Resistance 3 Updated Preview

We've only seen Resistance 3 a handful of times, but at each turn, we've been shown distinctly different aspects of the game. We've experienced new enemy type the brawler, hidden from a hulking Chimera goliath under a bridge after a tense boat trip with an old friend, and this time, we got a feel for the mood developer Insomniac Games hopes to create by putting us in the shoes of the everyman.

This chapter of Resistance 3 marked our reintroduction to Dr. Malikov as we inched our way closer to meeting him at the railway bridge. Set in Pennsylvania's Mount Pleasant, this nighttime mission removed a lot of the bravado that came with playing Nathan Hale, the supersoldier, and put us in the skin of a weakened, scared human on the brink of extinction.

The demo began with us trudging through bushland, and it wasn't long before our buddies the Chimera dropped in a handful of new foes. These new sniper hybrids pack hefty rifles and have the ability to cloak themselves, becoming invisible on the move, which gave us a huge advantage when they were still. When stationary, the laser sights on their weapons draw long red paths that are easy to follow back to their bodies. As a result, our guide would spot one and follow it back to its source and apply a liberal sprinkling of bullets. A new Chimera weapon, the Dead Eye, works like the L23 Fareye from Resistance 2 but packs a nasty alternate fire, and we didn't need to get hands-on to see its impact on targets after its requisite few seconds of charge.

Auger fans will be pleased to hear that it, as well as many of the weapons in Resistance 3, have received a new look with updated and more Chimera-y scopes. While we still struggle with what seems like the unbeatable weapon--one that can shoot through anything, as well as throw up a protective shield--we'll take any advantage we can get against the invaders.

Moving into a nearby mine to avoid the watchful eye-in-the-sky dropships circling with their spotlights, we ran into another new challenge in Resistance 3: shield drones. These little robotic nuisances lurk behind Chimera soldiers and protect them with an impenetrable force field. Seeing that indeed our rounds were ineffective, our only option was to take one of the other paths ahead of us, sprinting to flank them and taking out the drone from behind before finishing off its occupant.

We were most surprised by the return of the weapon wheel, a radial menu accessed through the triangle button that details each of the boomsticks in your current arsenal. It's a throwback to the first game, but we were told they have been brought back into the mix to give players more flexibility and choice with their preferred style of play rather than forcing you to hunt out the appropriate tool for the job. We got a look at about seven or eight weapons, including mainstays like the shotgun and the HE .44 Magnum, as well as the bullseye and carbine in our previous demo. But we've been told to expect plenty of new additions alongside the familiar faces. Each will feature two upgrade paths: one for primary fire and one to boost its secondary function.

Because Capelli fills Hale's shoes with frail, human feet, health is no longer regenerative. Players will need to seek out health kits rather than duck behind cover and wait it out. Insomniac hopes this will bring the game a much-needed sense of urgency around forging forward rather than picking off targets at range.

Though our demo teased only a few new weapon types and the things we can use them on, our lasting memory was that of the change of pace. The move to return health packs to the game and Capelli's need to hide from searchlights rather than come out guns blazing all points toward a slower, more calculated type of gameplay. We've been impressed with what we've seen so far with Resistance 3, and we're hopeful it will elevate the series beyond simple run-and-gun action. Humanity has stumbled, but Capelli is giving us one final chance at redemption. Can we win our own war? Stay tuned for more ahead of Resistance 3's September 6 North American release exclusively on the PlayStation 3.