Resistance: Fall of Man

Even playing it 14 years after its release it still holds up as one of my favorite shooters. Insomniac definitely hit the mark with this one.

Chimeran have invaded Russia and Europe, the US has been called to help fight this threat, the world is at a standstill as this unknown alien super-force continues to kill and destroy – oh, and was it mentioned that this is happening in 1941 instead of WWII? Introducing "Resistance: Fall of Man", Sony's launch title for their PS3 release, and subsequently the game I decided to start with upon purchasing my system – why not begin at the beginning, right? Having been an enormous fan of the early FPS game, "Goldeneye" for the Nintendo 64, games of this nature have always been close to my heart. The "Halo" series has received mixed reviews in my eyes, with mediocre game-play, and repetitive story lines – so "Resistance" needed to bring its best game forward, and honestly it wasn't bad – could have been worse, could have been better – but overall the beginning of a long friendship between myself and my PS3.

STORY:

This was probably the weakest area for this game. While it was obvious that Sony was just testing the waters for what their system could produce gaming-wise, there was an air of conservatism with "Resistance". The faded black-and-white pictures between the game-play instead of full length CGI-cuts, seemed cheap. While the story was follow-able and lengthy, the detail seemed to be missing. Absolutely, the images were stunning (which will be discussed in the graphics portion), but there needed to be something more. Nathan Hale, our hero, seemed lifeless. His role was random at best, merely being a random soldier plucked out of many to have a genetic anomaly to the Chimeran disease. One hopes his changes are what future releases develop further, instead of just accepting it with ease like this game did. Our sideline characters had more soul, Lt. Cartwright especially, who I would have preferred to play instead of Hale. Again, this is the biggest complaint I have with this game – I didn't expect full-blown character development for a FPS, but something would have been better than nothing.

GRAPHICS:

Amazing, to say the least. Using the full capability of my HDTV and my PS3, this jumped me direct into the action. Detail upon detail was laid before you, allowing the player to fully submerge himself into the environment. This was a world where enemies react to your movement, and it was great to finally be able to have an equal playing ground. While the cut scenes were minimal at best, it was the in-game experience that demonstrated the raw power of the PS3, as well as the technology surrounding it. This was a great foundation for the beginning of PS3, and now with the release of "Resistance 2", I am eager to see how they have grown.

SOUND:

Bullets everywhere. The sound of terror behind you, the impact of the explosion in front, while hearing dogs howl in the background and the scream of your comrades was intense. This is a game that needs to be played without the lights on and with your surround sound turned all the way up. This isn't a horror game, but element (if you allow it) will make you jump and react. It uses not just your sight, but also your ability to hear where your enemies are coming from, making the full-spectrum of game-play intense. Combined with the great graphics, this made a simple game into a blockbuster.

REPLAY:

Can it be played again and again? For me – no. I saw the ending, I went through two campaigns, unlocked the further weaponry, but after two finishing moments, I was done. That is not to say that the online ability isn't worth owning the game, but if you are lacking the online ability – this was a lengthy game that was incredible the first time, substantial the second time, but ready to be put down for the third time.

Overall, I enjoyed playing this game. While there may have been some repetition to the game, and honestly no really big boss to defeat, this FPS was a great introduction to the Sony's Playstation 3 and its hardware. From the graphics to the sound, this game was perfect – where it lacked was the actual story and repeatability of the game. Perhaps in two years I could pick this game up again, or if there were a gaggle of friends about to arrive – this game would be perfect. It was a strong foundation for the console and I eagerly anticipate both the sequel as well as the other genres that Sony is going to explore.

Bravo Sony, Bravo!

Grade: **** out of *****

Finally, Sony released the powerhouse known as the Playstation 3. The PS3 fan boys all remember the first PS3 show when Phil Harrison demonstrated just how powerful this technological marvel is. Now it's here, but how is all this power being used? Fairly good in my opinion! Resistance: Fall of Man (RFM) is a first person shooter (duh) for the Playstation 3 (double duh), set in the 1950's where all of Europe and most of Asia has been overrun by a virus, capable of mutating humans into alien creatures, known as the Chimera. The game is built up around the endeavors of the American soldier Nathan Hale, who is dropped in on an assault, on the city of York. From here, he too is infected, but not mutated. He thus becomes a powerful half-human, half-chimerian hybrid, and must now join his fellow humans in the battle against the vicious E.T. look-alike invaders.

