Games

Resistance 3

The gaming calendar is heating up fast with key Q4 titles already hitting the shelves. Resistance 3 is one of PlayStation 3’s biggest exclusives of 2011, with Uncharted 3 shining brightly on the horizon. I am pleased to report that Sony’s sci-fi themed shooter hits all the right notes and should provide plenty of entertainment whilst you wait for the rest of the summer’s blockbusters.

The story continues a few years after the events of Resistance 2, where our late hero Hale finally succumbed to the Chimeran virus and his fellow surviving sentinel (Joseph Capelli) had no choice but to put him down. Unfortunately for Joseph he faces the full brunt of military discipline and gets dishonourably discharged from service for killing mankind’s greatest hero. So now you take on the role of Capelli as he tries to rebuild his life and forget the past. Of course the past has a nasty way of catching up with the best of them.

What you will immediately notice when the game starts is the bleak and desolate atmosphere of the world, it’s much like R1 and R2 but the situation seems even more desperate than before. Mankind has not fared well with over 90% of the population dead or converted and the world a place of smoke, fire and utter destruction. Again Insomniac has concentrated on every detail imaginable in the environments where it’s easy to feel the desperation of the survivors who are forced into a game of cat and mouse, scrounging for supplies and a safe place to get some rest.

When the action starts it’s as hectic as ever. There’s often that breathtaking silence before the all out fire fights, you’ll need to count your rounds as you scavenge for ammunition, but even more importantly is your search for health packs. In R3 regeneration is gone; there won’t be any hiding behind cover waiting for a miraculous bout of healing. When you’re near death you need to survive long enough to find that elusive life-saving green capsule. Resistance 3 is more of an action survival game than that of the standard FPS genre. You can try an all out assault approach but I found it much more rewarding to tread carefully and only run when there was no other choice.

One of the biggest gripes in Resistance 2 was the removal of the weapon wheel where you were restricted to only ever carrying two weapons at any one time. I am happy to say that this too has been resolved. The weapon wheel is back; you can carry and collect all the weapons in the game to use as you please. There are the standard weapons seen in previous games as well as some new ones such as the ‘Atomizer’, where you can fire a stream of electricity or use the secondary fire which creates a mini worm hole. It’s great watching all your enemies desperately trying to flee before being sucked into a swirling vortex of death. As seen in the one of the earlier trailers there is also a melee weapon – the sledgehammer, it’s fairly much a one-hit kill except against the tougher enemies.

Weapons can also ‘gain experience’ and level up as you use them. The will gain up to two upgrades each taking them to level 3. Each upgrade will not only change the look of the weapon but also provide additional bonuses, such as a scope on the Marksman, or shotgun rounds that will ignite enemies. There are also a few new enemies including the ‘long-legs’ that will quickly leap 50 odd feet in a single bound, so you gotta be quick, tag them if you can (the Bulls-eyes secondary fire is good for this) and quickly bag them.

I managed to finish the game in around 8-9 hours on the standard difficulty, you could probably race through more quickly if you wish, but I preferred exploring the environments and taking my time. There is certainly plenty of variety in the 20 chapters offered whilst you trek to New York, the story winds its merry way with plenty of twists and turns including an intrepid journey down the Mississippi, and a fire-fight whilst riding a train. The chapters also more often than not end with a boss fight, be it a monster such as the Widowmaker or a mech gunship.

The game also offers a comprehensive online mode. There are plenty of maps to play on including one based on an Australian township. Both Chimeran and Human players will begin with the similar weapons (carbine) and skills. As you level up you will be able to change your loadout. One of the more interesting starting skills is called the Doppelganger, this creates an illusion of your avatar that moves and acts as you do and will shimmer when fired upon. You won’t take damage when your Doppelganger is attacked and neither will it inflict damage but it does provide a handy distraction. There is also a co-op campaign mode on offer as a great way to play with a mate.

Resistance 3 is a good, solid shooter; there isn’t too much that I found wrong with it. I did come across the odd glitch such as a stuck enemy, but nothing worth worrying about. The game looks just as good as the last one and I have no doubt it will have your heart pounding in quick order. This is a game set in a bleak and depressing world where priority is not on beating the Chimera but pure survival. The story is excellent, as is the voice acting. If you enjoyed the first two games at all then you shouldn’t be disappointed with this one. Insomniac has put plenty into R3 that should keep fans of the series and genre happy.

9/10

PlayStation 3 Exclusive