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SINGLE-PLAYER CAMPAIGN AND CO-OP

Resistance 2 - We know less about R2's single-player than its multiplayer. Plot wise, the game picks up where R:FoM left off. Indeed, the cinematic from after the credits in the first game is recreated here as the opening cinematic. You once again assume the role of Sgt. Nathan Hale, who's on his way via Black Ops aircraft to the base of the Special Projects Research Administration (SPRA) in Iceland. He finds others who are resistant to the Chimera virus, and a task force called 'The Sentinels' is formed. The Chimera attack the base, forcing Hale and 'The Sentinels' to flee to the US. Jump forward two years and the Chimera invade both US coasts. It's Hale's job to drive them back. This is war. This is mankind's last stand.

We're promised a storyline that follows the personal plight of Hale much more closely this time around and some juicy info on where the Chimera are from. We know the game is now set across the States rather than across the UK. More interestingly though, R2 will feature two separate campaigns - a fully fleshed out, story driven single-player campaign and a, wait for it, eight-player online or two-player split screen co-op campaign with a storyline that runs parallel to Hale's campaign. In this mode, players will be able to choose their class and thus their role in the fight. We know there's going to be a medic class, which uses an energy-draining gun to leech life from enemies to squad mates, a long distance scoped rifle-equipped special ops class, and a heavy weapons class, complete with chaingun and a ton of health, to choose from. Could R2 be an FPS MMO in disguise?

We also know that in R2's co-op mode you won't be able to pick a difficulty. Instead, the game will adjust depending on how you and you're team mates are doing. Your rank, which also affects the game's difficulty, will also increase as you play. Insomniac is working on an online co-op matching system which will hopefully pair players with those of the same skill level and at similar points in the campaign. All this info points to a positive, fun and accessible R2 main story campaign.

Gears of War 2 - Conversely, we know more about how GoW2's single-player than we do about its multiplayer. As you've probably read, Cliffy "B" Bleszinski says it's going to be "bigger, better and more badass" than the first game. We've also heard it's going to be five times bigger in scale, too.

Plot wise we know little. GoW2 takes place in winter time, six months after the first game and the detonation of the Lightmass Bomb. Things should be rosy, right? Wrong. The explosion has caused a disease called 'Rust Lung' to spread like wildfire throughout humanity's dwindling population as Imulsion vaporises underground. The Locust have begun building massive sink holes under the last human settlements, and one in particular, Jacinto Plateau, which was considered impregnable, is under threat. It's up to Marcus, Dom (who has a lead on his wife) and some new faces to lead the fightback. The first game was criticised for being too linear. Roughly 30% of the game will be underground, and its environments will feature a larger sense of "distance".

Press have only been shown 'Assault', chapter three of act one, but it has revealed plenty of new gameplay details. Chainsaw duelling will be a B button mashing affair, rather than a quick time event. You'll be able to use downed enemies as human shields, too, as well as crawl yourself when injured, another button mashing exercise. We've also seen some new finishing moves, like pummelling the head of a Locust with Marcus' bare hands. In the second mission Delta squad, along with a new character called Dizzy, a redneck conscripted into the army with the promise of rations for his family, are on what's called a 'grind lift', or express elevators to hell. They dig into the ground and sort the Locust out. At least that's the plan. Being so huge, they're a pain to get to the right spot, hence the giant crane transport and the Delta Squad escort. Inevitably the Locust attack. In an open valley Locust Reavers start causing trouble. The rig is damaged, forcing Marcus and Dom off while Dizzy makes repairs. On the ground a swarm of locust attack from emergence holes. With the repairs made the pair rejoin the derrick. A side by side shoot out with an overrun derrick ensues, where Marcus has to keep the locust from boarding his crane. After clearing a cliff face, Marcus comes up against Brumaks (finally!). It looks like tremendous, intense fun.

In co-op play you'll be able to pick your own difficulty, which can be different to your team mates, which sounds interesting indeed. Combating a bug-bear of the first game, you will be able to keep a number of save files on the go with drop in and out co-op features enabled.

Cog-tag collection returns, but this time there will be personal letters and medical records, all collated by a war journal, to hunt down too. Those put-your controller down cut scenes from the first game have been improved with the addition of interactive conversation trees. Jack, the little door-opening robot from the first game, also returns, this time providing a video link for Marcus to communicate with other characters.

But we still don't know the big question, the one every Gears fan wants answered and wants answered now! Will GoW2 have four-player campaign co-op? Fingers crossed.

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