Inside PlayStation Network - Resistance Retribution

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The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.

Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We've got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.

Today, we gear up for a Chimera-blasting marathon in Resistance: Retribution.

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Developer: Sony Bend
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1-8

Resistance stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Killzone as one of Sony’s top-tier platform exclusives, and its migration to PSP back in early 2009 was met with some initial scepticism. After all, how could a dual-stick centric blaster such as Resistance successfully transition to the single-stick configuration of Sony’s slab? Fortunately, any trepidation folk had over the game was soon squashed thanks to some superb coding from the chaps at developer Sony Bend.

Retribution chucks you in the shoes of no-nonsense hero James Grayson, a British squaddie fighting against the Chimera invasion alongside the French. A far cry from the silent, poker-faced Nathan Hale, Grayson has no compunction in hurling abuse at his fellow comrades when something gets his goat, and as a result is certainly no less memorable than Hale and his console-based companions. Aside from a new protagonist, you’ll also have to acquaint yourself with fresh controls; namely, manipulating Grayson with the analogue stick, using the face buttons to aim and shoulder buttons to fire. And it works like a charm.

At its nucleus Retribution is very much your bread-and-butter Chimera-slaying experience, albeit from a third-person perspective. You’ll traverse various environments while blasting a variety of challenging, butt-ugly alien scum using the game’s intuitive aim-assist window. Most foes can be dispatched with a quick burst of bullets, though some require more precise targeting (i.e. head shots) so you’ll have to take peak down your sights. As with the console Resistance games, there’s a myriad of destructive weapons up for grabs, as well as secondary fire functionality.

Outside of mowing down copious amounts Chimera, you’ll also encounter a few fresh tweaks on the tired-and-tested Resistance paradigm, including sections where you’ll have to go for a swim and pilot hulking mechs. The game is pretty generous with checkpoints too, alleviating any stress of kicking the bucket only being forced to slog through the same section over and over again. Don’t expect an easy ride though; Retribution is tough as nails, and easily up there with the original PS3 games in terms of difficulty. Also present is a multiplayer component that accommodates up to seven players via ad-hoc. Game modes are pretty rudimentary by today’s standards, and include staples such as Free-for-All, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag plus a few other distractions. Retribution also packs a ranking system, clan support and chat, with most games running without any major hiccups.

Most unique however, is the fact you can connect with Resistance 2 via USB cable– or as Sony Bend puts it, ‘infect’ your PSP. This augments Grayson with health regenerative abilities, spooky glowing eyes and a black uniform as sported by Hale. Oh, and you also gain access to a particularly meaty Magnum revolver capable of firing explosive rounds. Lovely. Perhaps the most rewarding feature however, is the ability to play Retribution with your PS3 pad – perfect for those who admittedly struggle with the standard set-up.

Blimey, is that another week done and dusted? It would appear so. In that case, have a great weekend and join us again Monday for another peak Inside PlayStation Netework.