Resistance: Fall of Man Preview

[soco]

GamersReports (http://www.gamersreports.com/review/81/) has a preview of the PS3 launch game.


Let me get the one truly unique FPS aspect of RFoM out of the way before we continue. The SixAxis’ tilt control system is used in one of the most innovative ways I have seen yet in a PS3 title. When enemies grab you from behind or from your front, you need to shake the PS3 pad all about to get the Chimera to let go. It even works well enough to be called intuitive. Now that we have gotten that out of the way I can say that the rest of RFoM plays like a run of the mill FPS game.

Keep in mind folks that when I say “plays like a run of the mill FPS game,” this is not necessarily a bad thing – in fact, when it comes to RFoM, it is more of a relief. Insomniac does not have much experience when it comes to FPS games, and for Resistance to be as easily playable and well designed as it is, is impressive indeed. The game has all the features that an FPS game should have: maps that are conducive to the type of objective you are completing, clever and innovative weapon design (especially impressive because they do so doing 1950’s technology mostly), and enemy A.I. that actually works.

[ExTester]

Sounds like the game is gonna suck when they defend why the game "plays like a run of the mill FPS game." I mean thats why I would drop $600, for a run of the mill FPS. Hmm.. or I can get a kickass game like RainbowSix:Vegas or Gears of War and not have to suffer buyers remorse.
I know R6 comes out for the PS3, but it won't be until December 4th. Plenty of time to have buyers remorse develop.

[Gorvi]

Well, it can't possibley be worse than PDZ.....

[bapenguin]

Well, it can't possibley be worse than PDZ.....

PDZ was so bad it didn't even feel like a FPS. I never ever felt like I was controlling the game. BLAH.

[Chameleo]

PDZ was so bad it didn't even feel like a FPS. I never ever felt like I was controlling the game. BLAH.

rare made up for it with kameo didn't they? hopefully viva pinata is great as well.

[The Iron Weasel]

PDZ was so bad it didn't even feel like a FPS. I never ever felt like I was controlling the game. BLAH.
Really? I quite enjoyed the game. My friends and I play lots of Co-op and multiplayer.

[51|RandoM]

Sounds like the game is gonna suck when they defend why the game "plays like a run of the mill FPS game." I mean thats why I would drop $600, for a run of the mill FPS. Hmm.. or I can get a kickass game like RainbowSix:Vegas or Gears of War and not have to suffer buyers remorse.


So what are you saying? Don't buy a PS3 just to play Resistance:Fall of Man? I don't think anybody who buys a PS3 is going to spend that money, play resistance and then unhook their ps3 forever. They'll either buy more games, or sell the console.

Its cool you know GoW is a kickass game, can you give us any juicy details available to an insider like yourself who has played it end to end?

I won't need a ps3 for buyers remorse, my 360 has that covered.

[KidCactus]

Sounds like the game is gonna suck when they defend why the game "plays like a run of the mill FPS game."
Did you read the rest of the preview?

[Gorvi]

Did you read the rest of the preview?

Of course he didn't. It's called taking a phrase out of context, then using it to support irrational bashing of a game he hasn't played. Isn't the internet fun?! :rolleyes:

[bapenguin]

I was excited for this game, all the previews I read and the people I talked to that played it were really positive. Then I saw it at Digital Life. I pretty much lost interest.

[KidCactus]

I pretty much lost interest.
How come?

Lenghtening message.

[Zawath]

The graphics are nice but the gameplay is straight from the 90s. Somebody should tell Insomniac that shooters these days aren't Doom clones anymore. You have to do other things than run around and shoot enemies. The enemies need to be intelligent and the player needs to use cover.

[The Iron Weasel]

I was excited for this game, all the previews I read and the people I talked to that played it were really positive. Then I saw it at Digital Life. I pretty much lost interest.

Well you only saw it right? Or did you get to play it?

