Resistance - Why It FAILED
Concluding The Trilogy Meekly
Lets; R3 picks up four years after the death of Nathan Hale and the opening cutscene immediately tells the player how the Chimera arrived on Earth. It's a disappointing start that throws out the mystery of the monsters and plants us in the shoes of protagonist Joseph Capelli afterwards. The story attempts to be more contained and sombre one, a tale of a reluctant hero setting out in one last bid to save the world.
What made the story fall flat was that its efforts to create a more emotional tone came up short as yet again, we didn't get much time to get to know the characters. However, the gameplay itself was far superior; Insomniac had clearly learned all the right lessons between 2008 and 2011 and it shows through the set pieces and weapon designs. Joe takes on a massive widowmaker in an open environment, defends a moving train from attacking bandits and smashes his way through a brutal prison with little more than a sledgehammer. These moments were far more memorable than any of the other titles.
The weapons themselves reverted back to the franchise's roots and this time they could be upgraded to further add to the carnage on-screen. The Rossmore Shotgun would be granted incendiary rounds at level 2 for example. Being able to carry every weapon, alongside opening up the levels again, made for a more enjoyable experience all around. Though they in service to a story that failed to raise its stakes or build things up to the ultimate climax. The final level in New York boils down to taking down one of the Chimera's towers and this appears to signal their abrupt defeat around the world.
Resistance 3 is ultimately a paradox of a title. On the one hand, it offered the best single-player campaign of the series, refusing to fall into the traps its predecessor did. But on the other, its ambitious multiplayer ambitions were fundamentally cut and reduced, causing them to blend in with every other online shooter of the time. Heading into sub-standard maps with sixteen players failed to follow through on Resistance 2's unique features, which spoke volumes of how Insomniac no longer wished to pursue further entries.