I have to admit that I’m not a huge FPS guy for the PS3. I have MAG, but that’s about it. This is probably because I’ve built up enough of a collection on the FPS-birthing Xbox that I don’t need to go to another device for the genre.
So, to say that I’ve been missing out on the Resistance series is an understatement. I had no idea that the series had as intriguing a setting as what I saw on the floor of E3, and when I did I was quick to grab a Dualshock 3 and take the game for a spin.
The single-player demo at E3 begins with our new lead, Joseph Capelli, leading a charge of resistance fighters on a Chimeran base. A dropship suddenly appears, unloading a slew of the alien foes onto the battlefield. It wasn’t long before we began picking apart the horde with timed shots from a sniper rifle perched on a nearby rooftop. I say “we” because the AI for both the resistance and the Chimera was running at a high enough level that it almost seemed like humans were at the controls. My comrades would often wait behind walls and time their shots to conserve bullets, while the Chimeran forces would travel in groups, protecting their sides and setting up shields in mid-combat.
The area we were fighting in, a small section of a broken down 50’s town, had a few buildings to run into and around for cover and refueling. It really had a great post-WWII feel to it, with brick sidings and the optimism of nuclear power permeating in the air. It felt a lot like the post-war advertisements of the “homes of the future”… except decidedly more rubble-filled.
The weapons I had at my disposal were an assault rifle and handgun, both of which were easily able to be pumped full of ammo quickly in the demo. As we cleared the section, a brute-like Chimeran beast arrived on the scene, chasing us up onto a building. After a momentary pause in the action to stock up on ammo, the beast leaps back onto the building and proceeds to chase us through the town, throwing dumpsters and cars at us along the way. Our only strategy was to wait for an opening for him (it?) to expose his chest, which had several glowing weak points, while lifting a car, and unload. We had to strafe right and left to avoid the flying vehicles and his charges, but after a few well-aimed shots the dude was a goner, and the demo over.
While action certainly seemed intense to me, the controls (which abandoned those of Resistance 2 in favor of the original’s weapon wheel) were designed well and allowed for quick changing of weapons and easy aiming. The alternate history timeline intrigued me a lot, especially with some of the environments and visuals of the demo and those we saw in the trailer really emphasizing a time when America’s post-war hopefulness was shattered. The story, which really emphasizes Capelli’s struggle with his solitary nature being pushed away to protect his family, has a deeper feel to it than other FPS games, where you play “Soldier #1″ or ‘Space Marine Blue”. This is one man’s story.
Resistance 3 drops in September. I may need to sign up for the fight.
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