Tag: sound

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
North American cover art featuring the titular protagonist Nathan Drake in a jungle
Developer(s)	Naughty Dog
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Director(s)	Amy Hennig
Designer(s)	Richard Lemarchand Hirokazu Yasuhara
Programmer(s)	Pål-Kristian Engstad Dan Liebgold Travis McIntosh
Artist(s)	Bob Rafei Bruce Straley
Writer(s)	Amy Hennig Neil Druckmann Josh Scherr
Composer(s)	Greg Edmonson
Series	Uncharted
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3
Release	NA: November 19, 2007[2] AU: December 6, 2007[1] EU: December 7, 2007
Genre(s)	Action-adventure, third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the first game in the Uncharted series and was released in November 2007 for PlayStation 3. The game follows Nathan Drake, the supposed descendant of explorer Sir Francis Drake, as he searches for the lost treasure of El Dorado with journalist Elena Fisher and mentor Victor Sullivan.

The development of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune began in 2005, and saw Naughty Dog altering their approach to development, as they sought to create a humanized video game that was distinct from their other entries, settling on an action-adventure game with platforming elements and a third-person perspective. The team regularly updated or wholly changed various aspects related to the story, coding, and the game's design which lead to delays. The development team found influence for many of the game's aesthetic elements from film, pulp magazines, and movie serials.

Extensively marketed as a PlayStation exclusive, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune received generally favorable reviews, with praise for its technical achievements, cast, characters, story, music, and production values, drawing similarities to blockbuster films. It faced some criticism for its graphical issues, short length, vehicle sections, and marked difficulty. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune sold one million copies after ten weeks of release. It was followed by the sequel Uncharted 2: Among Thieves in 2009, and was re-released on PlayStation 4 as part of Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection.

Synopsis[edit]

Setting and characters[edit]

The central character of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is Nathan Drake (voiced by Nolan North), a renowned adventurer who claims to be the descendant of the famous explorer Sir Francis Drake. Together with his mentor Victor Sullivan (voiced by Richard McGonagle) and journalist Elena Fisher (voiced by Emily Rose), Drake embarks on a quest to discover the hidden riches of El Dorado.^[3]

Plot[edit]

Treasure hunter Nathan "Nate" Drake, accompanied by reporter Elena Fisher, recovers the coffin of his self-proclaimed ancestor Sir Francis Drake, having located it from coordinates inscribed on a family heirloom: a ring Nate wears around his neck.^[4] The coffin contains Sir Francis' diary, which gives the location of El Dorado. Pirates attack and destroy Nate's boat, but Nate's friend and mentor, Victor "Sully" Sullivan, rescues the two in his seaplane. Fearing Elena's reporting will attract potential rivals, Nate and Sully abandon her at a dock.

Nate and Sully discover an alcove that once held a large statue after following the diary to the indicated spot, and realize that El Dorado is not a city but rather a golden idol.^[5] They find a Nazi U-boat, which contains a page from Drake's diary showing the statue was taken to an island. However, mercenaries led by criminal Gabriel Roman (Simon Templeman), to whom Sully owes a substantial debt, and his lieutenant Atoq Navarro (Robin Atkin Downes), intercept Nate and Sully. Sully is shot in the chest and collapses, but Nate manages to escape, encounters Elena, and flies with her to the island.^[6]

On the way, anti-aircraft fire forces Elena and Nate to bail out and they are separated. After retrieving supplies from the wrecked seaplane, Nate heads toward an old fort to find Elena. After Nate is briefly captured by pirates led by his old associate Eddy Raja (James Sie), Elena breaks him free and they flee to the island's old customs house. After finding records showing the statue was moved further inland to the monastery, they find that Sully is somehow alive and accompanying Roman and Navarro.^[7] Nate and Elena find and rescue Sully who, having survived due to Drake's diary blocking the bullet, explains he was buying time for Nate by misleading Roman.

Searching through a mausoleum, Nate overhears an argument between Roman, Navarro, and Eddy, revealing that Roman hired Eddy to capture Nate and secure the island, with the reward being a share of El Dorado. Following Nate's escape, Roman doubts Eddy's abilities and ignores his claim that something cursed on the island is killing his men, leading him to dismiss Eddy and his crew. Regrouping, Nate and Elena find a passage leading to a treasure vault, in which they find the body of Drake, assuming that he died searching for the treasure. They encounter a terrified Eddy and a crew member, shortly before they are attacked by mutated humans who kill the crew member; despite Nate's efforts, Eddy is also killed when one drags him into a pit.

