"Nathan Hale can fight off hordes of the Chimera, but can he set the pace for the PlayStation 3 this generation?"

So, the PlayStation 3 has launched, and with it comes the leading launch title, which happens to be a not-too-shabby game in impeding on a genre that perhaps its greatest rival holds a strong foothold in: the shooter.

The setting of the story is in an alternate past of our very own world, taking place when World War II should have. Don't get this game confused with your standard, World War II shooter, however. From Russia, a vicious race, dubbed the Chimera, has risen to claim all of Asia and Europe. Though the direct origin of the race remains a mystery throughout the game, it becomes obvious that they have the ability to spread a virus into their human rivals, eventually adding more to their ranks.

You assume the role of Nathan Hale, a sergeant of the United States Rangers who finds himself stranded within the remains of what was once Great Britain. Allying with whatever British and American forces you stumble upon, your mission is to secure one of the last vestiges of humanity in the eastern world.

While the setting is pretty amazing, and the graphics are pretty well done for a launch title, the environments are rather straightforward and the single-player campaign is pretty linear. Though there is plenty of room to explore as you go through abandoned houses and factories, and eventually into the the underground lairs of the Chimera themselves, there is always one general path that you must take to progress.

That being said, exploration can prove beneficial, as you can find cleverly hidden armory caches to help bolster your ammunition supplies and keep your health up as you continue to battle your way through the hordes of foreign creatures. On top of that, there are intelligence reports scattered throughout which offer further insight towards the situation at hand.

Travel isn't all by foot, either. Some missions involve you driving tanks, jeeps, and even advanced alien vehicles.

Battles are pretty intense in the game as you face the myriad of enemies, and they aren't necessarily the stupidest enemies you could face. While many of the Chimera are all foot soldiers, there are several types, each with differing weapons or levels of armor. Then, of course, there are some of the more bizarre types of enemies, like some tall, lanky, and vaguely humanoid creatures and multi-story tall, arachnid monstrosities.

To combat these creatures, you're going to need some good weaponry. Well, you have your standard carbines, shotguns, and rocket launchers, but eventually you'll reach some better weaponry, including the bullseye which functions like a pulse rifle, and the auger rifles which shoot through walls. The nifty thing is, however, that each weapon has a primary fire which you'll use the most often, and a secondary fire that is more strategic than not. With sniper rifles, you can slow down time and heighten your reflexes to get those rewarding headshots, and with weapons like the auger you can craft an impenetrable wall.

There are several types of grenades as well. You have your standard issue frag grenade, of course. There is also another grenade that shoots spikes out in a large radius. Air-fuel grenades are pretty nifty as well, attaching to any surface (including enemies) and releasing a hellish amount of fire in a large radius. Then there is the backlash grenades which form an impenetrable orb that reflects fire upon the enemies and damages any Chimera in range.

So, while the single player campaign is solid, it ends with quite a cliffhanger that leaves the game open to a sequel or two. However, once you've been acquainted with the controls in single player, you always have the multiplayer to venture into. Whether you and a buddy want to tackle the story campaign in a co-operative mode or battle to the deaths, you're free to do what you want. You can play the game with up to four people in arena style death matches or pick from a myriad of objectives to play out. The best part about the multiplayer, however, is the online aspect. You can participate in matches with up to forty people with no lag whatsoever. This is quite a feat no matter which way you look at it.

In the end, Resistance: Fall of Man leads the way into the PlayStation 3's lifespan with a fresh take, in both setting and gameplay, on a not-so-fresh genre that paves the entrance for - hopefully - a continuing series.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/22/07