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QJ staffer plays Resistance: Fall of Man (and wets himself)

Posted Dec 12, 2006 at 11:55AM by Chris L. Listed in: Reviews, Resistance: Fall of Man, Games Tags: Insomniac Games, Sony, Ted Price, SIXAXIS
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When you're on an enforced diet of Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man, four hours a day at least, and in a darkened room, for the past couple of weeks, you soon develop a nagging fear of things jumping on you. And cockroaches. That is the price of evaluating the flagship launch title for the PS3, at the behest of QJ editors who I think might really be the dreaded Chimera in disguise.

This of course begs the obvious question: is the game any good? Does the game do the PS3 justice? For the most part, yeah. It is a pretty decent FPS package that manages to scare the crap out of you once in a while. The warning here is that it would disappoint those who expect too much of a first generation title for the PS3, but the truth is that expectations or not, Resistance does deliver a good, even solid game. FPS aficionados will find that their US $60.00 (MSRP) was well spent (even if the pickings this early in the PS3's life are slim).

Wait! I can only handle you guys one at a time!It is, in the words of a Famitsu reviewer, standard FPS fare: point, shoot, rinse, repeat. The fun here comes from all the assorted weaponry scattered on the battlefield. Homing bullets, bouncing bullets, energy shields, sticky alien bombs... if I'm not peeing my pants from the hundredth Menial to jump me (no pun intended), I'm having fun counting a thousand and one ways to make Chimera bleed.

The enemy AI is surprisingly good, which is one thing to congratulate Insomniac for. Even at the easiest difficulty setting, the Chimera display some rather aggressive and smart traits. Hide behind a low wall for cover, and some of them will bum-rush you as their comrades provide covering - yes, covering - fire. They don't pop from cover at regular intervals, and they WILL seek alternate routes to flank you, which leaves you second-guessing their motives (and me peeing my pants more). Thank God for in-level checkpoints.

FPS controls on a console controller are FPS controls on a console controller, with the same advantages and disadvantages. The thing to talk abut here is the SIXAXIS motion-sensitivity, and here, Resistance does good, no complaints, though I/we have a few ideas of our own. That advertised "thrust the SIXAXIS forwards" for the melee attack doesn't seem to work when we want it to (all the time in my case), but the shaking off the clutching Chimera does... which led other QJ staffers to wonder why I was convulsing like a rabid maniac.

Now how do you make Nathan pee his pants?


Intuitive and imaginative as such controls are, the SIXAXIS' potential leaves a lot more room for control improvement. Imagine leaping off to one side to avoid enemy fire, rolling into nearby cover, just by thrusting the SIXAXIS to the left or right, that sort of stuff (is Ted Price reading this now? Just an idea!). With smart enemies, you'd want to wish you were in a John Woo movie instead. The "tilt the SIXAXIS" to bring up maps and stuff thing is pretty handy, but I think is also best left to button presses, which leaves the motion-sensing for other gameplay tricks.

Another laudable achievement is sound. Stereo works when stereo works, I always say. At times you could even hear the Chimera you can't see, which is a good early warning device - not that it helps for jumping Menials or other silent, sniping enemies. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid? Environmental FX blend well with the environmental scenery (see below), as does the subdued BGM. Some explosions sound a bit muffled - I can't tell if it's the ammunition's characteristic (rifle grenades, for example) or if it's a distance factor, so I can't judge this well.

You expect me to kill this bloody spider with this pop gun? Are you daft?Too much has been made of Resistance dropping to 720p, but it's not at all that bad. The scenery is still quite crystal-clear, again given that this is a 1st-gen Sony next-gen. What's nice is that, even on an SDTV, how they could make the burned-out shell of an English town feel so empty, so haunting, you're afraid to go on, afraid of what's around the corner (or maybe that's probably because of the AI). All of this goes off at a steady framerate: even when the bullets start to fly, there was no noticeable drop.

If there is one criticism of the graphics, it's that it's too sharp at times when more subdued, softer textures would be appropriate. Then again, why am I worrying about landscaping and interior decoration when there are a bunch of mutant freaks trying to kill me?

(There may be temptations among some, especially "the other side," to play a Gears vs. Resistance game in the graphics department. We've seen a lot of this elsewhere. Forget it: there is no easy comparison. The 360 is a more mature platform, from a dev's perspective, than the PS3. There has been more time to learn the tricks of the next-gen Xbox that Epic Games have fully exploited to create the beauty of Gears, while, if Glenn Entis is right, everyone else has only just begun to tap into what the PS3 can do. Okay, now that we've eliminated that nagging temptation, moving on...)