Nate and Elena escape and find themselves in an abandoned German bunker. Venturing into the base, Nate discovers that the Germans had sought the statue during World War II, but like the Spaniards before them, became cursed by the statue, causing them to become mutants. Sir Francis, knowing of the statue's power, attempted to keep it on the island by destroying the ships and flooding the city, before he too was killed by the mutants.^[8]

Nate returns to find Elena has been captured by Roman and Navarro. Regrouping with Sully, he fails to stop them from reaching the statue. Navarro, aware of the curse, tricks Roman into opening the statue, revealing it to be a sarcophagus containing a mummy infected with an airborne mutagenic virus. Upon Roman turning into one of the mutants, Navarro kills him and takes control of his men. Berating Nate's group for not being imaginative, he plans to sell the virus as a biological weapon.^[9] Nate jumps onto the sarcophagus and rides it as it is airlifted onto a boat in the bay. He engages and defeats Navarro and manages to sink both the sarcophagus and him to the bottom of the ocean.^[10] Sully arrives, and after Nate and Elena display affection towards each other, they leave the island with several chests of treasure.^[11]

Gameplay[edit]

Gameplay in Uncharted is a combination of action-adventure gameplay elements and some 3D platforming with a third-person perspective. Platforming elements allow Nate to jump, swim, grab and move along ledges, climb and swing from ropes, and perform other acrobatic actions that allow players to make their way along the ruins in the various areas of the island that Drake explores.^[12]

When facing enemies, the player can either use melee and combo attacks at close range to take out foes or can opt to use weapons.^[12] Melee attacks comprise a variety of single punches, while combo attacks are activated through specific sequences of button presses that, when timed correctly, offer much greater damage; the most damaging of these is the specific "brutal combo", which forces enemies to drop twice the ammunition they would normally leave.^[12] Nate can only carry one pistol and one rifle at a time, and there is a limited amount of ammunition per gun. Picking up a different firearm switches that weapon for the new one. Grenades are also available at certain points, and the height of the aiming arc is adjusted by tilting the Sixaxis controller up or down. These third-person perspective elements were compared by several reviewers to Gears of War,^[3][12] in that the player can have Drake take cover behind walls, and use either blind fire or aimed fire to kill enemies. In common with the aforementioned game, Uncharted lacks an actual on-screen health bar; instead, when the player takes damage, the graphics begin to lose color. While resting or taking cover for a brief period, Drake's health level, indicated by the screen color, returns to normal.^[12]

The game also includes vehicle sections, where Drake must protect the jeep he and Elena are in using a mounted turret, and where Drake and Elena ride a jet ski along water-filled routes while avoiding enemy fire and explosive barrels. While players direct Drake in driving the jet ski, they may also control Elena by aiming the gun in order to use her weapon — either the grenade launcher or the Beretta, depending on the chapter — in defense, or to clear the barrels from their path.^[12]

The game also features reward points, which can be gained by collecting 60 hidden treasures in the game that glimmer momentarily^[13] or by completing certain accomplishments, such as achieving a number of kills using a specific weapon, performing a number of headshots, or using specific methods of killing enemies.^[14] In subsequent playthroughs of the game, the player can use these rewards points to unlock special options; these include in-game bonuses such as alternate costumes and unlimited ammunition^[13] but also non-game extras, such as making-of videos and concept art.^[15] There are also several references to other Naughty Dog games, especially the Jak and Daxter series; this is done through the "Ottsel" branding on Drake and Fisher's wetsuits,^[16] a reference to the species that mixes otter and weasel found in the game, and the strange relic found in one of the earlier chapters, which is actually a precursor orb from the same series.

The game is censored when playing on a Japanese console to remove blood, which normally appears when shooting enemies; this follows the trend of other censored console games in the region, such as Dead Rising and Resistance: Fall of Man.^[17]

Development[edit]

After completing Jak 3, Naughty Dog assembled their most technically talented staff members and began development of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune under the codename Big.^[18][19] The game's development commenced in 2005 and it was in full production for about two years, with a small team of engineers working on the game for about a year beforehand.^[20] Naughty Dog decided to create a brand new IP rather than opt to develop a PlayStation 3 Jak and Daxter game—they wanted to create a franchise suitable for the new hardware, in order to develop such ideas as realistic human characters instead of stylized ones owing to limitations of previous hardware, as well as create something "fresh and interesting", although termed as 'stylized realism'.^[20] Inspiration was drawn from various sources in the action and adventure genres: pulp magazines, movie serials, and more contemporary titles like Indiana Jones and National Treasure.^[21] The team felt the sources shared themes of mystery and "what-if scenarios" that romanticized adventure and aimed to include those in Uncharted.^[18]

The game was first unveiled at E3 2006.^[22] From early previews of the game, inevitable comparisons of elements such as platforming and shooting between Uncharted and the well-known Tomb Raider series were drawn, earning the title the nickname of "Dude Raider".^[21][23] However, the developers saw their game as concentrating more on third-person cover-based play, in contrast to Tomb Raider's "auto-aiming" play and greater puzzle-solving elements.^[20] Other influences they cited include Resident Evil 4,^[24] Kill Switch, and Gears of War.^[25] Throughout the game's development the staff tried to remain flexible and detached from the original design concepts; attention was focused on the features that worked well, while features that did not work were removed.^[26] The development team intended the game's main setting, the island, to play a big role in the overall experience. Feeling too many games used bleak, dark settings with monochromatic color schemes, they wanted the island to be a vibrant, believable game world that immersed the player and encouraged exploration.^[18]

