Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)

Resistance: Fall of Man, is one of the most polished and solid games currently available on the playstation 3. For being a launch title, this feat is even more remarkable.

In the world of Resistance, World War II never took place. Instead, Russia withdrew into itself after World War I, and several years later a technologically advanced race known as the Chimera boiled out and conquered most of Europe in a matter of months. Only Britain, on the verge of collapsing entirely, remains. As Nathan Hale, an American soldier in a force sent to aid the beleagured British forces, you are responsible for finding a way to halt the Chimera advance.

Resistance is a fairly standard FPS, but boasts several twists that prevent it from feeling mundane. Firstly, the weapons. Insomniac is famous for creating interesting and humorous weapons in its other flagship series, Ratchet & Clank. This expertise carries over into Resistance, giving you an incredible suite of toys to play with. Sure, you have the standard rifles and shotguns, but you also get the Bullseye, a weapon whose bullets home in once you tag a target with the secondary fire (just like that gun in The Fifth Element). The Auger can shoot through walls and erect energy shields that only Auger shots can pass through. This is just the tip of the arsenal, and you can unlock additional weapons after beating the game. Secondly, during the course of the game Hale gets exposed to the Chimera virus, granting him faster reflexes and limited health regeneration.

For a launch title, Resistance is a very pretty game. The characters are extremely detailed, and the enemies especially gruesome. The attention to detail in the environments is phenomenal, with pieces of debris strewn everywhere and even some destructability. The sound is also quite good, with solid performances by the voice actors. The Chimera sound just like you would expect them to, with inhuman yelling and screaming. The music is typically militaristic, but acts more as background noise. It is good, but forgettable.

Once the sizeable main game is over, and you have obtained all the hidden skill points (which in turn unlock bonus material and cheats) you may want to try your hand at the online mulitplayer. Fast and furious, with up to 40 players taking part in the fight and hardly a hint of lag, it is immensely fun. There are even medals and new character gear to unlock by reaching certain milestones.

With an engaging single-player campaign and frenetic multiplayer action, Resistance belongs in any PS3 gamer's library. The game looks and sounds great, and there is an absolute ton to do. Recommended.