The Chimera have won

​You need a reason to fight. In first-person shooters, that reason is usually a gruff squad leader or a disembodied voice speaking through a headset, telling you where to go and what to shoot. You are the good guy. Everything in front of your crosshairs is the bad guy. What more motivation do you need?

 

Within minutes of booting up Resistance 3, though, you will witness the greatest way in which Insomniac Games has distinguished its latest title from the vast majority of shooters, including the previous entries in its own series.

 

You are no longer some elite soldier immediately thrust into battle to prevent the Chimera, a savage race of humans infected by an alien virus, from taking over the world. The war is over. You've already lost.

 

Desperate to cling to some semblance of humanity, Joseph Capelli (that's you) has found love, made a family and helped build a home with other survivors. These people know you. They like you. They trust that you will help keep them safe.

 

When their meager existence is threatened by a force that could plunge the world into a never-ending ice age, you fight not because you have to, but because you actually want to protect these people.

 

For once, you have something truly worth fighting for.

 

The tale of Resistance 3 is a personal one. You don't set out to single-handedly overthrow the alien threat. Your life has been shattered and your family is no longer safe. You simply want to do whatever you can to ensure you'll be able to live out your existence as peacefully as possible.

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Despite that, we are still talking about a first-person shooter here, and so the answer to most of life's problems comes in the form of a smoking Bullseye rifle with hundreds of Chimera lying dead at your feet. Your reasons for taking up arms are more intimate this time around, but what you do once the gun is in your hands is pretty much the same old story.

 

Not that this is a bad thing. While Insomniac can be faulted for refusing to take too many risks in this third console outing for Resistance, it's also clear they know the shooter craft inside and out at this point. The guns, still some of the most interesting in the genre, are as much fun as ever to fire. With a couple of clever new additions to your arsenal and the return of the much-loved weapon wheel from the original Resistance, you have about eight hours worth of killing ahead of you, spread across some of the best designed levels to ever grace an FPS.

 

Instead of being limited to two weapons and being told where to use them, you are now presented with some creative shooting scenarios set in multi-layered, highly detailed landscapes that give you necessary tools and leave you to figure out how to best approach the situation. Sure, you can sit back and snipe those Chimera hunkered down in a crumbling building. But if you'd rather get up close and personal, there's bound to be a path or two that will allow you to get the drop on the glowy-eyed bastards instead.

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The best part of Resistance 3's gameplay, though, is how Insomniac has nailed the smothering feeling of going toe to toe with a seemingly unbeatable force. You will frequently be overrun by the enemy, but a cool head and utilizing your upgradeable inventory to the fullest will always allow you to muscle your way through. There are times when you will feel like there is no hope for survival. In a game like Resistance 3, that's exactly how you want to feel, and it makes each and every victory feel that much more exhilarating.

 

On the online front, Resistance 3 has received a similar new focus. While I miss the hell out of the eight-player co-op missions, you can now play the entire game online or with a couch-sharing buddy. And gone are the days of 30 Vs. 30 shootouts on massive maps. Resistance 3's competitive online is now restricted to teams of eight with battles raging on maps that are more dense and perfect for the number of participants. There are also loads of upgrades and abilities to unlock, meaning you'll be able to fine-tune your character until he or she is equipped to your style of play.

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The lack of R2's awesome co-op, fewer boss fights and the rare unclear objective or dumb-as-a-brick Chimera are minor setbacks when Resistance 3 is taken as a whole. Insomniac has finally given us characters to care about and the explosive gameplay necessary to keep us invested in their story.

 

While Resistance 3 may not break new ground in the nuts and bolts of first-person shooters, Insomniac has certainly provided a well polished, finely tuned third outing. It's a struggle for survival that is worthy of of your time.

 

The Final Verdict: 4 out of 5

This review is based on a copy of the game provided by a portion of the reviewer's life savings.