In designing the characters, the artists aimed for a style that was photorealistic.^[21] The creators envisioned the main protagonist, Nathan Drake, as more of an everyman character than Lara Croft, shown as clearly under stress in the game's many firefights, with no special training and constantly living at the edge of his abilities.^[20][23] Director Amy Hennig felt a heavily armored, "tough as nails" protagonist with a large weapon was not a suitable hero and decided a "tenacious and resourceful" character would portray more human qualities. Supporting characters (Elena Fisher and Victor Sullivan) were included to avoid a dry and emotionless story.^[21] Fisher's character underwent changes during development; in early trailers for the game, the character had dark brown hair, but ultimately the color changed to blonde and the style was altered.^[27][28] The writing of the story was led by Hennig with help from Neil Druckmann and Josh Scherr.^[29] The lead game designer was Richard Lemarchand,^[30] with the game co-designed by Hirokazu Yasuhara, a former Sega game designer best known for designing the early Sonic the Hedgehog games.^[31]

The game went gold in the middle of October 2007.^[20] A demo was then released on November 8 on the PlayStation Network^[32] before its final release on November 19 in North America, December 6 in Australia, and December 7 in Europe.^[33] The demo was first placed on the North American store, and was initially region-locked such that it would only play on a North American PS3,^[34] but this was later confirmed as a mistake, as the developers were apparently unaware that people from different regions could sign up for a North American account and download the demo; a region-free demo was released soon after.^[35]

Graphics and technology[edit]

Uncharted uses the Cell microprocessor to generate dozens of layered character animations to portray realistic expressions and fluid movements, which allow for responsive player control.^[36] The PlayStation 3's graphics processing unit, the RSX Reality Synthesizer, employed several functions to provide graphical details that helped immerse the player into the game world: lighting models, pixel shaders, dynamic real-time shadowing, and advanced water simulation.^[36] The new hardware allowed for processes that the team had never used in PlayStation 2 game development and required them to quickly familiarize themselves with the new techniques; for example, parallel processing and pixel shaders. While Blu-ray afforded greater storage space, the team became concerned with running out of room several times — Uncharted used more and bigger textures than previous games, and included several languages on the disc.^[37] Gameplay elements requiring motion sensing, such as throwing grenades and walking across beams, or rear-ending massive logs up the scooter, were implemented to take advantage of the Sixaxis controller.^[18] A new PlayStation 3 controller, the DualShock 3, was unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, and featured force feedback vibration. Uncharted was also on display at the show with demonstrations that implemented limited support for vibration.^[38]

Being Naughty Dog's first PlayStation 3 game, the project required the company to familiarize themselves with the new hardware and resulted in several development mistakes.^[37] The switch from developing for the PlayStation 2 to the PlayStation 3 prompted the staff to implement changes to their development technology. Naughty Dog switched to the industry standard language C++ to participate in technology sharing among Sony's first-party developers—the company had previously used their own proprietary programming language GOAL, a Lisp-based language. In rewriting their game code, they decided to create new programming tools as well. This switch, however, delayed the team's progress in developing a prototype, as the new tools proved to be unreliable and too difficult to use. Ten months into full production, the team decided to recreate the game's pipeline, the chain of processing elements designed to progress data through a system. In retrospect, Naughty Dog's Co-President Evan Wells considered this the greatest improvement to the project.^[26] Additionally, the animation blending system was rewritten several times to obtain the desired character animations.^[18]

Trophies integration[edit]

The game was patched on August 4, 2008 in Europe and North America to version 1.01 to include support for the PlayStation 3's Trophy system.^[39] There are 47 trophies in the game that match the medals that can already be won in the game and one further trophy, the Platinum trophy, awarded when all other trophies have been collected; Uncharted was the first Naughty Dog game to include the Platinum trophy type.^[40] Similar to other PlayStation 3 titles that receive trophy support via downloaded patches, players must start a new save game to be awarded trophies, regardless of how many medals they received in previous playthroughs. This was enforced because the developers wanted to avoid the sharing of save data in order to gain trophies they did not earn.^[41] The patch was described as "incredibly easy" to implement, owing to the game already containing preliminary support for Trophies via its Medals system; it was also stated that these hooks were already included due to Naughty Dog's belief that Sony would roll out the Trophy system before the game's launch in November 2007.^[41] Despite mentioning that the game was developed as a franchise and that it lent itself to episodic content,^[20] it was later stated that no downloadable content would be made for Uncharted.^[42]

PlayStation Home[edit]

