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Resistance (series)
Encyclopedia
Resistance is a science fiction
horror series of first-person shooter
and third-person shooter
video games developed by Insomniac Games
and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
for the PlayStation 3
, PlayStation Portable
and PlayStation Vita video game consoles.
The series takes place in an alternate history around the year 1950, in which an alien civilization known as the Chimera have invaded and conquered much of Earth, expanding their armies by capturing humans and transforming them into monster-like supersoldier
s to fight on their behalf. The player takes the role of one of the remaining human armed forces as they fight against the Chimera invasion.
The series is noted for its use of both conventional and futuristic weaponry, reflecting Insomniac's previous work on the Ratchet & Clank series
.
in 1951.
and St. Louis, Missouri
.
. It is scheduled to be released on the PlayStation Vita. The plot of the game is yet to be confirmed and is currently in the early stages of development.
, leading to a prosperous European alliance and worldwide peace, preventing the Great Depression
, the rise of the Nazis in Germany
, and World War II
, but also leading to the rise of an isolationist Russian Empire
, one that is still under Tsar
ist rule as Lenin's
revolution was crushed.
However, a new menace arises from Siberia
, with the epicenter
corresponding to the time and location of the Tunguska event
of 1908. In 1921, Russia initiated a communications blackout with the rest of the world, and built a wall against its European border called the "Red Curtain". Word spreads of small towns, villages, and eventually cities in Russia and Eastern Europe that are destroyed within a single night. A strange cold front also develops over Russia and spreads outwards. European intelligence agencies attempt to listen in on Russian radio stations, only to hear a single message repeated over and over: "Brotherhood, Strength, and Fortitude...in the face of the angry night."
In December 1949, the Red Curtain is suddenly breached by numerous Chimeran forces. The Chimera overrun continental Europe by February 1950, leaving very few survivors. The Chimera then proceed to dig underneath the English Channel
, invading Britain in late 1950. The bulk of the British forces are wiped out, with the rest fleeing to scattered bases in the northern parts of England.
Some time after the invasion of England the SRPA (Special Research Projects Administration) begins experimenting with the virus, supposedly in order to find a cure. It is never revealed whether they are really attempting to find a cure for the virus or are simply attempting to create a group of superhumans just as Malikov did with the Cloven. This project is known as Project Abraham.
There are only two known locations where Project Abraham took place. One was an unspecified military facility in Alaska and another in Bryce Canyon, Utah. Out of the viral website it is known that the only survivors are Joseph Capelli and Nathan Hale. They are both later transferred into Sentinel Squad Echo.
After the events of Project Abraham, the soldiers who were infected with the Chimeran virus were formed into an elite squad known as Sentinels.
shortly after the Tunguska event
in the game's alternate history. The human forces initially believe the Chimera to be the result of a biological experiment gone wrong, but through events and revelations during the course of the game, along with the Chimeras' advanced technologies such as weather control, energy weapons, and force fields, it becomes obvious to the humans that the Chimera are extraterrestrial
in origin. The Chimeran army expands by infecting humans with a mutagenic virus
that causes its victims to fall into a coma, then slowly transform into Chimera while inside cocoons. Intelligence reports in the game speculate that more than one human body is needed for the larger strains of Chimera. The Chimera build conversion centers across their territory to both speed up this process, and create new breeds of Chimeran creatures. Large, jellyfish-like creatures, called Carriers, bring infected humans that have fallen into comas to these conversion centers. The centers do however become redundant in Resistance 2, leaving the converting in cocoons right in the cities where they were infected.
The main character of Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2 is Nathan Hale, a human that has been partially infected by the Chimeran virus that gives him regenerative abilities but has not completely taken over his body. It is revealed in Resistance 2 that Hale participated in an American experiment named Project Abraham. The Americans tested the Chimeran virus on human subjects, and tried to inhibit the virus in some way. Hale however, was tested with a different strain originating from what Dr. Malikov describes as "Pure Chimera". They are more than 60 million years old. In "Resistance 2", Daedalus (Jordan Shephard) tells Hale that The Chimera had once ruled the earth millions of years ago.
The Chimera are much stronger than regular humans, and have between two and six yellow eyes. The Chimeran metabolism
is said to be roughly twelve times that of humans', which allows for extraordinary healing abilities, but it also causes their bodies to overheat quickly. For that reason, Chimeran soldiers have cooling devices implanted into their backs, to prevent fatal overheating. The Chimera thrive in very cold temperatures, which has led them to alter the Earth's climate
through unknown means, reducing temperatures to the point where London
is frozen over in July. The Chimera are led by creatures called Angels (large, flying monsters with multiple limbs emanating from their backs and extending toward the front around their heads) which possess a telepathic
link to the Chimeran soldiers. Individual Chimera die without this psychic link. It is said in several intelligence reports during the game that the Chimera will devour their own kind
, usually their wounded or dead.
