The thing about shooters, though, especially modern ones, is that the single-player campaign is rarely even the priority of gamers and therefore the game itself. The multi-player experience has leapt into the forefront of this genre, often trumping single-player experiences altogether. On that note, Resistance still maintains a solid multi-player experience. Logging on today, years after its initial release, its community is still relatively lively. It offers a diverse selection of play modes, though many can be found in other games. Player’s advance in rank based on how many kills they score and can earn new clothing and accessories to customize their soldier’s appearance. This kind of advancement, however pales in comparison to what other games have done since. Call of Duty 4, for instance, features a class and experience system that is leagues beyond what Resistance put forward. The ability to customize your online solder in ways that are actually practically useful in the game itself is far more appealing than being able to give your character a canteen or different looking helmet.

The unique element of Resistance’s online play is the Humans vs. Chimera element. Playing as either one yields a whole different set of useful skills: the humans can sprint, crouch, and have access to a radar, while Chimeran players can activate a special mode that allows them to run faster, take and dish out more damage, and see through walls with pseudo-infrared. Again, however, the skills available via this dichotomy are not enough to trump what newer games offer. Call of Duty 4’s system has already been mentioned, and the vehicles of Warhawk and Bad Company offer alternatives to player’s who aren’t as skilled with straight shooter mechanics. The weaponry of Resistance also offer some interesting variety, but that too means little when compared to the mounds of other features that the competition offers.

If anything, the only real advantage that Resistance holds over its competition is the size of its fights. Call of Duty 4 allows up to 18 players per map. Bad Company supports 24. With the potential for 40 player brawls, Resistance still features one of the highest player caps for a console shooter. While a battle of the size might seem a bit too chaotic, it’s a fun chaos that provides an experience unlike any other.

Graphically, Resistance perhaps has not aged well. While it most certainly looks the part of a next generation title, there are a number of rough edges throughout the game and the color palette is incredibly drab. A number of games suffer from this, and Resistance 2 seems poised to correct it, but it is costs the game some points. There are a few points that are still impressive. Things explode quite well; unloading rounds on a Chimeran soldier is surprisingly impressive, with rounds often blowing away the tubing that protrudes from their armor. This said, there are just better looking games than Resistance.