During the Closed Beta of PlayStation Home on October 11, 2008, Naughty Dog released an Uncharted themed game space for PlayStation Home. This space is "Sully's Bar" from the game. In this space, users can play an arcade mini-game called "Mercenary Madness", which during the Closed Beta, there were rewards. The rewards were removed with the release of the Home Open Beta. There are also three other rooms in this space: during the Closed Beta, users had to find out codes for the doors that accessed these rooms. The code entry to the rooms was also removed with the release of the Home Open Beta. The three other rooms are the "Artifact Room", "Archives", and "Smuggler's Den". There is an artifact viewer in the Archives and Smuggler's Den rooms. Also in the Archives, there is a video screen that previews Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The Artifact Room only features seating and different artifacts for users to look at. This space was one of the first five-game spaces of the PlayStation Home Open Beta in North America, which Home went Open Beta on December 11.^[43] This space was released to the European version on November 5, 2009, almost a year after the Open Beta release. Naughty Dog has also released a game space for Uncharted's sequel on October 23, making Uncharted the first game series to have a game space for both games in its series.^[44]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune received generally favorable reviews from game critics.^[45] Game Informer complimented the visuals and dialogue between the characters Drake and Fisher, calling them stunning and entertaining respectively.^[28] They further added that the production values appeared high, citing the level of detail and musical score.^[52] PlayStation Magazine echoed similar statements about the visuals and compared them to that of Crysis.^[18][53]

The overall presentation of the game received unanimous praise from critics, who recognized the game's high production values, describing them as "top-notch",^[54] "incredible"^[15] or comparing them to those found in Hollywood.^[14] When combined with the overall style of the game, this led many reviewers to compare Uncharted to summer blockbuster films,^[3][55][56] with the action and theme of the game drawing comparisons to the Indiana Jones film series and Tomb Raider.^[15][55] As part of the presentation, the game's story and atmosphere were also received well.^[3][55] The depth of the characters was praised, each having "their own tone".^[55] The voice acting was also received well, as the cast "nails its characterizations"; overall, the voice acting was described as a "big-star performance",^[14] "superb"^[56] and "stellar".^[3] Game designer Tim Schafer, well known as the creator of the early LucasArts adventure games such as The Secret of Monkey Island, has also lauded the game, saying he "liked it a lot", and jokingly thanked it for teaching him a new fashion tip (Nathan Drake's "half-tucked" shirt).^[57]

The technical achievements in creating this presentation were also lauded. The graphics and visuals were a big part of this, including appreciation of the "lush" jungle environments,^[3][12][15] with lighting effects greatly adding to them.^[56] The game's water effects were also appreciated.^[54] Overall, many reviewers commented that, at the time, it was one of the best-looking PlayStation 3 games available.^[48] Further to the graphical aspects, both facial animation and the animation of characters,^[16][56] such as Nate's "fluid" animations as he performs platforming sections were noted,^[3] although the wilder animations of enemies reacting to being shot were over-animated "to perhaps a laug

Resistance: Fall of Man
European cover art
Developer(s)	Insomniac Games
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Director(s)	Ted Price[1]
Designer(s)	Colin Munson[2]
Writer(s)	Josh Wall[2]
Composer(s)	David Bergeaud
Series	Resistance
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3
Release	JP: November 11, 2006 NA: November 17, 2006 PAL: March 23, 2007
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Resistance: Fall of Man is a 2006 first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. It was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game is set in an alternate history 1951, and follows Sergeant Nathan Hale as he and the human resistance forces attempt to drive a mysterious alien-like invasion out of the United Kingdom. The story continues in Resistance 2.

The game was originally developed under the title I-8, as it was the eighth title to be in production by Insomniac Games. It was released as a PlayStation 3 launch title in the United States on November 17, 2006 and in the PAL region on March 23, 2007. Resistance had positive critical reception, garnering particular praise in view of its status as a launch title^[3] and winning several awards. As of 2007, the game sold more than 2.1 million copies.^[4]

Sony and Insomniac Games became embattled with the Church of England for using interior shots of Manchester Cathedral to recreate the building within the game, as well as "promoting violence" within the building.

The game, along with its sequels Resistance 2 and Resistance 3, shut down its online servers on April 8, 2014. Digital versions of the first two games were released after the servers' closure in Europe.

Plot[edit]

In the 1900s, an insect-like alien race known as the Chimera arrive in Russia. Using advanced technology, they infect hundreds of civilians and subject them to artificial evolution, creating a diverse army of creatures ranging from simple foot soldiers to spider-like giants. By 1949, all of Europe has fallen to the Chimera. 12 months later, a vast invasion force tunnels under the English Channel, conquering much of England and leaving only scattered pockets of human resistance.

In 1951, the United States, despite taking a position of neutrality in the conflict, finally elects to deploy a task force to assist the UK as part of "Operation Deliverance". Among the soldiers is Army Ranger Sgt. Nathan Hale. However, soon after landing in York, he and his squad are ambushed by enemy troops, who infect them with the Chimera virus. Hale, the only survivor, discovers that he has an innate resistance to full infection. Instead, he gains increased strength and faster reflexes, the ability to instantly heal light injuries, and gold-colored irises, a common trait of the Chimera.

Sent to a Chimera conversion center in Grimsby, Hale meets British intelligence officer Captain Rachel Parker and helps her escape. In turn, Parker allows him to accompany British forces launching an offensive in Manchester to recover a missing convoy. The convoy's cargo is subsequently transferred to a resistance command center in Cheshire, which soon comes under attack from the Chimera. While attempting to provide assistance, Hale is separated from Parker and ends up fighting off the attack single-handedly. He then investigates the cargo, which turns out to be an Angel, a powerful creature that directs the Chimera's hive mind. The Angel tries to use its telepathy to control Hale, forcing him to kill it.