In Resistance: Fall of Man it is revealed that the Angels take shelter in areas known as Chimeran towers which are massive spire like structures that are often hundreds of feet tall. In the Resistance: Fall of Man level "A Disturbing Discovery" it turns out that the towers are excavated rather than constructed as was originally believed. This suggests that the Chimera were on Earth before humans. This turns out to be true when in Resistance 2 it is revealed that the towers were on Earth several million years ago. Apparently something radical happened in the Gulf of Mexico, which incapacitated all the towers that are scattered around the world. It is presumed that the Chicxulub asterioid impact
is linked to this due to a mysterious object being described by intel in the second game and the location in the Gulf.
In Resistance 2 a Chimera known as Daedalus, which originated from the very same experiment as Nathan Hale, takes control of the Chimeran forces world wide after the surprise Chimeran attack on station Igloo. It is speculated that because he is supposed to be an older form of Chimera that he has more precise control over the Chimera than the Angels. It is revealed in several intelligence documents and mission briefings that the Chimeran command structure became more and more complex since the arrival of Daedalus and that the Chimeran offensive strategy has also become more tactical.
It's mentioned in Resistance: Retribution, since human bodies have been running low, the Chimera have apparently been dismantling old conversion centers around Europe, and building new ones, in which they are using a new raw material, the numerous amount of unused infected female humans as no female Chimeran has ever been seen in the previous game. During the demo chapter, Grayson tries to rescue a soldier named Bouchard, who is in the conversion process. She mentions that she is surrounded by bodies that are deformed, neither alive nor dead, all of them female.
Information from Resistances Map Pack 1 on the Official Website reports on a possible alliance between the Chimera and the Cloven. The Cloven were spotted ransacking Chimeran bases and encountering no resistance. It also reads in an intelligence report that the Cloven purposely lead the Chimera to York
where the American soldiers would be landing, indicating York was a trap from the beginning. The equipment being taken by the Cloven is different from what has been seen in their possession so far. U.S. forces speculate that the Cloven are stockpiling Chimeran technology to be used against Allied forces. An encounter with the Cloven has shown that they now have weapons far stronger than anything witnessed from either side in combat. Whether the Cloven are in possession of advanced Chimeran technology or simply modifying existing Chimeran technology is unknown.
Claud Bouchard discovered Cloven are more insane alone when he secretly tortured 7 out of 8, but the last one cut his tongue off and died of blood loss.
It is revealed in Resistance 2 by Doctor Malikov that they are hybrids of human and Chimera caused by an antidote gone wrong. Their dead have photos of their leader stuffed in their mouth and middle fingers cut off. Malikov created them himself, during some experiments involving the Chimera. It was because of his "success" in Russia that he was transferred to the American Chimeran virus experimentation program, known as "Project Abraham". He then continued his work, thus creating "The Sentinels".
s, and feature a variety of weapons. The weapons include both conventional weapons for the setting of the game, weapons created by the Chimera that possess unique features, and human weapons that have been modified to take advantage of the Chimera technology. Each weapon features two modes of fire which work in conjunction with each other. The human assault rifles include grenade launchers, while the Chimera "Bullseye" has a secondary mode that fires a marker, such that all bullets shot in the primary mode will strike the marked target for a short time.
The two PlayStation 3 games feature large-scale multiplayer modes with support for up to 60 players in Resistance 2 and up to 40 players in 'Resistance: Fall of Man'. Both console games offer extensive stat tracking for online combat, with Resistance 2 featuring trophies that require online play to earn.
In Resistance 2, Hale was then intercepted and picked up by Special Research Project Administration (SRPA) soldiers; and Hale is forcibly recruited into the Sentinel Program - a task force of soldiers who are all semi-immune to the virus, like Hale (in certain cases, the members include fellow Project Abraham survivors). During Resistance: The Gathering Storm, more of Hale's history and personal life is explored, and Hale once again achieves notoriety when he effects a power change - he personally executes President Noah Grace for his treason to humanity.
Hale continues his duties against the Chimera, eventually ascending to command his own squad - Sentinel Team Echo - and with him finally reaching officer status with the rank of First Lieutenant. Hale and SRPA's fight against the Chimera, now led by "Daedalus" (actually Jordan Adam Shepherd, an old friend of Hale's), becomes increasingly desperate after Daedalus launches a successful invasion of the United States, and later successfully overruns the Liberty Defense Perimeter after a botched SRPA mission that leaves half of Hale's men dead and Hale himself on the verge of transformation into a Chimera (having neglected to have a compulsory viral inhibitor treatment well over the recommended timeframe). Hale and surviving SRPA forces launch a final attack to save America which succeeds; Daedalus is killed by Hale and the Chimera fleet is destroyed. However, shortly after crash-landing his escape shuttle, Joseph Capelli, the only soldier other than Hale to be a survivor of the squad and the mission, finds Hale has almost finished transforming and about to become a Chimera. Capelli regretfully executes Hale with his pistol and says 'Forgive me, sir. It was an honor.'