[KidCactus]

The graphics are nice but the gameplay is straight from the 90s. Somebody should tell Insomniac that shooters these days aren't Doom clones anymore. You have to do other things than run around and shoot enemies. The enemies need to be intelligent and the player needs to use cover.
From the preview:
The enemy A.I. in RFoM is something that is not even being touted by Insomniac at all, which is a shame because the intelligence level of the CPU almost makes the bots feel human, and that is saying a lot for a first person shooter.

[51|RandoM]

The enemies need to be intelligent and the player needs to use cover.

So you're saying that Gears of War got it half right? Perhaps you're comparing it to some other game. If so, by all means point us to the massively intelligent enemies you've found.

Use of cover by the player has existed in every single FPS ever created, at least if it had like... these things called walls and corners and what not. You know, you strafe behind the wall so they can't shoot you, then you strafe out quick and fire, strafe back?

Oh, maybe you meant cover indepent of architecture? Wait, they've had that forever too, they call it "crates (http://www.oldmanmurray.com/features/39.html)".

You obviously didn't read the review, as he praised the enemy AI. If you had, one hopes your reply would've been different, or perhaps even nonexistant.

[The Iron Weasel]

The only doubts I really have about this game is the developer has never made an FPS before, but by the sounds of it they've got the mechanics down. I am quite looking forward to playing this when I eventually get a PS3.

[bapenguin]

Well you only saw it right? Or did you get to play it?

Well I saw people playing it. I was about to stand in the long line with the limited time I had.

What got me was the game seemed a lot smaller scale than I thought. I thought the game was going to be more of a grand scale FPS, bigger battles, more guys on the screen...that kind of thing. Except what I saw was some dark halways with crazy alien bug guys jumping off the walls. I saw big outdoor enviornments with a handful of humans hiding behind what little rubble there was. The landscapes were pretty barren and the textures all looked flat.

Granted...this was only seeing a handful of sections of the game...but I would have hoped Sony and Insomniac would have put their best foot forward at a big show like that. I guess we'll see, I'm sure if and when I get a PS3 I'll still be picking it up.

[Khash]

The only doubts I really have about this game is the developer has never made an FPS before,...
Oh really? (http://psx.ign.com/objects/000/000135.html)

[The Iron Weasel]

Oh really? (http://psx.ign.com/objects/000/000135.html)
Well....nevermind then.

[Jack B]

Of course, that still leaves the frame rate to be discussed. Keep in mind, the copy of RFoM I used in this preview was an unfinished copy, and I played it on a debug Playstation 3 unit. Whether or not either of these factors made a difference, I am not sure, but I can say without a doubt that the frame rate in Resistance does leave something to be desired. It is certainly not running at anywhere near 60FPS, it is more along the lines of 20-30, with FPS slowdown apparent when the bigger on-screen events transpire. Don’t get me wrong though, 60FPS happens at times. We do sincerely hope that Insomniac is able to tweak the frame rate settings over the next two weeks or so because the game really deserves at least a steady 30FPS rate.

Two weeks? Now that's cutting it a bit close.

I hope they don't rush this a few weeks or months early just to make launch. They could wait and polish it up and not be hurt too badly with sales, since PS3's will be in limited supply and there really isn't any other FPS shooter competition in the lineup.

There will be no Chimera-only weapons or Chimera-only techniques. At least, this is according to the Sony representative I was given to talk to while playing.

Is that in single player? I'd expect aliens would have supplied their own technology. Even if the humans stole a few Chimera weapons from weapons dumps, they shouldn't have enough for the whole army.

It sounds like he liked the AI and the graphics. It's good they have some vehicles in single player. Co-op could be excellent. I loved 32 player in Perfect Dark, so 40 player sounds good to me.

Yeah, it's hard to find 40 friends at any given moment, so you can have some team killers etc, but the bigger games can be a lot of fun sometimes. I wonder if they'll support clans?

[The Iron Weasel]

On the 1up podcast Ted Price talks about Resistance for a solid while, he has some cool stuff to say. I'd check it out.

