Fight On!
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It’s August 1957; four years after the end of Resistance 2. The Chimera have won, forcing the human survivors to band into small pocket groups scattered throughout Chimera-controlled territory.
After killing Lt. Nathan Hale at the end of the last game, Joseph Capelli, now dishonorably discharged from service, has settled down with his family in Haven, Oklahoma. He’s completely given up; choosing to stay with his young family rather than continue the fight with the various rebel forces still holding out hope to turn the tides of the Chimera invasion.
That hope comes from Dr. Fyodor Malikov, who asks Capelli to help him unleash one final, devastating plan on the Chimera. Reluctantly, Capelli takes up arms once again to travel across the war-ravaged country to New York.
My hands-on demo with Resistance 3 dropped me right into the fight between a small group of resistance fighters and waves of Chimera soldiers. The game’s atmosphere is instantly arresting. Based on the demo, Resistance 3 looks like any other “brown” shooter, though the colorless grit offers a great visual clue of just how desperate humanity’s situation is. Smoke and dust fill the air; cars and buildings are in shambles. Things are bleak.
The setting is also indicative of Resistance 3’s slightly tweaked gameplay direction. Capelli doesn’t have Hale’s special abilities. He’s Batman to Hale’s Superman. Without powers, Capelli needs to rely on the game’s arsenal of weapons to survive, adding a slight twinge of survival horror to what has mostly been an action-based shooter. The new direction works, at least if the demo is any indication. In past games, I was able to shoot and power my way out of any situation. Those same tactics didn’t work in my shootout with the Chimera, forcing me to get to know every function of my weapons and use them to maximum efficiency. It is a refreshing change of pace and a fun challenge once I adapted to the new strategy.
Gunplay is classic Resistance. I was able to play around with a few of the game’s weapons, though the empty weapon selection wheel suggests there are still several guns left to unlock and add to my tactics. I initially stuck with a machine gun/ pistol combo, swapping between the two as I searched for additional ammo. I eventually flipped over to the Auger rifle, which proved incredibly useful in the congested town square. With so many Chimera hiding behind cover and in buildings, the Auger’s ability to tunnel through solid mass (increasing its damage along the way) made it a perfect selection. The secondary shields were also a big help as I ran from building to building.
During the firefight, I noticed a slight upgrade to enemy A.I. They’re smarter, faster and aren’t prone to standing out in the open and letting you shoot them. They’re also acutely aware of grenades and will quickly jump out of the way, making grenades the perfect ploy for drawing Chimera out of cover.
More kills mean more weapon experience. Similar to past games, weapons evolve the more you use them. For instance, the scope on the Marksman gets progressively better the more you use it. The system is similar to the one used in Ratchet & Clank and a great way to reward players for using everything in their load out. It’s also a nice way to encourage players to try different tactics.
The demo ended in a showdown with a huge Chimera and my quick death.
Though not available in my area, Resistance 3 is Move compatible and includes support for the Sharpshooter accessory. The game will also be available in a Move-branded bundle and as part of a bundle deal with Sony’s recently announced 24 inch 3D ready, PlayStation-branded TV.
Resistance 3 will be available in September. If you can’t wait until then, a single-player demo is included with the Blu-ray version of Battle:Los Angeles. A multiplayer demo is also planned for later this Summer.