Now part of SRPA, Capelli took part in Sentinel operations against the Chimera, although his insubordination left him demoted and transferred to Sentinel Team Echo under Nathan Hale's command. Once again, before, during and after missions together during the invasion of the United States, Capelli is disrespectful towards Hale, and at one point approaches Hale when he began to succumb to the virus, and told his superior officer he would not hesitate to shoot Hale when he finished transforming. Hale merely took the threat in stride; and invited him to do so when the time came.
Eventually, after a mission to Iceland ends in failure, resulting in the death of half of Echo Team, Capelli, despite his earlier attitude, finds and rescues Hale after he is critically wounded by Daedalus. However, Fyodor Malikov is too late to stop his transformation.
After Hale awakes, Capelli briefs Hale on the bleak situation - that the Liberty Defense Perimeter has fallen and that the Baton Rouge protection camp is all that is left and the people are about to starve to death. He then explains that their only hope to destroy the Chimeran fleet, hovering above Chicxulub Crater in Mexico, with the fission bomb Nellie in Operation: Black Eden. Capelli, Hale and surviving SRPA forces protect the fission bomb as it is loaded onto a shuttle. Capelli, Major Blake and Hale all board the Chimeran flagship in the center of the fleet formation and make their way to the bridge. Capelli directs Hale to the bomb after Blake and his team are killed. Capelli and Hale narrowly escape after killing Daedalus and arming the bomb. The resulting EMP forces them to crash-land near the Mexican coast and knocks Capelli unconscious. After waking up, Capelli steps outside of the shuttle to see Hale looking upon two massive sphere-like objects in the sky. After asking Hale what they are, Capelli realizes he has finished transforming into a Chimeran creature. Capelli pulls out his pistol and orders Hale to stay back, only to hear Hale's response of, "This is just the beginning." Capelli hesitates to kill Hale but he knows he has no choice and, contrary to his previous attitude and threats toward the lieutenant, says, "Forgive me, Sir. It was an honor." and is forced to execute Hale with his pistol.
It was confirmed in the November 2010 issue of Game Informer
magazine that Capelli would return as the primary protagonist of Resistance 3
, taking the place of Nathan Hale.
during a mission to attack the Chimera in Russia, though was later revealed to still exist as a rogue soldier known as "The Cloven Killer". Grayson is last seen, infected with the virus, in Moscow, Russia.
In Resistance: Retribution Parker worked quickly, initiating restoration and rescue efforts throughout the country, restoring and re-deploying armed forces, beginning research efforts into the Chimera's mysterious history and reverse-engineering the Chimera's left-over nuclear reactor technology and energy weapons. At this time, Parker was promoted to Colonel and made official head of the British Intelligence Corps and defacto head of the British Armed Forces. Parker eventually re-started the conflict in Europe by launching an invasion of the continent, coordinating with the SRPA and Maquis Resistance to succeed (in the case of the former; she learns Hale survived and now served with SRPA's Sentinel Program, and so drafted a sealed letter to him; the contents of which are unknown - but are suspected to be some form of admission of love).
is a novel by William C. Dietz
released in April 2009. It details what happened to Nathan Hale during the two years between the events that unfolded in Iceland; after his extraction from Great Britain, and later in San Francisco; where the Chimera launch the invasion of the United States.
Resistance: A Hole in the Sky is an indirect sequel to Resistance: The Gathering Storm and is written by William C. Dietz. It is set before the events of Resistance 3.
is a six-issue comic book
limited series
that began in January 2009. The first issue, Resistance #0 (which was available as part of the Resistance 2 Collector's Edition), details the early history of Private Jordan Adam Shepherd, the seemingly innocent soldier who volunteered to be a test subject in Project Abraham, and, due to the machinations of Doctor Fyodor Malikov, would transform into "Daedalus"; the Leader of the Chimera.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
horror series of first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
and third-person shooter
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
video games developed by Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games, Inc. is an American video game developer headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1994, Insomniac has released titles for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. It created Disruptor, the first three Spyro the Dragon games, and the Ratchet &...
and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and PlayStation Vita video game consoles.
The series takes place in an alternate history around the year 1950, in which an alien civilization known as the Chimera have invaded and conquered much of Earth, expanding their armies by capturing humans and transforming them into monster-like supersoldier
Supersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
s to fight on their behalf. The player takes the role of one of the remaining human armed forces as they fight against the Chimera invasion.
The series is noted for its use of both conventional and futuristic weaponry, reflecting Insomniac's previous work on the Ratchet & Clank series
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series....
.
Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man is the first installment in the Resistance series and was released on the PlayStation 3 in 2006 as a launch title for the system. The game is about the United States and the British who join forces to stop an extraterrestrial species known as the Chimera from taking over EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1951.
