‘Gears of War 2’

‘Gears of War 2’

(Microsoft Games) for Xbox 360

Genre: Shooter; Rating: M

Grade: A

I’ve got friends who are questioning their reason to even rejoin society now that “Gears of War 2” has arrived. 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. “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 2’

(Sony) for PlayStation 3

Genre: Shooter; Rating: M

Grade: A

Besides 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 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 although 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.

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.

— Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard