So far Insomniac Games has done a good job mending the damage that was caused by Resistance 2 when it comes to discussing Resistance 3, the forthcoming and possible final installment in the core Resistance franchise. Resistance 2 by no means was a horrendous game, but in respect to the first Resistance it just seemed like Insomniac tried to do too much in R2 and it ultimately bit them in the ass. The prospect of having epic 60-player multiplayer battles in locales like an American forest seemed like it was a good idea, but ultimately things were messy and often muddled compared to the cohesive battles found in Resistance 1.
Despite the advances that have been made in the Resistance 3 single-player experience, there were still a lot of questions as to whether the multiplayer side of things would come through in the end. Well I think things are looking good for Resistance 3 as Insomniac Games have revealed the first details on the multiplayer mode of R3 and yes, we’re going to be getting a beta in the next few months. Insomniac has made a lot of changes to the multiplayer mode of R3, the biggest of which is that the game will now feature 16-player battles. Gone are the days of 40-player matches from the first Resistance game and good riddance to the crowded 60-player matches that riddled and somewhat ruined the online offerings of Resistance 2. So in R3 things are going to be intimate as it’s going to be eight human players going up against eight Chimera players in the hopes of coming out victorious.
As Insomniac’s awesome Community Manager James Stevenson said on the PlayStation Blog, the shift in player size for R3 is meant to provide a better experience for all involved and to go back to the good old days of Resistance multiplayer action like that found on the Busyard map from R1. The fact that Insomniac is aiming to deliver an experience similar to that found on the Busyard map has me really excited as that was by far one of the best maps in the game.
The co-op mode from Resistance 2 may be missing in action in Resistance 3, but part of it will live on through the new player ranking/progression system that’s featured in the competitive multiplayer mode. Just like R2’s co-op mode, gamers can decide how they want their character to evolve by choosing different abilities which in turn can be upgraded. The abilities, which range from offensive and defensive, won’t just be beneficial to you as an individual but your team as a whole since certain abilities includes dropping ammo for teammates or enhancing the radar of your team.
Gamers will also be able to choose specific character traits like being able to reload faster, along with the opportunity to alter their appearance, thus providing some much needed individuality to the tense multiplayer battles. Insomniac is trying to tailor the multiplayer action of Resistance 3 so much to old-school players that they’re even implementing the text chat lobby that was featured and used to death in the first Resistance game. A release date for the multiplayer beta has yet to be announced but with R3 set for release in September, we’re likely to see the beta begin in either late May or June, so as to not overlap with the Infamous 2 beta that’s set for April.
If the multiplayer mode of Resistance 3 turns out to be as focused as it sounds to be, then Insomniac could have the complete Resistance experience on track again after the slight hiccup that was Resistance 2.
What would be even better is if they would remove the perks. They're saying they're going to be adding abilities, but to be honest Fall of Man didn't need any of that to be good.
Each race has its advantages over the other and that's it. I know perks are kind of popular in today's first-person shooters, but not really necessary on some games.
I would go back all the way to 2006. Yup, no need for any of that new stuff to be included. It was good five years ago, and it can be good today. And my hopes are that if that happens it can remain active for longer that Fall of Man, which just lasted two years. In fact, I wonder if people are still playing it. There's people still playing KZ 2 and that prefer it over 3, you know.
I actually really enjoyed R2 in just about all aspects lol. There were a few things that irked me ie no weapon wheel. And while it was chaos, 60 player online was fun. Cept for that damn get 10k kills gold trophy XD It's a shame if they remove the co-op, I played that much more than competative MP because it was a blast.
I'm all for Insomniac going back to old school though. Too many shooters are becoming the same, perks are awesome but it's in just about everything now. And I'm super psyched for a beta 
Depending on how the beta is conducted, we should all set up a night to meet up and play together, even if we end up getting our asses kicked by another team.
I'd be all about throwing down with you guys if the beta makes it possible.
For some reason I didnt dig the 60 player online aspect in R2 so im glad they're going back.The busyard brings epic memories(1 shot kills anybody?)Really excited for this entry.