The game itself runs in 720p HD, which is jaw-droopingly beautiful providing of course that you have a HD TV and a HDMI cable. Otherwise, the crisp details in the textures are washed away by jaggies from standard TV sets and SCART cables. Although the graphics are inconsistent from time to time, it is a very beautiful game on the bottom-line. The Blu-Ray discs really show just how much potential the machine has, unlike the X360's DVD drive. (Yes, I am a PS3 fan boy, please close your e-mail client.)

As for game play, the RFM is pretty basic. The enemies can take quite a lot of damage since there's little reason to get to cover. Just aim and shoot. However, the AI is strafing, dodging, ducking and jumping and aims irritatingly well. Rest assured, you'll be up for quite a challenge. The strong point in game play is the weapons. These are the guys that made Ratchet and Clank people, they have some twisted ideas for tomorrow's arsenal. Like the Chimerian standard rifle that can "tag" and enemy, so that all future shots will be homing to that position. Or the Auger that slowly goes through walls, and doesn't stop. It even has a force field for you to hide behind. Awesome!

And of course, there is the multi player. 40 people can kill some time killing each other with little to no lag. That's impressive. Sadly, the vehicles available in single player are nowhere to be found on the online arenas. I surely would love to blast through a wall with a tank and surprise a few unwary noobs gone camping.

The only problem RFM has, is that it becomes very linear at points. Even though the scenery is very different from one place to another, there're little to no cut-scenes, even though they are brilliantly done. All you get are 30-50 seconds of dialog and some black and white stills, and then a load of new aliens are thrown at you. Give us a tiny break please.

Still, Resistance: Fall of Man is a well done FPS, and for a launch title, the best on it's field. If this is the beginning of what we can see on the PS3, Bill Gates is in for quite a time. It combines the cool elements from classics like Halo and Call of Duty, with weaponry worthy of any childish inventor. With brilliant graphics that easily competes against X360 classics like Gears of War, I'll certainly will be on the lookout for a sequel. If you got a PS3, get out there and buy it!

Yes, this game takes place in an alternative world where World War II never happened. Instead the threat comes from Russia in the form of mutated humans suffering from a strange virus or something. Though I don't really know for sure, as during the story different things happen throughout to point to strange occurrences and happenings that lead one to believe there are other factors involved in the appearance of the Chimera (the creatures you fight throughout the game). You are Nathan, an American soldier helping the Brits fight to reclaim England. However, the game started out killer hard, I was wondering how in the hell I was going to win it when my character suddenly is infected!!! What has happened, is this the shortest game ever or what? No, you are somewhat immune to the Chimera bug, however, you do get the benefits of having your health being able to regenerate and stuff now, making the game a lot smoother. For the most part this game is your typical shooter, however, it has a couple of differences. For one you get to carry around a whole heck of a lot of weapons instead of the usual two or three others allow you to carry. You also have points in the game where you drive a jeep, a tank, and an alien weapon. Well I guess Halo allowed that as well. So in the end a rather good shooter with some great graphics and pretty good story. Though I prefer seeing my character on screen as it is easier to take cover and dodge.

Resistance: Fall of Man, at the time of the PlayStation3's initial release, was the only reason to by a PS3. This game, being a FPS, brings a different style of play to the table, combining war-zone tactics with futuristic weapons so that gamers can find more exciting ways to defeat certain parts of the game. The game difficulty seems to digress as you get used to each new weapon or ability. But it is certainly no walk in the park. You won't be able to beat the game in one day either, because it is a very long game, which is just what the PS3 was made to withstand. The story is intriguing. It takes you to a time when the world of man is completely encapsulated in an apocalyptic scene. There seems to be no hope with the dawning of this new species of alien-like creatures who are really humans transformed by a quick spreading virus that soon covers the continents of Asia and Europe. You fight as Nathan Hale, an American soldier sent to Britain to help the British make a final stand. After finding out that Hale has a natural "resistance" to the virus, many begin to believe he is man's last hope.

This fictional account of the apocalypse is unlike any other in that it does not take place in the future, but in the past, in the year 1954, between the ages of WWII, and the Cold War.

Though this I'm sure will not be the best PS3 title ever made, it is certainly the best that is available now, and should, without a doubt go down as the first great game ever made for the counsel. Resistance: Fall of Man get an 8 out of 10 from me. Well done Sony.