Resistance 2
Resistance 2 is the second installment in the Resistance series and was released on the PlayStation 3 in November 2008. The game's protagonist is Nathan Hale. It is set in 1953, shortly after the events of the first game. The Chimera have managed to cross over into North America and threaten to take over the continent.Resistance 3
Resistance 3 is the third installment in the Resistance series and was released on the PlayStation 3 on September 6, 2011. The protagonist is Joseph Capelli, a character that was introduced in the previous game. It is set in 1957 and again takes place in the United States in cities like New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
Resistance 4
At this point, Insomniac isn't signed up for another Resistance game, according to Resistance 3 creative director Marcus Smith. Asked by Gaming Union whether Resistance will remain Insomniac's flagship franchise going forward, Smith said that the studio has a number of franchises it wants to pursue and that Resistance isn't one of them. It's possible that the franchise will be handed off to another developer.Resistance: Retribution
Resistance: Retribution is a spin-off to Resistance: Fall of Man and was released on the PlayStation Portable on March 17, 2009. The game follows James Grayson, a British Royal Marine as he helps the human resistance force in Europe to retake the continent from the Chimera in 1951.Resistance: Burning Skies
Resistance: Burning Skies is the second spin-off in the Resistance series being developed by Nihilistic SoftwareNihilistic Software
-History:Nihilistic was founded in March 1998 by Ray Gresko, Robert Huebner, and Steve Tietze. Gresko and Huebner had formerly worked at LucasArts, and Tietze had worked at Rogue Entertainment...
. It is scheduled to be released on the PlayStation Vita. The plot of the game is yet to be confirmed and is currently in the early stages of development.
Global Resistance
Global Resistance is a Facebook game designed to promote the release of Resistance 3, where players can choose to play as human or chimera. Global Resistance has exclusive content for Resistance 3.Setting
The alternate history of the Resistance series diverges from current history primarily at the end of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, leading to a prosperous European alliance and worldwide peace, preventing the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the rise of the Nazis in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but also leading to the rise of an isolationist Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, one that is still under Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
ist rule as Lenin's
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
revolution was crushed.
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, with the epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
corresponding to the time and location of the Tunguska event
Tunguska event
The Tunguska event, or Tunguska blast or Tunguska explosion, was an enormously powerful explosion that occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, at about 7:14 a.m...
of 1908. In 1921, Russia initiated a communications blackout with the rest of the world, and built a wall against its European border called the "Red Curtain". Word spreads of small towns, villages, and eventually cities in Russia and Eastern Europe that are destroyed within a single night. A strange cold front also develops over Russia and spreads outwards. European intelligence agencies attempt to listen in on Russian radio stations, only to hear a single message repeated over and over: "Brotherhood, Strength, and Fortitude...in the face of the angry night."
In December 1949, the Red Curtain is suddenly breached by numerous Chimeran forces. The Chimera overrun continental Europe by February 1950, leaving very few survivors. The Chimera then proceed to dig underneath the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, invading Britain in late 1950. The bulk of the British forces are wiped out, with the rest fleeing to scattered bases in the northern parts of England.
Some time after the invasion of England the SRPA (Special Research Projects Administration) begins experimenting with the virus, supposedly in order to find a cure. It is never revealed whether they are really attempting to find a cure for the virus or are simply attempting to create a group of superhumans just as Malikov did with the Cloven. This project is known as Project Abraham.
There are only two known locations where Project Abraham took place. One was an unspecified military facility in Alaska and another in Bryce Canyon, Utah. Out of the viral website it is known that the only survivors are Joseph Capelli and Nathan Hale. They are both later transferred into Sentinel Squad Echo.
After the events of Project Abraham, the soldiers who were infected with the Chimeran virus were formed into an elite squad known as Sentinels.
The Chimera
The Chimera are a species of unconfirmed origin that arrived on Earth with the asteroid from the Tunguska event, who serve as the main enemies in the game. They first appeared in SiberiaSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
shortly after the Tunguska event
Tunguska event
The Tunguska event, or Tunguska blast or Tunguska explosion, was an enormously powerful explosion that occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, at about 7:14 a.m...
in the game's alternate history. The human forces initially believe the Chimera to be the result of a biological experiment gone wrong, but through events and revelations during the course of the game, along with the Chimeras' advanced technologies such as weather control, energy weapons, and force fields, it becomes obvious to the humans that the Chimera are extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
in origin. The Chimeran army expands by infecting humans with a mutagenic virus
Mutagen
In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that changes the genetic material, usually DNA, of an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations cause cancer, mutagens are therefore also likely to be carcinogens...
that causes its victims to fall into a coma, then slowly transform into Chimera while inside cocoons. Intelligence reports in the game speculate that more than one human body is needed for the larger strains of Chimera. The Chimera build conversion centers across their territory to both speed up this process, and create new breeds of Chimeran creatures. Large, jellyfish-like creatures, called Carriers, bring infected humans that have fallen into comas to these conversion centers. The centers do however become redundant in Resistance 2, leaving the converting in cocoons right in the cities where they were infected.
