Resistance: Retribution

Resistance: Retribution is the third video game set in the Resistance franchise which was released for the PSP on March 17th, 2009 in North America. The game is in Third-person perspective, and features an 8-player multiplayer mode. The game takes place between Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2.

Plot
Two months before the events of Resistance: Fall of Man, British Royal Marine Lieutenant James Grayson lead his team on a raid in a Chimera conversion center; Grayson stumbles upon a horrible sight: his long-missing brother; Johnny Grayson, who is already infected with the virus and half-converted into a Menial. Forced to follow the protocols regarding infected soldiers, Grayson makes the impossibly painful decision to shoot and kill his brother. As a result, Grayson suffers a nervous breakdown and deserts from his team, and launches his own personal vendetta against the Chimera. Grayson succeeds in destroying approximately 26 conversion centers, but is eventually captured and taken into custody for desertion. A capital offense; Grayson is put on trial to which Stephen Cartwright, now promoted to Major and Grayson's commanding officer, testifies against him. Grayson is found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad.

As Grayson languishes in his cell, awaiting his execution, he is visited by a member of the "Maquis" - the French resistance movement; Lieutenant Raine Bouchard. Bouchard offers Grayson a pardon in exchange for helping to defeat the Chimera in Europe, mostly due to his knowledge of conversion centers. Grayson is hesitant at first, but offers to help, in exchange for getting his brother's jacket, when he learns Bouchard and her father are developing a serum to counteract the Chimera virus.

The "Maquis" and the British forces, including Grayson, plan "Operation Overstrike", where they will enter Europe through Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, and into Luxembourg to help secure the Maquis stronghold there, and ultimately moving onto the main Chimera tower in Paris, France. Grayson joins and accompanies First Squadron as they attempt to breach the Chimera's coastal AA gun tower defenses, though his VTOL is shot down by the Chimera's gun towers in Rotterdam, and is forced to evacuate. Grayson, along with Bouchard, rendezvous with the Maquis' leader - Colonel Roland Mallery, and other Maquis forces and join in their attempt to destroy one of the gun towers to save Second Squadron. As Grayson gathers enough explosives to destroy the tower; he is assisted by Major Cartwright. Grayson, after destroying the fuel line connecting to the gun tower, accompanies Mallery onto the tower itself. After a brief battle with a Chimeran ship, the two successfully destroy the tower.

The next day, Bouchard gathers Grayson and other Maquis soldiers together at Bonn, Germany. Bouchard wishes to investigate a unique conversion center for converting human women. Bouchard wishes to investigate it for her father's research into the new conversion process. Grayson is separated from Bouchard and Mallery, but he eventually fights his way into the center. Upon entering the facility, Grayson meets a terrified Mallery, who informs him that Bouchard is, apparently, dead; having been taken and drowned by the Chimera. Grayson refuses to believe him, and set's off to rescue her by himself, intending to repay his debt to her for freeing him; disobeying Mallery's order to come with him. In truth, Grayson also has an underlying motive - to destroy the conversion center.

After planting the explosives, Grayson eventually tracks down Bouchard - through directions and other clues Bouchard had given him through his radio. Grayson and Bouchard escape the conversion center on a Hammer mech. Upon escaping, the conversion center explodes soon afterward. Grayson and Bouchard regroup with Mallery and other Maquis forces, Bouchard becomes furious at Grayson for destroying the conversion center - having wished to conserve the facility to aid in the development of the serum. Nevertheless, Bouchard tells Grayson that they are now equal for saving each others' lives. The Maquis prepare to follow Chimera Carriers to their next destination as they flee the area, although Grayson receives a message from Cartwright requesting his help in Luxembourg at the Maquis' headquarters. Cartwright informs Grayson that three gigantic Chimera machines, known as Earth Movers, are advancing towards Luxembourg threatening to destroy the Maquis headquarters. Bouchard and Grayson begin to argue with each other on whether aiding Cartwright, and suddenly Mallery strikes Grayson in the back, rendering him unconscious. Mallery and his troops leave Grayson for dead for disobeying Mallery's commands earlier. Upon awakening, Grayson uses his captured Hammer to travel through a vast network of trenches and canyons south of Bonn, and travels to Luxembourg to assist in destroying the Earth Movers. Grayson succeeds in destroying the Earth Mover and is picked up by Cartwright, and the two head toward the Maquis fortress in Luxembourg.

