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Resistance is coming to the PSP. Sort of. Resistance: Retribution switches things up from what you would expect from a Resistance game. For one, it’s now a third-person shooter instead of a first-person shooter and there is a much heavier emphasis on cover. But the changes allow the game to play up the PSP’s strengths and makes for a very compelling experience.
Resistance: Retribution place between Fall of Man and Resistance 2. Instead of playing as Nathan Hale you’ll be former British Marine James Grayson who left his squad to take the Chimeran on directly. Grayson joints the Maquis (resistance fighters) in their quest against the Cloven (Chimeran-virus infected soldiers in the early stage of their transformation). The game’s plot isn’t fully fleshed out (with the dialogue being especially bad) but it doesn’t detract from the experience.
In terms of gameplay, the game plays very well on the PSP. The third-person viewpoint works better than the first-person viewpoint (which works best with two analog sticks). The game attempts to remove the controller restraints by having assisted aim (auto-aim) and assisted cover (which automatically places you behind cover if you go near a certain object). The game includes 11 weapons including a shotgun, machine gun, longbow, assault rifles, grenade launchers and plasma grenades. Series standbys like the .44 Magnum and Auger are also present. There are automatic checkpoints (although you’ll be replaying some portions again) and health packs, which is unusual for a Resistance game but not so much for a third-person shooter.
Retribution is one of Sony’s biggest pushes for the PSP Plus functionality. You have the option to use the DualShock 3 controller to play through but it sort of reduces the appeal of having a portable Resistance, especially since you still need to view the game through the PSP’s screen (although you can use the PSP’s video out to play on your TV). More interestingly, linking the game with your PS3 (and a copy of Resistance 2) unlocks an “Infected” singleplayer mode that changes the story and gives Grayson some new abilities. In the Infected mode, Grayson’s background changes, is infected by the Chimeran virus, gains regenerative health, and the ability to drink underwater. Once you link your games, you can continue to play the Infected mode on a stand-alone PSP.
While the 20-mission, 10-hour or so campaign mode is awesome, Retribution also has a full-fledged multiplayer mode. The multiplayer mode has the Maquis fighting the Cloven in five maps and five modes. There are also clans, medals and unlockables to win as you move through the game’s 12 ranks. The modes include the standard Free for All (Deathmatch), Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Containment (Conquest). There’s also Assimilation, in which one super-strong Cloven is pitted against seven weaker Maquis and attempts to turn them into Cloven. The twist here is that the fewer number of Maquis there are, the stronger each of you will be. Oh, and the game links to MyResistance.net.
Visually, Resistance: Retribution is easily one of the best looking PSP games available. The environments are all quite large and sufficiently different—while still obviously taking place in the Resistance world—thanks to detailed architecture and great texture work. The character models are equally sharp on the PSP thanks to great texture work that really brings them to life.
In terms of sound, the game definitely fits in with the Resistance series. The soundtrack is quite good and fits the action very well. The sound effects are appropriately epic. The voice acting is fine but as mentioned above, the dialogue leaves a lot to be desired.
Overall, it looks like Sony Bend did it again with Resistance: Retribution. We gave the Sony Bend-developed Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror a 9.0/10 and Retribution is similar to that game in many ways but even more polished. The visuals are sharper, the levels are larger and the controls are streamlined. Add to this a 10-hour singleplayer campaign (and another, remixed 10-hour campaign) plus one of the deepest multiplayer feature sets on the PSP and you have one of the system’s killer apps. Sony Bend was able to bring Resistance to the PSP in a way that takes advantage of the system’s strengths and feels like it’s own game in the Resistance universe instead of a dumbed down version of the console versions. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Mar 9, 2009
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