Hands on with Resistance 3

If you are the type of person that just wants the bottom line and doesn’t have time for any jibber-jabber, then know that Resistance 3 is shaping up to be one of the best looking and tightest playing titles coming out this year. Thanks for stopping by.

Yesterday at GDC, developer Insomniac and Sony gave a group of lucky people the chance to play the multiplayer as well as a level of the campaign for Resistance 3, and it looks amazing. The level of the campaign was the same seen in the trailer released last month, which takes place in the human refugee camp of Haven, Oklahoma. A phrase used to describe the game was “heroic survival in a brutal world”. The focus is no longer on winning the battle, but rather surviving the invasion.

You play the last sentinel Joseph Capelli, who has left the fight and returned to his home in Oklahoma. But walking away from the military is not the same as leaving the war, as the Chimera come to Haven to destroy the humans gathered there. In the level we played, the most immediate thing you notice is the scope. The town of Haven looks like a town, and the amount of detail is nothing short of extraordinary. The controls are quick and responsive as you would expect, and a handful of minor changes were noticeable. The weapon wheel returns from the first title, and each weapon again contains a primary and secondary fire option. A handful of new weapons were available, but as it was the first stage and the resources were limited.

As the Chimera flood into the town, a handful of monstrous enemies act as vanguard to the approaching machine that will annihilate the town. The enemies move with a graceful animation and are suitably intimidating, which makes shooting them repeatedly all the more satisfying, and the numbers of enemy soldiers mixed with the frantic gameplay conveyed the since of true immersion into a claustrophobic world. The graphics, especially the particles kicked up from the approaching beam are incredible, and it is immediately apparent that this title is a big step forward for the series, which is not a slam on the previous game, but praise for Resistance 3. But again, this was just the first stage, and while it played and looked solid, we will reserve judgment until the game is released in September.

The multiplayer was also on display, and the first major change is the size of the games. Resistance 2 featured multiplayer support for up to 60 players, but that number has been scaled back to a manageable 16, and the word “intimate” was uttered several times.

As you step into the fray, you are assigned to either the human or Chimera side. Each species has its own perks that are unlocked as kill streaks, and each side has both active and passive abilities unique to their race. The humans can create bubble shields, drop ammo or health and create decoys, where the Chimera have their own perks, including releasing metallic bugs to help among other tricks.

The level we saw also signified that the maps will be from locations around the world, and we were allowed to explore a prison in Chad, which was relatively small to encourage fast paced action. The game played well, and the controls were smooth and responsive. The loadout screens offered variety, and the play was just plain fun.

Again, the levels we saw were specifically arranged to be played at this point, so it is still far too early to make any real judgments on how Resistance 3 will be when it is released on September 20, but so far this PS3 exclusive looks like it may be among the games of the year.

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