The main character of Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2 is Nathan Hale, a human that has been partially infected by the Chimeran virus that gives him regenerative abilities but has not completely taken over his body. It is revealed in Resistance 2 that Hale participated in an American experiment named Project Abraham. The Americans tested the Chimeran virus on human subjects, and tried to inhibit the virus in some way. Hale however, was tested with a different strain originating from what Dr. Malikov describes as "Pure Chimera". They are more than 60 million years old. In "Resistance 2", Daedalus (Jordan Shephard) tells Hale that The Chimera had once ruled the earth millions of years ago.
The Chimera are much stronger than regular humans, and have between two and six yellow eyes. The Chimeran metabolism
Metabolism
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
is said to be roughly twelve times that of humans', which allows for extraordinary healing abilities, but it also causes their bodies to overheat quickly. For that reason, Chimeran soldiers have cooling devices implanted into their backs, to prevent fatal overheating. The Chimera thrive in very cold temperatures, which has led them to alter the Earth's climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
through unknown means, reducing temperatures to the point where London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
is frozen over in July. The Chimera are led by creatures called Angels (large, flying monsters with multiple limbs emanating from their backs and extending toward the front around their heads) which possess a telepathic
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
link to the Chimeran soldiers. Individual Chimera die without this psychic link. It is said in several intelligence reports during the game that the Chimera will devour their own kind
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
, usually their wounded or dead.
In Resistance: Fall of Man it is revealed that the Angels take shelter in areas known as Chimeran towers which are massive spire like structures that are often hundreds of feet tall. In the Resistance: Fall of Man level "A Disturbing Discovery" it turns out that the towers are excavated rather than constructed as was originally believed. This suggests that the Chimera were on Earth before humans. This turns out to be true when in Resistance 2 it is revealed that the towers were on Earth several million years ago. Apparently something radical happened in the Gulf of Mexico, which incapacitated all the towers that are scattered around the world. It is presumed that the Chicxulub asterioid impact
Chicxulub Crater
The Chicxulub crater is an ancient impact crater buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. Its center is located near the town of Chicxulub, after which the crater is named...
is linked to this due to a mysterious object being described by intel in the second game and the location in the Gulf.
In Resistance 2 a Chimera known as Daedalus, which originated from the very same experiment as Nathan Hale, takes control of the Chimeran forces world wide after the surprise Chimeran attack on station Igloo. It is speculated that because he is supposed to be an older form of Chimera that he has more precise control over the Chimera than the Angels. It is revealed in several intelligence documents and mission briefings that the Chimeran command structure became more and more complex since the arrival of Daedalus and that the Chimeran offensive strategy has also become more tactical.
It's mentioned in Resistance: Retribution, since human bodies have been running low, the Chimera have apparently been dismantling old conversion centers around Europe, and building new ones, in which they are using a new raw material, the numerous amount of unused infected female humans as no female Chimeran has ever been seen in the previous game. During the demo chapter, Grayson tries to rescue a soldier named Bouchard, who is in the conversion process. She mentions that she is surrounded by bodies that are deformed, neither alive nor dead, all of them female.
Cloven
The Cloven do not appear in the story campaign mode for Resistance: Fall of Man but are mentioned in discovered intelligence reports and feature as an unlockable skin in the multiplayer mode. They do appear in Resistance: Retribution. They are bald, pale-skinned humanoids in foreign military uniforms and have cuts on them in Resistance: Retribution and have no shirt and [multiplayer only] wear skulls. In intelligence reports and on the official site, they are said to be maniacs who speak Russian, ritualistically mutilate themselves and their victims, and feed on the bodies of their own dead soldiers. They appear to be enemies of both the Chimera and the British-American forces, due to their hostility towards both. Despite this, they seem to be somehow connected to the Chimera, but in what way is unknown. In two of the intelligence reports found later on in the game it appears that the British started hunting for groups of Cloven. Also in one of these two it makes reference to a possible leader that may control the Cloven.Information from Resistances Map Pack 1 on the Official Website reports on a possible alliance between the Chimera and the Cloven. The Cloven were spotted ransacking Chimeran bases and encountering no resistance. It also reads in an intelligence report that the Cloven purposely lead the Chimera to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
where the American soldiers would be landing, indicating York was a trap from the beginning. The equipment being taken by the Cloven is different from what has been seen in their possession so far. U.S. forces speculate that the Cloven are stockpiling Chimeran technology to be used against Allied forces. An encounter with the Cloven has shown that they now have weapons far stronger than anything witnessed from either side in combat. Whether the Cloven are in possession of advanced Chimeran technology or simply modifying existing Chimeran technology is unknown.
Claud Bouchard discovered Cloven are more insane alone when he secretly tortured 7 out of 8, but the last one cut his tongue off and died of blood loss.
It is revealed in Resistance 2 by Doctor Malikov that they are hybrids of human and Chimera caused by an antidote gone wrong. Their dead have photos of their leader stuffed in their mouth and middle fingers cut off. Malikov created them himself, during some experiments involving the Chimera. It was because of his "success" in Russia that he was transferred to the American Chimeran virus experimentation program, known as "Project Abraham". He then continued his work, thus creating "The Sentinels".
