Viva la Resistance
The Turning Point
Resistance Retribution marks the turning point for the PSP. Up until now the PSP hasn’t really had too many good games that players could sink their teeth in to. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some, but these have been few and far between.
Now – all hail the God of Games – we have Resistance Retribution.
Bend Studios have worked really hard to tap into the undiscovered potential of the PSP, and have succeeded above and beyond all expectation. Set between Resistance Fall of Man and Resistance 2, Retribution sees you as James Grayson fighting in France. After the death of Grayson’s brother, who he was forced to kill after watching him converted into a chimera, Grayson deserted his squad and went on a chimera killing spree.
After being caught, Grayson is sentenced to death but is reprieved by Bouchard, a member of the French Resistance (a.k.a. the Marquis). Grayson travels to France with Bouchard after agreeing to help them access the conversion centres, unknown to Bouchard, Grayson has other plans…
If you own a PS3 and a copy of Resistance 2, you will be able to take advantage of some extra features.
To tell Grayson’s tale of Retribution is Rachel Parker, the narrator from Resistance Fall of Man on PS3.
When it comes to shooting games on the PSP things can be a bit hit or miss. As the PSP has only one analogue stick, aiming can be quite tricky. To overcome this problem, Bend has introduced an auto aim system. The auto aim locks onto the nearest enemy and, as long as you keep them within the reticule, you’ll be free to move and pump lead into them. This auto aim function doesn’t make the game any easier; it simply makes it more enjoyable. But for the hardcore out there, you can turn the auto aim off.
Laying the Foundations
The default controls are surprisingly good with little if any, impact on gameplay. Movement is dealt with by the analogue stick. The D-pad is used to interact, reload and cycle through your weapons, while the face buttons are used to look around. The shoulder buttons are used for normal fire and alternate fire, such as grenade launcher. You can switch the movement and looking controls over, which if I’m honest I found easier to use.
So with the controls and aiming feature in place, Resistance Retribution has laid the foundation to take shooting games to a whole new level on the PSP.
But we live in a fickle world and to some looks are far more important than how a game actually plays. Thankfully, Resistance Retribution is stunning; it almost rivals the scale or Resistance 2. The levels are large and highly detailed, and the scenery is constantly changing. You will fight through sewers, the decimated city of Bonn and conversion centres. These levels aren’t just run and gun affairs either, you will need to climb, hide and even swim through some areas. There is a great amount of variation that keeps each level in Resistance Retribution fresh.
Resistance Retribution is stunning; it almost rivals the scale or Resistance 2.
Connectivity is also a big feature in Resistance Retribution. If you own a PS3 and a copy of Resistance 2, you will be able to take advantage of some extra features. The first of these is the Infected feature. By ‘infecting’ your PSP, you infect Grayson with the Chimera virus. Being infected allows Grayson to breathe under water, regenerate his health and even use the Magnum with exploding bullets from Resistance 2. Another benefit is Resistance Plus. Whilst the PSP and PS3 are connected, you can use the Dualshock 3 complete with rumble to play Resistance Retribution (although this will automatically turn the auto aim off). These are welcome additions, but also make me wonder why other publishers aren’t also pushing the PSP and PS3 connectivity.
As well as the deep single player and PS3 connectivity, Bend Studios have added multiplayer to Resistance Retribution. The Multiplayer can be played online or with a group of friends locally. With classic modes such as Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag all present, the multiplayer is just as much fun as the singleplayer. I’ve never really played much online with my PSP, but Resistance Retribution could change all that.
A Triumph for the PSP
Everything in Resistance Retribution shines, not literally I might add. Bend Studios have worked exceptionally hard to make Resistance Retribution stand out from other shooting games on the PSP, to make the aiming mechanic user friendly and they have succeeded. Resistance Retribution is, without a doubt, the best shooting title on the PSP. It is a game that should be in any PSP owners’ collection, especially if you play Resistance on the PS3 as it adds more to the story.
Join the Resistance today, you won’t regret it.
GAME's Verdict
- The PS3 connectivity.
- The controls and auto aim make this an enjoyable shooter for the PSP.
- Graphically amazing, really raises the bar for the PSP.
- You can sometimes be a little overwhelmed by the numbers of Chimera.
- As good as the auto-aim is, it can sometimes be a little slow to find a new target.
- Waiting to see if Resistance Retribution 2 will be announced.