Resistance 3 faithfully returns to the roots of the first game with a dark and grim tone to the visuals and violence
Contains: Frequent Strong Bloody Violence and Gore
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Resistance 3 is Sci-fi First-person shooter sequel, and the third title in the Resistance series exclusively for the Playstation 3.
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STORY - 2/5
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The game starts 4 years after the events of Resistance 2, where the United States is now the only nation surviving against the Chimera occupation. Dishonourable former SPRA soldier Joseph Capelli, who reluctantly killed Nathan Hale, has since married and started a family, while Malikov has discovered a cure from Hale's blood as the chimera continue to exterminate the remaining leftovers of the human race. In an underground outpost in Haven, Oklahoma where Capelli and a group of survivors are living in secrecy, their 2 years in hiding from the Chimera patrols is now coming to an end as a massive satellite-like weapon described as a Terraformer is seen moving towards Haven. They evacuate, and Malikov says he has finally found a way to stop the chimera, and begs Capelli to accompany him to New York. Malikov states that a wormhole opened on New York and is slowly freezing the planet, and that no human will be able to withstand the lethal, icy temperatures come next winter. Capelli initially refuses to help, but is convinced by his wife who urges him to go with Malikov, and so then by getting held up along the way in various states, the goal is set on reaching New York, and seeing if the Chimera can actually be defeated once and for all.
The clichéd story is slow and doesn't give much chances of holding your interest, but does have a couple of intriguing developments later on that evolve from Nathan Hale and his last words from Resistance 2's ending. Though it ultimately doesn't lead anywhere, and despite a pleasing last action segment that induces a rare bit of excitement, the ending is abrupt and doesn't explain on what will happen next… if there is a next time.
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CHARACTERS - 2/5
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The characters are forgettable, and so you never really feel endorsed in the protagonist's efforts to deposit your feelings compassionately. There are sparks of promise through an emotionally dramatic scene and a revenge-fuelled sequence, but otherwise the characters aren't interesting and are hollow in much the same way as the plot they are placed within.
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GAMEPLAY - 4/5
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Resistance 3 retains mostly the same gameplay mechanics as its predecessor albeit with a few changes. To great relief, this instalment immediately appears to return to the successful roots of the first game of the acclaimed series, and the weapon wheel and health system make a thankful return along with other noticeable implementations that were used within the original core gameplay. The weapon wheel plays a major part in Resistance 3, not only because it pauses the action to let you select a weapon you've collected thus far of your choice, but because you have such a fantastic and powerful arsenal of both historic guns and science fiction, otherworldly creations that would be a shame to waste if only a couple could be carried at one time. The wheel is neatly presented and suits the gritty tone that the visuals show off, and more impressively this time around about your selection of fierce killing tools is the ability to upgrade them during gameplay through extensive, effective use of them. Each weapon has 2 upgrades available, and by killing the chimera and generally using it often to inflict damage within the conflicts you find yourself, an enhancement will be showcased visibly on your weapon to evidence its minor alteration while the journal document for the specific gun details you on its improvement if you didn't already notice its sudden modification. You are slickly informed when you have received the upgrade at the side of your screen, and are notified at various intervals at how close you are to the weapon you have equipped being further enhanced to a helpful degree for damaging purposes. It increases the chances of proceeding as each modification grants you extra firepower while also giving you incentive to use a particular gun more frequently when you strive for the unlockable upgrade that is usually worth the wait.
