Resistance: Fall of Man

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Proof of concept: PS3 as hardcore gaming machine

Words: Benjamin Turner, GamesRadar US

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If online's more your thing, you'll be quite pleased with Resistance's substantial offerings. It supports up to 40 players in a variety of game modes, including capture the flag, deathmatch and a number of variations on king of the hill. The online action is fast and smooth and the creative arsenal makes for some fun encounters.

Resistance also features detailed stat tracking, performance awards, clan capabilities, voice chat... you name it, it has it. Few, if any, current-gen console shooters are so full-featured, let alone titles for just-launched systems.

Our only qualm with the multiplayer is that life's a bit too cheap. Death comes early and often and a lot of the time it doesn't feel like there's much you can do about it. If an enemy drops in behind you and tears up your back, you'll be dead before you can really respond. It feels like there should be a greater chance for a seasoned player to react skillfully and emerge on top.

Above: The atmosphere is well realised and you'll be twitchy in the dark

Cooperative play is also supported and it's a blast to take on the single-player campaign with a friend. The co-op difficulty is ramped up, so don't be expecting a walk in the park. Unfortunately, Insomniac decided against supporting co-op online, so split-screen is the only way to play. This is a philosophical choice on the developer's part; we just don't happen to agree. We would like the option to play with distant friends over the net. Voice chat's in there, so why not?

As the one launch title to truly harness the power of PS3, Resistance is an excellent demonstration of what the new console can achieve. The wide open vistas are drop-dead amazing in scope and detail and the intricately detailed backgrounds are astounding, though sometimes the graphics are a bit blurry. Character animations are smooth and life-like and the air is often dense with smoke and particles. Simply put, Resistance is the best-looking FPS experience on consoles. If you've got a good stereo, it'll rock your surround system, too.