition displays just don’t have nearly as much room to contain all the eye-candy on display in this title.

One thing I enjoyed as a gamer who is not typically a fan of shooters is how intuitive the game system is; there’s never a feeling that one is lacking the depth of a more involved RPG, yet the system for changing weapons, reloading and such never bogs down the action.

Another element I appreciated is that the title has some odd things happen – such as creatures that appear and attack, but don’t stick around to finish you off, necessarily, but who pop back up later to offer a more critical challenge. While it might be overstating things a bit to compare Resistance 2 to the really fun movie Cloverfield, it would seem that the developers were singing from the same hymnal, at least, as the makers of that movie.

If all-out action with a solid story and solid shooter action are what you’re itching for, Resistance 2 delivers it in spades, and ought to be sufficient to keep PS3 fans from feeling like they are missing out on games like Halo 3 or Halo Wars, if they don’t own a 360. Resistance 2 is an instant classic on its own merits.