Review: 'Resistance: Retribution' a solid shooter for franchise fans

The sci-fi war depicted in first-person shooter Resistance is changing theaters.

Sony's PlayStation 3 franchise debuts on the PlayStation Portable with the release of Resistance: Retribution, a proficient action game that should satisfy fans of the franchise.

The story picks up right after the events of Resistance: Fall of Man, a PS3 launch title. Players follow British Marine James Grayson. After discovering his brother at a Chimeran conversion center, James is forced to kill him before his transformation into a member of the alien race. Enraged, James abandons his post to seek revenge and is eventually arrested and imprisoned. While awaiting death, an European resistance group called The Maquis offers James an opportunity to leave prison if he joins their efforts to defeat the Chimera, which he accepts.

To accommodate the PSP's controls, Resistance: Retribution is played through a third-person perspective, unlike the PS3 titles which take place in first-person. The thumbstick moves James, while the four face buttons operate the camera.

Retribution also introduces a very helpful aim assist feature. When James confronts enemies, the reticle automatically locks onto a target. Once James kills an enemy, the reticle will jump to the next foe in his peripheral.

For those familiar with Resistance on PS3, shooting in Retribution will feel much easier. To increase the challenge, players can turn off aim assist. However, the camera doesn't move fast enough to keep up with the pace of battle.

Players can also zoom in and manually aim at targets by pressing up on the directional pad. This comes in handy for one particular enemy that requires a headshot to kill. The mechanic works fine unless you encounter varying enemies. Toggling between manual and auto-aim is not the smoothest of transitions.

 The rest of Retribution is textbook Resistance. The large environments look spectacular. The clever arsenal remains, stocking James with signature weapons such as the Auger, an assault rifle that shoots through walls, and the LAARK rocket launcher. Each weapon also retains their secondary functions. The Auger, for example, deploys a temporary shield.

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