Resistance 2

One of the features he's most excited about is the area randomisation. There are six levels in co-op mode, each comprised of up to 11 zones. The game will randomly pick three of these zones for your group to play through and connect them together dynamically. The objective in the final "endzone" is also randomly selected, "to ensure it's an epic encounter and keep replayability really high".

In fact, says Biegel, the level of replayability is "unparalleled" - even though the levels are not procedurally generated. "Yes, once you've invested hundreds of hours in co-op you will probably have seen the vast majority," he concedes. "But it's possible there are zones you haven't seen, just based on sheer variability and randomisation."

The zones we get to explore during the hands-on session are outdoors, for the most part. Playing as the soldier, I spend pretty much the whole time putting up my shield and heading out front to do the most damage. Then, when the shield expires, withdrawing until the spec ops man can throw me another one. With eight players in the mix there doesn't seem to be a lot of strategy involved - there's enough of us to share the load, and I even end up reviving fallen comrades a few times.

At no point are there a hundred enemies on screen, though there are frequently dozens. In fact, some moments feel like House of the Dead, as waves of zombie-type creatures lumber towards you and are easily blasted away. There's no slowdown or lag to worry about, and the ability to walk through your comrades means you don't spend the whole time trying to step around each other. In short, our brief experience with the co-op mode was enjoyable - but having only explored one set of zones, it's hard to tell how much longevity and true replayability there will be.

It's also too early to make a call on whether it's really revolutionising the online co-op genre - unless you're Biegel, of course. Does he think the game will raise the bar - or push the envelope? "I think we're doing both. I don't think they're mutually exclusive," he says. "Just getting eight players online would be raising the bar. In terms of polish and expectation... The dynamic we get in the online experience is unlike that in any other shooter, and in that way it's absolutely revolutionary."

Revolutionary enough to stand up well against the likes of Killzone 2 when it arrives next February? "I've seen Killzone. I haven't had the luxury of playing it," says Biegel. "I have seen their class-based thing and I think what they're doing is interesting, but you know, I don't think it's as involved as what we're going to do. It's kind of tacked on. But I think they're moving in the right direction obviously, because they're moving towards classes - which I can guarantee is the right direction."

Before that, there's that other platform-exclusive shooting franchise to contend with. Does Biegel think the original Resistance was a better game than Gears of War? "Oh, man. I think they were doing different things, and they continue to be very different games," he says. "Our approach is very different, the scale of our game is much larger, the size of the enemies you've seen is much much larger... I'm very confident we have a robust set of features to compare."

Let's give the final word to Price. What is it, in his opinion, that makes Resistance 2 the best shooter of 2008? "The co-op is doing something nobody else is doing right now, plus the competitive mode is doing stuff nobody else offers," he begins. "The single-player mode is continuing the Resistance story. It's got third-generation PS3 technology which should give it a look I don't think will be equalled by other games... I think players are going to be happily surprised with how much it's evolved since Resistance: Fall of Man."

And of course: "We're very proud of what we've done, but ultimately it's up to the players to decide."

Players won't just be deciding whether Resistance 2 is a better game than its predecessor; they'll get to decide whether co-op still works when there are eight players in the mix, how good a job Insomniac has done of managing 60 player matches, and whether the class, weapons and power-up systems significantly improve the whole experience. And, ultimately, whether the world really needs another game about shooting monsters in the face. It's too soon to say whether Resistance 2 is unique enough to make the answer to that question a positive one - but Insomniac's certainly giving it a go.