Gameplay
The Resistance games play similarly to most first-person shooterFirst-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
s, and feature a variety of weapons. The weapons include both conventional weapons for the setting of the game, weapons created by the Chimera that possess unique features, and human weapons that have been modified to take advantage of the Chimera technology. Each weapon features two modes of fire which work in conjunction with each other. The human assault rifles include grenade launchers, while the Chimera "Bullseye" has a secondary mode that fires a marker, such that all bullets shot in the primary mode will strike the marked target for a short time.
The two PlayStation 3 games feature large-scale multiplayer modes with support for up to 60 players in Resistance 2 and up to 40 players in 'Resistance: Fall of Man'. Both console games offer extensive stat tracking for online combat, with Resistance 2 featuring trophies that require online play to earn.
Nathan Hale
Sgt./2nd Lt./1st Lt. Nathan Hale is a quiet, reserved and ordinary soldier in the U.S. Army Rangers who, over the course of the series, becomes a famous war hero and patriot during the Chimeran conflict. He is the first main protagonist. In Resistance: Fall of Man, Hale's rise to fame amongst the British resistance begins when he is the sole survivor of the failed liberation of Britain, although Hale, due to volunteering for a government project called Project Abraham (whose purpose was to find a cure for the Chimera virus) prior to his deployment, survives due to his semi-immunity to the virus. Hale joins up with the British Resistance, and, with his Chimera abilities, and over repeated missions, single-handedly locates the source of Chimera throughout the country and destroys it; liberating all of Britain from the Chimera permanently.In Resistance 2, Hale was then intercepted and picked up by Special Research Project Administration (SRPA) soldiers; and Hale is forcibly recruited into the Sentinel Program - a task force of soldiers who are all semi-immune to the virus, like Hale (in certain cases, the members include fellow Project Abraham survivors). During Resistance: The Gathering Storm, more of Hale's history and personal life is explored, and Hale once again achieves notoriety when he effects a power change - he personally executes President Noah Grace for his treason to humanity.
Hale continues his duties against the Chimera, eventually ascending to command his own squad - Sentinel Team Echo - and with him finally reaching officer status with the rank of First Lieutenant. Hale and SRPA's fight against the Chimera, now led by "Daedalus" (actually Jordan Adam Shepherd, an old friend of Hale's), becomes increasingly desperate after Daedalus launches a successful invasion of the United States, and later successfully overruns the Liberty Defense Perimeter after a botched SRPA mission that leaves half of Hale's men dead and Hale himself on the verge of transformation into a Chimera (having neglected to have a compulsory viral inhibitor treatment well over the recommended timeframe). Hale and surviving SRPA forces launch a final attack to save America which succeeds; Daedalus is killed by Hale and the Chimera fleet is destroyed. However, shortly after crash-landing his escape shuttle, Joseph Capelli, the only soldier other than Hale to be a survivor of the squad and the mission, finds Hale has almost finished transforming and about to become a Chimera. Capelli regretfully executes Hale with his pistol and says 'Forgive me, sir. It was an honor.'
Joseph Capelli
Pvt./Sgt./Cpl. Joseph Capelli is a U.S. Marine who, despite his skills and leadership abilities, is also known to be extremely rude, very insubordinate and had a disrespectful attitude to authority; effectively sabotaging his military career. This ultimately led to him volunteering for Project Abraham to become a Sentinel, to avoid prison time. The first to be injected with the Chimera virus, Capelli ended up being one of the few that survived, though he was left permanently scarred and the injection left him emotionally unstable.Now part of SRPA, Capelli took part in Sentinel operations against the Chimera, although his insubordination left him demoted and transferred to Sentinel Team Echo under Nathan Hale's command. Once again, before, during and after missions together during the invasion of the United States, Capelli is disrespectful towards Hale, and at one point approaches Hale when he began to succumb to the virus, and told his superior officer he would not hesitate to shoot Hale when he finished transforming. Hale merely took the threat in stride; and invited him to do so when the time came.
Eventually, after a mission to Iceland ends in failure, resulting in the death of half of Echo Team, Capelli, despite his earlier attitude, finds and rescues Hale after he is critically wounded by Daedalus. However, Fyodor Malikov is too late to stop his transformation.
After Hale awakes, Capelli briefs Hale on the bleak situation - that the Liberty Defense Perimeter has fallen and that the Baton Rouge protection camp is all that is left and the people are about to starve to death. He then explains that their only hope to destroy the Chimeran fleet, hovering above Chicxulub Crater in Mexico, with the fission bomb Nellie in Operation: Black Eden. Capelli, Hale and surviving SRPA forces protect the fission bomb as it is loaded onto a shuttle. Capelli, Major Blake and Hale all board the Chimeran flagship in the center of the fleet formation and make their way to the bridge. Capelli directs Hale to the bomb after Blake and his team are killed. Capelli and Hale narrowly escape after killing Daedalus and arming the bomb. The resulting EMP forces them to crash-land near the Mexican coast and knocks Capelli unconscious. After waking up, Capelli steps outside of the shuttle to see Hale looking upon two massive sphere-like objects in the sky. After asking Hale what they are, Capelli realizes he has finished transforming into a Chimeran creature. Capelli pulls out his pistol and orders Hale to stay back, only to hear Hale's response of, "This is just the beginning." Capelli hesitates to kill Hale but he knows he has no choice and, contrary to his previous attitude and threats toward the lieutenant, says, "Forgive me, Sir. It was an honor." and is forced to execute Hale with his pistol.