Mere moments after they arrive, the base is attacked by an all-out assault from the Chimera and all personnel within the base is forced to evacuate to Reims. Grayson assists Colonel Rachel Parker in restoring the base's communications network and escape from the base before he tracks down Bouchard and her father, Doctor Claude Bouchard. Grayson ends up stumbling upon Claude extracting blood from his daughter for the purpose of the serum he is developing which would infect and exterminate the Carriers, thus grounding Conversion Centers to a halt- in reality, Raine was infected with the virus while in the conversion center before Grayson rescued her. Grayson demands that only Claude come with him, but Claude refuses as he has nearly finished creating the serum. Suddenly, a Burrower attacks and kills Claude. But, Raine Bouchard is able to finish her father's work and gains a sample. Bouchard and Grayson are forced to evacuate as the base falls to the Chimera.

In Reims, the British and Marquis finalize their plan for their assault on the hub tower in Paris. During this time, Grayson and Bouchard argue on who will take the serum over to the Chrysalis Lair; the heart of the new Chimeran conversion process, and use it to infect the Carriers. Grayson finishes the argument by revealing to the Maquis that Bouchard is infected with the virus. Although no one believes him, and under Mallery's orders, Grayson is subdue and taken away. Imprisoned, Grayson is visited by Bouchard. At first, Grayson doesn't understand her reasons for coming, so he threatens to kill her because of her infection. Unable to do so, he instead questions her as to why she even came to visit. Bouchard, under the influence of the virus, silences him by stripping and offering herself to Grayson. Grayson succumbs to temptation and the two have intercourse. The next day, after Bouchard and Mallery leave for the Chrysalis Lair; Grayson is freed from his cell by Parker and Cartwright, and is given a second serum to use at the Lair, in case Bouchard should fail. After fighting his way through Paris' catacombs, he eventually discovers a holding center that houses thousands of female bodies for use in the new conversion process. This forces Grayson to realize just how selfish he had been in his vendetta against the Chimera. As Grayson reaches the outskirts of the Chrysalis Lair, Grayson leaves his brother's jacket behind, symbolizing the end of his vendetta.

As Grayson enters the Lair, he encounters Mallery, who had now been infected with the Chimeran virus and purposely prevents Grayson from entering. The two engage in combat, in which Grayson ultimately emerges victorious and kills Mallery. Grayson proceeds on to the heart of the Chrysalis Lair and uses the serum to infect the new conversion process. After using the serum, he discovers the Chrysalis herself, revealed to be Bouchard who has now been fully converted into a Chimera. Grayson manages to defeat the being; Grayson approaches the dying Bouchard, and reminds her of the serum's infection against the Chimera to hopefully put her at ease. But Bouchard, her human personality reasserting itself, reveals the Chimera are simply too advanced and can recover their loss - they have already evolved yet another process of converting humans, the Spinners that appeared in Resistance 2. Bouchard is then completely lost to the virus, forcing Grayson to execute her with a shot to the head.

With the Chrysalis Lair destroyed, British and Maquis forces are able to destroy the Paris hub tower and free Western Europe from the Chimera. After memorializing Bouchard's death, Grayson meets up with Parker and Cartwright outside of a small memorial for fallen Maquis and British soldiers. Parker reminds Grayson that he should not allow her death to destroy him as he had allowed his brother's death to do so. Parker proceeds to offer Grayson a commission in the British Army with the position of Major. Grayson simply turns down her offer. Cartwright comes to them with Johnny's jacket, and hands it to Grayson. Grayson attempts to lay it down upon the memorial, but Parker stops him and convinced him to keep the jacket. Grayson leaves Parker and Cartwright, but not before mentioning he is applying for a Colonel's position within the Maquis.

