I jumped into Resistance 3 without playing the first two games in the series. Being late to the PS3 party meant I had to carefully pick my games, starting with heavy hitters like Killzone 2. But when Resistance 3 was announced, some trailers caught my attention, so I decided to dive in on launch day. It turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable experience.
The plot picks up several years after Resistance 2. You play as Joseph Capelli, a former soldier trying to keep his family safe in a small town in Oklahoma. As the Chimera push humanity to the brink, Joseph finds out about a group of survivors seeking refuge in New York City, the last hope against the alien menace. Without giving too much away, I liked how personal and grounded the story felt, especially for a first-person shooter.
The game follows a mostly linear path, where you move from level to level. There are secrets to discover, but for the most part, you're guided through the game. That's not a bad thing, though; the journey is quite enjoyable.
You'll mainly be battling the Chimera aliens, which come in all shapes and sizes. They often overwhelm you with numbers, leading to some frantic combat. The game features boss-like enemies that are a mix of machine and alien, making for some of the most intense and visually impressive moments. They often act as bullet sponges, and you'll need to keep moving around to take them down effectively. It all adds up to a pretty entertaining experience.
One of the best parts of Resistance 3 is the weaponry. Insomniac is known for their creative weapon design, and they definitely deliver here. My favorite was the magnum revolver with a detonator button that made every shot explode. It was incredibly satisfying. The game adopts a bit of old-school gameplay, too, featuring a weapon wheel and health packs instead of automatic regeneration.
The sound design and music are on point, enhancing the immersive experience. The voice acting is professional, and it really helps drive the story along.
Now, let's talk graphics. Honestly, they're a mixed bag. I never thought the Resistance series looked all that great, especially when compared to other titles like Killzone. There are some impressive moments, particularly with boss battles, but a lot of the environments felt a bit dull-too many brown levels and inconsistent frame rates. There's one level where you're swinging a huge mallet, and it felt particularly uninspired. It's not that the game is ugly, but for a PS3 exclusive, I expected more.
The entire experience lasts about 10 hours, and I had a great time with it. It's a shame the game didn't meet sales expectations. While the first two games sold well-likely helped by being bundled with PS3 consoles-Resistance 3 deserved more recognition.
I truly hope we see the series revived one day. It has so much potential!
