Digital Foundry vs. Resistance 3

Similar to all of Insomniac's PS3 games released to date, Resistance 3 runs with v-sync engaged, meaning no screen-tear. Frame-rate appears to be unlocked, but similar to Just Cause 2 on PS3, it rarely ventures north of 30FPS. Certainly, frame-rate in the preview build seems to be much more consistent than it was when we saw it during Sony's E3 event.

There has been talk that the playable demo of Resistance 3 supplied with the Battle: Los Angeles Blu-ray is an early build and not fully representative of the quality of the final game (apparently it hails from March this year owing to Blu-ray production deadlines). This section of gameplay was also included in our preview code and while changes have been made, the overall performance level appears to be very similar. The most obvious difference between the two sets of code is the exclusion of motion blur on the playable demo - while the look of the game isn't exactly transformed as a result, it's fair to say that the effect is a really welcome addition, and adds significantly to the more gritty look you'll see in the final game.

The playable demo also omits support for both PlayStation Move and stereoscopic 3D. In line with most of Sony's tentpole 3D games, Resistance 3 is running with true stereoscopy, as opposed to the various forms of reprojection we've seen in the diorama-like implementation in Crysis or in the more fully featured form we've seen in the latest SOCOM, but while bullet trails and close-up environmental objects definitely have depth, there is a certain flatness to the overall presentation as noted during the E3 demo. We've prepared a 3D capture for YouTube's stereoscopic player for those with the technology to check it out for themselves, and we highly recommend switching to the 1080p option for the best possible picture quality.

All state-of-the-art video games feature some form of rendering compromise when true stereoscopy is added to the mix: there's no way around it, as - in theory - you're effectively demanding two individual viewpoints simultaneously with double the fill-rate requirement. Resistance 3 faces further challenges in comparison to Uncharted 3 and Killzone 3 in that the standard 2D mode is already rendering a sub-720p image, so it's easy to imagine that simply reducing resolution won't free up as many resources. On top of this, for true 3D, geometry is processed twice to generate the independent viewpoints for each eye.

In its current form, resolution per eye is definitely reduced - seemingly lower than the half-res Killzone 3. However, pixels are nowhere near as rectangular as they were in the Guerrilla game, meaning that the upscaling is easier on the eye and there are no obviously apparent low-resolution alpha buffers giving the serrated edge jaggies that hit Killzone's image quality in 3D mode. Other compromises see motion blur turned off, ambient occlusion pared back, and a shortened draw distance on shadows. All of these choices are measured and well-implemented, but there is an immediately noticeable inconsistency to frame-rate which we'd hope to see improved in the final game.

PlayStation Move support works as you would expect it to, with a control system you'll easily get to grips with if you've played Killzone 3 in motion control mode. Options include calibration of the deadzone and the ability to tweak overall sensitivity to your taste, and not surprisingly the Sharpshooter attachment is also supported. Utilisation of the navigation controller is definitely recommended, as the alternative option of using the Dual Shock 3 for motion and iron sights is rather intuitive.

While the 3D didn't blow us away as we hoped after the excellent stereoscopic work seen in MotorStorm Apocalypse and Killzone 3, overall impressions of this preview code on the whole are very positive indeed. Resistance 3 is shaping up to be another really strong first-party release from Sony.

While the graphical improvements are obviously welcome, Insomniac's focus on the core gameplay has been to concentrate on the unique elements that made Resistance so good to play and improve on them significantly. The emphasis on many FPS titles of late seems reminiscent of the "gun porn" approach that evolved from its beginnings in Criterion's Black. Resistance's alternative notion is to concentrate on innovative weapon design - it feels fun to play, encouraging the player to experiment with new tactics and strategies. In this sense, it's quite odd how a new offering from a mature franchise can feel so fresh compared to so many of its contemporaries.

The engine upgrades work on many levels. While the destruction isn't on the same level as Battlefield, the set-pieces can be quite sensational and the impact of weaponry on the surroundings is particularly pleasing. It's clear that the range of visual upgrades have taken a toll on resolution, but Resistance 3 works well in that its environments are rich in detail, beautifully lit and - while it may not sound so much like a compliment - very visually consistent in terms of light and shadow, giving an excellent sense of immersion in the blasted game world. In this sense, the parallels with Metro 2033 are palpable. Insomniac has done such a good job in creating this desolate, post-invasion wasteland that there's actually an odd juxtaposition between the gruelling bleakness of the environments and the sheer amount of enjoyment you experience while traversing them.

Based on the weapons-centric focus to Resistance 3, we expect the player vs. player multiplayer modes to be great fun (campaign co-op is also supported) and players will be able to experience it for themselves in the coming weeks via a public beta. PlayStation Plus subscribers get access on 10th August. Based on what we've played of the game so far, we strongly recommend you check it out.