In the current landscape of PlayStation Studios projects, there is something sorely missing. While Xbox owners are looking forward to the return of the iconic Halo franchise this year, PlayStation notably lacks first-party first-person shooters to sink their trigger fingers into. With this prolonged drought, and interesting news coming out of its original developers, the PlayStation 5 would be the perfect place for the Resistance franchise to be brought back to life.
The Resistance franchise debuted in 2006, with Resistance: Fall of Man releasing as a launch title for the PlayStation 3. Developed by Insomniac Games, Resistance was a departure from the studio’s previous work on the Ratchet & Clank series. Players were welcomed into a bleak alternative history, where World War II had extended into the 1950s as a deadly alien threat, the Chimera, had arrived on Earth.
The Resistance games received critical acclaim for their engaging single-player campaigns, as well as creating some of the most memorable multiplayer experiences on the PlayStation 3. With a pair of sequels, as well as a spinoff title on the PSP and Vita, Resistance had a strong presence within the PlayStation ecosystem for several years. However, the franchise never appeared on the PlayStation 4, and it’s been dormant ever since 2011’s Resistance 3. After over a decade in the shadows, the gritty world of Resistance would be a welcome addition to PlayStation Studios’ offerings.
Hopes for a fourth mainline Resistance title have been refreshed following some interesting news from Insomniac Games. Fresh off the heels of a critically-successful follow-up to its landmark property with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, the PlayStation-owned developer recently advertised for job openings related to an unknown multiplayer project. Looking through Insomniac’s catalogue, Resistance is its only existing IP that included a strong multiplayer element, aside from the odd title like Sunset Overdrive.
Outside of these rumors, though, a Resistance revival would be a wise move on Sony’s part. While third-party shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield dominate the wider market, the company currently lacks a first-party exclusive FPS, with Killzone being missing in action since 2013. Killzone‘s developer, Guerrilla Games, is currently working on Horizon Forbidden West, so it’s unlikely we’ll see the studio revisit its previous works anytime soon — leaving a clear spot for Resistance to fill.
PlayStation has revitalized franchises before. God of War underwent a total transformation for its 2018 revamp, Crash Bandicoot received a sequel after years away from the limelight and LittleBigPlanet got a similar treatment PS5 launch title with Sackboy’s Big Adventure. There’s no reason Resistance couldn’t take the same route.
In its current form, Resistance would need to up its game to compete with modern FPS titles, but with support from PlayStation, it could certainly do that. The drab and gritty world of Resistance could certainly undergo a re-imagining to make it pop, much like how Killzone: Shadow Fall livened up the color palette for the PS4. Already set in a world that features sci-fi elements and alien technology, it would be easy to inject some visual flair into a PS5 Resistance sequel.
Clearly, there is a gap in the PlayStation lineup for a first-person shooter boasting a compelling narrative and an exciting multiplayer suite, both of which were present in the first three Resistance titles. PlayStation gamers are missing out on the kind of first-party exclusive that Xbox fans are looking forward to with Halo Infinite, and Resistance would be the perfect FPS series to place resources into to fill that void. Such a title could spark the nostalgia within its fanbase while introducing a new generation to the deadly Chimera.
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