It was confirmed in the November 2010 issue of Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
magazine that Capelli would return as the primary protagonist of Resistance 3
Resistance 3
Resistance 3 is a 2011 science fiction post-apocalyptic first person shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game is the third title in the Resistance series and is the sequel to the best-selling PlayStation 3 launch title...
, taking the place of Nathan Hale.
James Grayson
Lt./Pvt./Col. James Grayson is a Lieutenant from the British Royal Marines and features as the main protagonist during Resistance: Retribution. Grayson suffered a complete breakdown when his brother; Jonny, was discovered within a Chimaeran conversion facility in mid-process of the conversion and is forced to follow regulations. Even though at first one of his squad members suggested that he shouldn't do it, James took it upon himself to take his own brother's life. Grayson, despite rising to become a folk hero, is eventually tracked down, captured and sentenced to death by firing squad. The Maquis Resistance, needing Grayson's experience in their efforts to liberate Europe; arrange for his release and installation as a SRPA-contracted Maquis mercenary. Grayson helps the Maquis and British forces during Operation: Overstrike, while helping the over all progress of Operation: Overstrike he also continues his vendetta against the Chimera, but eventually with time is able to lay his emotional problems to rest. After liberating Europe, and redeeming himself in front of his British superiors, Grayson declines reinstatement to the British military, and instead joins the Maquis full-time; as Colonel Roland Malery's replacement. He went MIAMissing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
during a mission to attack the Chimera in Russia, though was later revealed to still exist as a rogue soldier known as "The Cloven Killer". Grayson is last seen, infected with the virus, in Moscow, Russia.
Fyodor Malikov
Dr. Fyodor Malikov is a mysterious Russian scientist who is the world's greatest expert on Chimera. Malikov initially worked with the Russian government against the Chimera, although his efforts instead led to the creation of the Cloven (who, despite him not being able to control, nevertheless worship him as their "father"). Malikov was forcibly recruited by the American government, and so was one of the three co-founders of SRPA; leading research efforts into the Chimera's history in an effort to defeat them. All of Malikov's efforts, however successful, ultimately are found to have caused more harm than good; a revelation that leads Malikov to consider suicide. It was revealed in an interview for Resistance 3, however, that Malikov found he, at least, owed the dead the effort to find a cure for the virus, and so decided to dedicate his remaining time to that effort.Rachel Parker
Cpt./Col. Rachel Parker is a highly intelligent officer and with British Army Intelligence who worked with the military against the Chimera since the early days of the conflict. Following the invasion of Britain, and the deaths of the British military hierarchy, including Parker's father, Parker, only a Captain at the time, became de-facto head of the British Intelligence Corps, and leader of the British Resistance. At her direction, Parker and Lieutenant Steven Cartwright engaged the Chimera in a guerrilla campaign; with Parker's brilliance and leadership keeping the Resistance going despite the odds. In Resistance: Fall of Man, with Sergeant Nathan Hale's efforts supporting the Resistance every step of the way, Britain, eventually, was finally liberated and all Chimera on British soil eradicated following the destruction of the tower network; Parker is implied to have developed romantic feelings for Hale; and sadly assumed Hale perished in the colossal explosion of the central tower in London.In Resistance: Retribution Parker worked quickly, initiating restoration and rescue efforts throughout the country, restoring and re-deploying armed forces, beginning research efforts into the Chimera's mysterious history and reverse-engineering the Chimera's left-over nuclear reactor technology and energy weapons. At this time, Parker was promoted to Colonel and made official head of the British Intelligence Corps and defacto head of the British Armed Forces. Parker eventually re-started the conflict in Europe by launching an invasion of the continent, coordinating with the SRPA and Maquis Resistance to succeed (in the case of the former; she learns Hale survived and now served with SRPA's Sentinel Program, and so drafted a sealed letter to him; the contents of which are unknown - but are suspected to be some form of admission of love).
