Resistance: Retribution

At the end of the day, Resistance: Retribution nicely compliments the PS3 version of the game with sturdy gameplay, a great storyline and an endless amount of nasties for you to send into the ether.

Sony Bend was able to bring Resistance to the PSP in a way that takes advantage of the system’s strengths and feels like it’s own game in the Resistance universe instead of a dumbed down version of the console versions.

Retribution makes the most of the hardware, works around the system’s limitations, and features a solid campaign with lots of incentive for replay. In terms of pure enjoyment, Retribution goes toe-to-toe with its big brothers on the PlayStation 3, and it’s a must-play for fans of the series or those who are looking for a great shooter for the road.

Resistance: Retribution is today probably the best 3rd person action title for the PSP, not only or its excellent story and impeccable gameplay, but also for the huge possibilities its multiplayer modes offer, and the possibility to connect with Resistance 2 for the PS3. Undoubtedly a very important title in the PSP portfolio, and a must buy for all the action fans.

This is the type of connectivity and online-multiplayer attention the system should have been delivering two years ago when the PS3 launched, and hopefully this is a gateway moment that will usher in a new generation of PSP titles. If you own a PSP you must own this game.

The excellent single-player campaign is loaded with goodies and can easily be played through a second time due to the inclusion of Infected Mode. The multiplayer offering sets the bar for competitive shooter gameplay on the PSP.

Probably one of the most complete packages ever to come to the PSP. It has an engaging storyline, a likeable main character, tons of reasons to play it again, and one of the greatest multiplayer outings we've ever seen on this system.

Resistance: Retribution is just what the doctor ordered - groundbreaking multiplayer, slick visuals, and an action-packed campaign make this one of the most impressive PSP games to date.

Resistance Retribution offers a lot of highlights. Great conversion of a great franchise.

On a handheld that hasn’t had many must-own titles lately, Resistance: Retribution is an enthralling experience that portable gamers shouldn't pass up.

Sony Bend has created one of the best third-person shooters we have seen on the PSP. Resistance: Retribution is solid, start to finish.

Fast-paced. [May 2009, p.78]

Sony Bend has done it again and created a superb handheld action game.

This PSP inception of the franchise will definitely be remembered as an important part of it, rather than a bastard child desperate to cash in.

Now you can take your Chimera-slaughtering anywhere you go. Sounds swell.

Resistance: Retribution is a great action title for the PSP, offering up a robust feature set, excellent graphics and solid controls.

Bend Studio's has made a very good action game, with loads of enemies, weapons and scenarios that mixed with the multiplayer features makes Resistance: Retribution a must have. PSP has waited too long to receive a game of this characteristic that's able to sustain an immersive story that stands between both Resistance's for PS3. And there's James Grayson, a remarkable character that will gain your sympathy on the first minutes of gameplay.

We may never be able to completely experience shooters on portable systems the same way we do on the PC or consoles, but Sony Bend has shown that making a competent and enjoyable portable shooter is not only possible but enjoyable. Without a doubt, Resistance: Retribution is a game that shooter fans will enjoy for a very long time and one that most PSP owners should play and add to their collection.

Resistance: Retribution is a worthy addition to Insomniac’s series. It adds an amazing story to the existing lore, and is a great standalone experience for those of you who haven’t played a Resistance game before.

Aside from the paint-by-numbers hero, music and voices, I can't think of too much wrong with the overall game.

An excellent game for fans of the Resistance Series and of Syphon Filter.

Resistance: Retribution is a perfect portable adaptation of the PS3 series. Sony bend has created a good shooter for PSP with a solid campaign and a good multiplayer mode. The Resistance universe is represented in its engaging storyline. Sadly the control represents a great issue in the game because of the PSP lack of the second analog stick, but we have good news because we can take advantage of the Resistance PS3 connection extras. A must play for the followers of the franchise and one of the best action games in the PSP line.

Resistance: Retribution successfully migrates the series' exciting action to the portable platform, with only a few bumps along the way.

Resistance Retribution combines winning gameplay with a rollercoaster-ride of a campaign, and adds a bunch of replay value in to boot.

Resistance: Retribution is one of the best games on the PSP, plain and simple.

From the solid graphics, superb sound, to the engrossing single player experience and the well implemented multiplayer component, gamers will find a heck of a lot to like here.

Pulling off a Resistance game on the PSP sounds like a monumental task, but Sony Bend was up for it. In one swoop, they have expanded Resistance's universe while making a great game that can stand on its own.

In the end, Retribution does the Resistance franchise proud on the handheld.

What is important for a modern shooter? Not only lots of enemies and large levels. It is a fascinating story and a likeable hero. Resistance: Retribution is able to offer that important points. Definitely the best shooter for the PSP!

Those few gripes aside, Resistance: Retribution is fairly long, and after getting accustomed to the awkward use of the face buttons as a supplemental stick, it feels pretty damn nice.

If Killzone 2 is proof that the PlayStation 3 is the powerhouse of the console market, than Resistance: Retribution succeeds in moving that claim to the PSP.

Control issues hamper this otherwise excellent side-story to the Resistance series. [Apr 2009, p.74]

Sony Bend has done another great job in bringing good, solid shooter action to the PSP once again with Resistance: Retribution.

Catering to a portable game console and still keeping Resistance fans happy is a tall order, but at the end of the day Resistance: Retribution pulls off these difficult tasks with flying colors.

Much like Resistance 2, Retribution is more than the sum of its parts. The single-player campaign may be linear and stagey, but it's also effortlessly fun and incredibly polished. The multiplayer doesn't contain many surprises, but it does a better job of matching the online modes of "proper" consoles better than most rivals in its genre. Annoyances are minor and fleeting in nature, and the game punches above its weight with a substantial and coherent feel that too many handheld offerings lack.

