Resistance: Fall of Man

[Stangy]

Resistance: Fall of Man

Platform: Playstation 3 (exclusive)
Developer: Insomniac Games
Genre: First Person shooter
Game Modes: Single Player Campaign, 2 Player Co-op, Up to 40 Players Online
Release Date: November 13, 2006 (North America), March 23 2007 (Europe)
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
Stangy's Game Rating 9.3 (10)

So... Resistance: Fall of Man has been praised as Playstation 3's first killer-app title, but does it live up to the hype? To put it simply, hell yes.

To be honest, I'm not much of a First Person Shooter fan, so I was a bit skeptical of Resistance at first. I hadn't played a true first person shooter through since the old Medal of Honor games on Playstation One. But Resistance proved me wrong... from the very opening of the first level, Resistance is an action packed thrill ride from start to finish.

To set the premise of the story, the year is 1951, and World War II never happened. Instead, a strange virus originating in Russia spread across Europe, infecting humans and turning them into Chimera - bizaare looking mutant alien things. The Chimera quickly conqure Europe and even England. However, there are small pockets of humans throughout England fighting back against the Chimera. The United States secretly sends 5,000 troops to help the British Resistance, and you play as Seargent Nathan Hale. After landing, all your comrades are quickly wiped out, and you are the sole survivor... and this is really where the game begins. Resistance's alternate history setting is fascinating, and the story is truely gripping.

Now for the technical aspects of the game. The graphics are simply stunning. The bombed out cities of England look incredibly detailed. Sometimes you'll even find yourself stopping to take a second look at the near photo realistic environments in the game. There's awesome smoke, heat, and fire effects, and much of the cover in the game is destructable. The sound is fantastic as well. You'll hear machine gun spatter, screaming motar shells, and great voice acting, as British soldiers shout obscenities to each other in the heat of battle. The music adds drama and ambience to the fight. Together, all these things add up to an extremely immersive gameplay experience.

Now for the gameplay. At times, Resistance feels like a Medal of Honor game, with fights on a raging battlefield, bullets flying overhead, soldiers ducking for cover, and motar shells exploding all around. Other times it almost feels like a survival horror game, and occasionally it gets downright spooky in dark tunnels. There are even a few vehicles to drive, including a tank, and a machine gun strapped Jeep. The battles are always varied, so the gameplay never gets stale. Because your enemies are so powerful and numerous, you'll mostly find yourself running from cover to cover, and popping out to get a few shots on the enemy.

The only real complaint I have about the game is the length of the levels in the single player campaign are sometimes inconsistant. Some can be finished in 15 minutes, and others take nearly an hour, so you never really know what to expect. There is also a level that takes place in underground tunnels that can be confusing to the point of frusteration. But these are very minor problems that can be easily overlooked.

Even once you finish the single player campaign, this game has practically unlimited replay value. There's tons of stuff to unlock, 2 Player Co-Op, 4 different difficulty levels, and an addictive online mode will always keep you coming back for more. The online mode is well balanced and well thought out, and it shows. Newbies and veterans alike can go online and have a blast playing Resistance.

Bottom Line: if you have a Playstation 3, this game is a no brainer. It is hands down the best game on the system, and it truely shows off the potential of the PS3. It's well worth the price of admission... Resistance will occupy you for months.

To get a taste of how awesome this game is, click here to check out the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZw5jBFhfHc

Questions and Feedback are always welcome!
-Article Written By: Stangy