The long and short of Resistance 3 is that it is fun. Unfortunately, it offers is nothing we haven't yet seen in a shooter from the past. The story isn't compelling, multiplayer isn't groundbreaking, but the core of the game is simply fun. 

The Resistance franchise has been in the works since 2006 and marked itself as one of the biggest PS3 exclusive franchises to date. It brought an engrossing story to the table and overwhelmingly fun gameplay. However, the third entry in the franchise sent us out on an adventure that was ironically too overwhelming and nothing unique. 

Insomniac revamped the game almost entirely. It seemed to be running on an entire new engine, the controls were completely different, and the story was just too much. As much as I hate to say it, it felt exactly like Call of Duty, but with aliens. Everything from the controls, to how the game felt and played, or even the dozens of cinematic set pieces jam packed into one level. The game just didn't feel like Resistance. 

The game's story follows a new protagonist this time around, Joe Capelli, as Nathan Hale is now dead (The game takes place six years after the end of Resistance 2). Ironically enough, he was killed by the new protagonist. Insomniac never seemed to take the time to develop him though. He never had any likable traits worth mentioning and his personality is awfully dull. They try to represent him as the new tough guy, capable of taking on anything that stands in his way. I just didn't see it. 

As players, you're tasked with trekking across the Untied States all the way up to New York , single-handedly taking out a massive alien force. The game states that over 90% of the human population has been killed off. It doesn't seem like it though as you encounter dozens upon dozens of other humans along the journey. 

Before you even end up traveling to New York, you and many other survivors are hiding out in an underground outpost in Haven, Oklahoma where Capelli and a group of survivors are living in secrecy. Everything turns south for the merry band of people when Doctor Malikov shows up with news that he finally found a way to stop Chimera and begs Capelli to accompany him to New York. He brought with him an entire Chimeran military forces though and the people are forced to flee. 

Malikov says that a wormhole has opened on New York is slowly freezing the planet. Humanity will not survive the next winter. You must somehow destroy this tower before this epidemic occurs. The environments you traverse are very bland to say the least, as you are almost always traveling through underground passages or cookie-cutter towns. They get old very quick. 

The whole experience is just too much. As I said before, it feels almost exactly like Call of Duty. You're a one man army who is always up against scores of Chimeran soldiers, or some form of giant monster. One in particular, a massive spider, is fought over and over and over again! The first time you fought it was awesome. It was one of the coolest things I've ever fought in a video game. But when I had to fight a second and third time, it was just plain dumb. They couldn't bring anything else into the game? It seemed like every other boss fight was against a giant spider. The fight was old and I knew how to kill the thing already. 

Long story short, the boss fights lacked creativity and the game was overwhelmingly outrageous. It was just too out of control and unrealistic for one man to have done. Resistance 1 & 2 weren't realistic to say the least, but they weren't too far out on the scale Resistance 3 is. Yes, that scale of unrealism may be fun for some, but for others, including me, it was just to much. 

The combat in the game is fun and a thrill to undergo, but it is anything but dynamic. Each and every fight plays out the same way as enemy AI is all too noticeably scripted to do a specific thing. Shoot here, go there, etc. When you die or go back through the game a second time, the enemy is in the same place as before. Nothing changes. The AI is a tough opponent, but in the end, they're plain stupid. 

One of the many changes in Resistance 3 is the health system. For good or worse, regenerating health is lost and can only be unlocked after you complete the game. Like in Resistance 1, you have a health bar that can only be replenished by picking up "health pack" items found here and there on the battlefield. If you're lucky, a downed enemy will drop one for you. It adds a sense of urgency that is most welcome. Now you can duck down behind a wall or rock for 5 seconds after being shot up dozens of times, replenish your health, and go back in the fight like nothing has happened. You have to be careful of your actions in the game; sometimes strategize. 

The one thing that is back, and something everyone should love, is the weapon wheel. In Resistance 2 the weapon wheel was taken out and you were limited to two guns. This time around, each gun you find stays with with you and can be selected at any given time. You'll be able to electrocute enemies with the Atomizer, or even freeze someone into a chunk of Ice with the Cyrogun! By the end of the game, you will be running around with over a dozen guns slung over your back; you'll be an unstoppable war machine! 

Thanks to the return of the weapon wheel, we get delve ourselves into the many whacky and unique weapons Insomniac has made for us. They have a long history for creating unique weaponry, and the entertaining guns you can have at your disposal that spans not only Resistance, but their other hit franchise, Ratchet and Clank. Each gun can also be leveled up the more you use it. When a weapon level ups, it transforms into something even bigger and better than before. For instance, if you level the shotgun for 1 to 2, instead of shooting regular shotgun rounds, each round that strikes an enemy will burst into flames!

One thing I just couldn't wrap my head around was the graphics. I just couldn't come to a consensus on whether or not they're phenomenal, average, or even poor. They're a beautiful step up from the previous two games that I actually thought were below average. The scale of the battlefield is huge in the game! But the fact that some areas looked gorgeous and others blah, left me behind in thought.

Perhaps I am only over thinking the graphics simply because the environments were  cycled through over and over again. In most parts, you're in the same type of area, underground or in a town. What they did differ from each other, they weren't too far off from feeling and looking the same. 

Resistance 3 also has it's own multiplayer component that supports up to 16-player matches. It spans five modes: Team Deathmatch, Chain Reaction, Deathmatch, Breach, and Capture the Flag. It also includes a customizable progression system where players can spend points earned by playing online. The points can be spent on various different tactical and combat attributes.

One of my favorite features of the game was actually the new co-op system it has for the single player campaign. Instead of having to do your own, separate campaign aside from what you accomplished on your own, players can now play either split screen or with a friend via the internet right where they left off solo!

Another aspect of Resistance 3 I really enjoyed was how the soundtrack. From excellent menu music to the  phenomenal pieces played in the background while you play, the games is without a doubt supported by another amazing musical record. 

Music isn't the only thing that sounds good though. Enemies when shot will grunt in pain or scream out in agony when killed. Each and every gun has a unique sound unto itself. You can easily identify a weapon by noise only. The sounds aren't corny either. They sound as real as futuristic sci-fy weapons can probably get! 

Closing Comments

Resistance 3 was a game that seemed to lack any ambition from Insomniac. It felt too much like other shooters and the story was lackluster to say the least. The core of the game is what makes it so fun though and the variety of whacky weapons makes the experience all the more enjoyable. With just a little more creativity though, Resistance 3 could have been the game that Resistance fans have all been waiting for. The game is better than the first entry, Fall of Man, but is a step down from the second. Overall, it is a solid shooter. 

• Score: 8/10
• Replay Value: Average