The Chimera. First debuting in Russia, this talented species of humanoid aliens took the world by storm. Their second appearance, in the heart of England in the 1940s, propelled the Chimera to worldwide superstardom. Riding on the back of this new success, they continued their fame with a worldwide tour; beginning in the United States, the Chimera enjoyed prolonged radio time and even did hundreds of live events in order to get closer to their audience.

Don't let it fool you. The Chimera are not a band. They do not have any acting ability. They don't know anyone in Hollywood, and they're not related to the Jackson Five. In fact, they are an alien humanoid race who believe themselves to be the original inhabitants of Earth, and are intent on eradicating humanity in order to be the superior race on Earth. Awww, how sweet?

Due to the success of the Resistance series, new PlayStation3 owners sparce on cash have to make the decision between getting either Resistance: Fall of Man (the fantastic series debut at £19.99) or the latest game, Resistance 2. Here's where I step in; in this article, I'll compare the aspects of both so you can decide which one is for you.

Storyline. Resistance: Fall of Man relied heavily on the storyline as a way of giving the player some idea of what had led up to the events in the game. Based in the United Kingdom, R1 followed the story of Nathan Hale and his battle against the Chimeran invasion of the UK. Resistance 2, on the other hand, had a much less prominent storyline, told more through in-game narrative rather than through standalone cut-scenes.

In terms of gameplay, both games are very different. Resistance 1 has a more fun, lightweight feel - the weapons system is 'old school', with the player able to pick any weapon he or she likes, and the lack of an easily accessible ADS stystem encourages more 'run and gun' gameplay. R2, however, is much more tactical; the versatile aiming system, huge numbers of enemies and only two weapons mean that the player can't play it one-man-army style.

Graphically, Resistance 2 is evidently better. Come on, it hasn't been out as long, has it? However, both games impress, with realistic graphics from the start. R2, however, has much more graphical shapow, and are probably more immersive overall.


The online features for both games are strong. Resistance: Fall of Man's online mode is fully old-school, but with a variety of strong game modes such as team deathmatch and capture the flag and many good maps. The gameplay for R1 online is quite run and gun, with a good fun feel to it: great for ten minutes before school or a quick game in a lunch hour. R2's online, however, is much more tactical; XP- and class-based gameplay makes for a diverse match atmosphere, and the amazingly huge games (up to 60p) and spectacular maps make for a jaw-clanching tactical experience.

Overall, if you want a game which you can pick-up and play but still feel you've spent your money wisely, you can't go wrong with Resistance: Fall of Man - particularly as it's now only twenty quid. However, if you prefer a more tactical gaming experience, take your games seriously, want to have the latest stuff or are a fan of intense, arse-cheek-tensing action games - pick Resistance 2.

Linford

Labels: Comparisons, R:Fom, Resistance 2

There's many things people join in a mad rush for. Celebrities autographs, book signings, running away from a massacre. Or, in the case of the game industry, beta keys for upcoming, highly anticipated PS3 exclusives. Like, say... Resistance 2 for example.

Resistance 2 is the sequel to the bestselling PS3-launch title Resistance: Fall of Man. The game follows on where FoM left off, with Nathan Hale taking centre stage again as the main character. R2 is set in America during the 1950s, and focuses on the Chimeran invasion of the east and west coasts of the USA.

I downloaded the beta - which weighs in at 2.2GB - after I became one of 7,000 lucky European PS3 owners to grab a beta key from IGN's giveaway. The beta gives you an insight into the network features of the game, without giving away too much of the storyline.

The 'competitive' portion of the beta includes competitive maps from three different locations in the game. 60, 40 and 20-player maps from Orick, 40 and 20-player maps from Chicago, and a standalone 10-player map called Sub Docks. Two new modes, Skirmish and Core Control, are supported, as well as traditional Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch.

The co-operative part of the beta is entirely focused on the Orick level, and gives beta testers a glance at the new 8-player online co-op mode. This portion supports play-path randomisation, so each time you play is slightly different.