Hale then links up with Lieutenant Stephen Cartwright, a UK Royal Marines Commando. The two of them learn that the Chimera have established a series of metallic towers throughout Britain, connected by a network of tunnels and power conduits. To make the matter even more puzzling, Parker learns that the towers were excavated, not built. After the Chimera destroy the last British command post in Bristol, Hale undertakes a solo mission into the tunnels, following them all the way to a nexus point in London. Recognizing that the towers are altering the Earth's climate, Hale concludes that destroying them is the key to victory.

Under Parker and Cartwright's leadership, a massive joint American-British force of soldiers enters London and storms the central tower. Despite their best efforts, the Chimera rally themselves and initiate a counterattack, killing countless soldiers and leaving Cartwright seriously wounded. Against all odds, Hale destroys the tower's power core, causing it to ignite in a massive explosion. This triggers a chain reaction, destroying the other towers and leading to a mass extinction of the Chimera in the UK, ending their threat.

As Hale's body is never found, the US Army lists him as killed in action. Parker is not convinced, though, and believes that he may somehow have survived. In a post-credits scene, Hale is indeed still alive. He is shown walking through the snow when a squad of unknown soldiers surround him. Hale briefly contemplates suicide with his last grenade, but ultimately surrenders himself to their custody.

Gameplay[edit]

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Resistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter set in an alternate history. Many of its gameplay features stem from this, most notably the weapons. Some weapons are based on real weapons circa the 1950s, while some weapons are futuristically altered in accordance with the game's storyline. Insomniac Games has combined its passion for creating exotic weapons and vehicles, such as those found in the Ratchet and Clank series, with its proprietary development engine and physics system to create unique human and Chimeran weaponry. Each weapon provides a unique play style and strategy. An example of this is found with the Auger (Chimeran). The primary fire for this weapon is simple rapid fire, but the bullets burrow through walls, actually coming out stronger on the other side, opening up a whole new level of strategy. The secondary fire creates a barrier that is resistant to all bullets but its own. In addition to the usual short- and long-range weapons, the game features several different types of grenades, with both historical and futuristic varieties. For example, one grenade, known as the Backlash grenade, is capable of creating a dome-shaped barrier, where the player can enter for cover. The barrier reflects shots from opposing Chimera except projectiles from very powerful enemies. Some weapons are not available on the first play-through of the game but can be found at certain locations on replaying the game.^[5]

The game features melee attacks, and the motion sensing feature of the SIXAXIS controller is used for a number of things including shaking off enemies that grab onto the player, shaking off tags and flames in multiplayer, and quickly bringing up a map or leaderboard in a multiplayer match. The player also has access to turrets and a drivable jeep with a gun turret on certain levels. The game was also on Sony's list of titles to receive an online update to support the vibration feature of the DualShock 3 controller for Japan, North America, and Europe.

There are also skill points that can be earned throughout the single player game. These are awarded for certain actions^[5] that are hinted at by their titles; however, the specific details are not revealed until the skill point is actually earned. There are generic skill points that can be earned during any single level, and some that are specific to certain levels of the game. Each task is worth a different number of points which are used to unlock additional media for the game. The requirements for the skill points are not told to the player until unlocked making it more difficult to achieve these points

In addition, multiple Intel documents can be found scattered throughout each level. These give the player an insight into what has happened, is happening, and will happen.

Multiplayer[edit]

Resistance: Fall of Man featured a multiplayer mode for up to 40 players online and up to 4 players offline.

Multiplayer games had little to no latency (subject to player's connection and host location), even while playing the 40 player online due to the implementation of dedicated servers across the PlayStation Network.^[6]

The multiplayer version of the game also enabled players to create their own clan, create their own matches (custom games) or join pre-set games (Ranked Games). While in games, players could talk to their team mates by using a Bluetooth or USB headset. Text chat was also enabled in pre-game lobbies.

The online multiplayer had an integrated friends system which allowed players to add one another without becoming friends on the PSN. The online friends list showed a player's friend to be either In Lobby, staging or in-game. From here players could Invite to Game, Invite to Party or Send a Message. This in game system allowed for user-friendly interaction between friends and bypassed the need for players to exit the game to talk to friends; a feature that was absent from most other PS3 titles, until system firmware 2.40 was released.

The online servers for the game (and the sequels) were closed on March 28, 2014 and the online multiplayer is now unavailable. The closure also disabled the game updates, as it used a different updating system, through the multiplayer servers.^[7] However, a workaround was found in 2021 and released on April 2022.^[8]

Downloadable content[edit]

On June 7, 2007, a spokesperson from SCEA posted a message on MyResistance.net, informing players that complications had arisen and that the Worldwide Update and map pack had been delayed for an unspecified amount of time. However, the spokesperson did mention that it was only for a short period of time.^[9]

In addition to the above maps, Insomniac made available two additional maps on June 29, 2007 in one map pack for $7.99 USD, $8.99 CAD, £2.99 GBP, €4.49 and $7.45 AU.

