Master Chief may have pwned 2007, but he's about to get trounced by two heavyweights. Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 are slated for a release later this year, priming 2008 to be the banner year for shooters. Even better, PlayStation 3 should see a big boost due to the exclusivity of these games to the console. Both are gunning for the spotlight, but it will be up to gamers to decide which comes out in the lead. We dissect both shooters, giving you a heads-up as to what you can expect from two of this year's most anticipated titles.
Weapons
Resistance 2
A shooter isn't a shooter if it doesn't have cool weapons. Resistance had them in spades, which isn't surprising given Insomniac's track record of packing tons of awesome weapons in its Ratchet and Clank games. The company has remained quiet on what firearms will populate the sequel's arsenal, but we're fairly certain everything from the original will make a return.
Standards like the M5A2 Carbine and L23 Fareye sniper rifle fulfil the need for some real firepower; however, it's the experimental weaponry that gets our interest piqued. Hedgehog grenades better be returning in Resistance 2 so we can slice Chimeras to ribbons with needle-like shrapnel. Piercing through walls with the Auger rifle wouldn't half-bad either. Resistance worked so well because every weapon came with an alternate fire, which lent to an immense amount of variety and firepower. As long as Resistance 2 keeps to this formula it'll surely be a winner.
Killzone 2
Realism is the name of game in Killzone 2. Every weapon has been modelled after a real-world counterpart, some even exactly (like the bazooka). Differences among the guns are less pronounced than those featured in Resistance, but that's part of what makes the arsenal so realistic in Killzone. Whereas the Chimera equip weapons completely different from humans, the Helghast essentially hold counterparts to their human opponents. For example, the M-82 Assault Rifle barely differs from the Helghan StA-52 LAR Assault Rifle. This supports the realistic feel of Killzone 2 even if it means not including cool experimental guns.
Edge: Resistance 2
The choice is clear: Resistance 2. Better, more diverse weapons and each carries an alternate firing mode. Killzone 2 earns points for realism, yet it isn't as fun without any creative experimental mods to mess around with.
