PS3 launch title, Resistance: Fall of Man is Insomniac Games’ attempt at getting everyone excited for the future of the Playstation 3, a sign of things to come. If this is just a glimpse of what this machine has to offer, then the gaming community is in for an amazing future.

Insomniac, know for such games as Ratchet & Clank, created this FPS (first person shooter) not only to expand their genre base, but also to showcase the capabilities of this machine right off the bat. The difference between this game and the slew of other recent FPS’s is that this company did their research and tried to gather the best aspects of all others of the same genre out there and put it all into this ultimate launch title.

The game takes place in the 1950’s. WWII never happened and instead a monster race known only as the Chimera (not to be mistaken for the Greek mythological creature made up of different animals) have invaded and taken over Russia, Asia and eventually the UK. You play as Nathan Hale, an average American soldier sent into England to battle off the Chimera scourge and liberate the world from this unknown terror.

With creative weaponry (alongside the average wartime arsenal), extremely enjoyable artificial intelligence (the Chimera will actually fall back and reform their strategy depending on how you proceed), and co-op mode (offline only); if you were to buy only one FPS at launch time, this would be it.

The graphics in this game are what you would expect from a next generation launch title, pretty and shiny… for the most part. The weapon and character designs are out of this world (no pun intended) with such detail that one could spend an hour easily just admiring every little facial movement and bullet effect. At a constant 30 frames per second, there is never a skip or a stutter no matter how much carnage and mayhem are on screen. Any number of AI players battling, tanks rolling by and planes crashing overhead will not slow this beast down. That being said, the environment, although it gets the job done, does not really impress the player as one can shoot a tube off a Chimera’s back with satisfaction, yet a grenade will barely move a lid off a garbage can or a corpse on a table. This game supports HD output at a decent 720p, which although makes it look great, is not as impressive as other shooters on the market today.

In terms of sound, it is again what one would expect from a great shooter – explosions and screams from every direction. With a good sound system, the player can actually hear the bullets whizzing by Hale’s head and the ground shake as a tank pulls by. The voice acting when available (Hale is the strong, silent type), is acceptable and in sync with the mouth movements. As with most games where cinematic presence is not as crucial as game play or control, the music suffers. It is what it is, generic war music that pipes up at especially critical moments that serve more as a warning then to set the mood. Not that this is bad, just not particularly memorable. Resistance is presented in THX so don’t forget to plug in that big subwoofer, turn the volume up and let the noise of war take over.

Control is a key factor for high speed first person action, and Insomniac knows when to be creative and when to keep it simple. The controller set up for Resistance is very similar to most other FPS and are just as tight and quick as the rest. What was interesting about Resistance was the ways in which they chose to manipulate the PS3’s Sixaxis motion sensor. At certain occurrences in the game you must shake the controller in your hands to do certain actions such as putting out a fire on your back or freeing yourself from a deadly Chimerian love hug.

The length of this game is quite substantial, netting around 12 hours from start to finish. On top of the story duration there are also extras to unlock and secrets to find throughout the campaign mode giving you plenty of reasons to play again and again. Perhaps a second time through with a friend in the offline co-op mode might make things more interesting. The most impressive aspect of this game was the online multi-playing action. At a constant speed with no signs of lag, up to 40 players can play together (or against each other) at the same time as either the evil Chimera or the brave Americans, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

In the end, however, it’s all about fun, and Resistance: Fall of Man delivers on that front. There are a few negative aspects of the game, the biggest being the lack of interactive environment. It just seems odd that one can see bullet blurs as they whiz by, but cannot shoot a single hole in the wall of a building. The story and character development themselves are a bit fuzzy and not too deep, but again, this game is about fun and a good story is hard to find in a first person shooter. If you’re looking for a fun pick up and play game or a staple for multiplayer mayhem, Resistance: Fall of Man is the way to go.

Graphics: 4.0/5.0
Gameplay: 4.5/5.0
Sound: 4.0/5.0
Replay Value: 5.0/5.0






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