'Gears of War 2,' 'Resistance 2' Game On winners

Gears of War 2Platform: Xbox 360Genre: ShooterPublisher: Microsoft GamesESRB Rating: M for MatureGrade: 4.5 stars (out of 5)I've got friends who are questioning their reason to even rejoin society now that "Gears of War 2'' has arrived on shelves. Sean doesn't remember his wife's name anymore; Luke may not finish getting his degree; Andy juggles lancering a locust in half while calming down his newborn; Sarah can't stop beaming with joy over joining our horde. You may know us through our online handles, but trust me when I say we are all normal people who, once online in GOW2, lose track of space and time with all the game has to offer.First off, the offline campaign mode is enough to keep any fan of shooters happy. It's a short campaign, picking up not long after the initial game's conclusion, but it is jam-packed with new weapons, newer locations and a whole host of gruesome locusts to take out. The offline mode is buoyed by the stunning visual design that now takes you beyond decrepit cities and takes the battle to subterranean tunnels, snow-capped mountain villages and more. However, you'd be missing out on the game's best parts if you skipped playing online. A seamless online co-op campaign is available, and several of the old death-match and annex modes have also returned. The biggest and best improvement, however, is the horde mode. Here, you and four other friends team up to take on wave after wave of locusts, which only get stronger in both numbers and tactics. The difficulty ramps up considerably with each wave, and with maps that make hunkering down a challenge, the hectic battles that ensue are equally tense and thrilling. You'll spend countless hours convincing yourself that just one more try is all you'll need to beat that next wave. Listening to Sean lash out at Andy for drifting away from our delicately positioned battle group is one of the highlights of every session. The visual design that made the original "Gears of War'' such a instant classic has returned and been improved upon. Weapon design and impact is ramped up and is less fake and cartoon-like as other games; you can see and almost feel the importance and elation when you make it rain with mortar fire or the mulcher machine gun.GOW2 is simply one of the best high-impact shooters and game experiences players will have this year, and it is a must-own for Xbox 360 owners.Resistance 2Platform: PlayStation 3Genre: ShooterPublisher: SonyESRB Rating: M for MatureGrade: 4 starsBesides the SOCOM franchise finally making the big leap to the PlayStation 3, the console has regularly suffered from a lack of original content that is exclusive to the PlayStation3. Finally, and thankfully, "Resistance 2'' has arrived to help feed gamers with an appetite for gun-toting slaughter.Picking up right after the end of the original Resistance game, you now make your way (via main character Nathan Hale) over to locales in the United States to fend off the pernicious Chimera. Now instead of battling it out in dreary, bombed-out England, you will experience a whole slew of environments from forests to small town America and dense, urban zones. Trust me, everywhere you turn there is a wave of nasty buggers that need eliminating.Among the best moments in Resistance 2 are the boss battles, which have a huge scale to them and are definitely difficult enough to keep you guessing. There are some new weapons added into the mix as well, yet while they are nice additions sometimes the action gets a little too clustered with tracer fire and explosions that you can't tell what's going on anymore. It crosses that delicate line of trying to be intense, frantic and warlike into just being confusing and frustrating.The co-op and online modes of game-play are really exciting, none more than the 60-player multiplayer, which is just staggering to watch, let alone compete in. The online co-op mode is thrilling just because how integral it is to keep your teammates alive. Nobody is a super-soldier, and whether you are a medic or a frontline grunt, you have to work together.PS3 owners should have little trouble justifying the cost of "Resistance 2.'' With a console desperately in need of original content, this is the perfect game to satisfy your craving.(E-mail Chris Campbell at game_on_games(at)mac.com)