It’s always hard coming into a franchise at the third game.  You haven’t had the luxury of ‘growing up’ in the world you’re about to enter.  You don’t have an emotional attachment to the events leading up to the game.  In short, it’s like jumping into the deep end of a swimming pool without knowing if you can actually swim.

The first games that comes to mind when initially playing is Metro 2033 and Homefront.  Metro because your enemies are most certainly not human, and Homefront because you’re part of a small band of resistance fighters, and because of some of the broken game mechanics found in both Resistance 3 and Homefront.

Resistance 3 tries it’s hardest to create a storyline that you feel emotionally attached to, you’re a father who has given up on fighting and is just trying to stay under the radar and survive with your family and a small band or survivors.  Sure, you’re trained to fight and armed to the teeth – just in case you have to fight – but you’re done with war.

Trouble is, war isn’t done with you.

A nasty alien race, the Chimera, have enslaved (or killed) just about the entire population of earth, and are now beginning to turn our green planet into an icebound wasteland.  The only hope for your wife and child, is if you follow – and protect – some crazy old dude who wants you to travel to New York (the center of the known universe according to games and Hollywood) and help wipe out the Chimera for once and for all.

So the old emotional heartstrings are plucked in a scene where you have to say good bye to mum and child, being left only with a small little mitten that you son has dropped.

Maybe I’m just to cynical, or maybe as I’ve already mentioned, I don’t have the history with this series, but I just don’t care.  I don’t have a little son and I don;t live in America, so can we just get on with the shooting part please.

Of course the whole leaving your family behind comes after the first act, where the crazy old man has accidentally lead the Chimera to your nice safe hiding place.  Ooooops.

It’s fighting time.  But not before a little bit of forced exploring including the broken game mechanic that destroyed Homefront:  The old no doors will open so you’re trapped in building until you revisit the dude you spoke to five minutes ago who is now standing next to an open door trick.  Why do game developers do this?  I get that they want you to speak to the old dude to continue the storyline, but then why make me try and find a way out by looking all the doors for a pre-determined amount of time?

Fortunately, whilst this kind of thing does pop up in Resistance 3, it is no where near as bad as Homefront and Resistance 3 is a fairly engaging game.

Being a First Person Shooter, Resistance 3 will stand or fall on it’s weapons, how you sue them and the environment.  I can honestly say that the gunplay is great.  The variety of weapons is good – though I’m not so keen on alien technology that allows you to see and shoot through any objects, but then that’s just me wanting my games to be grounded in some sort of reality!  The guns feel right, and depending on the gun and where you shoot them, will rightly determine how many bullets you need to take out each Chimera.

The environments are beautifully rendered as you’d expect from a PS3 exclusive game, and just as linear as you’d expect from a shooter.  Set battles are staged in slightly maneuverable environments, giving you plenty of cover – unless the Chimera have their see through/shoot through weapons – cover you’ll need and the ability to move around and out flank you enemy is essential too.

The customary end of level super boss raises his ugly head as well, and will require that you explore every inch of the battle ground to find the right ammo and weapon dumps to equip you to take him down.

Just as I though Resistance 3 was just another alien invasion themed FPS that was beginning to wear thin, the game picks up a slower more moody pace.  A boat slow boat trip shows of the environmental rendering capabilities of the PS3 as you drift through what is reminiscent of a post Katrina New Orleans.  There’s not a lot to do but look around in awe.  Then, just as you’re teetering on the verge of getting bored, a few critters turn up and make you work your newly acquired shotgun.  As you get further along the swarms of nasties both vary in type of  Chimera scum and ferocity of the attack.  It’s run of the mill game mechanics, but stuck on a small boat with no wear to run, it works really well.

It’s the diversity of locations and set battles that keep Resistance 3 from getting old, or becoming just another Halo rip off.  Though comparing Resistance 3 to Halo is hardly fair, as Resistance 3 is miles ahead of Halo by combining a real world scenario with an outer world threat, and gameplay that packs a lot of action and keeps you on your toes.

Move and Online Features no reviewed.