Who were you expecting, Bruce Willis?Standard FPS fare, albeit nicely executed, often pants-wetting, meet standard FPS story. You play Nathan Hale as you trace the steps of your otherworldly (or alternate-worldly) story through a mutating, collapsing England. It's not emotionally gripping in the dramatic sense, but it does serve to keep the game's pace moving, and at the least, it arouses your interest in seeing Nathan's story play out - and the only way to see that is to play the game.

Earning skill points to unlock all the hidden goodies does promote a bit of replay value (especially since the clues to unlocking them in different levels are cryptic at times), but the best replay value comes from those 40-player bloodfests called multiplayer. Unfortunately, for some weird reason, every time I tried to connect to the PS Net, the PS3 keeps timing out; until we're done tinkering with the network here, we'll have to pass judgement on that.

But from what we here have read, it sounds fun, it's one of the best parts of the game, and this writer would love to make a follow-up to this by writing on the multiplayer carnage in Resistance. Because, from playing the single-player campaign, there is no sweeter sound on Earth than the dying breath of a Chimera... or human. I'm an equal opportunity deathmatch b***h.

Let's wrap this up: Resistance rocks for a 1st gen PS3 title. Insomniac promised a PS3 FPS title (along with a bunch of other stuff), and they delivered a PS3 FPS title (the other stuff, well, more or less). Multiplayer's where the game's at, but with its aggressive, cunning AI, the single-player is worth a romp, even a couple of playthroughs - those Chimera know how to surprise you, especially at the harder difficulty levels.

Irresistable? Maybe not, but it sure looks fun.Being one of the the first in the Sony next-gen lineup, it's hard to establish whether it justifies the power and complexity of a PS3 (except probably for the AI), but I can say that if you've decided to get a PS3, then Resistance's worth plopping the extra US$ 60.00 (MSRP), if it doesn't come in a bundle. Sure, some can say it could be better - we've got a couple of suggestions ourselves - but you know what? A bird in the hand, and this bird flies well for what it does.

Even when those later shooters such as Unreal Tournament 2k7 come out, Resistance: Fall of Man is worth keeping for its nostalgic value, for being one of the first PS3 games, one of the first PS3 shooters, one of the Launch Titles. And also because it's, pardon my language, damned fun. If FPS is not your thing... well, you could always try out a rental to see if you can get in the flow.

Now if you will excuse me, I have some pants that need changing.

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21 Comments


Sort by:
   by Spector - 2006-12-12
 » Well Done Review
A very nice review Chris. Glad to hear you enjoyed the atmospher of the single player as much as I did. Just so you know also those skill points in single player unlock one of the best online skins in the game so far.

The online play is also very good and pretty much stops all stat-cheating/padding in the ranked games. Also as you level up your rank character customization is given more options and such. The online play is just amazing hope you get to try it soon.

I'd say this game will be getting played online for a good long while as one of the premier online games of the PS3. I mean people love it you wouldn't believe how many games some people have played in the short time the console has been out.

   by Blade - 2006-12-12
 » Good Review but...
How old are you people :S. Geze say wets his pants one time maybe. But it was used to the point it was childish and borderline gross. No one wants to read an article were every other sentence is talking about someone urinating in their pants. If that is really going on they need to consider visiting the doctor because something isn't right.


   Re: stephenb5203 - 2006-12-12
 » yeah
have to agree with you blade. While the review was okay it's composition was amateurish at best.
   by pillferd (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » soon
got ma 360 now i cant wait to get my ps3
i hope in march i can get one
i wonder what the resistance community will be like by then?


   Re: Spector - 2006-12-12
 » the community
right the there is already a strong online community with well established clans and everything so in the spring it's just going to be better and better as more people come to join it, and Insomniac improves it.
   by no one cares (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » good review
well thought out and not amateurish... the sentences never ran on and each one started with a different word. I give props for the first well written blog on QJ in a long time

*golf clap*

   by zero (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » i
played this game, and didnt see anything special about it. the graphics are not amazing at all


   Re: ! (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » Shut The Fk Up.....
Queers Of War Fan-Biatch !

