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 will be in Third-person perspective, and will feature an 8-player multiplayer mode. The game takes place between Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2.

In Resistance: Retribution, Capt. Rachel Parker is leading Britain's army and the remnant of the UED (known as the "Maquis") in a war to reclaim Europe from the Chimera. The story follows James Grayson, a former British marine.

James Grayson
The main character in Resistance: Retribution, James Grayson sets on a personal agenda to destroy every Chimeran Conversion Center he can find to avenge his brother, Johnathan Grayson, whom he was forced to kill. Johnathan Grayson was being turned into a Chimeran Menial when he was found by his brother who was forced to kill him. However, James soon learns that his efforts have been futile, as the Chimera have created a new method of converting Humans into Chimeran soldiers. He ends up joining the Maquis in their war to retake Europe.

Plot
Retribution follows the story of British Royal Marine Lieutenant James Grayson in the weeks following the destruction of the Chimeran tower in London at the end of Resistance: Fall of Man.

The story begins with Grayson leading his team on a raid in a Chimera conversion center; and 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 violent nervous breakdown and, leaving his team behind, 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 of the British Armed Forces. A capital offence; Grayson is put on trial to which Steven 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 European resistance movement; Lieutenant Raine Bouchard. Bouchard hopes to enlist Grayson's help in the Maquis due to his knowledge of conversion centers, and offers a pardon in exchange. Grayson is reluctant at first, but after Bouchard reveals to him that the Chimera have recently evolved a new process of converting humans, and that she and her father have been developing a serum that would, hopefully, stop the new process, Grayson agrees, though he demands that he be given Johnny's jacket before he leaves his cell.

Grayson participates in "Operation Overstrike"; the plan to liberate Europe from the Chimera. 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, The Netherlands, 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 together at Bonn, Germany. Bouchard wishes to investigate a conversion center unlike any other type of the facility; it produces Boilers: heavily mutated female humans; the whole facility is using water from the dried up the Rhine River. Bouchard wishes to investigate it for her father's research into the new conversion process. Grayson, on the other hand, intends to destroy the center; as part of his personal vendetta (even though he is under strict instructions not to). As the mission begins, Grayson is separated from Bouchard and Mallery, but he eventually fights his way to a service elevator that takes him down 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.

Grayson proceeds to go deep underground, and plants explosives at the heart of the facility. Eventually, Grayson tracks down Bouchard - through directions and other clues Bouchard had given him through his radio. Grayson and Bouchard escape the conversion center, after using a Hammer mech to fight an Angel. Upon escaping, the conversion center explodes soon afterwards, and so, when Grayson and Bouchard re-group 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. The first, having been already destroyed, Cartwright and his troops attempt to destroy the second, and Cartwright asks Grayson to help Bravo Company to destroy the third.

Cartwright and Grayson begin to argue with each other, 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 mech to travel through a vast network of trenches and canyons south of Bonn, and travels to Luxembourg to assist in destroying the Earth Mover. Initially remaining undetected while battling the Earth Mover; a Chimeran transport shoots and destroys Grayson's mech and wipes out Bravo Company. Nevertheless, and with Cartwright's help, Grayson succeeds in destroying the Earth Mover. The two then proceed on to the Maquis Headquarters.

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. Grayson assists Colonel Rachel Parker's 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 - in reality, Bouchard was infected with the virus while in the conversion center before Grayson rescued her. Grayson demands that they both come with him, but Claude refuses as he has nearly finished creating the serum. Suddenly, a Burrower attacks and kills Claude. While heart-broken, Bouchard proceeds to complete the serum herself before she and Grayson are attacked by more Chimera. Working together, the two fend off Chimera attackers, and Mallery arrives to extract Bouchard. Grayson, Bouchard, Mallery, Cartwright, Parker, and many British and Maquis soldiers successfully evacuate the base before it is destroyed.

Re-grouping in Reims; the Maquis' last remaining safe zone, the allies 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 the the Chrysalis Lair; the heart of the new Chimeran conversion process, and use it to infect the Chimera. Grayson finishes the argument by revealing to the Maquis that Bouchard is infected with the virus, although no one believes it and so the Maquis soldiers, under Mallery's orders, subdue and take Grayson away. Imprisoned once again, 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 the serum to use at the Lair, just in case Bouchard does not make it. After fighting his way through Paris' catacombs, encounter several Cloven along the way (marking their first live appearance in the series), 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 tower, he encounters Mallery, who had now been infected with the Chimeran virus. 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 doing so, he is confronted by a large Hag calling itself Chrysalis - in reality, it is actually Bouchard, having been completely consumed by the Chimera virus. Grayson and Bouchard battle on another, and once again, Grayson triumphs after a long struggle. 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 re-asserting itself, reveals the Chimera are simply too advanced - they have already evolved yet another process of converting humans (this new process is the Spinners; revealed in Resistance 2). Bouchard is then completely lost to the virus, forcing Grayson to execute her with a shot to the head; this being the second time Grayson had to execute someone he cared about because of the Chimera.

Grayson meets up with Parker and Cartwright outside of a small memorial for fallen Maquis and British soldiers. The Paris hub tower has been destroyed and now Western Europe is free from the Chimera. Grayson lays down Bouchard's dog tags upon the memorial and reports he found her dead (lying about her true fate). 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 British Army with the position of Major. Grayson simply turns down her offer. Cartwrights comes to them with Jonny's jacket, and hands it to him. Grayson attempts to lay it down upon the memorial, but Parker stops him. Grayson is convinced to keep the jacket, and leaves Parker and Cartwright, but not before mentioning he is applying for a Colonel's position within the Maquis.

In the ending cutscene, 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 MIA; he was never seen or heard from again. However, rumors began to spread of a British soldier in Russia known as the 'Cloven Killer'. This indicates Grayson is still alive.

Grayson's last appearance depicts Grayson in Russia wearing his brother's jacket, staring up in awe at Saint Basil's Cathedral. Grayson turns around, and reveals his eyes are bright gold - similar to the Chimera and other infected humans (e.g. "The Sentinels"). It is implied that Grayson is infected with the 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.

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 unique design, Resistance Retribution intel, and skill points to collect, so remember to revisit them!