Not a fan of PS3 games, but this is good!
PS3'S DEFINING FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER?
When the Playstation 3 launched on November 17, 2006, one of the most anticipated titles to be released exclusively alongside Sony's third console was Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man.
Resistance: Fall of Man's story is set in an alternate reality... a world where World War II never took place. Instead, an alien race known as the Chimera mysteriously appear and attempt to wipe out the entire human race. You will assume the role of Nathan Hale, an American soldier sent in to reinforce the defences of the United Kingdom. Hale will quickly realize what he's up against with this new alien threat after his unit becomes infected with the Chimera virus...
Resistance plays pretty much like any other first-person shooter out there today. Movement is executed by using the left analog stick while aiming your weapon is performed with the use of the right analog stick. To aim, you need only click in the R3 button (right analog stick). Primary and secondary fire is mapped to the R1 and L1 buttons, respectively. The R2 button will allow you to cycle through your available weaponry. The L2 button will position you into a crouching stance. Throwing grenades can be performed by pressing the Circle button. Up and Down on the directional pad will allow you to choose between available types of grenades. Finally, jumping is executed with the X button. In a unique feature added with the Sixaxis controller, you can shake the controller up and down to break free from an enemy's grasp. Throughout the course of the game, military vehicles will be at your disposal to aid you in bringing down the larger versions of the Chimera. On top of the main campaign mode, Fall of Man offers a handful of online multiplayer modes, such as: Deathmatch, Meltdown, Node and Breach... all for up to 40 players. Resistance takes some great features from other first-person shooter titles and mixes them all together for an interesting experience, but nothing that hasn't already been done before... or a few dozen times, for that matter. One of the main things that Resistance has going for it is the enemy A.I. Artificial intelligence in Fall of Man is quite possibly some of the best out of any other first-person shooter out there today. The enemies literally catch on to your actions if you perform the same tactics over and over again, resulting in you actually having to think your way through the game instead of just running and gunning.
Visually, Resistance: Fall of Man is extremely impressive. A lot of care goes into almost every single minor detail of the game. Blinking, shadow effects... pupils even dilate accordingly with the lighting. On the battlefield, great attention to detail can be noticed through windows. If a bullet hits a window, the window will splinter up before shattering. The character models also look impressive and rather life-like. Textures look very realistic... from materials that make up a tank... right down to the rocks on the streets. Everything is given fair treatment.
In what seems like a very promising game in terms of actual gameplay, the sound department of Resistance leaves behind something to still be desired. One would think that an exclusive game trying to show the power of the Playstation 3 would be able to deliver a little better in the sound quality and level themes. However, don't get the wrong idea. Resistance does sound very good on it's on merit, but again, it's nothing that hasn't already been heard in every other first-person shooter. The sound of stray bullets bouncing around will likely have you running for cover from time to time, which is actually a nice touch.
Like your typical FPS, Resistance doesn't boast an extremely long campaign mode. The bulk of the game can be completed in 8 - 10 hours easily. It should be noted, however, that multiple playthroughs will earn you some nifty prizes. For instance, beating the game on Hard will give you the Superhuman difficulty mode. Skins can be unlocked by completing the game on Superhuman difficulty. In addition, 4 different weapons and 1 new style of grenade can be unlocked by completing the game on any set difficulty. Overall, Resistance offers a lot more unlockables than most FPS games.
While I will openly admit that I am no fan of the Playstation 3, I must say that I enjoyed my sit-down time with this game. The advanced A.I. provided an interesting experience in each stage and the cutscenes, while not particularly lengthy, provide a great deal of detail to what's going on around you and in the overall story. All-in-all, whether you're a fan of the Playstation 3 or not... or whether you think there's no game out there better than Halo... I highly recommend giving this game the benefit of a doubt and try it, if only just for a few minutes. While it may not change your mind, you will walk away from it having played a title that has the potential to possibly set the first-person shooter genre on fire. Hopefully a sequel is lined up to correct the mistakes made by this game and give us a truly perfect experience.
