What begins as a standard shooter quickly explodes with sharp barbed grenades, ammo clips which double as turrents, and yes, even a sniper rifle that slows time.

One of the first things I thought as I started this game was "God, I hate era shooters, why did I buy this tripe?" But a little logo on the cover reminded me, Insomniac. While they were baptised with Spyro on the original Playstation, it was their work on Ratchet & Clank that turned my head. Mixing Mario with Contra was every bit the stroke of genuis each of the myriad of weapons was, coupled with a sense of humor gaming hadn't seen since Tim Schafer or Earthworm Jim. So it was merely the high regard of Insomniac that lead me to Resistance.

The game begins as an almost standardized shooter, so much so that I was ready to give up on it. But there was something that kept me going with nothing more than the standard carbine machine gun. The enemy AI slunk around, turned corners with guns ablazing, and on the many occasions where I was pinned, they all took turns keeping pressure on me. Something I rarely saw in the many FPS games I've played. And so I continued and discovered the first "hot damn" weapon, the Bullseye. Those familiar with The Fifth Element know this guns gimmick as "Instant Replay." Alternative fire shoots a "tracer round" that attaches to an enemy and all follow up shots automatically seek that round. But unlike in the movie. there are limits to it's deviation so that keeps the gun from becoming too powerful. And so, rewarded with an old fantasy of mine in weaponry, I continued playing until the first "major shootout."

These are the sections where you will watch 10 of your friends hammer against wave after wave of Chimera. So imagine roughly 30 characters on screen, exchanging fire, bullets flying, dust scattering, cover being blown away, and explosions littering the battlefield. It was, simply put, beautiful. And so I continued as the environments went from "typical" to downright disturbing. Each new zone was a pleasure, each new device a wonderful exploration in carnage. Simply put, perhaps one of the finest crafted shooters assembled, certainly without debate, for a Playstation console. I know, that doesn't say much but considering it has to compete with Timesplitters, that goes miles in my opinion.

One thing that annoyed me, however, was a sheer lack of cheeky humor. I know they were trying to be serious (and with the awesome monster designs, I don't see how humor could have been snuck in there, aside from the special bonus cut-scene) but it was still sad to see this part of Insomniac go away temporarily. Fortunately, Ratchet & Clank 5 is deep in development right now, along with Resistance 2, so I shouldn't have to wait long but there is a severe lack in humor for the PS3's current lineup. Unless, of course, you count the rather laughable port jobs and rush drops.

Multiplayer is a thing of beauty as well. Not only does the game support up to 40 players, but getting into an online match is one of the easiest and quickest experiences in recent memory. It has to be said, though. The more players, the more chaotic it gets. Sometimes to the point of becoming "Yay, respawned.... and I'm dead again." While the chaos can be fun, occasionally, it starts to wear on the nerves. Another thing that needs to be said about the multiplayer, this is one of the few PS3 games that supports four players on a single machine. This is a HUGE bonus for me since I regularly have friends over for a gaming night and it's a correct step in the way of correcting this issue in future PS3 titles. Granted, Insomniac was supporting four players on the PS2 since Ratchet 3 so it's a bit expected but still nice.

Graphics 9/10
While the game environments and enemies are gorgeous, they are not even remotely close to the detail of, say, Marcus in Gears Of War. But having said that, unlike GoW, Resistance keeps a buttery smooth framerate. Which, considering some of the chaotic scenes in the game, is one hell of an accomplishment. In fact, most framerate buffs will be impressed by Resistance. Likewise, the game does a good job of mixing era game art styles with scifi. No areas seem out of place in art style, which is a huge accomplishment.

Gameplay 10/10
If you like shooters, you'll like Resistance, even if you're tired of reliving WWII. It just takes a few sections to get past the "Been there, call of duty'd that" feeling of front end. Guns are all creative and even the duds (*cough* Sapper) reiterate Insomniacs amazing ability to not only innovate in weapon design, but just make the simple act of pulling the trigger a joy.

Replay 7/10
It is, in all honesty, a shooter. So there is a defined beginning and end with very little changing up the action so no matter what difficulty you choose, you'll still be enduring the same adventure. Like the Ratchet series, there are skills points to be had for completionists and some impressive concept artwork as a reward for earning them. It would be nice if more shooters followed Goldeneye's example and including additional areas and mission objectives as you choose higher difficulties but that isn't too big an issue. Limits the single player replayability. However, multiplayer, is likely to keep many a PS3 running resistance for the foreseeable future.

Sound 9/10
Gunfire rings, orchestra hits, crickets chirp louder as you get closer to patches of grass... nice little touches that add to a well crafted game.

Final Verdict
While it may not be enough to own a PS3 for, it's definately the must have game if you down own a PS3. It's nice to see at least one launch game worth mentioning actually make launch instead of March and otherwise redeems a rather barren landscape.

Buy It