While some of you, myself included, might be saying, "great, another first person shooter," Resistance proves that there are exceptions to every rule. There are games that defy genres. Halo was for me, and many others, that breakthrough game. It was so good, especially in co-op mode, that it peaked my interest for a while in other first person shooters. Resistance is in that same position again with an awesome single player and co-op story plus multiplayer modes that support up to 40 players.

Resistance is an Insomniac game, of Ratchet and Clank fame. One of the strongest parts of the game, the weapon system, is reminiscent of that series. For me, a varied weapon system is one of the most important aspects of a FPS. It's practically the only reason I was able to play through Turok. Games that provide no more than machine guns, shotguns, and rocket launchers are fighting an uphill battle as far as I'm concerned. That's one of the things that makes it so hard for me to get into WWII themed games.

While Resistance is technically a WWII themed game, it harbors a wicked twist on history. You start off facing an invasion of unknown origin wielding a standard machine gun and frag grenades. Pretty soon afterwards though, you come across some alien weaponry including the Auger, which can shoot bullets through walls like that gun in Eraser. Weapons also have a secondary fire, and the Auger lets you place down a transparent shield that only Auger bullets can penetrate. It's uses are varied but highly effective against a corridor of standard weapon based enemies. I don't want to ruin any of the other gun types, but trust me, they make the game worth playing. As a matter of fact, it will take you two play-throughs to see them all.

The story unfolds through the use of cutscenes in between chapters with what amounts to a spoken journal playing over top of it. The single player levels are just awe inspiring. There are huge sprawling layouts over a multitude of locations. Weather effects have to be seen to be believed. I've never seen snow and rain done like this in any preceding game. While the path to the end of each stage is pretty linear, that suits my tastes just fine.

Multiplayer offers a number of options and includes support for up to 40 players. Some of the modes experienced players will find very familiar, but there are a couple of new standouts. One mode pits every man for himself but with the catch that if you die as a human, you become a Chimera. There are two big differences between the races. Humans can sprint as long as they like and they can crouch. Chimera cannot crouch and can only sprint while in rage mode, but when they enter rage mode they can see lifeforms through walls. Rage mode is limited by an increasing meter, and if that meter fills up, they begin to lose life in exchange.

My favorite multiplayer modes by far are Breach and Meltdown, both of which are based on team versus team. They've introduced the concept of reactors. Each team is in control of one or many, depending on the mode. Using team based tactics you try to defend your reactors while seeking out and destroying the others. The reactors have glowing rods inside that must be eliminated, which is no small task without the right weaponry. A well placed hedgehog grenade works nicely though. These team based games were absolutely incredible in 40-man matches.

Resistance is an incredible game for a launch title, much like Halo was for the original Xbox. Resistance does nothing to truly advance the genre, but it does everything right. Frame rate is rock solid with lots of enemies and effects on screen. Vehicle based levels feel like more of an afterthought, but they fit the story perfectly. The weapons selection and abilities are one of the best in any FPS. I have a feeling this is one game that everyone will want to take home on launch day.