An additional map pack was released on November 29, 2007 that includes two additional maps for the price of $4.99 USD.

As of December 11, 2008, all map packs for Resistance: FoM were made available for free as a holiday gift from Insomniac due to the release of Resistance 2.

All map packs are available for local split-screen multiplayer.

The map packs were removed from PlayStation Store on March 2014, although only in Europe. They're still available on PlayStation Store in USA although they cannot be used because of the aforementioned server closure. Since the game used a different system to download the game updates (by entering the multiplayer modes, unlike most titles which search for updates from the XMB or after starting them), and since the updates were required for DLC compatibility, the map packs became usable only by people who downloaded the updates before the server closure, on March 2014. Shortly after the closure of the game servers, a digital version of the game was released on PlayStation Store, exclusively in Europe. It comes with all game updates and map packs, and full compatibility with savegames from the physical edition.

Maps[edit]

There are many different places the player can play during the game, all of which are based on places in England. The maps all vary in size and some of the more popular locations such as "Nottingham" and "Grimsby" come in four different sizes.

Just a few days after releasing Patch 6, Insomniac Games unveiled two new maps for Resistance: Fall of Man for the PS3. The two maps, Bracknell and Axbridge, will be suitable to all types of games and can accommodate from 8 to 40 players per round.

Bracknell is an all-interior map where players battle it out amidst the backdrop of Chimeran node and Widowmaker breeding grounds, perfect for vertical and close-quarters combat. Axbridge, on the other hand, is a narrow corridor with two human bases on each end. Aside from good sniping spots, the Axbridge map also provides the perfect venue for close-quarters combat.

Rumble[edit]

In November 2007, an update for the game was made available that enabled rumble functionality for DualShock 3 controllers.^[10] However, it is no longer available for download after the online multiplayer servers shut down on April 8, 2014. It is currently available only with the digital version of the game, released in Europe.^{[citation needed]}

Ranked Matches[edit]

Ranked matches automatically place players in a match from a chosen category. The matches intend to group players whose ranks are the same or very close together, to make the matches competitive. Ranked matches give the player experience, which will allow the player to move up different ranks. As the player moves up ranks, special rewards are unlocked for their character.

There are three categories the player can choose from, each with its own modes with one the player will automatically be placed in. The three categories are:

Free-for-all: In this category there is a deathmatch mode, which is a simple free-for all deathmatch. There is also conversion mode, an elimination game type.

Team Deathmatch, is the second selectable category which directly takes the player to a Team Deathmatch where two teams battle to see who can get to the point objective first (Normal scoring) by killing the members of the opposing team. Map Pack Mayhem was recently added to the Team Deathmatch game mode.

Team Objective: When selecting this category the player will either be taken to a Meltdown, Capture the Flag, Breach or Assault game type. The most common mode the player is automatically taken to is Meltdown, in which two teams fight to capture nodes.

Custom Matches[edit]

The multiplayer for Resistance also allows highly customizable unranked matches, known as 'Custom' matches, allowing the hosts to set different parameters such as hit points and weapon sets. Custom matches already in progress can also be joined. The player may use a search filter that finds matches meeting the player's chosen criteria. Other players can also be invited to games using the buddy list. Custom games grant less XP than Ranked matches.

Offline modes[edit]

The offline (splitscreen) multiplayer also features a range of modes, These include: Deathmatch, Team-Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Breach, Assault, Meltdown and Skirmish.

In all of these modes the player can decide the map they play the game on, the time limit, the number of lives, the teams (if applicable), the points limit and plenty of other variables.

Resistance's competitive multiplayer does not feature the vehicles found in the game's Campaign mode.

Resistance: Fall Of Man also features an offline co-operative mode that allows players to play through the campaign mode with a friend.

Different species[edit]

While playing in multiplayer, the player will either be assigned to the Human or Chimera species, each of which has its strengths and weaknesses.

Development[edit]

The game was previously known as I-8 when a demo of the game was first shown in E3 2005 as a World War II-inspired, alien-infested first-person shooter. Insomniac Games, who developed the Spyro and Ratchet & Clank series of video games, were going to be developers of the game. A new demo was shown by Sony Computer Entertainment in the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March 2006. The new demo was in real-time, demonstrating the gameplay, graphics and effects like bump mapping. Insomniac was said to "love the Blu-ray's contribution of tremendous space to gaming". The team also "loved the multiple simultaneous processor units".^[11]

Officially-renamed Resistance (Fall of Man), it was unveiled as part of Phil Harrison's "Beyond the Box" keynote address, and was fully playable on the GDC stage. Insomniac President Ted Price spoke about the benefits of PlayStation 3, the advantages of Blu-ray storage, and the reasons that his team at Insomniac decided to develop for Sony Computer Entertainment in the next generation. It was also officially revealed that Resistance would be released before the end of 2006, but no information about it being a launch title.^[12]

Reception[edit]

Resistance: Fall of Man received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),^[35] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.^[36] As of September 30, 2007, the game sold more than 2.1 million copies worldwide.^[4]