In the epilogue, Grayson is revealed to have been accepted as a Colonel in the Maquis. He was last heard of leading a dangerous mission into the heart of Russia, to discover the source of the Chimera invasion. When the mission ends however, the Maquis listed Grayson as Missing In Action; he was never seen or heard from again. However, rumors began to spread of a British soldier in Russia known as the 'Cloven Killer'. Indicating Grayson is still alive.

Grayson's last appearance depicts him in Russia wearing his brother's jacket, and staring up in awe at Saint Basil's Cathedral. At the end of the credits, Grayson turns around revealing that he possesses gold-colored eyes, implying that he has become infected with the Chimeran Virus.

Gameplay
Resistance: Retribution features 8-player Online Multiplayer, via infrastructure. The game offers 8-player matches with modes that include Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Containment and Assimilation.

The aiming system is designed differently, instead of pressing buttons to lock against cover, it will automatically lock the player to cover when he or she goes near cover. Aim assist, as observed in Resistance: Fall of Man, is also present in Retribution. Retribution and features new characters and weapons, as well as a non-replenishing life bar.

On October 9th 2008, it was announced that players with a copy of Resistance 2 in their PlayStation 3, while having their PSP 2000 or 3000 connected via AV output to the television, will be able to play Resistance: Retribution with a DualShock 3 controller. This is a new, cross-link feature of both games dubbed PSP Plus. While PSP Plus is enabled, it has been reported that aim assist will be disabled and that players would be able to remap their controls to better use the extra inputs on the PlayStation 3 controller. DualShock 3 rumble will also be supported.

Also announced was Infected mode which, by connecting Resistance: Retribution to Resistance 2 using a USB cable, going into the R2 options screen, and selecting “Infect your PSP!” provides an alternate story within the alternate history. While in prison for desertion, Grayson is recruited by Specter Lieutenant David LaSalle (from the R2 storyline) and is infected with a mutated version of the Chimera virus, a different version of the virus that infected Nathan Hale.

While playing in “infected” mode, Grayson wears a Specter uniform and has glowing Chimeran eyes. Characters in the story will be aware of your Chimerian infection which will alter their behavior accordingly. He gets to use one of the new weapons from R2: the HE .44 Magnum, which fires explosive rounds that can be triggered remotely. He also possess regenerative health so no longer needs to look for health packs. He can now breathe underwater, allowing him to reach hidden areas that he could not reach before and can now inhale toxic gases emitted by the Chimeran Burrowers with no harm or side effect. Also another whole class of Intel are hidden throughout the levels. Collecting all of the “infected” intel unlocks plasma grenades and an expanded story. Infected mode ends when you quit the game.

Locations
Resistance Retribution takes place in Western Europe. The locations are Rotterdam, Netherlands, Bonn, Germany, Luxembourg the Catacombs of Paris and the Crysalis Lair in Central Paris near the River Seine. Each level has its own Resistance Retribution intel, and skill points to collect.

Reception
Resistance: Retribution has received generally favorable reviews, earning a 9.4 out of 10 from Game Trailers, who praised the presentation and gameplay. It currently has a rating of 85 and 84 out of 100 at Game Rankings and Metacritic, respectively. GamePro reviewer Heather Bartron praised the game's cover mechanics for evading enemy fire and the game's well-placed checkpoints and level designs. Bartron wrote the game would appeal to both casual and experienced gamers, although she disliked the repetitiveness near the end and that most of the game's elements were left unchanged from the previous titles.

Trivia

 * During gameplay members of the British Royal Marines use the .303 Storm Rifle, which is a Maquis issue weapon as opposed to being a weapon of the British Armed Forces.