Platform: PS3
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: SCE
Rating: R16
Players: 8
Website: http://www.us.playstation.com/PSP/Games/Resistance_Retribution

Being a resistance fighter is a never-ending fight. At least that’s what the developers at Sony seem to think and I’m happy to see a playable version of the ‘Resistance’ storyline successfully ported over to the PSP platform.

Resistance: Retribution is not so much a continuation of the previous Resistance game but rather a side-plot involving a new protagonist named James Grayson. The events of Resistance: Retribution take place soon after the fall of the Chimeran tower in London which features at the end of Resistance: Fall of Man, the first game in the franchise released in 2006.

The basic structure of each game seems relatively similar and features a main protagonist and a storyline based around the invasion of an alien race called the Chimera. The Chimera are hell-bent on the total annihilation of the human race, either through warfare or assimilation. The previous games focused on the Chimeran virus infecting humans and therefore effectively turning human beings into Chimera.

Resistance: Retribution is a third-person shooter where you play as the main character, James Grayson. After locating his infected younger brother at a chimera conversion centre, James Grayson is forced to shoot and kill him. As a result, James Grayson suffers a nervous-breakdown. He then embarks on a violent rampage of vengeance and retribution for his brother’s death.

The storyline of Resistance: Retribution is one of the strongest aspects of the game and also one of the most enjoyable. The characters are well developed and with appropriately timed action sequences throughout the game, Resistance: Retribution is easily one of the best third person shooters available for the Playstation Portable.

Movement in the game is a little different to previous control schemes. For instance, the ‘duck and cover’ mechanic has been slightly altered to accommodate ‘auto cover’ where you will automatically approach cover if it’s available. This is extremely handy when fire-fights in the game require you to exterminate multiple targets.

General movement is also controlled differently with the analog stick to control movement and the X and triangle buttons controlling your view up and down. The square and circle buttons control strafing movements, left and right. The auto-aim feature is also present in Resistance: Retribution and again is extremely handy during massive battles with Chimera. You can also change targets by using the standard control buttons. You may find the movement mechanic a little strange at first (or at least, I did) especially if you’re used to using the directional pad to move around. However, it’s a small learning curve and one that doesn’t take too long to work around.

Be on the lookout for things such as health packs in the game as you really don’t want to be dying all the time. You’ll also need to navigate and manoeuvre yourself around all sorts of interesting terrain so the sooner you get used to moving in the game, the better.

The navigation and menu system is detailed yet easily structured for new players and veteran gamers alike. You will be able to alter game options such as aim assist, audio and video as well as controls.

As Resistance: Retribution is story-driven, the game content is extremely immersive, requiring you to regularly check on ‘intel’ (game hints) and to take note of any specific game plot clues during the cut-scenes. The cut-scenes and voice acting are also excellent.

There is also another very cool game feature called ‘Infect your PSP’ that allows you to unlock new content within the game if you own the previous game, Resistance 2. This feature also allows you to play this content via your Playstation 3 console and on your TV screen which is just awesome!

Resistance: Retribution has it all – great and immersive game content, lots of action and a fantastic storyline to match. The added game content and functionality boosts the replayability of Retribution through the stratosphere! We anticipate you’ll be hard-pressed to find another third-person shooter with as much content as this one. Resistance fan or no, Resistance: Retribution is a must-have for your playstation portable.

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