I love the IP, while the play mechanics of the second game fell a bit short due to the removal of the weapon wheel, overall the story was enjoyable for me. The third game really delved into a horror style game, with hints of survival (not due to any actions or play mechanics), but mostly due to how stark everything was.
That first level where you and your group are living underground, yet the picturesque beauty of the small town being reclaimed by nature was sublime. Then you get invaded and attacked, which felt like any alien invasion in small town America, (nods to the original Red Dawn movie, at least for me).
St. Louis also stood out, with the use of darkness in the dilapidated high rise buildings and the incubation rooms for the hybrid eggs. It really evoked a sense of dread, and touched on the Zombie trope in a way that wasn't out of place.
I loved seeing how dire the situation became as you moved toward your goal, how the cities and urban centers were so lifeless and horrific, as if you know humanity is on the brink. Kudos to the mention of the radio being used to convey stories and connection from other survivors.
The sniper level in the hills, prison set piece and the tunnels really showcased how diverse Insomniac made the game. It was interesting to discover enclaves of humans struggling and reverting to base tribalism through violence or religion, as the different groups were doing what they could to survive.
You can tell there are definite nods and inspiration from the Half-Life IP, and that is a great form of flattery, as it can exist side by side. Insomniac decided to make a narrative driven linear game, and I still think there is room for that type of FPS, at least for me.
I really wish Insomniac would have given us more back story on the Cloven on the PS3 platform, I guess they explored it on the Vita? I never played it so I don't know for sure. I also wanted to see what became of Russia, but I guess we can expect it was the same in the U.K. and the U.S.A., just that it happened earlier?
The marketing for this game was top-notch using The Staple Singers "Masters of War" with a Grapes of Wrath-esque feeling as a small group of people are fleeing on a train, across the U.S. and witnessing the horrors the Chimera wrought.
It is still one of my favorite Sci-Fi IP's in game form; I loved the setting and time period. I think Insomniac stretched themselves too thin by working on multiple games simultaneously, I can't speak intelligently to that as I wasn't part of the team. However, I'm glad they took the risk and gave us the Resistance IP. I also am thankful that they continued working on Ratchet and Clank. They proved they can do slapstick and serious Science Fiction, we as gamers are lucky for that.
