Resistance (series)

Resistance is a science-fiction horror series of first-person shooter and third-person shooter video games developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita game consoles. The series takes place in an alternate history around the 1950's, in which an alien species known as the Chimera have invaded Earth and taken over all of Russia, and continue to invade and conquer much of Europe and the United States, expanding their armies by capturing humans and converting them into monstrous, super-powered soldiers to fight on their behalf. The player takes the role of one of the remaining human armed forces as they fight against the Chimera.

Overview

Main article: Resistance Storyline

Setting

Russia-CIA WFB Map--Tunguska — Approximate location of the Tunguska event, in Siberia.

Due to changes in historical events, the end of the Great War leads to a prosperous European alliance and worldwide peace, preventing the Great Depression, the rise of the Nazis in Germany, and World War II, but also leads to the rise of an isolationist Russian Empire, one that is still under Tsarist rule as Vladimir Lenin's Russian Revolution was squashed.

However, a new menace arises from Siberia, with the epicenter corresponding to the time and location of the Tunguska event of 1908. In 1921, Russia initiated a communications blackout with the rest of the world, and built a wall against its European border called the "Red Curtain". Word spreads of small towns, villages, and eventually cities in Russia and Eastern Europe that are destroyed within a single night. A strange cold front also develops over Russia and spreads outwards. European intelligence agencies attempt to listen in on Russian radio stations only to hear a single message repeated over and over: "Brotherhood, Strength, and Fortitude...in the face of the angry night."

In December 1949, the Red Curtain is suddenly breached by numerous Chimera forces. The Chimera overrun continental Europe by February 1950, leaving very few survivors. The Chimera then proceed to dig underneath the English Channel, invading Britain in late 1950. The bulk of the British forces are wiped out, with the rest fleeing to scattered bases in the northern parts of England.

Chimera

The Chimera are a species of unconfirmed origin who serve as the main enemies in the series. They first appeared in Siberia shortly after the Tunguska event. The human forces initially believe the Chimera to be the result of a biological experiment gone wrong, but through events and revelations during the course of Resistance: Fall of Man, along with the Chimeras' advanced technologies such as weather control, energy weapons, and force fields, it becomes obvious to the humans that the Chimera are Extraterrestrial in origin. The Chimeran army expands by infecting humans with a mutagenic virus which causes its victims to fall into a coma, then slowly transform into Chimera, while inside of cocoons. Intelligence reports in the game speculate that more than one human body is needed for the larger strains of Chimera. The Chimera build conversion centers across their territory to both speed up this process and create new breeds of Chimeran creatures. Large, jelly-fish like creatures called Carriers bring infected humans that have fallen into comas to these conversion centers.

The Chimera are much stronger than regular humans, and have between two to six yellow eyes. The Chimeran metabolism is said to be roughly twelve times that of humans', which allows for extraordinary healing abilities, but it causes their bodies to overheat quickly; for that reason, Chimeran soldiers are implanted with cooling devices on their backs. The Chimera thrive in very cold temperatures, which has led them to alter the Earth's climate through unknown means, reducing temperatures to the point where London is frozen over in July. The Chimera are led by creatures called Angels (large, flying monsters with multiple limbs emanating from their backs and extending toward the front around their head) which possess a telepathic link to the Chimeran soldiers. Individual Chimera die without this psychic link. It is said in several intelligence reports during the game that the Chimera will devour their own kind, usually their wounded or dead. It would also seem, that in the events unfolding throughout the story of the series, that the Chimera have been on Earth for far longer than previously thought. As the player progresses, information is given to suggest that the Chimera have been on Earth, far longer than the existance of the Human race, or anything else. They've just been in hibernation the entire time until the events in Russia take place. It is also suggested that the Chimera have their own enemy force that isn't ever really talked about.

Cloven

The Cloven have not appeared in the story campaign mode for Resistance: Fall of Man but are mentioned in discovered intelligence reports. However, they are revealed as an unlockable skin in the multiplayer mode. They are bald, pale-skinned humanoids in foreign military uniforms. In intelligence reports and on the official site, they are said to be maniacs who speak Russian, ritualistically mutilate themselves and their victims, and feed on the bodies of their own dead soldiers. They appear to be enemies of both the Chimera and the British-American forces, due to their hostility towards both. Despite this, they seem to be somehow connected to the Chimera, but in what way is unknown. In two of the intelligence reports found later on in the game it appears that the British started hunting for groups of Cloven. Also in one of these two it makes reference to a possible leader that may control the Cloven.

Information from Resistance's Map Pack 1 on the Official Website reports on a possible alliance between the Chimera and the Cloven (Although due to some of the Cloven who bears American and British uniforms, it may be possible that they change allegiance to the chimera after understanding their view, like Daedalus). The Cloven were spotted ransacking Chimeran bases and encountering no resistance. It also reads in an intelligence report that the Cloven purposely lead the Chimera to York where the American soldiers would be landing, indicating York was a trap from the beginning. The equipment being taken by the Cloven is different from what has been seen in their possession so far. US forces speculate that the Cloven are stockpiling Chimeran technology to be used against Allied forces. An encounter with the Cloven has shown that they now have weapons far stronger than anything witnessed from either side in combat. Whether the Cloven are in possession of advanced Chimeran technology or simply modifying existing Chimeran technology is unknown.

Games

There are currently three main games and two spin-off games in the Resistance series.

Gameplay

The Resistance games play similar to most first-person shooters and feature a variety of weapons. The weapons include both conventional weapons for the setting of the game, weapons created by the Chimera that possess unique features, and human weapons that have been modified to take advantage of the Chimera technology.

The two PlayStation 3 games feature large-scale multiplayer modes with support up to 60 players in Resistance 2 and up to 40 players in Resistance: Fall of Man. Both console games offer extensive stat tracking for online combat, with Resistance 2 featuring trophies that require online play to earn.

Other Media

Novels

Resistance: The Gathering Storm is a novel by William C. Dietz. It details what happened to Nathan Hale during the two years between the events that unfolded in Iceland; after his extraction from Great Britain, and later in San Francisco; where the Chimera launch the invasion of the USA.

Resistance: A Hole in the Sky is an indirect sequel to Resistance: The Gathering Storm. It depicts the events between Resistance 2 and Resistance 3, explaining how Joseph Capelli met Susan Farley and explains the breakdown of the American government.

Comics

Main article: Resistance (comics)

Resistance is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Wildstorm that began in January 2009. It is written by Mike Costa, with art by Ramón Pérez, with the prequel being written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, with pencils by C.P. Smith. The first issue, Resistance #0 (which was available as part of the Resistance 2 Collector's Edition), details the early history of Private Jordan Adam Shepherd, the seemingly innocent soldier who volunteered to be a test subject in Project Abraham, and, due to the machinations of Doctor Fyodor Malikov, would transform into "Daedalus".

Uncharted 2

Heroes of Playstation — Playstion Heroes Skin Pack.

On January 28, 2010, the multiplayer "PlayStation Heroes Skin Pack" was released for Uncharted 2, containing respective heroes and villains from several PS3 game titles, which includes Nathan Hale (in his Sentinel uniform) and a Hybrid skin.

External links

Insomniac Games Official Website
myresistance.net (Website not available anymore)