Review: Resistance: Fall of Man (page 2 of 3)
Squad, Fall In!
PROTIP: Bounce Hailstorm bullets to boost their damage. Better yet, fire the alternate attack to launch a hovering turret.
Resistance's brawny multiplayer mode also deserves special mention. With support for up to 40 players across several game modes and an online community-building component, Resistance will be the key online title for Sony's new console, likely well into 2007. The multiplayer action is fast, visceral, and endlessly replayable, and the addition of species bonuses (Chimera can see through walls, humans have radar) adds a juicy wrinkle not found in other shooters. In addition to standard death match and capture the flag modes, Resistance also throws in noteworthy team sessions such as Breach, in which teams compete to overload each other's fusion reactors. Our experiences with 40-player battles were smooth and lag free, an encouraging sign, though it's difficult to predict how the performance will be once the game is out in the wild.
Resistance wins another key battle by adopting one of the smoothest control schemes ever seen in a home console game. The increased sensitivity of the Sixaxis analog sticks is especially apparent in Resistance, making the game as comfortable and precise as the best Xbox 360 shooters. The button layout is also clean and responsive, and not overloaded with excess functions. It's also completely customizable.
Creature Comforts
CAPTION: You'll unlock these Reapers, plus four other weapons, when you beat the game on Medium difficulty.
But if there's one core flaw to Resistance, it's that it just doesn't look like a PlayStation 3 game. Sure, the levels are massive and sprawling, and the architecture boasts admirable detail but the plain-Jane character animations, low-poly enemy designs and underwhelming weapon effects are undeniably behind the times. There are worse fates, but it's a shame nonetheless, especially when you consider the PS3's price point and how much Sony boasted about the console's unbeatable visual prowess. On another sour note, the game supports only 720p. 1080i and 1080p support are out, barring a post-launch patch.
Some of the presentation, however, still shows that characteristic Insomniac flair. For instance, the first level depicts the Chimera forces shooting down several Osprey-like transport planes. The resulting crashes -- the Ospreys whirling across the sky and slamming into nearby buildings -- set a wonderfully ominous opening tone. The game is also locked in at a rock-solid 30 frames per second and doesn't sputter once during even the busiest action scenes. Several of the special effects, too, such as flurries of snow and sprays of napalm, show a glimmer of the potential behind Sony's next-gen powerhouse.
Resistance is Futile
Hopefully, gamers will be able to look past Resistance's so-so presentation and see its rich inner beauty. It's easily the best PS3 game available on launch day, and a highly playable action game that will satisfy even the most demanding FPS junkies. In the end, all the hoopla over Gears of War and Resistance probably isn't worth the fuss. Despite their radically different approaches, they're both great games that fill different niches. And hey, if you're lucky enough to own an Xbox 360 and a PS3, why not buy both games? Now there's a next-gen war worth talking about.
PROTIP: In multiplayer mode, only humans are capable of crounching - just hold L1. To sprint, tap L1 once.
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