Resistance: Fall of Man received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.^[3]

Within the first few hours of the PS3's Japanese launch, the game had already received praise from some publications. Famitsu gave the game a score of 33 out of 40.^[18] IGN was the first Western site to review the game, with reviewer Jeremy Dunham declaring that while other consoles had to wait years to get their killer app, "PlayStation 3 users get theirs on day one."^[26]

Following closely GameBrink.com posted their review.^[37] However, the scores at the time of European launch were less brilliant. Eurogamer's UK review complained that, while functional, and even occasionally entertaining, the game completely failed to innovate.^[17]

411Mania gave it a score of 9.6 out of 10 and said that it initially "felt like Call of Duty, but as I progressed through the game, I found that there was substantially more. The game plays it by the numbers in many ways but it's very polished and fun. The multiplayer will keep you occupied for months. Any PS3 owner will do themselves a disservice by not picking up this game."^[38] USA Today gave it a score of four stars out of five, saying, "Easily the best game for the new Sony PlayStation 3 game console, Resistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter that lets you, as an American soldier stationed in the United Kingdom, lead the fight to rid the world of a vicious alien race."^[31] Maxim similarly gave it a score of eight out of ten, saying that the game "managed to exceed our lofty expectations, but only by an wirey [sic] crotch hair."^[39] The Sydney Morning Herald also gave it four stars out of five and called it "an accomplished shooter providing many fun online modes, engaging solo missions and superb weapons."^[30] However, The New York Times gave it an average review, saying that "In spite of rave reviews it’s a fairly pedestrian humans-versus-aliens first-person shooter that brings nothing new to the genre. The artificial intelligence of combatants is lackluster, and the semi-sepia-toned graphics are surprisingly unimpressive, no better than what you would see on the five-year-old Xbox."^[40]

During the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Resistance for "First-Person Action Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering".^[41]

Manchester Cathedral controversy[edit]

Following the game's release, a level containing a shootout against aliens within an unidentified, abandoned church was purported to be an unauthorized depiction of Manchester Cathedral by leaders of the Church of England.^[42] They claimed its depiction to be desecration and copyright infringement, and that it was inappropriate of Sony to allow players to fire guns in a city with a gun problem, making several legal threats.^[43] While apologizing for any perceived offense, Sony countered that the game took place in an alternate, fictional universe, and that the building was never intended to depict the cathedral.^[42] Nevertheless, the cathedral drew up a set of rules requiring game developers to ask for permission to use religious spaces.^[44] Georgia Tech professor and Persuasive Games CEO Ian Bogost defended use of the cathedral in the game, believing the set piece to be significant to the story, and called Sony disappointing for apologizing.^[45] The church leaders were called "uninformed" by critics, who stated that they mistook "science fiction for simulated murder".^[46]

In analyzing the legal grounds for the complaint, Alex Chapman of Campbell Hooper solicitors cited a provision in the UK's

PixelJunk Monsters theme by Q-Games

Download: PixelJunkMonsters_2.p3t

(1 background)

2007 tower defense video game

2007 video game

PixelJunk Monsters
PlayStation Store icon
Developer(s)	Q-Games[a] Double Eleven (Ultimate HD, Wii U)
Publisher(s)	JP: Q-Games WW: Sony Computer Entertainment (PS3) WW: Double Eleven (Ultimate HD, Wii U)
Series	PixelJunk
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3 PlayStation Portable PlayStation Vita Microsoft Windows Mac OS X Linux Wii U
Release	December 6, 2007 PlayStation 3 JP: December 6, 2007 WW: January 24, 2008 Encore JP: April 24, 2008 NA: May 8, 2008 EU: May 15, 2008 PSP EU: October 1, 2009 JP: November 1, 2009 NA: April 27, 2010 Ultimate HD PlayStation Vita NA: July 30, 2013 PAL: July 31, 2013 JP: November 26, 2013 Microsoft Windows August 26, 2013 Mac OS X & Linux October 1, 2013 Wii U May 19, 2016
Genre(s)	Tower defense
Mode(s)	Single-player; Two player co-op (local)

PixelJunk Monsters is a tower defense video game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. The second game in the PixelJunk series, it was originally released in Japan on December 6, 2007 and worldwide by Sony Computer Entertainment on the PlayStation Store on January 24, 2008.^[1] The game was released for the PlayStation Portable under the title PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe.

PixelJunk Monsters Encore, an expansion pack for the game, was released on April 24, 2008 in Japan;^{[citation needed]} May 8, 2008 in North America; and May 15, 2008 in Europe.^[2]

In 2013, an enhanced version developed by Double Eleven titled PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate HD was released in 2013 for the PlayStation Vita, Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. In May 2016, a port of the original game also developed by Double Eleven was released for the Wii U.^[3]

In 2018, PixelJunk Monsters 2 was released, incorporating 3D graphics and new features.

Gameplay[edit]

Gameplay in PixelJunk Monsters has similarities to various tower defense titles. The objective is to build defense towers along the enemies' path to keep them from reaching a hut, or base. Several small creatures dwell at the base. For each enemy that survives the defense towers and reaches the hut, one creature is killed. If all creatures are wiped out, the level is failed.

