First FPS attempt by Insomniac as a launch game for a console that was notoriously hard to work with and... It has aged much better than I thought!
Played it on Difficult. The game is about 90% smooth, but about 10% is tampered by some difficulty spikes that needed some ironing out or maybe a bit of checkpoint fine tuning. The game early on also has a bit of a newbie developer syndrome, where you can tell Insomniac was really set on nailing down the FPS fundamentals, so it takes a bit to get going. Most people do think about the first Resistance as this Halo-wannabe, and while it is at times, it's equal parts trying to take in elements from other FPS schools of design: it has the lonely solitude of some of the early Medal of Honor games, it has some of the setpieces of early Call of Duty, but it's also very Bloodish when it comes to close quarters encounters. It's good stuff, and to tie it all there's this constant theme of resistance and survival. It's a very dreary looking game that complements the style of gameplay, and the silent protagonist cliché is used very well to deliver this lonesome journey of a man that's doomed to become a chimera.
The core gameplay is intense in a good way; the shifts between level structures makes the game flow in variety; the weapons are pretty fun to use; the chimera AI is simple enough so it doesn't overpower you, but it still knows when to cover or run towards you to prevent situations from becoming static; the recurring minibosses are a menace and some chimera types can give you a good scare... it's consistently engaging and I had a lot of fun, even with some rough spots.
Played it on Difficult. The game is about 90% smooth, but about 10% is tampered by some difficulty spikes that needed some ironing out or maybe a bit of checkpoint fine tuning. The game early on also has a bit of a newbie developer syndrome, where you can tell Insomniac was really set on nailing down the FPS fundamentals, so it takes a bit to get going. Most people do think about the first Resistance as this Halo-wannabe, and while it is at times, it's equal parts trying to take in elements from other FPS schools of design: it has the lonely solitude of some of the early Medal of Honor games, it has some of the setpieces of early Call of Duty, but it's also very Bloodish when it comes to close quarters encounters. It's good stuff, and to tie it all there's this constant theme of resistance and survival. It's a very dreary looking game that complements the style of gameplay, and the silent protagonist cliché is used very well to deliver this lonesome journey of a man that's doomed to become a chimera.
The core gameplay is intense in a good way; the shifts between level structures makes the game flow in variety; the weapons are pretty fun to use; the chimera AI is simple enough so it doesn't overpower you, but it still knows when to cover or run towards you to prevent situations from becoming static; the recurring minibosses are a menace and some chimera types can give you a good scare... it's consistently engaging and I had a lot of fun, even with some rough spots.