Resistance: Retribution - a solid shooter for franchise fans
Calling the PSP version of Resistance a spinoff would not be fair to Sony Bend and the creators of this amazing game. It is, for all intents and purposes, a standalone title that stacks up favorably against its much bigger PS3 rivals in terms of action and gameplay. However, there are some ways in which it doesn’t’ quite satisfy our thirst for the kind of experience the more powerful PS3 can provide. The graphics are as good as we could ever hope for on a handheld system, but the designers have had to make compromises in other areas.
Multiplayer online play is also present, but the small selection of maps and gameplay modes feels incomplete, and players will likely grow bored sooner than they would with other, more complex multiplayer shooters, even on the PSP. In the single-player campaign, enemy AI consists of a few basic routines for advancing, taking cover, and running from side-to-side, rather than the more complex formations we are used to seeing in more recent console games.
The two-analog-stick configuration for modern controllers has made First and Third Person Shooters a viable staple on consoles. When dealing with just one stick, though, they’re still a bit tricky. Bend Studio developed a nifty solution with their Syphon Filter entries on the PSP: using the face buttons as the aiming interface, a job usually reserved for the right analog nub. Bend brought that same control scheme to Retribution, and while it is serviceable, it isn’t perfect. The controls don’t feel as natural, nor are they as precise as their console counterparts. The game implements an aim assist that compensate for these shortcomings, and it usually gets the job done. On the rare occasions that a more steely aim is required, the game becomes a bit unwieldy. One enemy type is nigh-unbeatable without a head-shot, which requires you to enter the games manual aiming mode and wrestle with the clumsy face-button scheme. With these enemies (which explode if they get too close) bearing swiftly down on you, precision aiming becomes a frustrating, often futile affair. Thankfully, the cover system that was so impressive in the demo still works just as beautifully, helping alleviate some of the pain brought on by the aiming issue. Bottom line: the controls are probably as good as we’re ever going to see under the circumstances, but they still aren’t ideal.
If you get the avi video for playing the game with your camera, you may convert avi to swf with the fancy player on your blog for sharing.
Multiplayer online play is also present, but the small selection of maps and gameplay modes feels incomplete, and players will likely grow bored sooner than they would with other, more complex multiplayer shooters, even on the PSP. In the single-player campaign, enemy AI consists of a few basic routines for advancing, taking cover, and running from side-to-side, rather than the more complex formations we are used to seeing in more recent console games.
The two-analog-stick configuration for modern controllers has made First and Third Person Shooters a viable staple on consoles. When dealing with just one stick, though, they’re still a bit tricky. Bend Studio developed a nifty solution with their Syphon Filter entries on the PSP: using the face buttons as the aiming interface, a job usually reserved for the right analog nub. Bend brought that same control scheme to Retribution, and while it is serviceable, it isn’t perfect. The controls don’t feel as natural, nor are they as precise as their console counterparts. The game implements an aim assist that compensate for these shortcomings, and it usually gets the job done. On the rare occasions that a more steely aim is required, the game becomes a bit unwieldy. One enemy type is nigh-unbeatable without a head-shot, which requires you to enter the games manual aiming mode and wrestle with the clumsy face-button scheme. With these enemies (which explode if they get too close) bearing swiftly down on you, precision aiming becomes a frustrating, often futile affair. Thankfully, the cover system that was so impressive in the demo still works just as beautifully, helping alleviate some of the pain brought on by the aiming issue. Bottom line: the controls are probably as good as we’re ever going to see under the circumstances, but they still aren’t ideal.
If you get the avi video for playing the game with your camera, you may convert avi to swf with the fancy player on your blog for sharing.
