The original was one of the PS3's best launch titles and the sequel one of the biggest games of 2008. Now the Resistance franchise has hit PSP, but can it make the same impact on a handheld?
You can tell just by looking at Resistance: Retribution that Sony is taking PSP seriously. It's a huge step up from the lazy PS2 conversions PSP owners have previously had to endure.
After a fancy CGI sequence, the opening scene shows the lead character, James Grayson, parachuting into a Chimera-infested warzone in Rotterdam. This gives you an early opportunity to admire the detail.
The smaller, closed in levels can look plain, but PSP really struts its stuff in more open stages where detail peaks and, even with multiple enemies on screen, there's no dip in performance.
You, playing as Grayson, have been forced into fighting across Europe with militant group, the Marquis, in a battle to save Luxembourg from a looming Chimeran assault.
Gameplay is mostly spent on foot as you gun your way through Rotterdam into the Chimera territory of central Europe.
You take the occasional underwater plunge, hammer X to yank a door-opening switch here and there, and take control of a mech later in the game (without spoiling too much for you), but it's otherwise a by-the-numbers shooter.
It may be squashed onto a small screen, but as well as a fairly decent-sized single-player campaign, Resistance Retribution packs a hefty serving of multiplayer.
Resistance Retribution
Gameplay footage
0:30More direct-feed footage from the portable spin-off
Resistance Retribution
Gameplay footage
0:30More direct-feed footage from the portable spin-off
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Resistance Retribution
Gameplay footage
0:30More direct-feed footage from the portable spin-off
Deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag modes are self-explanatory. But there are two others; Assimilation, where players on one team kill members of the opposing team to assimilate them and Containment, in which both teams battle to capture two coolant nodes, causing their opposition's reactor core to explode.
It goes up to ten players too, both online and offline, so it can get pretty hectic - which is refreshing to see on PSP, and something we hope for more of going foward.
Whether you're playing the single or multiplayer modes, RR suffers from one fundamental issue though - the controls.
With the PSP's four face buttons lost to 'look' direction control, you only have two buttons in your immediate grip: the shoulder buttons. R shoots and L is alternate fire.
That's clearly not enough, so it compensates by making rather awkward use of the D-pad for other essential tasks.
Down is 'interact' which is okay because that's easily reached. But left is reload and right changes weapon - two commonly-used actions placed on buttons you have to take your thumb off the thumbstick to reach.
Manual aim, required regularly to take out new female Chimera who need to be shot in the head, is on the up button.
The game tries further to improve a fundamentally flawed system by doing a list of other tasks automatically.
Aiming with four buttons is awkward, so instead of a standard cross-hair you have an almost screen-sized hit box and Grayson automatically shoots at anything within it. There's an automatic cover system too, which locks you to walls when close.
But despite Bend Studios' valiant efforts, the controls just aren't as smooth as you'd want them to be because, as with any automated function, it's frustrating as hell when it doesn't work correctly. Like when you're getting shot to shit because Grayson won't duck behind that wall. Or he chooses to shoot at a distant enemy behind cover instead of the one in your face.
We think it could have worked better with 360 degree analogue like Uncharted, but with an intelligent, self-sufficient camera system. We can't see why Bend would make a third-person game control like an FPS on a console that lacks two analogue sticks.
Moving on, the dialogue can be cringe-worthy at times, particularly the old British accents. There are also sections where you're forced to babysit an AI character that just refuses to keep their damn head down. And nothing's more frustrating than getting Game Over when you've done nothing wrong.
Resistance: Retribution needs your forgiveness though. It makes the effort and delivers a solid shooter. It's no platform-defining blockbuster, but if you've got the patience to get along with the controls there's a good few hours to be found. Add on some decent multiplayer and it's a good day to be a PSP owner.
You can hook a dual shock up to play Retribution with does that make the controls any better? Also there were rumours that if you linked your PSP to you PS3 and had Resistance 2 saved games, they would some how 'infect' your PSP game and change it. Any sign of that?
You can hook a dual shock up to play Retribution with does that make the controls any better? Also there were rumours that if you linked your PSP to you PS3 and had Resistance 2 saved games, they would some how 'infect' your PSP game and change it. Any sign of that?
The dual analogues of the DualShock would make controlling the game better (auto aim is disabled and rumble support is included), but you have to have a PS3 and the USB cable to connect the two, plus the (sold separately) video-out cable for PSP Slim/3000 models to get it on your telly. Or, for the PSP 1000 model, you have to sit hunched over the PSP with the pad in your hand - overall not too practical.
RE 'Infected' mode: It gives you recharging health and the ability to breathe underwater.
"You can hook a dual shock up to play Retribution with does that make the controls any better?" Yes, but that kind of defeats the point of the playstation PORTABLE.
"Also there were rumours that if you linked your PSP to you PS3 and had Resistance 2 saved games, they would some how 'infect' your PSP game and change it. Any sign of that?" It's in there from the reviews I've seen. You get an extra section of gameplay and a few other bits. Well worth the trouble if you've got a PS3 & copy of R2.
This game would have probably gone up to an 8 if the PSP had 2 analogue stick. Shame
Maybe. I really liked the demo but the PSP isn't suitable for shooters. It's not just the lack of sticks, it's awkward to hold as well. I was hoping being able to use a Dual Shock would help but it just looks like a hassle to set up. The 'infect' idea is a nice touch. Redesign it into a dual shock with a screen.
And yet again CVG does a review that goes against every other website and magazine. Do me a favour CVG, leave the games reviews to the professionals eh?
Have you seen other scores for the game? Metacritic average is about 8, and there are quite a few other reviews that score it lower.
Could it be that fps's just don't really work on the psp. Not being able to reload, jump etc while moving would ruin it for me. It could be perfectly paced, have amazing graphics and play like halo/kz2 with a pad, but if the controls are busted it's a straight 'no' for me.
Voodoo's idea of a controller with built in screen seems a winner to me. If you want to do ps2/3 style games anyway.
No need to be so paranoid. If people don't like reviews on a website, why torture yourself reading them?
Indicating CVG, 1UP and IGN UK were the ONLY people out of 12 reviews to give it a low score, I haven't seen one bad magazine review yet either. Oh and I see IGN.COM gave the game a 9.2!
Did you know you could "infect" your PS3 with Resistance: Retribution to unlock bonus content in Resistance 2? Check out the info at www.myspace.com/pspresistance, http://tr.im/hu8K
What do YOU think about the: Retribution Resistance featured weapon of the week? Check out what developers are saying at www.myspace.com/pspresistance http://tr.im/hu8K.
There are tips and tricks about Resistance: Retribution from the development team and cool weapon of the week feature with a giveaway. Have a look on the www.myspace.com/pspresistance http://tr.im/hu8K
There are tips and tricks about Resistance: Retribution from the development team and cool weapon of the week feature with a giveaway. Have a look on the www.myspace.com/pspresistance http://tr.im/hu8K
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Visually pleasing
