A varied and memorable shooter.
Resistance 3 is a colorful, remarkable shooter in the dull sea of annual iterations of games in the same genre. It speaks volumes against the argument that all shooters are the same, and no one tries to innovate. Sure, it takes cues from other shooters in some spots but the story, setting, characters, and weapons are definitely new, fresh, and all its own.
In Resistance 3, you play as Joseph Capelli the killer of Nathan Hale, who has been the series main protagonist for Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2. The game takes almost immediately after the first game with new protagonist Joseph Capelli being dishonorably discharged from the military, and looked down upon for killing Nathan Hale. Shortly after, Insomniac games paints a dreary, grim, and seemingly hopeless picture of a hostile, Chimera-controlled world. This isn't a tale about a super-soldier or genetically enhanced badass, but of humans on the brink of extinction doing everything they can to stay alive.
In fact, Joseph is so human that health packs make their reappearance. Instead of genetically regenerating health, you'll have to guide Joe from cover to cover scavenging for health packs as you go along. It isn't long before the game introduces you to some really exciting weaponry as well, and the pace at which new weapons are presented is one of Resistance 3's greatest strengths. Along the way you'll find some of the best, most fun weapons to use in a long, long time. From the new cryogun and mutator, to old favories like the bullseye, you're bound to find at least one weapon you grow attached to. Luckily, Insomniac has integrated a weapon upgrade mechanic, similar to those found in the Ratchet and Clank series, which allows weapons to upgrade automatically from prolonged usage. It does a great job providing an incentive to experiment with each weapon.
Resistance 3 isn't all about the weapons though, even though they are a large, fun part of the game. Another aspect that really shines, no pun intended, is the new lighting engine. The extra development time given to Insomniac Games is most noticeable in the way the environments are presented. Shadows, lights shining through windows, and floating ashes make the game a pleasure to look at. The models themselves may not be the best in business, but the presentation overall is nothing short of amazing. Each level looks entirely different from the last making the game one of the most varied, and beautiful shooters in a long time.
Graphics aside, the game runs smoothly for the most part, and the gameplay remains exciting the whole way through. It's refreshing to see such large, open environments that lead to 'combat-puzzle' battles like those found in games like Halo and Crysis. Also, like in Resistance: Fall of Man, there is no weapon carrying limit making each encounter even more challenging as the game has you utilize a lot of your weaponry in each firefight. The weapons and environments add a layer of strategy to what would just be simple 'aim and shoot' mechanics found in plenty of other shooters.
When you're done beating the story mode, which is also playable cooperatively online and offline with a friend, the game also includes a competitive multiplayer component. This time around, the cooperative 8-player mode found in Resistance 2, and the 50+ player multiplayer found in both previous titles do not make a return in Resistance 3. Instead, the game features a smaller-scale multiplayer suite for up to 16 players on a variety of maps and modes. It features similar experience-based leveling mechanics found in other shooters with unlockables like extra skins, weapons, abilities, addons, and titles. As you kill and earn experience, you'll level up and earn unlock tokens that can be used on various abilities, weapons, and addons. But make no mistake, the multiplayer still retains an identity of its own.
Actually, the multiplayer is better than its predecessors in some spots, such as the damage system and weapon balance. So far, the only weapon seemingly favored by some players is the shotgun. Even then, every gun has its place, and the level design helps in making each weapon feel important in its own way. The game places an emphasis on accuracy as torso damage-absorption is high, and headshots are key which is nice as it makes each encounter feel more meaningful. Killstreak rewards are also present in the form of Berserk abilities that help add to the chaos. It's a shame that the modes are standard fare like attack/defend, capture the flag, and deathmatch modes though. The competitive multiplayer is a lot of fun, though it would have been great to see the large-scale multiplayer of past titles make a return here with these improvements, but it's still fun and exciting regardless.
Resistance 3 is a memorable shooter, but as you might have noticed, I didn't mention the story more than the actual opening. Well, that's simply because it's something to be experienced firsthand. It may not be told in the most exciting of ways at times, but it leaves its mark being one of the more creative stories told through the constraints of a first person shooter. The campaign paired with the excellently-crafted multiplayer component makes this a definite purchase for anyone tired of shooting the same, tired military men over and over. Instead, Resistance 3 offers varied weapons, environments, and enemies that are accompanied by a great-looking engine and a really cool story.