Steven Cartwright
Lt./Mjr./Gen. Steven Cartwright is a troop leader in the British Royal Marines who, during the Chimeran invasion of Britain, and with the deaths of the British military hierarchy, becomes de facto head of the Royal Marines, under the command of Cpt. Rachel Parker; serving as her second-in-command of the British Resistance. Cartwright is shown to be flamboyant, flippant and easy-going, however he is also a highly competent tactician and brilliant soldier; leading many operations against the Chimera. In Resistance: Fall of Man, Cartwright occasionally fights beside Hale during his one-man mission to end the Chimeran occupation, until he was incapacitated during the final battle. Cartwright survived and returned to duty, now promoted to Major and made official head of the British Royal Marines, once again under now-Colonel Parker. In Resistance: Retribution, Cartwright works along with Parker and his former protege, James Grayson, to liberate Europe. In Resistance 3,on the radio in Haven, Oklahoma, you hear Cartwright telling the listeners that the Chimera can be fought, and other things to strengthen morale.Richard Blake
Mjr. Richard Blake was a Sentinel who served as a high-ranking SRPA official, being its Director of Advanced Tactical Operations, Acting-Director of Tactical Operations, and Commanding Officer of the Sentinels. Blake is introduced in Resistance 2; and leads and organises many military operations across the United States to fight back against the Chimera, even as the situation worsens. Blake also takes the lead in many research and development efforts to create new weapons and technology in the war effort. Blake is killed in action during Operation: Black Eden, when he is shot dead transporting the fission bomb Nellie.Secondary Characters
- Dr. Cassandra "Cassie" Aklin is a U.S. Army-employed SRPA psychologist who works to treat volunteers during Project Abraham. Aklin gets to know Nathan Hale during the time he is there; and ultimately falls in love with him. Aklin and Hale lost touch following his deployment to Britain; and Aklin's efforts to locate him ultimately get her removed from the Project. In Resistance: The Gathering Storm, Aklin, still treating soldiers during the Chimeran conflict, meets Hale again, and the two become lovers.
- Johnny Grayson is James's older brother. Johny was infected by the Chimeran virus, forcing James to euthanize him.
- Noah Grace was the 33rd President of the United States of America; having remained in office for three terms, and served as Commander-In-Chief during the Chimeran conflict. As revealed in Intel documents and online history; Grace defeated incumbent President Franklin Roosevelt and effectively turned America into an isolationist state; while outwardly he is a confident, self-assured and inspiring leader, in truth he is ruthless, immoral and eager for total control over the United States. His personality clouds his judgment during the worsening Chimeran conflict; leading him to enforce many policies that do more harm in the increasingly grim war. Ultimately, Grace was finally removed from office when Hale, as revealed in Resistance: The Gathering Storm, executed him for treason to the human race (having been exposed as trying to negotiate with the Chimera to save himself - at the expense of the rest of the world). He was succeeded by Harvey McCullen.
- General Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
is General of the Army during the Chimeran conflict, and serves as the military's highest-ranking officer. Following the fall of the Liberty Defense Perimeter in Resistance 2, General MacArthur succeeded President Harvey McCullen as Acting Commander-In-Chief following McCullen's death. - Harvey McCullen was Vice-President of the United States of America under President Noah Grace. McCullen was a far more capable and honorable leader than Grace, doing his best to direct Grace to make the right decisions during the Chimeran conflict. McCullen became Acting President when Grace was executed by Nathan Hale for his treason to humanity, and McCullen was sworn in as the 34th President of the United States (though the true circumstances of Grace's demise were covered up - McCullen praised Grace at his memorial). McCullen, now Commander-In-Chief, quickly worked to remove many of the damaging policies put in place by Grace, and re-focused the floundering war effort. In Resistance 2, during the fall of the Liberty Defense Perimeter, President McCullen and his entire cabinetUnited States CabinetThe Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
were killed when, during evacuation, their VTOL was shot down by Chimeran fighters. He was succeeded, in a temporary capacity, by General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.
Novels
Resistance: The Gathering StormResistance: The Gathering Storm
Resistance: The Gathering Storm is a 2009 science fiction novel based on the Resistance video game series and acts as a midquel to Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2. It was written by William C. Dietz...
is a novel by William C. Dietz
William C. Dietz
William C. Dietz is the best-selling author of more than thirty novels some of which have been translated into German, French, Russian, Korean and Japanese...
released in April 2009. It details what happened to Nathan Hale during the two years between the events that unfolded in Iceland; after his extraction from Great Britain, and later in San Francisco; where the Chimera launch the invasion of the United States.
Resistance: A Hole in the Sky is an indirect sequel to Resistance: The Gathering Storm and is written by William C. Dietz. It is set before the events of Resistance 3.
Comics
ResistanceResistance (comics)
Resistance is a comic book limited series published by Wildstorm, based on the Resistance video game series. It is written by Mike Costa, with art by Ramón Pérez, with the prequel being written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, with pencils by C.P. Smith...
is a six-issue comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
that began in January 2009. The first issue, Resistance #0 (which was available as part of the Resistance 2 Collector's Edition), details the early history of Private Jordan Adam Shepherd, the seemingly innocent soldier who volunteered to be a test subject in Project Abraham, and, due to the machinations of Doctor Fyodor Malikov, would transform into "Daedalus"; the Leader of the Chimera.
Reception
The Resistance series has been critically well-received with every game in the series scoring an aggregate score of at least 80%.External links
- Official website of Insomniac Games at WikiaWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...
.com