Resistance 3 demo: southern gothic cures New York fixation

The destruction of New York has become a common theme in video games, and maybe it’s supposed to tap into our collective memories of September 11. It’s not that I don’t like New York; I just have no strong feelings for it one way or another. Watching these scenes is like seeing someone cry when they listen to a song you don’t like; you always wonder what you’re missing. Surely there are other locations that games can explore in an emotional way.

In the PlayStation exclusive Resistance 3, the protagonist goes on an American journey that begins in Louisiana, and of course ends in New York. What happens when he gets there is a mystery, and I hope it’s not ruined for me before I play the rest of the game. But for me, and others who don’t care for the hulking steel and writhing humanity of New York, the journey is going to be the interesting part.

No home, no job, no peace, no rest

The demo I played comes on the Blu-ray version of Battle: Los Angeles, another piece of pop culture that asks me to care about a place that I would much rather leave to the aliens. The playable section begins on the Mississippi River, as you’re guided down the waters by a man who is trying to avoid the alien Chimeran forces while guiding you to safety. The beginning moments have an eerie feel, as if you’re floating down a lonely stretch of a haunted theme park attraction. The smoke is thick as you look around. You find the ammo, you find the health packs, but neither give you comfort.

Before long you are beset on all sides, and the gunfight begins. It’s a slow burn as the battle escalates, and the fight quickly grows desperate. When someone asked me how the game felt, I simply linked them to the embedded video below. Unlike the scenes of destruction in New York that left me mostly numb, this was a horrific look at what an alien invasion would feel like in my own America.

The Ghost of Tom Joad

Insomniac knows it’s going for a vastly different feel than other first-person shooters, as evidenced by the game’s original live-action trailer. If the Modern Warfare 3 trailer released yesterday seems pedestrian and overwrought, the southern gothic feel of the Resistance 3 reveal was a breath of fresh air. It felt like an exploration of a time and place we don’t often see in our games, although there were hints of it in Left 4 Dead 2. This is a game made for people who grew up in a place where people say “warsh” instead of “wash.” This is a game for those of us who first saw New York in Ghostbusters, and thought of it as an alien, unknowable place.

Resistance 3 Teaser

The game brings back the wheel of guns that was missing in the second game, and it remains an easy way to select your weapon. The graphics are strong, but so far they aren’t flashy. The visuals create a world, and they do it in a way that sneaks up on you. The demo ends after thirty minutes, and it ends abruptly. I wanted more.

There is every possibility that this will end up being just another first-person shooter, but until we find out I’m going to enjoy the efforts being made by all parties to give this game its own aesthetic. The cover art and posters released for the game are striking. The first live-action trailer was a stunner, and this demo shows a lot of confidence in the title and its setting. I may not care much about New York, but this game brings the fight to places that look like my childhood haunts. Aliens jumping from rooftop to rooftop as they stalk me along a misty river sends more shivers down my a spine then a hundred burning skyscrapers.