Mediocre story, but solid AI makes a fun challenge throughout.
Looks can be deceiving when it comes to the PS3's launch "killer app." At first glance, Resistance looks like a fairly run-of-the-mill space marine shooter with lackluster graphics and a forgettable story. But what emerges (quickly) is an extremely challenging FPS that keeps you engaged not through pretty environments or a riveting plot, but tough fights that often require multiple attempts and different methods of attack to figure out how to survive.
The "easy" difficulty is no safe haven -- this setting is more like "normal" or "hard" in other games. While this may occasionally aggravate players who want a less-intense playthrough just to experience the storyline, it does force you to appreciate the pitched battles and makes you earn (and value) your progress all that much more. Ultimately, it's a more rewarding experience. I've been guilty of using "god" mode or easy settings to get through less-than-spectacular shooters just to see the campaign through, but what happens is you're basically cheating yourself of what makes a shooter worth playing. So a tip of the hat is in order to Insomniac for sticking to their guns and not wimping out too much with the difficulty settings at the risk of watering down their gameplay.
And the gameplay really is the main attraction here. Enemy AI and attack design is generally strong throughout. While the game is a little long in the campaign, enemy variety never feels too repetitive or like you're just slogging through yet another battle.
What ultimately keeps Resistance from rising higher is the extremely bland storyline and forgettable characters. There will be no plot motivation to move forward in the campaign, so you better like shooting stuff. Graphics are also fairly dated. If you've been playing any PC shooters recently, you'll feel like it's 2002 all over again. Level design is fairly compact and Insomniac does an admirable job crafting realistic levels that flow naturally. There's hints of exploration with multiple paths through a level and lots of hidden items and incentivized rewards (concept art, new weapons after multiple playthroughs), so there is some replay value here if you're so enamored with the game.
Resistance is a solid if unspectacular shooter and a worthwhile playthrough for any PS3 owner. Just don't expect anything too mind-blowing and enjoy the game for what it does well, instead of tearing it apart for its flaws.
