Resistance – Fall of Man is the PS3’s biggest launch shooter, but don’t go expecting some futuristic landscape or apocalyptic version of the present day. The action’s set in the past, 1950s England to be precise.
Think of Call of Duty crossed with a science fiction B movie. Resistance packs the same brutal action as the Activision wartime classic, but this time with tentacles and various waving antennae. Day of the Triffids eat your heart out.
An alien race known as the Chimera has managed to do what Hitler couldn’t. In mere decades they’ve fashioned an empire ranging from London in the West to Dehli in the East.
With World War II in the bag, it’s time for the gung ho Brits and Yanks to raise arms again. Tally ho and all that.
They say:
Eurogamer: “In the cut and thrust world of online shooters, Resistance ranks well below some of the established big hitters out there.”
1UP: “Resistance is an excellent experience throughout, but it never manages to completely establish its own unique identity.”
Gamespot: “If you consider yourself a fan of first person shooters, then you really owe it to yourself to give Resistance a shot.”
We say:
Our story opens with Hale, a US Ranger, as he struggles for survival and the means to eliminate the Chimeran threat.
Like Call of Duty 3, the plot plays out in game thanks to some stunning voiceover work and a few cut scenes that should take your breath away.
The action is all first person and moves along at a fair old pace. When a game drags you back only minutes after you last switched it off, you know you’re on to a winner.
Resistance is a tough old nut to crack. While the levels are small, you’ll find yourself under the cosh most of the time as you fight back against impossible odds. You’ll be constantly outnumbered on screen, but that’s where the cracking weaponry comes in. Resistance is by the developers of the Rachet and Clank series so what did you expect?
You’ve got all the greats – machine gun, shot gun and the like. Then there’s a homing beacon that attaches to an enemy and makes all future blasts go straight to the same spot. We’re talking bloody pulp on the floor time.
Every game seems to have a vehicle section these days and Resistance is no different. You get to ride some powerful machinery, but after the tense battles it’s all just too easy. We wonder why the developers bothered to be honest.
Resistance will last you maybe a week at full tilt to finish off, but there’s an online version to eke out the last bit of value. You can play as either human or Chimeran and each has upsides and downsides. The aliens have the best weapons and can become faster and stronger with a single button press, but then they’re far bigger targets.
As expected, Resistance is certainly no visual slouch. The attention to detail is absolutely immense with leaves blowing in the Autumn wind and the odd flock of pigeons flying off when you disturb them. It makes the PS2 seem ridiculously old hat.
When all’s said and done there’s something missing here. Many have claimed Resistance to be a Halo beater, but sadly it’s a step behind the Microsoft classic. We've seen a lot of these features before and the atmosphere is lacking.
Still, if you’ve shelled out £425 and want a decent shooter, Resistance is worth a go. The PS3 has years to go yet and this is a great sign of things to come.
Like this? Try these:
Halo – Xbox
Deus Ex – PS2, Xbox, PC
Call of Duty 3 – PS3, Xbox 360
FORMAT REVIEWED
PS3
OTHER FORMATS
None
POSTED...
Mon 9 Apr 2007 at 2:20pm
