I confess, the original game slipped under my radar. And although screen shots of the first game made me think, that looks pretty good, I didn't purchase it. So letting it slip by I moved on but then I got asked would I like to review the sequel? Well liking first person shooters and science fiction I thought, yeah why not!

So here we go...

Plot

You play as an armoured soldier who has the assignment, as part of a squad, to engage the enemy that has decided to invade a distant planet; However if it was as simple as all that, then life would be rather dull to say the least. Indeed it transpires that one of your senior officers has only gone and betrayed your men and the mission soon becomes a case of track down the traitor, capture him and find out what exactly was his plan. But as you catch up to the traitor, he is silenced and your problems begin in earnest. I'll let you, dear reader unearth the rest of the tale for yourselves.

Tools of the trade

At the top of the list comes your battle armour. OK so it's not as distinctive say as Master Chief's but it's a nice piece of gear that if you look after it, should serve you well. With a built in shield and jetpack, you can not only shoot from the ground but hover and fly, dispatching destruction and mayhem from the air. Rather like Iron Man but nowhere near as tedious as trying to fly Stark's armour. There's also a rather handy speed boost that can kick in whilst running. It can be used for covering the ground in quick bursts but it can also be used to bowl over enemy troops, stunning them, and allowing you to dispatch them with a knife, or just shoot at point blank range.

As for the weapons there are the standard issue rifles, machine guns & shotguns and for real oomph, rocket launchers. The fun starts however when you discover that they are upgradeable. This is done by a supply unit that is dropped in for you, but more on that later.

Like Halo, vehicles can also be obtained as well as automated gun units (in time that is, you'll have to earn those) one of which is a hovering jet powered air cycle. Like your suit it comes with a shield and has built in guns. Once on this beauty, it becomes great fun zipping around a battlefield dispensing hot lead to the enemy. There are tool kits as well that can be deployed for the hacking of enemy unit terminals and overriding machinery.

All of the gear is easy to use and won't prove to be a pain in the butt to get to grips with. The rifle and machine gun deal a healthy amount of damage and at considerable range. I actually think that the machine gun range shouldn't be as far reaching as it is but that's only a minor gripe. The sniper rifle has become one of my favourite tools very quickly. Great range on this weapon and it packs a meaty punch. The rocket launcher tends to forsake accuracy for fire power but it's an effective device for dealing with artillery and armoured units (especially in the multiplayer modes). But as in most shooters, aiming with a rocket launcher can leave you open to enemy fire so be careful. Your shield can absorb a fair amount of damage, and getting under cover means that the shield can recharge itself.

So there's nothing here that will throw you a curve ball and that's not a bad thing. If you have played Halo or Borderlands or a similar shooter, then you will soon feel as if you are exploring familiar territory here. With all firearms there comes a useful target lock. This can be deployed by pressing down on the right analogue stick. Look for a circular icon to appear around an enemy and then click. For a few seconds, that target is painted and you should be able to pick the guy off with little or no problem.

Unlike other shooters though, the dying enemy will not drop weapons or ammo, so be careful. There's nothing worse than going too far ahead of your companions and going all gung ho, only to find yourself stranded with no ammo! (Been there, done that!). However supplies are at hand with automated dispensers. Here you can change weapons and tweak the package that you are carrying or change the payload completely. Your choices will affect the outcome of the battles ahead so choose carefully. (We are not talking Fable style moral choices though)