Resistance 2 kicks the action up a few notches

An important element of Resistance 2 is its lineage. The game’s creator, Burbank-based Insomniac Games, has a long and successful history of packing so much onto each of its games’ discs, it’s as if they are using a different set of rules than other game makers.

One of its first series, Ratchet & Clank, was light-years ahead of the competition technologically because of what it could do with the PlayStation 2 tools then available -- even if the premise wasn’t more than a better take on most of that era’s platform games. When the third Ratchet & Clank title was released in 2004 and offered online play, it became more than just an epic adventure; it also had a multi-player mode far more advanced than anything at the time.

So when the full power of the seemingly limitless Play- Station 3 is someday realized, you can bet Insomniac (which is now developing games exclusively for the PS3) will be the one to do it.

Case in point: the spectacular new release Resistance 2.

Set in 1953, the game imagines that an alien force has invaded our planet, laying waste to everything in its path, including American cities such as a richly rendered San Francisco. You and the other soldiers who remain must fight for survival against the evil Chimera.

An unparalleled first-person shooter with next to no load times; a class-based co-op mode (meaning players choose one of three classifications of characters and band together to fight) with a story line that is complementary to, yet independent of, the main adventure; and a multi-player mode that can have 60 people on the same vast map at the same time are all on the one disc. In fact, there is so much to do, it’s like getting three games for the price of one.

Resistance 2 has changed expectations of gaming, a level few titles can even approach.

The media notes boast that to unlock everything in the game, like completing the story and reaching the highest online rank possible, it would take 420 hours. That’s 17 1/2 straight days with no breaks, playing in some of the smoothest, most photo-realistic environments with flawless controls and mind-blowing action. Although that would most likely kill more than just your social life and career, what a wonderful way to go.

Grade: A+ (The bar is set pretty high right now.)

Details: PlayStation 3 platform; $59.99; rated Mature (blood and gore, intense violence, strong language).

Gears clunky

but still stylish

Like the main characters -- two “big dumb oaf” tough guys named Marcus and Dom -- Gears of War 2 is epic and lumbering. With giant cartoonish bodies (even by game standards), these guys don’t exactly turn on a dime. In fact, controlling them sometimes feels like trying to maneuver a dump truck stuck in the mud.

This sequel to the 2006 blockbuster features the same sweeping battles and stylish art direction, but it doesn’t feel like anything more than another episode in the story. Very little is groundbreaking, and the game play is too similar to that of the Unreal Tournament series, made by the same developer.

All that said, this is still the must-have first-person shooter for Xbox 360 owners (that is, for those who don’t own a PS3 and Resistance 2). Though the game doesn’t offer anything new, it still packs great action and a decent story told through above-average cut-screens. The online multi-player modes are also as good as expected and should lead to a rise in Xbox Live traffic.

Grade: B (Not super original, but still good.)

Details: Xbox 360 platform; $59.99; rated Mature (blood and gore, intense violence, strong language).

Thrill of the chase in Mirror’s Edge

Games don’t get too much more original than Mirror’s Edge. Built entirely on the concept of “free running” -- that is, running up walls and jumping from rooftop to rooftop like the amazing opening scene of “Casino Royale” -- Edge takes the chase to new levels.

“Running is what I do best,” says the main character, Faith, during the “fight the power and uncover the truth” story.

Taking a leap of, ahem, Faith from the top of one skyscraper to another is exhilarating and stomach-churning at the same time, because the game looks and feels so real. With very few extras on screen, except for a little dot in the center to prevent total motion sickness, Edge is an amazingly immersing first-person experience. You see exactly what Faith sees and nothing more.

But it’s that immersion that makes the game ultimately flawed. The rooftops all have a very striking style yet look similar after a while, especially when trying to find the best way to run away from the danger running after you. At times, Faith’s correct path glows red, but sometimes it’s hard to see, and that causes a lot of running around in unfamiliar areas with the cops on your tail.

Grade: A- (A good idea that’s not quite perfectly executed.)

Details: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms; $59.99; rated Teen (blood, language, violence).

Smooth moves in Quantum of Solace

Like the super-spy the game is based on, Quantum of Solace is slick, suave and tough to beat.

In fact, this might be better than the best James Bond game ever, 1997’s GoldenEye. The story follows a mash-up of the last two big-screen adventures, “Casino Royale” and the current film of the game’s title, and packs smooth controls and smoother graphics into its game play.

And like 007’s taste in women, said game play is varied: There are action levels and stealth levels, and a wide selection of weapons to use during each task.

The game also successfully shifts from first to third person on the fly, an aspect with which most games struggle. And because most of the violence is tamer than that of other games, it’s also appropriate for tweens.

The Bond here is even voiced by Daniel Craig himself, albeit more shaken than stirred.

Grade: A (Movie tie-ins get no better.)

Details: All platforms; $29.99-$59; rated Teen (alcohol reference, mild language, violence).

Control limitations hamper Clone Wars

We’d love to say Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- Lightsaber Duels is the perfect mix of the Wii’s great control system and the excitement of the lightsaber battles from “Star Wars.” It’s a no-brainer, right? By swinging the highly sensitive Wii remote as you would a lightsaber, Obi-Wan is unstoppable.

But wait just a minute. Instead of making use of the Wii’s seemingly endless possibilities, the game’s creators made the controls insanely limited (with only five frustrating choices possible) and dreadfully generic (right, left, right, left to unleash Obi-Wan’s “Strength of Soresu” move).

This is the best they could do? Games for the PlayStation 1 have better controls, and that was 13 years ago.

Although younger gamers might appreciate the clips from the hit animated movie/cartoon show peppering the action, all others craving lightsaber fights would be better off playing as Darth Vader or Yoda in Soul Calibur IV.

Grade: D- (Terrible control options.)

Details: Nintendo Wii platform; $49.99; rated Teen (fantasy violence).

--

calendar@latimes.com