Competitive mode works well, and the squad based gameplay is fantastic. Not only does it enable you to play tactically with friends or strangers, but it also allows you to be given hostile targets to 'take out', as it were. I encountered problems attempting to matchmake games - the beta either responded with 'Network Error' or a similar sort of message. However, this is one thing which is sure to be non-existant in the full game.



Insomniac have evidently been working hard on the co-op side of things. Jumping into a game with a group of friends is easy, and with up to 8-player play and class-based weapon sets, it makes it simple to get a well-rounded team together. The beta, however, only includes three classes - soldier, medic and Spec Ops. Hopefully there will be more options available in the full release.

High-definition really is made worthwhile with this beauty. The beta runs at a solid 720p, 60fps on my HDTV, with almost no gittering or pixelation at all. The renders are spot on, too - there's no square edges to be seen, and the lighting effects look fantastic. There's a good colour range, and that makes for a viewing experience that's full of vibrancy, rather than boring. The one thing which did not look quite how I thought it would, however, is water - it seems to have some unseen foce pulling it about, and looks almost comical.

Gameplay is good, and there was hardly any lag when playing in a 60-player deathmatch. Shooting feels satisfying, although enemies seem to take huge amounts of damage before finally kicking the bucket. Whether this is part of the story - stronger Chimera for a new invasion - is yet to be found out.

The menu system is well implemented, and easy-to-use. I really like the way you can still navigate through main menus and friends lists without leaving the party you're in - it makes navigation much more time-efficient. However, the beta was filled with minor glitches; attempts to view a profile always resulted in a network error and the game could occassionaly freeze and entirely crash the PS3, forcing a hard reset. However, that really couldn't put me off in the slightest.

If the beta is anything to go by, Resistance2 is going to be absolutely fantastic, and will live up to the hype. I'm really glad I got an exclusive insight into the beta, although there's one little thing that's niggling at me.

I desperately want the full game.

Linford

Labels: Beta Impressions, Exclusive, Matthew, Matthew Meadows, R:Fom, Resistance 2

If hype for Insomniac’s upcoming shooter wasn’t high enough already, Sony’s ultra-revealing E3 conference certainly added fuel to the Resistance fire. With a brand-spanking new trailer, new information and an upcoming PSP spin-off title revealed, Sony’s press department have been hard at work to ensure that the latest Resistance games are well advertised before release.

Sony’s couldn’t have started their E3 staging much better than this. Actual in-game footage of Resistance: Fall of Man 2 was displayed to the amazement of watching crowds at the L.A. Shrine Theater – and amazement is the right word. Even at this stage, it looks absolutely fantastic and a definite step up from the original.

The sequel is set in America during the year 1953. Set in an alternate universe where WW2 never happened, the Chimera have broken US borders and are converting villages full of people to Chimeran forces, thus spreading the virus.

You play as Lieutenant Nathan Hale of the US Army, who has been infected with the Chimeran virus and is fighting it – as well as the Chimera themselves. The storyline continues from the plot of the original.

At the moment, the graphics and gameplay look absolutely amazing. Revealed at E3 was a huge monstrous leviathan, taller than most of the buildings. That’s what the original was missing, and what’s going to make this sequel absolutely brilliant. The game looks to play exactly like the original, but with added extras like being able to walk along building constructions. The weapons are similar to the original, but added to and tweaked slightly, so it still feels original.

The graphics look spectacular. Seriously, the explosions and fire effects are really impressive, and the monsters look exactly how they should – huge, frightening and hideous. The buildings look really realistic and the glass effects – as with the original – are amazing. Gun models also look more detailed than in Resistance: Fall of Man.

The multiplayer looks great too – 8 player online co-op and 60p online battles make this multiplayer very attractive. There is also news of squad-based skirmishes online, which should give a much-needed tactical aspect to the game.

I am really looking forward to Resistance 2 – hopefully it will be one of the best games this year graphically, online and gameplay-wise. I only hope Insomniac can deliver on what they have promised.

Linford

Labels: E3, Hype Train, Preview, R:Fom, Resistance 2