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It’s always hard coming into a franchise at the third game.  You haven’t had the luxury of ‘growing up’ in the world you’re about to enter.  You don’t have an emotional attachment to the events leading up to the game.  In short, it’s like jumping into the deep end of a swimming pool without knowing if you can actually swim.

The first games that comes to mind when initially playing is Metro 2033 and Homefront.  Metro because your enemies are most certainly not human, and Homefront because you’re part of a small band of resistance fighters, and because of some of the broken game mechanics found in both Resistance 3 and Homefront.

Resistance 3 tries it’s hardest to create a storyline that you feel emotionally attached to, you’re a father who has given up on fighting and is just trying to stay under the radar and survive with your family and a small band or survivors.  Sure, you’re trained to fight and armed to the teeth – just in case you have to fight – but you’re done with war.

Trouble is, war isn’t done with you.

A nasty alien race, the Chimera, have enslaved (or killed) just about the entire population of earth, and are now beginning to turn our green planet into an icebound wasteland.  The only hope for your wife and child, is if you follow – and protect – some crazy old dude who wants you to travel to New York (the center of the known universe according to games and Hollywood) and help wipe out the Chimera for once and for all.

So the old emotional heartstrings are plucked in a scene where you have to say good bye to mum and child, being left only with a small little mitten that you son has dropped.

Maybe I’m just to cynical, or maybe as I’ve already mentioned, I don’t have the history with this series, but I just don’t care.  I don’t have a little son and I don;t live in America, so can we just get on with the shooting part please.

Of course the whole leaving your family behind comes after the first act, where the crazy old man has accidentally lead the Chimera to your nice safe hiding place.  Ooooops.

It’s fighting time.  But not before a little bit of forced exploring including the broken game mechanic that destroyed Homefront:  The old no doors will open so you’re trapped in building until you revisit the dude you spoke to five minutes ago who is now standing next to an open door trick.  Why do game developers do this?  I get that they want you to speak to the old dude to continue the storyline, but then why make me try and find a way out by looking all the doors for a pre-determined amount of time?

Fortunately, whilst this kind of thing does pop up in Resistance 3, it is no where near as bad as Homefront and Resistance 3 is a fairly engaging game.

Being a First Person Shooter, Resistance 3 will stand or fall on it’s weapons, how you sue them and the environment.  I can honestly say that the gunplay is great.  The variety of weapons is good – though I’m not so keen on alien technology that allows you to see and shoot through any objects, but then that’s just me wanting my games to be grounded in some sort of reality!  The guns feel right, and depending on the gun and where you shoot them, will rightly determine how many bullets you need to take out each Chimera.

The environments are beautifully rendered as you’d expect from a PS3 exclusive game, and just as linear as you’d expect from a shooter.  Set battles are staged in slightly maneuverable environments, giving you plenty of cover – unless the Chimera have their see through/shoot through weapons – cover you’ll need and the ability to move around and out flank you enemy is essential too.

The customary end of level super boss raises his ugly head as well, and will require that you explore every inch of the battle ground to find the right ammo and weapon dumps to equip you to take him down.

Just as I though Resistance 3 was just another alien invasion themed FPS that was beginning to wear thin, the game picks up a slower more moody pace.  A boat slow boat trip shows of the environmental rendering capabilities of the PS3 as you drift through what is reminiscent of a post Katrina New Orleans.  There’s not a lot to do but look around in awe.  Then, just as you’re teetering on the verge of getting bored, a few critters turn up and make you work your newly acquired shotgun.  As you get further along the swarms of nasties both vary in type of  Chimera scum and ferocity of the attack.  It’s run of the mill game mechanics, but stuck on a small boat with no wear to run, it works really well.

It’s the diversity of locations and set battles that keep Resistance 3 from getting old, or becoming just another Halo rip off.  Though comparing Resistance 3 to Halo is hardly fair, as Resistance 3 is miles ahead of Halo by combining a real world scenario with an outer world threat, and gameplay that packs a lot of action and keeps you on your toes.

Move and Online Features no reviewed.