The PS3-exclusive Resistance series has always been a feather in Sony’s cap, with the first game, Fall of Man, remaining as one of the best shooters on offer for a long time. Now the series is back and it’s bigger and better than ever before. With a dark and emotional plotline interweaving throughout the campaign and some more incredible multiplayer action, this truly is a game that will keep you chained to your seat for many an hour.

Storyline

Unlike the majority of first person shooters that concentrate more on killing and less on plot, Resistance 3 is determined to suck you right into a story that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout the campaign. We are four years on from the events of Resistance 2 and it seems that human kind is on its last legs. Any human survivors have retreated beneath ground, and the terrifying Chimerans have started to terraform the planet into an icy wasteland alike to their homeworld.

All is not lost though, as a reluctant hero is waiting in the wings to step forward on one last ditch effort to save humanity. You might remember Joseph Capelli as the man that ultimately ended the life of Nathan Hale in the game’s predecessor. Capelli was dishonourably discharged from the military service and retreated to try and survive with his wife and young son. Now though, it seems he is the only hope of scientist Dr. Fyodor Malikov who believes he might have the solution for the Earth’s woes. Expect some properly emotional moments as Capelli says his farewells to his family.

Gameplay

As in previous Resistance games, Resistance 3 is wonderful to control. The weaponry is accurate and powerful; a requirement for those moments when you find yourself surrounded by a host of intelligent and ruthless Chimera. There is also plenty of variety in the weaponry of this game, with many of the old favourites brought back to sit contentedly within your arsenal. You will also find that your weapons start to level up as you use them, a new addition to this game, providing additional upgrades to help you as you come face to face with more and more sophisticated foes.

And that’s not an exaggeration! The AI in some of the Chimeran enemies is truly terrifying, especially when combined with the general tone of the game. Creeping through sewers and caves in a desperate attempt to avoid detection will have you gripping onto your controller for dear life. This is not a game to play alone and late at night!

The variety within the campaign is what truly makes the ten-hour adventure something spectacular. From all out and incredibly intensive fire-fight battles, to stealthy scenes where you attempt to avoid detection; Resistance 3 really does have it all. There isn’t a single moment where you can really fault the ever-present plot and incredible atmosphere.

It’s not all about the campaign though, as this is a game with an incredibly strong selection of online multiplayer modes. Gamers that enjoyed the 60 player battles in the previous game might be disappointed to know that these have been scaled back to 16 players, but if anything this actually improves the experience, creating a more intimate and less chaotic play space. New abilities also feature in the multiplayer modes, such as skills that allow you to show a holograph of yourself, or display the locations of any handy ammo caches close to your location.

Graphics

Resistance 3 isn’t so much of a graphically stunning spectacle as some of its rivals that may make better use of the PS3’s processing power, but it is still a very attractive game. In a bleak and depressing way of course. You really won’t notice what slight rough graphical edges there may be anyway, as it will be the atmosphere of the game as a whole that holds you captive to your console.

Conclusion

This is a game that is difficult to put down. It combines everything that we want from a shooter and more; a great storyline that runs throughout the campaign, an incredible atmosphere drawing you into the horrors of war and impressive multiplayer action to keep you playing long after you’re done with the story. If you’re a fan of first person shooters that will well and truly keep you on the edge of your seat then Resistance 3 is definitely for you.