The game neatly throws a new gun your way when the time is right, giving you plenty of opportunities to test it out on fleshy adversaries before unveiling a brand new deadly toy to experiment with, and its clear soon enough that you'll need to utilise each and every weapon in your growing collection if you want to succeed. Ammunition isn't generously provided, and enemies are tough enough so that you use quite a quantity of a certain type before they fall into their own pool of blood and dismembered body parts. This creates an exceptional increase in challenge and tension by forcing you to use most of your equipment during a single-staged, visceral slice of combat before you encounter a refill chance, but always keeping the challenge to a plausible degree of fairness so not to cause unnecessary frustrations that can potentially lead to stressful feelings of doubt. You'll definitely need to be on top form where accuracy is concerned, and must patiently use pieces of cover to avoid incoming fire from all angles before deeming it appropriate to fire a clip into a mean-looking alien foe in the distance. Your health doesn't regenerate, and instead uses a health bar like the first game which needs vials of yellow substance identical to that in Fall of Man to replenish the circular health segment, and fortunately the Chimera carry some on them for there own healing purposes so that you don't have to rely on searching the surrounding area desperately when you are at critical damage and verging on death.
Among your arsenal, which is a strongly made collection of fun-to-shoot weapons that look cool and lethal, is your main weapon of choice - a series favourite used commonly in battle by the militarised soldiers that originated from the hands of the chimera. The Bullseye is an energy-based alien submachine gun that is very effective at short and medium range. It fires a volley of searing energy projectiles that make it ideal for close quarters combat, and is equipped with a tagging functionality for long distance elimination methods. When an enemy is tagged, all additional Bullseye shots will home in on the tagged target, meaning cover can no longer protect them. You'll grow accustomed to the raw, unrivalled power of the Auger rifle used by the stronger Chimera, which shoots projectiles of energy that can borrow through multiple layers of solid matter, increasing in damage with each object it funnels directly through, with its secondary function being a temporary, defensive shield to block all incoming bullets except that of the Auger. It's a formidable asset for desperate times, and is satisfying to see your enemies through walls when aimed down the scope, justifying the phrase that they can run, but they can't hide. New inventions are equally as satisfying to hold in your hands and fire in the same respect as the past favourites that return to the action, and a couple to mention include the Mutator, which shoots biological mist that causes enemies to eventually explode, dealing splash damage and proving a secondary advantage for a short-range, mutative mine for any foe that strays too close. And the Deadeye sniper rifle, which acts primarily as a normal sniper for long-distance kills, but has a unique secondary function that enables you to channel a concentrated beam of devastating power that can potentially carve a gory path through multiple targets unfortunate enough to be lined up in the crosshair when activated. Aswell as guns, you'll have access to a variety of grenades that can impale, explode or set fire to anything caught in the radius, and improvements are noticeable in the 2 most familiar types of explosives you acquire over time, such as the Hedgehog grenade. This Chimeran grenade acts as a proximity mine this time instead of springing up instantaneously upon contact with a surface, and now senses enemy movement nearby before bouncing up and impaling whatever set it off. The frag grenade is no longer a part of the Resistance universe, but it's explosive enjoyment still lingers in the experience to be had with the Shrapnel grenade, which releases an assortment of nails when it explodes, blowing up the hostiles within range and raining down their innards and dismembered limbs upon their allies. Essentially, you have a bunch of awesome guns that have abilities you've likely witnessed elsewhere, but the clever designs and entertaining shooting mechanics (and smooth throwing motion for easy grenade dispensing) address their arrival in your collection as something unique and fun, with the constant, speculative possibility that they can be evolutionised further to scrap any recognisable comparisons upon their introduction.
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GRAPHICS - 5/5
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The graphics are grittily realistic and showcase humanities darkest age with a distinct colour palette that you automatically associate with post-apocalyptic themes. It makes for an unsettling and uncomfortable outlook on the once beautiful and healthily populated Earth, which is now nothing but a bleak and abandoned surface filled with horrifying dangers and peril at every corner. What's left of houses can no longer be vacated because of the likeliness its been infested with something nasty, and Chimeran plants are forming all over to send a mentality style of message that your planet has been virtually lost to alien forces with no hope of getting it back. Environments are well detailed and address this certain likelihood with frightening authenticity, and just about everything you lay your eyes on is equally grim and stunning to behold in a game that's visual design is admirably strong and consistent from start to finish.
