A look into Resistance 3 Multiplayer Beta

PSN users with Playstation Plus have been given a real treat in the latest PSN store update. The Resistance 3 Multiplayer Beta. I decided to take some time off from playing Witcher 2 and try it out and here are my thoughts.

The graphics in Resistance 2 were nothing revolutionary but they were pretty and the engine was able to deliver huge amounts of players and AI monsters on the screen at the same time. In Resistance 3 Insomniac has created beautiful maps with a color pallet consisting from multiple colors instead of gray and its shades. There are plants and signs of the alien invasion spread out the areas creating a proper mood. There are also radios that play the emergency messages and whatnot in some buildings which is a nice touch. One complaint is the human character models who look like they have gone over the edge and stare at the alien invaders eyes wide and with no emotion. In short they look creepier than the chimera.

The maps are large and they hold 16 players in the Beta, we will see if the huge massed battles of Resistance 2 make their way to the third. Map design is in general good and there are multiple ways to close in on your enemy. This at least in the Beta has almost completely removed all campers, some try but usually end up failing as you are easily able to get to them some other way. There are few positions created clearly sniping in mind but they don't enable the snipers to massacre the other team. All in all the maps are well balanced.

Guns and their sound design is solid with the carbine making a proper noise when fired where as the Bullseye makes a higher whining sound. Also the snipers make a distinct loud proper bang. Only weapon that lacks in the sound department is the Berserks gun that is a huge cannon but makes a muffled whump sound when fired. The weapons as the maps are well balanced counting out the mutator which seems little over powered. The problem with mutator is that it makes already a good impact damage and also poisonous damage over time. It also has the ability to turn enemies into rampaging mutated minions that attack and charge against their allies. The mutator is unlocked at level 20 which then can turn a low level game into a massacre. Hopefully in the final release or in luck already in the beta Mutator will be balanced properly. Guns each have their own stats and different secondary fire modes which to many are familiar from the previous games. Guns affect also your running speed which is a good thing that you can outrun or swiftly flank enemies carrying for example the mutator or Berserks.

The game now has perks and killstreaks. This has been an issue to some people and I understand why. They easily throw the balance out of the window and flip off the fair game in process. Luckily there are no overpowered perks for they range from from shooting a little straighter and extra clip size to body armor that increases your health but slow you down. There are few shield perks but they don't make you invincible and of course you are able to use them yourself. Killstreaks award you after three kills an assault shield for the resistance which blocks fire coming from straight ahead leaving your back vulnerable or to chimeras a cloak that disappears after firing at an enemy. Both have a time limit that is about 60 seconds. 6 kills award you then the Auger which was in the last two games very powerful so i can see why they made it a kill streak. It has the same old abilities. These are seeing the enemies highlighted trough the walls and being able to deploy a shield using the secondary fire. You can't shoot trough walls anymore or at least I didn't hit anyone, I'm not completely sure if I just didn't aim properly or has it been taken out. The last killstreak mutates chimeras into bigger, harder chimeras that you probably remember from Resistance 2 and they have this kind of a alien rocket launcher which is deadly but the ammunition don't move that fast and it has a fire rate of about 60 rounds a minute. The resistance fighters get combat armor and a slow chain gun which bears resemblance to the minigun in Resistance 2. It also fires explosive ammunition so there are really no big difference between the two streaks.

In general the multiplayer is just very well made and I hope Insomniac will keep supporting the game after the release and continue listening the community. If you have a chance to play the Beta i highly recommend you checking it out. This at least for me is a sure buy when it hits the stores in September.