[Gorvi]

On the 1up podcast Ted Price talks about Resistance for a solid while, he has some cool stuff to say. I'd check it out.

I'm starting to listen to that right now, should be interesting.....

[The Iron Weasel]

I'm starting to listen to that right now, should be interesting.....

Price comes off as a little bit of a Sony salesmen, but thats to be expected. But the game sounds really cool.

[Vandenh]

Oh come one! This game has to be awesome!!!! It fills up a Bluray disk FFS!!!

[Kelegacy]

The only doubts I really have about this game is the developer has never made an FPS before, but by the sounds of it they've got the mechanics down. I am quite looking forward to playing this when I eventually get a PS3.
Actually, they have created a FPS before and it was a pretty darn good one for the PS1, called Disruptor. It was filled with crazy weapons, which seems to be Insomniac's "thing". Just look at the Ratchet games.

[OrangePulp]

Funny to see people take the "run of the mill" comment badly; I'd say Halo is pretty run of the mill, yet look how well it's done. I hope this game kicks some ass, because I really like Insomniac.

[The Iron Weasel]

Actually, they have created a FPS before and it was a pretty darn good one for the PS1, called Disruptor. It was filled with crazy weapons, which seems to be Insomniac's "thing". Just look at the Ratchet games.
Yeah someone brought that to my attention earlier. If the weapons in Resistance are half as cool as in Ratchet, then they've sold me already (not that I wasn't already).

[Exodus]

Doesn't sound all that interesting. This won't be a pickup for me when I get my ps3 ;)

Halo == over rated
This, seems to be following the same vein.

Innovation please. omg, if I shake the controller it will shake whatever's hanging off my character on screen, that's.. not the coolest thing that could have been done with what it's capable of, but whatever I guess I'm just not easily impressed -_-

[mister_slim]

The only doubts I really have about this game is the developer has never made an FPS before, but by the sounds of it they've got the mechanics down. I am quite looking forward to playing this when I eventually get a PS3.
This is their forth, actually, two Ratchet & Clank games can be played first-person. It makes the platforming harder, but the shooting easier.

What got me was the game seemed a lot smaller scale than I thought. I thought the game was going to be more of a grand scale FPS, bigger battles, more guys on the screen... that kind of thing. Except what I saw was some dark halways with crazy alien bug guys jumping off the walls. I saw big outdoor enviornments with a handful of humans hiding behind what little rubble there was. The landscapes were pretty barren and the textures all looked flat.
So, you didn't see any of the areas with 40-50 enemies?
There will be no Chimera-only weapons or Chimera-only techniques. At least, this is according to the Sony representative I was given to talk to while playing.
Well, that's factually wrong.

[Sandman]

I'm really excited about two things in Resistance, the alternate history story line and the weapon types. Some of the better ones I've heard about are a rocket launcher that you can stop in mid-air and have it just waiting on someone to creep up on it, a sniper rifle that slows down time, and a dual wielding pistol that allows you to aim both guns in seperate directions, like you aim one and then hit one of the shoulder buttons and aim the other or something like that. I love an FPS with inovative weaponry.

and I just hit post #1000.

[Jack B]

On the 1up podcast Ted Price talks about Resistance for a solid while, he has some cool stuff to say. I'd check it out.

Ted Price is very good interview. Makes tons of sense. Hope Resistance is as good as he makes it sound, because he makes it sound like an 11 out of 10. :)

[Kelegacy]

I was playing Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal over the weekend (that's the third one, right?) and good God Insomniac knows the art of slick production values. Of course, the Ratchet world of tongue-in-cheek humor is different than that of Resistance, but Insomniac has my utmost trust right now. If they fuck up with Resistance, then I'll be worried.

[mister_slim]

Me and a buddy just played through all of Deadlocked in co-op. Twice. When I originally picked up Deadlocked I was kind of disappointed at the simpler plot and focus on more arena combat and less platforming. Having now beaten it four times, I'm amazed at how much fun the combat still is.