PS3'S DEFINING FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER?
When the Playstation 3 launched on November 17, 2006, one of the
most anticipated titles to be released exclusively alongside Sony's
third console was Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man.
Resistance: Fall of Man's story is set in an alternate reality... a
world where World War II never took place. Instead, an alien race known
as the Chimera mysteriously appear and attempt to wipe out the entire
human race. You will assume the role of Nathan Hale, an American
soldier sent in to reinforce the defences of the United Kingdom. Hale
will quickly realize what he's up against with this new alien threat
after his unit becomes infected with the Chimera virus...
Resistance plays pretty much like any other first-person shooter
out there today. Movement is executed by using the left analog stick
while aiming your weapon is performed with the use of the right analog
stick. To aim, you need only click in the R3 button (right analog
stick). Primary and secondary fire is mapped to the R1 and L1 buttons,
respectively. The R2 button will allow you to cycle through your
available weaponry. The L2 button will position you into a crouching
stance. Throwing grenades can be performed by pressing the Circle
button. Up and Down on the directional pad will allow you to choose
between available types of grenades. Finally, jumping is executed with
the X button. In a unique feature added with the Sixaxis controller,
you can shake the controller up and down to break free from an enemy's
grasp. Throughout the course of the game, military vehicles will be at
your disposal to aid you in bringing down the larger versions of the
Chimera. On top of the main campaign mode, Fall of Man offers a handful
of online multiplayer modes, such as: Deathmatch, Meltdown, Node and
Breach... all for up to 40 players. Resistance takes some great
features from other first-person shooter titles and mixes them all
together for an interesting experience, but nothing that hasn't already
been done before... or a few dozen times, for that matter. One of the
main things that Resistance has going for it is the enemy A.I.
Artificial intelligence in Fall of Man is quite possibly some of the
best out of any other first-person shooter out there today. The enemies
literally catch on to your actions if you perform the same tactics over
and over again, resulting in you actually having to think your way
through the game instead of just running and gunning.
Visually, Resistance: Fall of Man is extremely impressive. A lot of
care goes into almost every single minor detail of the game. Blinking,
shadow effects... pupils even dilate accordingly with the lighting. On
the battlefield, great attention to detail can be noticed through
windows. If a bullet hits a window, the window will splinter up before
shattering. The character models also look impressive and rather
life-like. Textures look very realistic... from materials that make up
a tank... right down to the rocks on the streets. Everything is given
fair treatment.
In what seems like a very promising game in terms of actual
gameplay, the sound department of Resistance leaves behind something to
still be desired. One would think that an exclusive game trying to show
the power of the Playstation 3 would be able to deliver a little better
in the sound quality and level themes. However, don't get the wrong
idea. Resistance does sound very good on it's on merit, but again, it's
nothing that hasn't already been heard in every other first-person
shooter. The sound of stray bullets bouncing around will likely have
you running for cover from time to time, which is actually a nice
touch.
Like your typical FPS, Resistance doesn't boast an extremely long
campaign mode. The bulk of the game can be completed in 8 - 10 hours
easily. It should be noted, however, that multiple playthroughs will
earn you some nifty prizes. For instance, beating the game on Hard will
give you the Superhuman difficulty mode. Skins can be unlocked by
completing the game on Superhuman difficulty. In addition, 4 different
weapons and 1 new style of grenade can be unlocked by completing the
game on any set difficulty. Overall, Resistance offers a lot more
unlockables than most FPS games.
While I will openly admit that I am no fan of the Playstation 3, I
must say that I enjoyed my sit-down time with this game. The advanced
A.I. provided an interesting experience in each stage and the
cutscenes, while not particularly lengthy, provide a great deal of
detail to what's going on around you and in the overall story.
All-in-all, whether you're a fan of the Playstation 3 or not... or
whether you think there's no game out there better than Halo... I
highly recommend giving this game the benefit of a doubt and try it, if
only just for a few minutes. While it may not change your mind, you
will walk away from it having played a title that has the potential to
possibly set the first-person shooter genre on fire. Hopefully a sequel
is lined up to correct the mistakes made by this game and give us a truly perfect experience.
