It really is a shame that this was the last Resistance game, because the gameplay model this game arrived at was a perfect mix of the series strengths. Deciding to scrap the more "serious" gameplay feel of the last game and return to a more arcade-style where you can have your entire arsenal strapped to your back at the same time was absolutely the call for a franchise with weapons as unique and varied as this one. Insomniac are truly some of the best weaponsmiths in all of gaming, and the arsenal here is indicative of that fact.

Another smart choice was to tone down the story from the epic world-saving bombast of R2 and instead focus on a more small-scale, personal story in this game, which lends itself well to creating tense showdowns with just you and the Chimera, which sport a solid roster of troops to fight against with the fun arsenal in your pocket. It's a game that focuses much more on gameplay and good scenarios to play with the tools at hand, rather than creating a more cinematic and loud experience like other shooters of the time. For that focus on gameplay over spectacle, the game deserves to be remembered.

There wasn't much else to the game unfortunately. The multiplayer was on par with similar offerings at the time, but couldn't stand out from the pack over the other juggernauts of the FPS genre. This was a game that came in with a goal, and truly tried to be unique at a time when the genre was riddled with clones of Call of Duty or Halo, and for those who played it, it did stand out. Resistance was a really fun FPS franchise, with some real quality talent and creativity behind it, and this game embodies the sum of that talent. It is most definitely worth a play, even all these years later, if not moreso, and though Insomniac has gone on to bigger and better things, I still hope that someday this franchise can be revived with the same kind of care that went into making it.

Both times I've played this game from start to finish I've done it in one sitting and that definitely means something good I think. I'm not sure the story is all that amazing but Insomniac makes weapons feel really good, hybrids are fun to kill Grim enemy sections are like Ravenholm but more punchy in the combat. I think it falls short towards the end and the objectives aren't amazing, but what's here is a fun linear shooter. A shame it hasn't been returned to since because there's a great deal of potential for a modern take, or retake. A lot of the physics and interactions with enemies and the environment are rock solid even today, just iffy in it's visual blur, browness, and FOV. A remastered trilogy would fit nicely in the current Insomniac catalogue to tide over between the blockbuster releases like Ratchet and Clank or Marvel stuff.

A massive improvement over 2, and definitely my favourite in the series. Combat is faster and less frustrating, the story is less intrusive, and the set pieces are actually a lot of fun this time around.

Some of the levels don't really work: the boat level is slow enough to feel boring, and the train level similarly feels too easy as there's not really much going on. Other than this, I loved the road trip feel of this one, with the levels actually feeling like you are making progress toward New York. The final section of the game is some of the strongest gameplay in the series, and I think it wraps up well.

The gunplay is also more fun, with the weapon wheel back from 1 giving you more choice. The enemies are less annoying, with the invisible 1-shot kill enemies a thing of the past. I feel like they got the balance right with this one. It takes everything that worked from the first two and actually stands alone as a decent shooter. If this had been the first game, I think maybe the series would have done a little better.

My PS3 disc drive doesn’t work anymore and I can’t really be bothered getting it fixed. That’s not a huge problem, but it means there’s a few games I might never play again. Among them are old favourites (and guilty pleasures) like inFamous, Guns of the Patriots, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Resistance, and Resistance 2. But it’s the idea of never replaying Resistance 3 that seems most tragic. It’s the ultimate refinement of what came before, finally bringing together and improving on the gunplay, visuals, and pacing. It’s a blast to play, all the more odd for coming in the middle of Insomniac’s rough patch. There’s a chance that it doesn’t hold up, that part of why it was so good was because the rest of the seventh gen was so bad. But I’m putting my money on that not being the case. Besides, have games really gotten much better since? I’d certainly take a linear shooter campaign with simple progression the vein of Resistance 3 over Destiny or Borderlands or Fallout. According to my trophies, I seem to have completed it in a few days. Maybe it just took me a while to earn that first one. But it’s the kind of game you can just blast through, and that’s what an FPS campaign is supposed to be.

All these years later, it’s tough to remember what I disliked about Resistance 3. Sure, the story isn’t that great (although the aesthetic goes some way into compensating there – what wonderful things art direction can do for tone). Sometimes the weapons could feel a little underwhelming, but they’re so much better than what most shooters do it would be greedy to ask for more. I’m just too hard to please. I think level design stands out as the big gameplay weakness, although I can’t really remember what my problems with it were. I think combat spaces tended to mould more into the circular arenas, similar to later shooters like DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal (2020), but with a gameplay style more suited to progressing through levels. Maybe it’s just the combat arenas standing out to me now because I spent more time fighting in them, but I remember so many of those and so few times when enemies popped up as I moved through parts of conquered America.

If you’ll let me blatantly dream like a fanboy, I’ve always wanted a Resistance prequel set in Russia (in the 1930s or so, not 100% on the l o r e) that takes inspiration from Metro (and maybe STALKER? – haven’t played that one). Ultimately, it’s disappointing that the Resistance series was ended as abruptly as the Chimera threat. Right as it seemed to have conquered the world, it was snuffed out. Well, maybe that’s forcing the comparison a bit, but it had certainly found something. Weirdly, though, the spirit of Resistance 3 lives on in Rage 2. Shield that protects you from enemy bullets? Check. Revolver that embeds bullets in enemies for activation by its secondary mode? Check. Disappointing shotgun given the strength of the arsenal around it? Check. Slightly odd guns that aren’t really as fun as just using the ones that shoot enemies? Yeah, check. Never quite got on with the mutator or cryogun. But they were there and that’s enough. I still love Resistance 3.

Best campaign of the series as gameplay-wise, it’s a bit of both worlds from the previous games. Shooting down waves of Chimera feels great with all around great weapons and how they upgrade is fun. (Especially the Rossmore) The story holds its ground but nothing special, some of which doesn’t make sense. Multiplayer was fun but I preferred the more chaotic nature of the previous ones. Graphics are pretty top notch on the PS3 even if it’s only running 30 frames. Maybe someday we will get another Resistance.