Towers have distinct attributes, such as rapid fire, long range, air-focused, etc. Destroyed enemies usually drop coins and occasionally give gems, which then can be used to upgrade and research new towers.

There are a total of 21 different levels (36 with the expansion pack) at 3 stages of difficulty. There are also 3 special stages that unlock unique abilities for the player character. Several "Trophy Challenges" were also added to the game after a patch.

Unlike more traditional tower defense games, the player controls a character around the screen, collecting coins and building towers. This replaces the standard cursor controls. A second player can also join in and assist in building towers.

Encore[edit]

The PixelJunk Monsters Encore expansion pack includes an additional 15 levels, including layouts inspired by classic arcade games such as Pac-Man and Space Invaders. There are also small tweaks to gameplay; for instance, the ice tower is unlocked at the beginning of every level and the Tesla tower is less expensive to purchase.

Deluxe[edit]

A new version of PixelJunk Monsters was available for the PlayStation Portable. Titled PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe, it has been described by Dylan Cuthbert as the "ultimate version" of the game. It contains all of the level content from the original game and its Encore expansion pack, as well as new levels, enemies, and towers. Additional music, videos, concept art, and other special features are also included.^[4]

Soundtrack[edit]

Dive into PixelJunk Monsters
Studio album by Otograph
Released	May 22, 2008
Length	40:53

The music for the game was developed by Otograph. On May 22, 2008, a soundtrack album for the game titled Dive into PixelJunk Monsters was released via the PlayStation Store. It is the first audio album to be released through PSN.

Track listing

"Dive into PixelJunk Monsters" – 1:02 "Melodie" – 1:48 "45X8 60X6 90X4" – 0:54 "Good Morning" – 1:08 "Circle Flight Sketches" – 2:02 "A-maze-ing Maze" – 2:17 "Flux" – 1:23 "Hyper Puzzle Like a Sherbet" – 1:46 "Chocolate Ripples" – 2:26 "It's a Sonny" – 2:02 "Fantasia" – 2:29 "Mono No Aware" – 2:26 "Phase Lunaire" – 1:45 "High-Pressure Area" – 0:34 "Cracked Big Egg" – 2:16 "Visualize Your Enemy" – 1:13 "Rythmes" – 0:18 "Bye Bye Monsters" – 3:36 "Cool Brain" – 0:25 "Lumiere Tremblotante" – 2:02 "Final Bit Explosion" – 2:01 "Another Chance" – 2:03 "Lovely Brain" – 2:50 "Game Over" – 0:07

Reception[edit]

The PlayStation 3 version of PixelJunk Monsters, Encore, Deluxe, and the Vita version of Ultimate received "favorable" reviews, while the PC version of Ultimate and the Wii U version of PixelJunk Monsters received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Notes[edit]

1. ^ Additional work by Santa Monica Studio.

References[edit]

1. ^ Cuthbert, Dylan (January 16, 2008). "PixelJunk Monsters Set to Launch Next Week". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
2. ^ Mars, Deborah (April 29, 2008). "PixelJunk Monsters Encore details + interview". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
3. ^ McMinn, Kevin (May 18, 2016). "Double Eleven Talks Tiki in PixelJunk Monsters on Wii U". Nintendo News. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
4. ^ Cuthbert, Dylan (April 29, 2009). "PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe - The Biggest Version Yet is Portable". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
5. ^ ^{a b} "PixelJunk Monsters: Ultimate for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
6. ^ ^{a b} "PixelJunk Monsters: Ultimate HD for PlayStation Vita Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 10, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
7. ^ ^{a b} "PixelJunk Monsters for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
8. ^ ^{a b} "PixelJunk Monsters Encore for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
9. ^ ^{a b} "PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe for PSP Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
10. ^ ^{a b} "PixelJunk Monsters for Wii U Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
11. ^ Suttner, Nick (February 1, 2008). "PixelJunk Monsters". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
12. ^ Liang, Alice (October 6, 2009). "PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe Review". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
13. ^ North, Dale (October 6, 2009). "Review: PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
14. ^ Edge staff (March 2008). "PixelJunk Monsters (PS3)". Edge. No. 186. Future plc. p. 101.
15. ^ Reed, Kristan (January 25, 2008). "PixelJunk Monsters (PlayStation 3)". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
16. ^ Herring, Will (May 28, 2008). "Review: PixelJunk Monsters (PS3)". GamePro Arcade. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
17. ^ VanOrd, Kevin (January 30, 2008). "PixelJunk Monsters Review (PS3)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
18. ^ VanOrd, Kevin (June 20, 2008). "PixelJunk Monsters Encore Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
19. ^ Walton, Mark (October 13, 2009). "PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
20. ^ David, Mike (February 7, 2008). "PixelJunk Monsters - PS3 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
21. ^ Platt, Dylan (October 21, 2009). "PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe - PSP - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
22. ^ Miller, Greg (July 30, 2013). "PixelJunk Monsters: Ultimate HD Review (Vita)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.<