Resistance FoM is a superb shooter that feels surprisingly unique.
VISUALS 9/10
-Personally, I admire the gritty visuals that go along with this game. This is one of the many factors that make this game feel "old school." The textures are pretty sharp, and the environmental structures are done really well too. The enemy designs on the Chimera (your enemies) are pretty unique, and some of them throw off a scary appearance. The animations are okay, nothing great but they get the job done. Color wise though, this game might annoy you in some cases. The only colors that dominate this game are grey, beige, and white. Like I said, I admire how gritty the game looks, but after seeing these colors for about 7 hours, your eyes are bound to get a little tired.
SOUND 9/10
-This game delivers a perfect audio presentation. As far as voice work goes, it's pretty good. I usually don't pay attention to this, but there is one character in the game who narrates the story. Her narration suits the games grittiness perfectly, as you can hear a sense of fear in her voice. The only quirk in the sound is the gun noises. Some of them are spot on, but other guns sound as if you are firing a toy. This shouldn't annoy you too much though. Overall, this game delivers a great audio presentation.
STORY 9/10
-Naturally, in the first installment of a trilogy game series, it's difficult to pull off an intriguing story as the player doesn't know anything about the characters. Resistance may not have memorable characters, but the plot itself is very engaging.
(MINOR Spoilers)
Set in 1951, there is virus that has emerged from an unknown source, which turns human beings into savage creatures known as the Chimera. These Chimera aren't just your average walking plague, but they are smart and have developed their own military. From Russia, they carry out an assault on Britain, and hope seems lost. That is until, an American Sgt. by the name of Nathan Hale arrives to help drive back the Chimeran forces.
(Minor Spoilers End Here)
There is very little background give to the characters, so it's not like we're going to remember them five years from now, but they are easy to care about, as few as there are. The main issue is Nathan Hale himself. He only speaks about 5-6 times throughout the whole game. This feels pointless, and it would have been so much better to make him a silent protagonist. Despite this, the engrossing story will make it difficult to put the controller down.
GAMEPLAY 9.5/10
-I already talked about the grittiness of the visuals and story, but there is so much more that makes this game very unique and old school. First off, is the awesome weapon wheel. Even better are the awesome weapons to go along with it. I can't mention every single one, otherwise I'll be writing a novel, but I'll make note of one. You have the Auger gun, which shoots through cover. That might sound cheap, but keep in mind that you're not the only one who is going to be using it. Also, the orbs that fire out of it slow down every time they pass through cover. Also, you can't see through cover obviously, so this weapon may not be as cheap as you think. This is one of many awesome weapons you will come across in the game.
As far as difficulty goes, you should play this game. Don't listen to the sissies complaining that this game is too hard. It can get pretty hard, mainly because of the smart enemy AI that will destroy you if run out in the open like an idiot. However, it's not so insanely difficult that you'll want to shut off the game. The difficulty is perfect. For once, you don't have to play a game that allows you to run out in the open like a complete wackjob. I've died a lot in this game, and only two of them were cheap deaths.
The health system in this game is very interesting too. Pay attention, as it is a little hard to explain. For the first level only, you have a traditional health system that doesn't regenerate, and you need med packs to heal. However, in the second level, some story related scenario happens that changes up your health system. Now, your health bar is divided into four quarts. If your health goes down, but not pass the first quart, then you can regenerate. However, if it goes down pass the first quart, it will regenerate, but only up to three quarts. You will need to find a health pack to regenerate that lost quart. The same happens if you lose two quarts, and you'll need two health packs to restore all four. Confusing? Just watch a video then.
The Level Design is great too. There's more to it than just generic war torn building to building. You'll come across a few cat walks along the way, and some deep underground tunnels. The one thing however that makes it very interesting is how the level design evolves. As you progress through the game, you move from war torn cities, to Chimeran fortresses, and even their underground networks. Pay attention and you'll see the evolution.
I don't have much more to say on the overall game. It's a superb experience that is rather unique. If you like a different kind of FPS, and have a PS3, I'd highly recommend picking this up, even if you just plan to play single player.