We were lucky enough to be invited to a hands-on preview of Sony’s upcoming FPS blockbuster, Resistance 3. Although we were only given one hour to play the game, from what we’ve seen so far, Resistance 3 is shaping up to be an explosive action blockbuster. The preview code was long enough to grasp the some of the game’s story and to see the amount of action that players can expect to see when Resistance 3 is released in September.
Resistance 3 is set four years after the sequel and takes place in the year of 1957. The attempt to eradicate the Chimeran virus once and for all has failed as the virus has now spread even further to the rest of the world. Now only 10% of the human race exists in a world all but run over by the nefarious Chimera.
Joseph Capelli (the main protagonist) is now married and has a son.
It’s in his best interest to survive and keep his family safe from the Chimera. That is until Dr Fyodor Malikov presents a plan to Joseph that could rid Earth of the Chimera once and for all.
I had the option to play the game using either a normal controller or using Sony’s own Sharp Shooter Attachment. I opted to play the game using the Sharp Shooter since I prefer using it over the normal controller. After a very brief tutorial section, you’re already thrust into the middle of the battlefield surrounded by a host of Chimeran soldiers.
This aspect of the game can be daunting at first for beginners. Resistance 3 is the first Resistance game I’ve ever played, although the adrenaline kicked in and I was blasting them in no time. It was quite easy playing the game using the Sharp Shooter attachment as the cursor locks onto the target briefly making the game a lot less frustrating to play.
The one disadvantage I found playing this way is via melee attacks. You have to thrust the controller forward but sometimes I would point my gun down instead missing my enemies entirely. Still, once you initiate a melee attack, the animation that follows is brutally satisfying.
Fans of recoverable health (ala Call of Duty) won’t be happy to know that Resistance 3 marks the return of the health bar. The first game had a health bar and it appears as if Insomniac Games wants to challenge players by bringing it back. I actually liked the idea of a health bar as it requires you to play more strategically in lieu of just going in all guns blazing and then running away to recover health. It separates itself from all the other FPS game released recently that have become too easy to complete.
Don’t worry if you’re wondering if the game is stingy on health packs as they’re everywhere. The game kindly has a number of health packs lying around before each gun battle. Not only that but some enemies will be carrying green health packs on their backs. It’s best to kill them immediately so they drop them for your own benefit…
The first boss battle was very intense. It was a huge spider-like robot that could shoot a big laser via its eye. Boss battles require strategy and a bit of quick thinking to beat them. My butt was getting killed by this boss until I found a ladder to shoot at it from a higher ground. It’s also advisable that you make use of covering behind walls and crouching a lot in this game as the Chimera’s aiming ability shouldn’t be underestimated.
The one thing I would criticize about this game is the inconsistencies of the A.I. The enemies in this game are really smart and hide behind cover and shoot you with amazing accuracy. Sometimes they would even put shields in front of their mates to avoid getting killed. The same cannot be said for the A.I. from your allies. Your allies do absolutely nothing and expect you to kill every single enemy in the area before you can move on. It can be frustrating as you stand and wonder why your allies are even there in the first place if they’re not even going to help you out.
One of the best things I loved about Resistance 3 is the ability to upgrade your weapons. Your weapons get automatically upgraded depending on how much you use them. There was this one gun I loved using that could shoot through walls. I managed to upgrade it to level 2 and its power increased much to my enjoyment. There was also a cool pistol that Joseph could wield that had explosive bullets. Seeing three Chimerans explode from one bullet has to be seen to be believed!
Graphically, the game has an old-school style to it that may deter gamers who have modern standards. The yellow/brown tinge to the visuals really gives the player the sense they’re playing in 1957. This effect wouldn’t have been achieved if the visuals resembled those of Uncharted 2 that’s for sure. Possibly the most satisfying things about the visuals is the way the Chimerans are animated. When you shoot them, you can see their heads and limbs burst with blood. If a bit you’re squeamish, you may want to look away…
Although we only had 60 minutes of gameplay time, Resistance 3 is shaping up to be a very action-packed title. The pacing is so fast paced and there’s never a dull moment. You’re immediately forced to fight for your life and it really gets your heart pumping the moment you first pull the trigger. I cannot comment whether it’s looking to be better than its predecessors since I have not played them, however I do know that Resistance 3 is appearing to be one title all PS3 gamers should look out for.