Ultimately, Retribution doesn’t usurp the PS3 entries in this franchise, but it doesn’t undermine them either. Instead, it’s as solid a side story as God Of War: Chains Of Olympus was to that series. Though, we must admit, your enjoyment all depends on your perspective on the PSP’s ideas of FPS-style controls.

If you're a fan of Resistance, don’t even think twice. Even presenting a story often predictable and without much spinning, Retribution is an unforgettable passage for any fan of the series.

An auto-aim option makes the game easier than expected, and it would've been nice to see more of Resistance 2's magnificent weaponry in the game, but overall this is an action game that PSP fans shouldn't resist.

Resistance: Retribution is worth a look, thanks to its enjoyable single player campaign, sharp visuals and addictive multiplayer. PSP owners should definitely pick it up.

Resistance: Retribution ends up being a great game on a platform that is extremely tough to make a good shooter on.

Retribution is still a great-looking, fully playable shooter even if you don't own a PlayStation 3. If you're already set up to access the extra content, think of that as a nice bonus, but don't feel like you have to run out and get Resistance 2 just to enjoy Retribution.

Resistance Retribution is a solid effort from Sony Bend. Bar a few issues when facing the Boilers the controls are excellent, the presentation is superb and the multiplayer modes are unmatched on the handheld.

Resistance: Retribution is a funny shooter. The lack of a free saving system, unoptimized controls and only average graphic quality don’t allow a full marks scoring, but it’s still a good buy for every PSP action fan out there.

The best PSP game since Chains of Olympus. [Apr 2009, p.92]

Flawless port from PS3 to PSP makes Retribution a more than just average add-on. This is a full scale game, fantastic shooter and a definite must-have for all PSP owners. [Apr 2009]

Resistance: Retribution is a solid third person shooter with nice gameplay, a good number of weapons and lots of levels to complete. It's far from a perfect game, the controls are slow and often unresponsive (the d-pad, in particular), but you'll probably enjoy it if you like the genre.

SCEA Bend has done an impressive job of making the transition, and Sony can rest assured that its valuable first-party property has survived intact. [May 2009, p.130]

The whole package is really put together with an eye on keeping it entirely consistent with its big brother counterparts, right down to the photo interludes between major operations.

Resistance Retribution is a good starting point for the PSP revival. An action game with a frenetic and full immersive gameplay, good technique and a totally new multiplayer structure. A must buy for every PSP owners.

Well built with minor flaws, this is definitely one to get hold of. [May 2009, p.70]

A great first effort, which is largely marred by a limitation of the PSP itself and not necessarily a fault of the game's design. If you can get over the controls and really get used to them, you'll find, what is essentially, a portable Gears of War.

The pocket-size Resistance tries it's best to imitate a shooter on PSP. Unfortunately the PSP itself sets boundaries, which are impossible to go around. The controls don't work and the lack of precision is aided with automatic aiming, which practically kills all the challenge. The graphics are good, there are few good one-liners, and the story is worth checking out. It's a shame, that the game tumbles in basics. [May 2009]

Resistance Retribution offers a great deal of entertainment, both in the relatively lengthy single player and in the impressive multiplayer. It lacks the polish and overall impressing quality of a game like God of War: Chains of Olympus though, and once again confirms the fact that the PlayStation Portable will never be able to handle a First/Third Person Shooter.

Resistance: Retribution comes off feeling like it’s stuck between the PS3 and PSP, not knowing which way to go. Get past its faults and there is some solid shooting to be had, but we can’t help but wonder what it could have been.

Not quite the action classic we'd hoped for but an enjoyable shooter all the same. [May 2009, p.72]

It's no platform-defining blockbuster, but if you've got the patience to get along with the controls there's a good few hours to be found. Add on some decent multiplayer and it's a good day to be a PSP owner.

Resistance: Retribution is a third person action game where you're treated to a side story taking place in between the two installments on Playstation 3. The game's protagonist is new but environments and the characters that populate them are familiar. The controls represent the major issues in this game, despite an overly helpful auto aim. Somewhat flawed controls in conjunction with an unbalanced level of challenge leads to way too many game over screens. Despite all these flaws this is still a good action game.

A handheld shooter that largely gets the job done, if the job is to mindlessly shoot, reload, and shoot again. It evokes the presentation of Resistance: Fall of Man effectively, save for the awful dialogue and voice acting.

Resistance Retribution is a solid and well thought through action game. It offers a more than worthy part in the Resistance series, even though Sony Bend doesn't do everything right. If you want to play a great portable action game, than this is the one you're looking for.

Sony Bend have created a portable version of Resistance that has all the negatives of the franchise with hardly any of the positives.

If you take it on its own terms it is a solid enough title, hampered only by the PSP’s lack of a second analog stick and the terrible script. Whether that’s enough depends on whether you’re a PSP-owner looking for an uncomplicated bit of fun, or whether you’re a massive corporation trying to revive the fortunes of an increasingly overlooked bit of hardware.

The multiplayer component isn't likely to keep you occupied for long, but there's more than enough single-player content -- especially if you can take advantage of the Retribution Connect extras -- to warrant a purchase. Resistance fans won't be disappointed and newcomers to the franchise will find a very competent portable shooter in Retribution.

The campaign weaves a weak story that’s as incomprehensible as it is uninteresting, but it delivers on satisfying shooting and alien genocide enough to make it an entertaining venture that’s better off being experienced online with some buddies and a headset.

The game succeeds in bewitching players with its aesthetic quality and impressive volume of content, but the flaws are constantly remind you of their existence and sadly drag the whole production down.

Not a bad attempt at bringing Resistance to the PSP, but the end result feels shallow and repetitive.