Resistance: Fall of Man
Platform: PS3
With a lengthy 15-20 hour playtime, and a fleshed-out online multiplayer, "Resistance: Fall of Man" will be in your PS3 for a long time.
Review by Dack

What happens when you take the minds behind "Ratchet and Clank" and show them "Platoon" for two weeks straight? You'd have a lot of very tired, angry developers. Thankfully, Insomniac spent their time creating "Resistance: Fall of Man"; PS3's first shooter, and killer-app.

Like the majority of First-Person Shooter stories, the story of "Resistance" is nothing to get excited about. You play as Nathan Hale, an American soldier fighting in a war -- not against humans, but an alien invader called "The Chimera". When in battle with his comrades, they are attacked by "Spires". Nathan Hale not only finds himself as the sole survivor of the attack, but also that he now possesses increased metabolism and limited health regeneration. Hale joins up with the British Armed Forces on a quest through much of Britain, and Chimeran bases.

The gameplay in "Resistance" is incredibly solid. The SIXAXIS Analog sticks are very responsive and translate your movements perfectly. The SIXAXIS motion controls however, are rarely used to their full potential. You'll only be shaking your controller to get rid of Chimera that jump onto you. The combat in Resistance is very realistic, unlike run-and-gun Halo. You'll have to use the environment around you skillfully to be able to defeat your cunning foe. If you are the kind of player that likes to run through areas and blast things in a giant firestorm, ignoring your own safety, "Resistance" combat might come off as very frustrating. You'll be able to drive three vehicles in Resistance; all of which are a blast to pilot.

One of the best features of "Resistance" is hands down the variety of weapons. Much like its creator's "Ratchet and Clank" series, the guns are inventive and to put it quite simply -- awesome. Your default gun is the "Carbine"; a semi-automatic machine gun that is fun to use, and can deal an impressive amount of damage. You'll soon be using the Chimeran Equivalent "Bullseye". As the game progresses, you'll find many more weapons, including a powerful Shotgun, and a spike-like shooting weapon. It's fun to kill enemies in Resistance.

The graphics in Resistance are incredible. You'll be seeing intricately detailed battlefields, with massive amounts of battles and events occurring at the same time without suffering even a slight slow-down in frame rate. The buildings in environments are very realistic, and perfectly fit the mood. Inside of the buildings, you'll find plenty of clutter crowding it, all of which can be shot around. The character and combat animations are very realistic, fluid, and intelligent. Resistance is the poster child for just what the PS3 is capable of.

If you are a PS3 owner, you have no reason not to pick up this splendid game. It's solid, and far superior to Xbox's poster child, Halo 2. With a lengthy 15-20 hour playtime, and a fleshed-out online multiplayer, "Resistance: Fall of Man" will be in your PS3 for a long time.

Gameplay: 9.5/10
Graphics: 9.5/10
Sound: 9/10
Story: 7/10
Lasting Appeal: 9/10
Playtime: 15+ Hours

Final Score: 9/10