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SOUND - 3/5
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The audio is most definitely a significant part to bringing substance to flash where the atmosphere is concerned, and it delivers promise and hope to a mission that is virtually impossible to fulfil. The voice acting is average, and some out-of-line sound effects that occur when reloading a gun or opening a door can break the immersion slightly, but otherwise sound effects are very good and give your weapons the sense of power they look to deliver, while ambience in the environments adds an effective layer of cautiousness to the horror factor when feral chimera lurk in the unsettling vicinity.
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CONTROLS - 5/5
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The controls are smooth, and aiming and shooting feels so satisfying and easy that you don't even need to memorise the control scheme as everything necessary will just be input into your instinctive reactions through time. Tight and responsive, the controls give flexibility to anyone, allowing you to customise the entire layout to how you want, and to how it will suit you best from the very start of the game.
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ATMOSPHERE - 4/5
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You are immediately made apparent that the game is post-apocalyptic of some kind, and your past experiences in the Resistance series will make it known that you are bound within an alien invasion, one that is getting further and further away from victory, one that inevitably seems lost. Within Haven in your safe shelter and secure home, what can loosely be called everyday life is what is first identifiable. As you approach other people in the underground settlement they'll communicate to you by name, giving you an idea that everyone within this little surviving community is family, and they'll share brief conversation with you on the present times, bad times. You'll witness a homeless-like atmosphere within this makeshift home, and this thrusts you into the Resistance universe and gives you an incentive to fight back for what is rightfully yours which has been claimed by hostile alien forces that you'll know all too well by now. The pervasive atmosphere lingers persistently, taking touches from the environments and adding it to the enveloping sensation you feel, and the dark and gritty tone to the visuals and violence that reflect back to the impact made in Fall of Man have returned to justify the experience how it was meant to be played, ignoring the colourful, vibrant touches Resistance 2 poorly decided to do, and instead recreating a ravaged world with believability and some definite eeriness and grimness that depicts the desperate times importantly authentic-like. And it significantly showcases the world in its now devastated form with historic touches pointing out that this isn't the science-fiction-styled future, but instead an alternate past - a past which is your present, a past which may never see a future, a past that is humanities darkest age.
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ENEMY AI - 4/5
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Hybrids are former humans converted into savage, monstrous killers by the Chimera. They are master tacticians when moving around the battlefield, using cover and flanking routes to move in on you. They have no emotion. Like an insectile-like drone, its nature is driven by the Chimeran hive mind. Other strains of the chimeran virus you've seen before include: Steelheads - heavily armoured, advanced variants of the Chimeran Hybrid that utilise the solid matter-penetrating Auger rifle and have a heightened sense of self-preservation which makes them fight from a distance and use shields when attacked; Grims - feral, bloodthirsty creatures that amble about in abandoned cities and towns and often swarm your position in large numbers with their charge and melee primary attack that proves lethal if not kept at a distance and dispatched quick enough. New variants include: Longlegs - mechanically enhanced Chimeran Hybrids that are able to leap high in the air and pounce with deadly force. They use their increased, superior mobility to traverse complex environments and find attack positions above you, and are extremely dangerous if equipped with sniper rifles of there own; Brawlers - large, brutal creatures that act as an anti-infantry and anti-armour unit. Its power lies in its massive size and strength, but this strong point is just as much a weakness too because of the several cooling apparatuses which, when destroyed, cause this normally indestructible creature to perish from its own heat. Each form of chimera is savage and smart, and their nasty reputation on the battlefield is not disputable. They are accurate, take up tactical positions intelligently, and use available cover efficiently, and when in large groups you better make your vast array of glorious firepower count, because the Chimera show no mercy for their victims which they used to convert into Hybrids, but since have resorted to just killing humans outright.
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LENGTH - 3/5
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8 hours is a rough guide of how many hours you can get out of Resistance 3's single player campaign, and the story takes you to a variety of locales that all look superbly different and are brilliant, artistically and visually, throughout the duration of the game.
