Resistance: Retribution acts as a bridge between the original game and its sequel, taking place shortly after the events of Fall of Man and following the story of former British Royal Marine James Grayson in his battle against Chimeran conversion camps.
The story rolls out when Grayson is forced to terminate his own brother’s existence, sending him on a downward spiral of madness in order to rid the continent of every conversion camp known to mankind. Unfortunately, this dark path leads Grayson to a dark jail cell. Upon learning of the Chimerans new form of conversion, the Maquis enlist his help against Chimeran forces, hoping to retake Europe as a whole.
Sony Bend studios had Resistance: Retribution featured at CES 2009 and was mainly promoting the cross-interactivity between R:R and Resistance 2 for the PlayStation 3. As many of you may already know, Retribution is able to interact with the sequel allowing players to either infect Grayson on the PSP or activate "Plus" mode, which gives you the ability to play with your DualShock 3 controller.
Surprisingly enough, the control scheme for the PSP alone is quite intuitive, allowing a solid aim assist mechanic to take the place of a second analog stick. While I was skeptical about this at first, I was quickly shown how well the mechanic actually works. The PSP uses a larger lock-on reticule that allows your crosshair to float within it, automatically targeting enemy personnel. This allows the player to utilize the face buttons as a second analog seamlessly without having to fidget around to line up your shot perfectly.
However, when switching over to Plus mode and the DualShock 3, aim assist is automatically turned off and the game defaults back to the standard reticule you’d expect from Fall of Man or its sequel. Furthermore, when activating Plus mode, the control schematics within the menu screen actually revert over to the DualShock 3. This allows you full customization of the DS3, which is a welcoming addition in itself.
The other mode offered to Portable owners is "Infected" mode, which infects both James Grayson and your PSP with the Chimeran virus in order to change the gameplay almost entirely. Infected mode endows Grayson with similar powers to Nathan Hale, including the ability to regenerate health. This mode also allows Grayson the option of utilizing the HE .44 Magnum, which is otherwise unavailable to you. On top of this, Infected mode also scatters new "infected intel" around the level design for gamers to pick up. This goes side-by-side with the standard intel and further increases the longevity of the game.
Still, the success of Retribution ultimately boils down to the core gameplay mechanics, and fortunately, it doesn’t disappoint. The developers have done a fantastic job in recreating the same style of play that is offered on PS3, while making it unique to the portable world. It goes without saying that Sony’s handheld hasn’t quite delivered in producing a definitive third person shooter for the system, thus making Retribution even more of a crucial addition to the PSP’s growing library.
Everything from the analog control to the face buttons work effortlessly in allowing you to do what you’re trying to achieve. Throughout the entirety of the stage on display at CES, I never once found the controls a hindrance to my progression. Quite the opposite in fact, as I was easily able to access my alt fire, pop out of cover, fire at an enemy, duck back down and maneuver across the screen without taking much damage whatsoever.
2009 is quickly shaping up to be a beastly year for the PlayStation Portable. With titles like LocoRoco 2, Patapon 2, Star Ocean, Prinny and Resistance: Retribution up for release in the first half of the year, PSP owners are going to be in for a considerable treat. Needless to say, Retribution is the perfect portable compliment to its console counterpart.
Resistance: Retribution is due out in North America on March 17, 2009.