Resistance: Fall of Man

Rating ESRB: Mature Genre first-person-shooter Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment America External Links Official Resistance: Fall of Man Website

In 1949 the world was in disarray as The Chimeran, an alien race of unknown origins, swarmed out of Russia and began their systematic assault on Europe. Taking over the bulk of Europe with little resistance, The Chimeran began their assault against England in October of 1950. While the English were able to withstand the constant attacks for a matter of months, eventually their military forces were scattered and the country was all but lost. Now, on July 11th of 1951, a lone American Ranger will change the course of human history forever.

Resistance: Fall of Man is a 1st person shooter that chronicles the life of American Ranger Nathan Hale during the Chimeran War. Set only a few years after the end of World War II, Hale is the only survivor of a failed mission on England's soil. Now you must navigate Hale through war torn England as you not only hold off the Chimeran Invasion, but attempt to discover the reasons for your own survival.

Resistance sports richly detailed environments, impressively replicating the look and feel of Europe (if Europe was being attacked by relentless alien forces). Thanks in no small part to the Playstation 3, there are never any instances of lag or frame-rate drops through out the single player mode, which is a pleasant surprise for a FPS. Sadly, poorly rendered character models and ridiculous particle effects detract from what would otherwise be a visually stunning game.

The bulk of the story details a refined drama, albeit littered with comedic attempts by otherwise straight characters. These attempts seem to be more of an irritation rather than their intended offering of light humor. An original score, created by Ratchet and Clank composer David Bergeaud, blends together with realistic sound effects to help bring the player fully into the story line. Bullets fly around the room and the background tempo increases as you attempt to survive just a little bit longer upon the battlefield.

Controls remain standard for your basic FPS, allowing players to get a familiar feel while using the new SIXAXIS controller. One of the more innovative options allows you to shake the controller in order to release you from enemy grapples. However, Resistance makes a tactical error with their Default Settings by combining the Weapon Select Button with the Weapon View Button. More often than not, players will find themselves being unable to switch weapons efficiently in the heat of battle.

Speaking of Weapons, Resistance brings a wide array of varied instruments of destruction in which to dominate your enemies. While many of the weapons are similar to World War II-era firearms, most of them sport new twists. Having trouble hitting your enemies with automatic fire? Try tagging them to give your bullets a target to follow. Got a small army hiding behind the next bend? Use the Air Brakes on your rockets in order to change directions in mid-flight and give them an explosive surprise. With a rather impressive AI that allows the Chimeran to dodge, take cover, and team up to take you down, you'll have plenty of reasons to test out your weaponry in all it's glory.

Resistance offers huge Multiplayer maps, allowing for up to 40 players to duke it out over a broadband connection. Aside from basic Solo and Team based modes, there is also a Species Mode, which gives each player a unique ability based on which side of the confrontation they choose. Additionally, each player has their own character sheet, providing information on their ranks, medals, and other key tidbits. Unfortunately, due to Sony's limitations and the current low supply of Playstation 3 units available, the Multiplayer system's features could not be fully tested.

Despite all the negative elements of the game, Resistance is a highly enjoyable FPS. With a solid story, expertly crafted music, and outstanding gameplay, Resistance: Fall of Man deserves to be in every Playstation 3 owner's library... even if the game could have been made for the Playstation 2.