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REPLAY VALUE - 4/5
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With a new game plus option to replay the campaign with upgraded weapons, there is a worthwhile reason to go through the challenging and enjoyable campaign again solo or in cooperative mode with a friend. It's impossible to fully achieve the maximum potential out of your arsenal in a single playthrough, and going through the game again gives you a chance to reap the benefits of the upgrades available if you can kill enough foes to unlock them. It will make the game slightly easier, giving you reason to play the game on a harder difficulty setting, and there are also such a wide variety of fun trophies to aim for that there is always something to aim for. Intel documents can be found hidden in environments, and audio log entries can also give an emotional insight into the less fortunate survivors and the ordeal they suffered some time ago, and using points earned through earning in-game trophies you are able to purchase various "behind the scenes" videos on the making of the game, or outtakes, varied concept art sketches on the levels you were playing on, and a vast amount of cheats that Ratchet and Clank fans will compare instantly, things that include mirroring levels and other silly alterations to the game while not detracting from the experience whatsoever and purely implemented for fun purposes, not game destroying ones. There is much to do once you've completed the campaign, and revisiting it with a friend is a blast because the game is a great one that improves on its disappointing predecessor in many departments including graphics and gameplay while favourably capturing a balanced and consistent fun factor.
Faithfully and successfully returning to the foundations input in Fall of Man, Resistance 3 embraces elements that greatly resemble those established in the first game. The strong visual design which is equally grim and gorgeous depicts the apocalyptic world as realistically as possible, and is identical in some ways to the colour palette used in the first game of the series. The violence is vicious and gritty, setting the right tone for the atmospheric backdrop it's placed against. Colourful visuals and comical violence seen in Resistance 2 was disappointing to say the least, and thankfully Insomniac considered some fan responses and appreciatively has restored order to a series that was almost lost in a loosely attached second entry to the sci-fi series. The story and characters remain forgettable and lack the fundamentals to sucking you in and making you feel important in the role you take on, but it's the graphics and gameplay that are worth playing this first-person shooter. The main talking points about returning gameplay elements include the weapon wheel, which allows you to pause the game to select any of the weapons you've acquired so far, and the health system which is very similar to that of the first game where you require vials to restore your health points as opposed to a regenerative system as seen last time, and overall the gameplay just feels right, with smooth controls, a believable atmosphere and satisfying shooting mechanic with an array of awesome guns. All weapons are upgradeable, and become more powerful the more they are used, and this addition adds replay value, while giving you a target to set yourself throughout to mix up the gameplay and sample guns you may otherwise not use so frequently given the challenging circumstances. But the fair supply of ammo that prevents you from relying on certain weapons for extended periods of time does a fine job of encouraging you to utilise everything you've collected so far, and the intelligent and varied amount of aliens you face in fiery conflicts challenge you to adapt with the cover available. Resistance 3 isn't a memorable shooter, but there is enough gratifying portions of the campaign that make you impressed on what you see, and the visuals and level design are definitely a highlight of a series that previously plunged below the surface of acceptable, but has since got back on track and redeemed itself among today's amount of FPS games on the market. The 8 hour story mode is well paced, and your mission is a grim and violent one that exhibits convincingly how a defeated nation will still fight back and care for what is rightfully theirs, and you'll get captured in a battle that demands your full ability to thwart the threat that has been a troubling issue for far too long in humanities most darkest times.
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OVERALL SUMMARY - 8/10
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Good Points: Strong visual design, Grim and realistic atmosphere, Weapon wheel is back, Scarce ammo supplies make for a fair challenge and create tension, Powerful arsenal of returning favourites and new inventions that are upgradeable, Savage and smart foes of all sizes, Smooth controls make aiming and shooting a blast.
Bad Points: Forgettable characters make cutscenes uninteresting, Occasional unsynchronised sound effects.