Resistance 3 – Review

In my opinion, Insomniac Games saved the best for last. I’m a big fan of the Resistance. I bought Fall of Man on launch day and put hundreds and hundreds of hours into that game. I played Resistance 2 early by winning all the trophies. So when I say that Resistance 3 is the best Resistance game I’ve ever played, you’d better believe it or not. Maybe you want some solid reasons to back up my opinion. It’s only fair to read on to find out why I adore this particular Resistance game.

During the actual installation of Resistance 3, there is a cut scene detailing the start of the Chimeran virus. The Chimeras are the alien race that took over the earth in an alternate reality in 1957. To make a long story short, the Chimera has taken over the world and is now trying to open a wormhole and terraform the earth into a world where they have a habitat conducive to their environment in their home world. They are basically going to cover the land with ice.

Joseph Capelli (Resistance 2) is the main protagonist ex-sentry who together with Dr. Malikov must find a way to destroy the wormhole tower and close the wormhole immediately. If there’s one thing that makes this story so much more entertaining than previous Resistance games, it’s its level of excitement. Resistance 3 is about being human and trying to survive. In this game I saw the best and worst of what it is to be human. The story is clearly the best and there are some major spoilers and cliffhangers in there. CGI cut scenes and in-game cut scenes with voice dialogue bring the story to life.

The graphics or should I say the visuals in Resistance 3 are an improvement over the last game. How Insomniac produced such great effects of snow, rain, and wind is beyond my comprehension. The atmosphere through the use of convincing weather effects was very impressive. Textures are good, but not in the same league as Gears of War or Killzone games say. The art style was really nice with a realistic presentation with the Chimeras and humans. In general, the graphics are really good.

The sound design is classic Insomniac. All the unique special sound effects that are present make this feel like a Resistance game. The music and subtle sound effects of the Chimeras also created a pleasant atmosphere in certain parts of the campaign story.

The game is a standard first person shooter game. You shoot aliens, that’s the essential. However, Resistance 3 added gameplay elements, some old and some new to create the best gaming experience of any Resistance. Back in the series is the wheel of arms. The weapon wheel was in the first game, but not the second. New to the series is hand-to-hand combat. You can swing hammers if you get tired of shooting aliens.

There is a fair amount of replayability in Resistance 3. The campaign can be played cooperatively and lasts approximately seven hours. Resistance 3 also brings back its stellar multiplayer. I enjoyed the Team Deathmatch and Deathmatch modes the most. There are many reasons to keep playing Resistance 3 for a long time.

I forgot to mention that Resistance 3 has some bugs and glitches throughout its campaign and its multiplayer connections crash sometimes. I will not downplay those negatives as they are legitimate. But without a doubt with the negatives I can say that Resistance 3 has evolved the franchise towards something better. The story, gameplay, and atmosphere make this hands down the best Endurance game I’ve ever played.