Title: Resistance: Retribution
Release: March 17, 2009
Genre: 3 Person Shooter
Developer: Sony
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PSP
Rating: M (Mature)
Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Resistance-Retribution-Sony-PSP/dp/B001COTC3E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1239156748&sr=8-2
Website: http://www.us.playstation.com/PSP/Games/Resistance_Retribution
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Like many successful console franchises, the Resistance games have found there way into the handheld portables market. The conversion is never easy and often leads to a complete overhaul in game play while graphics suffer exponentially. If we accept these two truths wholeheartedly and accept Retribution for what it is without demanding a smaller version of Resistance, then we will be left with something unique, aggravating and sometimes dull.
Since we have already made our peace with the graphical limitations of handhelds it is only fair to say that Retribution is easily one of the best looking 3-D games on the PSP. The models for the Chimera aliens are detailed despite the limited amount of polygons used while the lighting effects are subtle but masterfully implemented; Chimera structures usually have several light sources with different hues of greens, reds and blues. The physics are a big surprise with dead alien bodies swinging from ledges while limbs flail about after a grenade detonates.
The sound is unpleasant. Most weapons make generic beeping, zapping noises that are reminiscent of Sci-Fi channel original movies. The voice acting is on par with the irritating beeping and zapping. Since the main characters are either British or French, the actors conjure some of the worst accents recorded in a great while. The story portrayed is overly simple and serves as nothing other than a device to move from one setting to the next.
The controls make serviceable use of the PSP hardware and still feel uncomfortable and flawed. Some enemies require you to shoot at specific parts of their bodies which quickly boils the frustration level considering that the “aim assist” automatically aims at an alien’s torso. The game plays best without any assistance but still yields a bear of a control setup. The game boasts a feature that allows players to use a PS3 controller to play the game if it is displayed on your TV at home with the proper output cables. Why would someone who already owns a PS3 want to play a game, which is meant to be portable, at home with access to two far superior games, Resistance 1 and 2, and voluntarily purchase the correct cable to make it all happen?—foolishness.
Resistance: Retribution asks a lot from gamers. It asks us to accept a game as great based on name recognition alone. It asks us to wrestle with a control scheme that practically has to aim for us. And it asks us to not mute the voice acting and sound effects because that is basically half of what will attempt to immerse us in this painfully average shooter. Fans of the franchise will appreciate the lore and the game’s relevance to the overall grand narrative of the universe but newcomers will be left scratching their heads wondering what all the fuss was about.
Overall Rating: * * ½ / 5
M. Michael Chwedyk "The Gamekok" - MuzikReviews.com Sr. Video Game Reviewer
April 9, 2009
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