Resistance Retribution May Be The Best Of The Series So Far.

However we are fastly being converted to the idea that the PSP iteration of the popular shooter really is the best in the series. Yesterday we gave the game 4 Squares in our review. Naturally, the multiplayer doesn't compete with the massive focus in Resistance 2 (although it does hold its own). However it's the single player campaign that's had us most impressed.

Here are the top five reasons that Resistance Retribution is a real winner on the PSP:

  • You'll care. The main thing that struck us immediately in Retribution was that we cared about the characters. Something that we don't often do in PS3 games, let alone PSP releases. The sheer emphasis on story and characterisation via journals, intel, dialogue and cut-scenes make Resistance Retribution's entire cast interesting in their own way. By coincidence or not, the xenophobic, revenge fuelled protagonist could have ended up as another cookie-cutter lead character. But he doesn't. His patch marked jacket oozes charm, giving him the look of a video game tough guy without ever becoming fantasy or over-the-top. You'll be cheering Grayson on all the way through the campaign.
  • Cohesive storytelling. Original Resistance: Fall Of Man hinted at a gloomy European battle against a beast-like form called the Chimera. When Resistance 2 took the battle to the USA, much of the charm was lost, not because of the setting, but because of the way the story was told. Resistance Retribution hones back to the excellent mid-level narration from British soldier Rachel Parker. Because she is an unreliable narrator, in that she doesn't know everything that's happening around her, the story keeps a sense of mystery and intrigue. It's the holes in the plot that make Resistance such an interesting universe to discover. The focus on storytelling in Retribution means there are snippets hidden throughout for people to pick up on. There's so much in the game for those who want to spend time discovering it.
  • Good voice acting. The voice acting in Retribution is certainly not going to win it any Oscars, but it's consistently good. Grayson is well voiced, opposing a more cliche characterisation and instead opting for sarcasm and wit. His counterparts are also equally sharp-tongued: Mallery provides excellent verbal spaing while Lieutenant Cartwright is still as quintessentially British as he was in Fall Of Man.
  • Character interaction. There's a scene in Retribution where Grayson punches French resistance squad leader Mallery three times. The first time he grunts "That's for leaving me behind" — prior to this the Marquis had deserted Grayson to find his own way to safety. The second time he punches him he claims "That's because I don't like you". The third time? "Because you're a bloody Frog." The dispute, and blatant hatred between Grayson and Mallery grows throughout the game, so too does his relationship with unconventional heroine Raine Bouchard. Such interesting character dynamics are rarely built upon in video games, but Resistance Retribution outshines not only its series counterparts, but also other big-name games such as Killzone 2.
  • Pacing. Everytime Retribution starts to get repetitive, the developers turn you upside down. They put you in a mech, they pit you against an enormous enemy that defies the power of the Playstation Portable console or they change the pace a bit. Admittedly the final stages don't meet the dizzying highs of the earlier levels, but where Fall Of Man felt a bit flat and Resistance 2 a little forced, Retribution constantly simmers.

We have just few more words to conclude with: Resistance + 3 = James Grayson please Insomniac?