Resistance: Fall of Man for PS3 (Fall '06)

Post WWII Europe was still licking it's wounds when the Chimeran attack overwhelmed the Soviets and began swallowing up town after European town. The Chimeran threat all but wiped every human across much of Europe, and Asia and from the looks of things, all hope was lost. Across the pond, the Yanks closed they're borders and kept a tight lid on any media of this near global tragedy while providing aid to our limey counterparts overseas.

A team of U.S. soldiers participating in a supply drop to our British allies fell victim to a Chimeran ambush leaving one survivor. Commander Nathan Hale. Hale had no idea that he could very well be, mankind's only hope.

In Resistance: Fall of Man, you play as hard-boiled U.S. military commander, Nathan Hale. Set in a post WWII alternate reality, the game follows Hale's journey into the heart of Britain to the core of the Chimeran stronghold. The Chimera are an alien race that essentially body-snatches it's victims and then, depending on the subjugated human's genetic strengths, gestates them into various forms of infantry.

To say the game play in R:FoM is engrossing is to make a massive understatement. This title is what "next-gen" gaming is supposed to be. The story...great, the voice-acting...superb, the visuals and ambience...other-worldly. At any given time during play, there are alarming amounts of computer-controlled allies and enemies zipping across the MASSIVE maps. Each with their own stealthy, sneaky, spooky A.I. At some points, it seems there are as many as 30-40 enemies and 15 or so allies. Truly amazing and harrowing.

What's most amazing is this game's solid execution in all aspects. Not once did I notice frame rate slow down, environment generation, or arms an legs floating through walls. I mean NO BUGS! It's truly unbelievable! Even in two player split-screen co-op, everything is rock solid! It's a marvel. Every game should hold itself to these high standards.

As the story-line the frantic feel of the game progresses too due to some great plot twists. As if the story mode wasn't enough to vault this game into the stratosphere (which it was, trust me), the multiplayer and online capabilities are some of the best I've seen, and being an old PC gamer, that's saying something. Granted, it's not a crisp vibrant bunch of levels because post-war alien invaded Europe shouldn't be. The servers are tight as I've ever seen and the competition is fierce.

Overall, R:FoM is one of the best games I have ever played. It's Call of Duty/Beginning of Saving Private Ryan, meets Independence Day/Aliens vs. Predator/Split Second. An easy 9.75 out of 10!