I've wanted a PS3 since the day I heard Sony was going to be making one a few years back. I didn't get around to actually picking one up till about three months ago. The biggest reason I wanted one when I got it was, of course, GOD OF WAR 3 but the only reason I wanted the PS3 three years ago was because of one of the few launch titles for the system, RESISTANCE: FALL OF MAN.
RESISTANCE: FALL OF MAN, from Insomniac games, is a first person shooter that takes place in an alternate history where World War 2 never happened. Instead, a mysterious race of aliens, known as the Chimera, have quickly spread across Europe converting humans into hideous and powerful alien soldiers in the process. You play Sgt. Nathan Hale, an American soldier who is part of a task force sent into Britain in the year 1951 to retrieve some sort of secret weapon that will hopefully stop the Chimera. As you would expect, things don't go quite as planned and the entire team is wiped out by the Chimera except for Hale. Hale becomes exposed to the Chimeran virus but, instead of killing him, it gives him superhuman strength, regenerative abilities and these really cool yellowish eyes. Fortunately, despite all these physical changes his body undergoes, he manages to retain his humanity and still wants to fight the Chimera.
Most of the early parts of the game feel like a World War 2 shooter...except for the fact that you are shooting at aliens instead of Germans. The environments, though nicely detailed, are lackluster in color with muddy browns and greys but this is what really makes you feel like you are living out a World War 2 game thats quite different from any World War 2 game you've ever played. In addition to historically accurate firearms from the time period, like the Carbine, Hale also has the ability to use alien weaponry he finds along the way which adds to the uniqueness of the gameplay. All weapons become part of a weapon wheel that can be accessed anytime during the game. As the game progresses, the environments become more and more alien and futuristic-looking as you explore alien strongholds and bases of operations. The ending is, as you can probably guess, overloaded with action and finds Hale the sole survivor once again of an all out assault on the main Chimeran tower in London.
Resistance 2 finds Hale on U.S. soil attempting to thwart the Chimeran forces as they sweep across America leaving nothing but twisted wreckage and destruction in their path. Hale continues to slowly but surely transform into the very enemy he is trying to defeat as the Chimeran virus spreads inside of him. The game bounces from location to location taking the player to well-known cities like San Francisco, Chicago and Baton Rouge. It is clear that America has seen better days as you survey the damage the Chimera have done and there really is a sense that you are fighting for the very survival of the nation itself.
The second RESISTANCE improves upon the first in nearly every way imaginable. Environments, enemies, and weapons are rendered beautifully with plenty of details and the textures are nicely done as well. In addtion to this, there is a lot more color and vibrancy to the overall look compared to the first game. Sadly, the weapon wheel is gone and you can only carry two guns at a time but this seems to have become the norm for most first-person shooters. Fortunately, weapons are generously scattered throughout the game's levels.
The RESISTANCE series is definitely the flagship title for the PS3 and it seems like it would only make sense to make a third installment. The visuals rival more recent shooters, like MODERN WARFARE 2, and the only other PS3 title that could possibly outdo it in the near future is probably the upcoming KILLZONE 3. Until then, if you have not tried these games out and you've been thinking about it, definitely give them a whirl. They are a blast to play and yet another excuse to get a PS3 if you don't have one yet.
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