Insomniac Games brings us back to fight the Chimera in their retrofitted alternate reality of Earth. Join the rebellion in this jounrey across North America to help mankind reclaim their home in Resistance 3.

Resistance 3 has done something none of its processors could; made me care. With a honest heart, I have to admit that I have always felt failed by the series. Underwhelmed by its previous adventures, yet impressed with its creativity, I would run around the warn-torn landscape shooting up aliens, clicking through the story while I waited for something to grab me (emotionally, not physically, cause we all know those Chimera are grabby buggers,) but nothing ever did. All I ever felt was scripted threads and repetitive blasting, so that is why I am happy to have a change of heart with Resistance 3. Not only has the game made some invested tweaks, but its narrative had me wrapped up in its tale of human survival. It really seems like Insomniac (with the help of writer Jon Paquette) revaluated the series to create a shooter that connects with the player on every level. Even though we've been here before, Resistance 3 feels fresh while keeping its roots planted in its trademark arcade-style shooting.

In Capelli we trust
The setting in Resistance 3 is beyond dreary, yet it is this dreary hopelessness that glues you to world and its inhabitants. Humanity has truly lost all hope, and aside from your character, a former SPRA soldier Joseph Capelli, it seems like there is no chance of humanity coming out of this thing alive. Set 4 years after Operation Black Eden, the United States is the only nation withstanding the Chimera war-machine. Forced underground in rag-tag communities and militant operations, you will make your way from Haven, Oklahoma to New York City. Capelli's goal, stop a wormhole that is slowly freezing the planet, which would mean the Chimera thrive and we die. With the help of Malikov, your adventure starts slow and ramps up to a climatic end.

During your travels Resistance is infused with some spectacular set pieces and thrilling boss encounters. The foreboding atmosphere never truly leaves as pass through excellent segments like the Mississippi River and the Oklahoma mines. In previous editions of Resistance I was always irked a bit by Insomniacs' attempts to make things larger-than-life for no reason other then the “awe” factor. However this time around they still have their “big” moments, but they seem more natural. Contributing to its success is indisputably the narrative, but the level design and art team deserves some notification for their efforts to make each “level” feel natural.

Resistance 2 vs. Resistance 3
Revising my thoughts on Resistance 2, I noticed Resistance 3 has kept all the positive bullet points while fixing all the issues I had within the follow-up. The good, which applies to both games is as follows; massive scale, solid framerate, flushed out multiplayer and a refreshing collection of weapons. The bad, which is now fixed; campaign looses its soul, crouch/run button, lack of impact, dated look, and lack of co-op. All these issues has been dealth with. Thanks Insomniac, it almost makes me feel like you're reading our little ol' website. The only aspect of Resistance 2 that i enjoyed more was the large scale online matches. Still with this one negative tick, Resistance 3 is a vast improvement.

Things change, and stay the same
The mechanics haven't been changed too much, so fans of the prior games will be pleased. Even if you're not a fan, you can't find too many faults within the ultra-smooth gameplay. One kinda new-ish addition is a revival of the health bar and weapon wheel that went missing in Resistance 2. Health isn't regenerative in this one, so you will need to exercise more caution while playing.

The weapons also follow suit with a combination of old and new weapons. The returning aresenal includes the Magnum, Auger, Marksman, Rossmore, Bullseye and Carbine. For new weapons you will see the Mutator (biological weapon) and the Deadeye (Sniper rifle) along with a new shrapnel spreading granade. Insomniac approach to the weapons might seem a little lazy, if you wanted all new types. However they combat the lack of new weapons with the concept of natural weapon upgrades. The concept, the more you use a weapon, the more it upgrades is a perfect solution to avoid the standard parts/upgrade runaround. It's perfect for this type of shooter and blends in with perfection.

We can't forget about the integration of Playstation Move and 3D support. I briefly tested both features (3D off location) and found that I preferred the traditional controller over the Move wands, and normal 2D over 3D. Stereoscopic 3D simply showed too many flaws within the graphics engine and didn't enhance the subversiveness. In comparison with other products, it is up to par, its just not my thing. This goes with the Move controls as well. I found no particular fault with them, just a preference not to be wiggling my arms around while I play a traditionally rooted game like a FPS. Traditionalist? maybe.

Multiplayer
The multiplayer component in Resistance 3 has been downgraded from massive, large scale battles to a more concentrated, yet acceptable 16 players. Although I relished the big match feel of R2, I think this adjustment is for the best. Five modes are presented including the typical modes (objective and deathmatch.) Being typical isn't bad, its actually becoming more infrequent as other games strive to reinvent the wheel. The MP works and that is what matters. Basically lag free and featuring a progression system, you'll be locked into the multiplayer for a while. Insomniac has also been constantly patching their multiplayer with lot of the small issues like matchmaking and framerate fixes. At the current time of this review we are on Patch 1.02.

Just as important as the competitive multiplayer is the addition of a co-op mode where you can hook up with other people to play through the story mode. Split-screen and online co-op are included which is an exceptional bonus for those who like to enjoy a more traditional (same room) co-op match. While the co-op play takes a bite out of the serious tone of the narrative, its a great option for players who want to run through the campaign multiple times.

Hands down Resistance 3 a triumph. Improved over the previous editions, Resistance 3's showcase of the human condition vs. adversity pulls together with the right mix of drama, action and game mechanics to be one of the marquee shooters of the year. The few deviations that have been made make a world of difference; and like I said in the opening paragraph, for the first time in the series, I actually cared and wasn't simply going through the motions. That in itself is the big difference among all three games, which makes Resistance 3 the game it is.

A narrative that finally connects Co-op support within the campaign Weapons upgrade when used Slight, yet good changes to the controls Solid arcade style shooting Retains its massive scale Multiplayer has been scaled back Loss of regenrative health? Deadeye too similiar to the Marksman Quote: "Improved over the previous editions, Resistance 3's showcase of the human condition vs. adversity pulls together with the right mix of drama, action and game mechanics to be one of the marquee shooters of the year." Reviewed by DowntownJimmy | 10.18.11

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