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Resistance: Retribution


Control issues hamper the best PSP shooter to date

Retribution does the best it can with the PSP’s single analog stick. It maps aiming to the face buttons and indulges you with a generous amount of aim assist – but it still feels far from an ideal solution. It’s a shame really, because in every other respect this is classic Resistance: epic, explosive, and fast-paced.

Fitting neatly between the two PS3 titles, Retribution takes you across mainland Europe on a quest for revenge. James Grayson, a disgraced former Lieutenant and xenophobic cockney, is saved from a firing squad by the French Resistance and forced into a suicide mission in Rotterdam. Cue some casual racism – every other Frenchman is a “bloody frog” – as James juggles his objectives with his thirst for vengeance (his brother was a victim of Chimera conversion).

The game may struggle with the PSP’s crampy button layout, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful title on the system. The initially forgettable environments recall the monochromatic sludge of the first Resistance, rather than its brighter, bolder sequel, but the character models are superb. James looks full of character with his leather jacket complete with sewn-on badges, and each of the new Chimera types are great looking villains.

The change from first to third-person perspective is essential, for a number of reasons. Auto-aiming seems less offensive in a more distant view – you’d never get away with this much aim assistance in a true FPS – while the game’s snappy cover system would be ten times more fiddly in first-person. When it decides to work, cover is simple - unfortunately, you can only take cover when enemies are present, and sometimes not even then if James isn’t in precisely the right spot.


 
13 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
DasavageJ  - 8 months 15 days ago 
AWESOME my 2nd first (lol)

Anyway nice review I agree with most points and if the aim and cover are like Sypholn Filter then I'll be fine with it.

nice to see a good start for the PSP year, hope Sony will keep it up.
superninja  - 8 months 15 days ago 
i think MGS Portable Ops is better

but that could just be me
Grenade  - 8 months 15 days ago 
The Portable Ops demo was terrible, though I haven't played the full game.

The demo for Retribution was good, but to be completely honest, I just wasn't having that much fun. And the camera movement didn't bother me, but the directional buttons being used for aiming did.
homie_cheese_slice  - 8 months 15 days ago 
I thought the controls were much more tolerable if you switched to aiming with the nub,an moving with the face buttons.
Gotxxrock  - 8 months 15 days ago 
It looks like a good game... but I can't imagine playing, and enjoying games of this caliber on a handheld. I guess I'm just one of those backward gamers who still romanticize the equation of: Good ol' 2D platforming and RPGs + Portable gaming system = A simple and fun digression from typical HarDcorEZ gaming.
(sort of lke the Wii, except it doesn't suck, and only takes up 15% of my gaming time)
69R  - 8 months 14 days ago 
played it, loved it, can I say, blasting chimeras' heads are extremely satisfying, even in psp.
dysonjam  - 7 months 29 days ago 
why don't you check out tips and tricks from the development team at, www.myspace.com/pspresistance http://tr.im/hu8K, this might help..... I think it is awsome!
dysonjam  - 7 months 29 days ago 
Did you know that there's a Resistance: Retribution tournament where you could win $25,000 in Sony gear?! the info is on the same site with the tips..... COOL http:www.myspace.com/pspresistance, http://tr.im/hu8K
Jason.Darksavior  - 7 months 25 days ago 
Resistance on PSP looks heaps good....I can't wait till I get to play this! Awesome.
AZcardfan11  - 7 months 21 days ago 
Its a great game for the psp and hope to see more soon
Sonneilon  - 7 months 20 days ago 
So it's normal that to think that the psp's buttons are cramped!
pingagigante  - 6 months 19 days ago 
As a big Resistance fan I was somewhat disappointed in this game but felt the need to get it just to beat it. By the end of the game it was tolerable i guess, but i beleive Bend Studios could've done better.
Touchstone  - 5 months 4 days ago 
Nice review.

I totally agree, R:R is one of the best PSP games out at the moment, much better than the old MOHH series.

Star Wars Elite Squadron should give it a run for it's money though.

;)
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The Knowledge
Resistance: Retribution
Resistance: Retribution

Genre: Shooter
Release date: 20 Mar 2009
Published by: SCEA
Developed by: SCEA Bend Studio
Franchise: Resistance
Multiplayer Modes:
Offline
8 player VS
Online
8 player VS
8 GREAT
Read the review
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