Even if Sony and Insomniac barely acknowledge it anymore, the Resistance series made a big impact on PlayStation gamers in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Its science-fiction take on mid-century warfare stood out in an era dominated by military first-person shooters and the series continues to enjoy a loyal fanbase to this day.
With its inventive storytelling, array of imaginative weapons, and spooky Chimeran enemies, it’s hard to resist the Resistance games. With only five games released in the series so far, there is still some hope, if faint, that Resistance could make a comeback in some shape or form in the future.
5Resistance: Burning Skies
Burning To The Ground
Resistance: Burning Skies is, at this stage, the last game to be released in the series. Which is a shame, because if this is the last taste of Resistance that fans are going to get, then that taste is going to be somewhat sour.
Releasing for the PS Vita in 2012, Burning Skies does a serviceable job of translating the FPS action of the series over to Sony’s HD handheld. The problems are more technical, both in the form of all-too-common glitches and a story that never fully realises its true potential.
4Resistance 2
Crossing The Atlantic For A Worthy Sequel
After the critical and commercial success of Resistance: Fall of Man, a sequel always felt like an inevitability. Resistance 2 took protagonist Nathan Hale over to the USA where he helps battle against the American Chimeran invasion. This time around, the team at Insomniac have done away with the World War 2 aesthetics in favour of a nuclear-age epic, with the scale of the battles cranked up in a big way.
This does mean that Resistance 2 does lose some of the atmosphere that made the original so memorable. But it makes up for it with superior controls and a multiplayer mode that certainly got a lot of activity back in the day. While it may not have reached the heights of the first or third game, this middle chapter in the Resistance trilogy still delivered a thrilling, narrative-rich experience for PlayStation 3 gamers.
3Resistance Fall Of Man
The Rise Of Resistance
After making a name for itself as the developer of colourful3D platformers on the PS2and original PlayStation, Insomniac took a hard left turn with Resistance: Fall of Man. This gritty, largely-monochromatic first-person shooter was set in an alternative 1950s where World War 2 never happened, and Great Britain was instead fighting against a nightmarish enemy known as the Chimera. As Nathan Hale, you help the British resistance in their fight against the Chimera in a military shooter that effortlessly has one foot in both history and science-fiction.
Resistance: Fall of Man’s sombre tone lends itself well to certain levels leaning into survival-horror territory. The Chimera feel like a genuine threat, whether you’re battling them on the streets of London or trying to break free of one of their conversion centres. While some of the controls can feel a bit archaic by today’s standards, Fall of Man was still thestandout launch gamefor the PS3 and a fitting introduction to Insomniac’s new series.
2Resistance: Retribution
Taking The Fight To Europe
It may be surprising to some that one of the best Resistance games also happens to be the only one in the franchise that is third-person and also released on the PSP. But Sony Bend did such a commendable job translating the atmosphere, unique weaponry, and scale of the series to a portable system, that Resistance: Retribution is an unexpected standout in more ways than one.
James Grayson may just be the best protagonist in the entire series. A disgraced soldier from the British resistance who has crossed the pond to help the French battle the Chimera, James Grayson is equal parts charming and cynical and his adventure across mainland Europe pulls you deeper and deeper into his emotional state. When you add in Resistance: Retribution’s excellent multiplayer modes, this game truly was the full package and one of thebest games for the PSP.
1Resistance 3
Going Out With A Bang
The new lead character, the iconic box art, and the most gripping story in the series to date – Resistance 3 has a lot going for it. This game truly felt like the perfect amalgamation between Fall of Man’s darker tone and Resistance 2’s more epic scale. There’s a clear confidence in the way that Resistance 3 marries its gameplay and narrative so seamlessly, with exceptional environmental storytelling and the series’ most universally interesting cast of characters.
Gone are the military shooter parallels in favour of a more bleak, post-apocalyptic setting and tone that makes the Chimera in Resistance 3 feel more powerful than ever before. And yet, it’s the brief flashes of humanity in Joseph Capelli’s story that ensures Resistance 3 is both an emotional and epic conclusion to the series. If Resistance 3 is chronologically the last we will ever get of this series, then it was the perfect way for Insomniac to sign off.