   Re: Advertising -


   Re: Vietone - 2006-12-12
 » Juts like every single Xbox360 shooter
Every shooter isn't going to offer anything new except a solid way to experience the genre. Shooters have been done and nothing is ever new.

You cant name one shooter released in the past 5 years that has done something new.

   Re: jackster (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » rhom
Queers Of War lol thats ah good one
   by damanisjon (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » gaming
I completed Gears of War in the 3 difficulty levels in 3 days... good thing it was a rental from blockbusters!

Not dropping £40 for that! lol

Lets hope resistance lasts a bit longer than 4 gameplay hours... unlike gears of war


   Re: It should (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » for rfom
Beating all four modes + online makes resistance last for a long while.

   Re: V (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » liar
Almost believe you hahaha... except GoW multiplayer is where its at.

P.S. No way you played through Insane GoW in 4 hours.

   Re: Spector - 2006-12-12
 » Difficulty
Resistance is definately a more difficult game. Like it says in the review the AI will beat you down and more than once. It makes the gameplay fun and challenging for sure, and even co-op mode you'll still feel challenged.

Also if you want multiplayer with more than 8 people at a time Resistance is a great game. The online gameplay is so much fun and you can always find a big match.

40 man online rocks!

   Re: grs (Unregistered) - 2006-12-13
 » bs
bull***** there is no way you completed all 3 difficulty settings in 3 days.
   by truth (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » my 2 cents
I played the game for the first time a few days ago... GREAT!!!

The multiplayer is the real appeal though... years of fun there. beats gears multiplayer hands down.

(not that gears is bad)

   by grs (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » no
Man I can't stand reading some of your articles. Its like a fifth grader wrote them with all the childish comments and jokes. Please stop!


   Re: Advertising -


   Re: Mr Toasty - 2006-12-12
 » well..
Its their damn blog, and they can put what they want in it.

Don't like it? write a better review
   by vwkiller1412 (Unregistered) - 2006-12-12
 » read this
www.vwkiller1412.blogspot.com


   Re: Spector - 2006-12-12
 » woah
It's another link to yet another boring blog... sweet!

Oh wait... this is lame, nevermind.
   by MoNaRky (Unregistered) - 2006-12-23
 » Can't Compare Gears to R:FOM!
Played both and they can't be compared! Gears is a tactical 3rd person shooter and Resistance is a full skilled FPS. And to the person saying you can't play thru all 3 difficulties in 3 days! Bull***t! Did it b4 i bought the game 4 X360, as I always rent games before I buy them. Most of the times the rental is enough, so I don't buy 'em. But Gears is best on "Live" in multiplayer storyline is practically none existant.

As for Resistance and this Review. Just got it 3 days ago! A good review is one that gives you a sense of what it's like to pop the game disk in for the first time and what that experience is like for the majority of gamers. That's the best part of this review and yes there are parts of any great game that Do make you Feel like you could piss your pants. Resistance is such a game because of how it works you through the story and if anything is better between the two games, it's how the storyline plays out and draws you into it.

Epic and the Unreal Engine games have never been one to concentrate on storyline. Graphics has always been their strong point and they can do it with lower resources and hardware requirements. Epic with gears has just taken the 3rd person shooter technique from "Killswitch" and with the cover system to a new level in Gears!

But for Insomniac the PhysX an FX effects help to give you that "pissed my pants" feeling with the hair on the back of your neck standing up! If it doesn't then I feel sorry for you and you prolly killed your senses taking too many drugs. The online for Resistance is a Bloodfest of unequaled proportions of any game I've played online to date! It's completely lagless and without the slowdown of a "Punk Buster" program screwing things up on a PC in, let's say BF2! It's totally insane in a packed server and not having to worry about cheaters and just having insane fun in such a great online set of environments, with so much going on around you! It's like being in a War!!!!!

I'm super impressed and my experience with this game leads me to believe Sony Online with the PS3 will make it's mark on the world of online gaming! Not going to give up "Live", but I really believe the online systems will be very comparable after the March Euro Launch update.

Motorstorm here I come! And then we'll see if Epic can top Gears with UT2007 Online with the PS3 and a keyboard and mouse! If they take the graphics and pile on heaps of PhysX and FX on the PS3 It will certainly not only overshadow Gears, but the PC version as well! With 64 players online you'll have to pinch your cheeks to make sure your in a game and not Life! ;)



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