E3 2008: Hands on with Resistance: Retribution on PSP

There's absolutely no doubt that as E3 draws to a close, one PSP title stands above the rest: Resistance: Retribution. Following its surprise announcement on Tuesday during Sony's annual E3 media briefing, we met with assistant producer Caley Roberts to go hands-on with this immensely promising third-person shooter.

Resistance: Retribution bridges the original game on PlayStation 3 with its forthcoming sequel, embarking on an original tale that fleshes out the budding series' unique alternate history and cast of characters. Six months have passed since the Chimera have overrun Europe, yet a few pockets of resistance remain to contest occupation. You suit up as former Pvt James Grayson, part of a small force that was left behind.

Roberts is quick to point out the dark tone of Resistance: Retribution. "This isn't your typical portable game," he observes. "Grayson struggles as much with his own emotions as much as the Chimera themselves."

Having witnessed his own brother slowly succumb to the Chimera conversion process, Grayson took it upon himself to mercy kill his own sibling – an act that instantly changed his view on the war. Going AWOL, he runs from the army only to arrested and sentenced to execution.

When a French underground resistance group called the Maquis hears of Grayson scheduled execution, they take to kidnapping and drafting him into their ranks. His reputation as a skilled soldier and effective leader prompt them to pull Grayson into their group. Fueled by rage over the loss of his brother, he eagerly jumps at the opportunity to strike back at the Chimera.

Grayson's campaign against the unrelenting Chimera begins in the heart of Europe. The game's introductory mission is set deep within a conversion facility in Bonn, Germany. Exiting the compound means confronting with innumerable Chimera forces, several of which are new to the young series. Along with the vicious hybrids that fire their Bullseye rifles with deadly precision, you'll need to contend with new flying enemies as well.

Fighting fast moving aerial foes led the team at Sony Bend to adjust the combat system to enable greater flexibility in control. Roberts explains: "Our new aim assist box makes the game accessible, while still keeping it a challenging experience."

As you move Grayson using the analogue stick, a set of brackets outline a general targeting area. Whenever an enemy appears within the box, your firing reticle soft targets it. You still need to adjust for accuracy using the face buttons, but the system does make battling enemies much easier.

Taking the reins from Roberts, we walked Grayson through an intense battle against hybrids deep within the facility. Taps of the R button fired off shots, while secondary functionality could be triggered by holding down L and then firing. Left on the D-pad let us zoom in for an over-the-shoulder view, which naturally made blasting back Chimera pretty easy.

Expect the trusty Carbine rifle to make an appearance – grenade launcher auxiliary fire intact – as well as the rocket launcher. Switching weapons takes a simple right hit on the D-pad or you can hold it down to raise your full inventory. Switching over to the rocket launcher was essential when facing the Chimera Titan, a towering beast from the original PlayStation 3 game. A few explosive blasts and it was down and out.

When asked about multiplayer Roberts teased, "I can tell you we have multiplayer – that's it."

The fluid nature of combat combined with the ease of control ensures the game will be accessible, yet it's the brooding atmosphere and vivid visuals that have us hooked on Resistance: Retribution. It promises to be one of the most visually outstanding games to hit the handheld.

Having already proven itself on PSP with the outstanding Syphon Filter titles, Sony Bend once again looks to establish a new standard for handheld action when Resistance: Retribution drops in spring 2009.