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Hands on with the weapons of Resistance: Retribution on PSP

Loading up info on the game's guns and grenades

Hands on with the weapons of Resistance: Retribution on PSP

Ever since our first taste of Resistance: Retribution during July's E3, we've been eager to get a closer look at what we can expect of this ambitious shooter. Assistant producer Caley Roberts introduced us to the game following its initial debut, but he was more than willing to speak to us again regarding its arsenal of weapons. While not much new was on display, we did get a better feel for the various firearms you'll be using to blast back Chimera foes.

With more time to run through the Bonn conversion facility stage shown at E3, we tested each of the available guns. Following in the tradition of Insomniac Games, most weapons have an alternate fire. Obviously, these are specific to the weapon and vary from clever targeting systems to powered up bullets.

You start off with a basic semi-automatic rifle, the Sturmgewehr .303 Carbine. It's a straightforward gun capable to shredding Chimera hybrids with a few seconds of shooting. Hit the alternative fire and the Carbine shows off its real power: the ability to slow down your enemies' rate of fire. When you have a squad of hybrids reigning bullets on your position, slowing them down is immensely helpful and can mean all the difference in surviving.

We prefer the BM001 Razor over the Carbine, not just because it packs a more powerful round but also because of its useful alternate firing mode. The Razor, which is a reversed-engineered rendition of the Chimera Bullseye capable of tracking individual targets, behaves in the same way. Alternate fire allows you to spin out a tracking disc, which lets you tag enemies with your bullets over and around cover. The L209 Laark also possesses the same tracking disc mechanism for its alternate firing mode.

We were able to fire off two additional weapons that we came across through the course of the mission: the Schrotfinte 12 Gauge and Longbow 1s-1K sniper rifle. As you'd expect, the Schrotfinte works well in close-quarters where the shotgun's blast makes short work of foes. It's woefully inefficient at mid-range and useless at length. That's where the Longbow rifle comes in. During a distanced battle on an elevator against a swarm of hybrids, we located the Longbow and started knocking them back with well-placed shots. A sight allows you to zoom in for aiming, naturally.

No major word on what types of explosives will make it into the game, although we're keen on seeing hedgehog grenades in there. Standard fragmentation grenades will definitely be included, but it'd be great to see more fanciful varieties, too.

It'll be awhile longer before we know for certain, though, as Resistance: Retribution still has half a year to go before its spring 2009 release.

Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.