Resistance: Fall of Man: One Hale of a Time Company: Sony Interactive Entertainment America In the last few months, Resistance: Fall of Man has taken center stage as the game to buy alongside the PS3 (provided, of course, you’re lucky enough to get one). I was lucky enough to have a chance to get some early hands-on time with the PS3’s marquee title to see if it meets expectations. One of the more striking features about Resistance is, of course, its visuals. When referring to a great photograph, professional photographers often say that it has “pop”. In layman’s terms, this means that the flat image has a quality about it gives it a certain level of depth. The same can be said about Resistance. While it doesn’t “wow” in the same sense that some second-generation 360 games do, Resistance has a special quality about it. My first impressions were of how clean, crisp and clear everything looked. Of course, there are a few nagging issues like the lack of dynamic shadowing or environments looking too clean, though these are forgivable in the long run. Graphics are, of course, only one part of the equation – there’s also gameplay to be had. My initial gameplay impressions were much like that of the visuals. It may not be the most innovative of games, yet there is something undeniably crisp and fun about the experience. Resistance takes place in an alternate timeline where WWII never happened. Instead, mankind faces the threat of the Chimeran, an enemy whose origins begin with a virus that slowly spread over Russia, eventually moving into England and crushing it. The Americans soon launch an attack in attempt to push back the Chimeran and hopefully keep them from moving towards the U.S. The story follows Nathan Hale, a sergeant with the American forces, over the course of three days. Based on the first few scenarios, Resistance isn’t much more than a typical FPS. It doesn’t break too many barriers, nor does it really have to. It is a solid shooter and a fun experience. Early on, the game takes some time to get used to. Enemy A.I. is smart and doesn’t fall into too many traps. However, the learning curve is pretty short, giving way to an incredibly fun game. Progression through levels is linear, though with an open feeling – so you don’t feel completely hemmed in by your surroundings. A major strength of the game is the weapons system, which makes it easy to see that this game is coming from the same developers who brought you Ratchet & Clank. Weapons run the gamut from realistic to fantastic. You begin with a standard machine gun/grenade launcher combo, but soon upgrade to a weapon known as the Bullseye. At first, the weapon looks like a supped up machine gun, until you take a look at its alternate fire mode, which sends a tracer round at the target, tuning normal rounds into homing rounds. It’s no Morph-ray, but I can’t remember having so much fun with a weapon. Then there's the Hedgehog grenade, which explodes, sending its shards piercing through those around it. It's all good stuff. In a way, Resistance could be equated to another launch title, Halo: Combat Evolved. It doesn’t max out the system’s capabilities by any means; yet, at the same time, it is everything you would expect to see in a first-generation title. Based on early impressions, Resistance looks to be every bit the launch game players were hoping it would be. If you’re still not convinced, keep an eye out for our review next week. -Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker Related Links: Insomniac Games -- Official Site Ted Price's Blog Sony Computer Entertainment America