Join the Resistance

I've been a loyal PlayStation fan for ten years, but I have to admit that there lies a significant lack of games for Sony's consoles that hold the ability to keep a player intrigued through multiple installations (for example, Crash Bandicoot should have been put to pasture after "Wrath of Cortex"). But the blockbuster hit "Resistance: Fall of Man" was one title that absolutely floored me from the start. An incredible story, comfortable controls, chilling visual presentation, and addictive gameplay had me praying for the sequel that, to my surprise, became tenfold more awe-inspiring than I'd imagined. In other words: I'm a rabid "Resistance" fan. So when I got wind that Sony was developing a title exclusively for the PSP in the name of my favorite PlayStation series, I was more than a bit excited... and I wasn't by any means disappointed.

"Resistance: Retribution" is a third-person shooter that follows the dark tale of mercenary/soldier James Grayson, who abandons the British Royal Marines to seek revenge against the Chimera after being forced to terminate his older brother in a conversion facility. The player guides Grayson through everything from the gargantuan Chimeran towers to the ancient Catacombs in France as he fights alongside the mysterious Maquis. Familar faces and names are abundant to fans of the series, including a blend of Chimera from the first two installments... and some brand-new villains lying in wait. You want weapons? "Retribution" has all your favorites: the brutal L206 LAARK, the deadly-accurate Faraye FR-1, the devilishly-sneaky Auger... anything and everything you need to splatter the Chimera all across Europe. The audio presentation is flawlessly executed, including the chilling growls of advancing Chimeran creatures and witty one-liners that Grayson occasionally delivers after annihilating a band of Hybrids. The cutscenes are very well-orchestrated and keep the player hanging onto every twist and turn of the deep plot (a plot so interesting that even my normally anti-videogame girlfriend couldn't help but take the title for a test drive). I also thoroughly enjoyed Grayson's philosophical, and sometimes twisted, journal entries that act as loading screens for each level. Multiplayer is joyfully entertaining, offering a variety of modes including Capture The Flag and Team Deathmatch that add a plethora of options for those that are not merely content with the single-player experience. And if you own a PS3 copy of "Resistance 2", you open up a whole new world of features once you connect the two games via USB cable... most entertaining being the Infected mode, which allows the player to take on a somewhat alternate story and the regenerative health bar that made protagonist Nathan Hale such a force to be reckoned with in the first two titles.

But, alas, every rose has a thorn. My main gripe about the new "Resistance" title is the control scheme. Non-customizable and somewhat sloppy, I often found myself wishing for an an additional joystick nub on the PSP to save me from using the face buttons to navigate the war-torn terrain. The auto-aim feature also left room for improvement... too. It goes without saying that being torn apart by a foe the size of an upright Buick due to an inability to switch from a target that could be crushed with the player's toe is somewhat annoying. Furthermore, despite the game's mostly amazing visuals, I found the level layouts to be somewhat uninspired and linear in nature. There was rarely an opportunity to explore or take advantage of an alternate route to the player's goal... two of the staples that helped make me a fan of the series. These shortcomings are very minor, however, and don't distract much from the overall spectacular experience.

"Resistance: Retribution" is a title that makes the PSP a console worth holding onto. And if you, like me, are a fan of the series in any way, don't miss out on this awesome installment in the "Resistance" library.