Back in those dark days when it looked like I wasn’t going to find a PlayStation 3 before the end of 2006, I consoled myself and told anyone who would listen that it wasn’t a big deal because there was only one game that I wanted to play.

That game was Resistance: Fall of Man, and when I did finally nail down the $600 behemoth, it was the only purchase that was a no-brainer. I actually thought harder about buying the console than the game, and that’s a testament to months of screenshots and pre-release hype from Sony and the game’s developer, Insomniac Games.

Usually, that type of hype doesn’t translate to your controller, but you can safely consider Resistance the exception to that rule. I look at the game as a bizarre mix of Call of Duty and Halo, and as first person shooters go, that’s not only high praise, but a concept that actually works.

As Nathan Hale, an American soldier, you’re on the front lines of a 1951 war in England against the evil and alien Chimera, who have run roughshod over Europe in a world where World War II never took place. Eventually, something happens which changes your ability to stay alive and battle these spooky looking creatures on somewhat even footing, and you progress through the game in an attempt to find out what makes the Chimera tick. It’s a daunting task, but you’re up to it. (Isn’t that the story in any game?)

Traveling through the beautifully designed game world, which is filled with burned out and abandoned buildings throughout England, as well as alien structures and Chimera that range from scorpion/spider like creatures that run at you in droves to those which jump from surface to surface with ease while shooting, you get to see the graphical power of the PS3, though not in a way comparable to the likes of Gears of War or Rainbow Six Vegas. It’s less gritty than those aforementioned games, but cleaner in its detail, with the dreary color palate truly becoming a key part of the experience.

Yet while the game certainly looks great, it’s the fast and responsive gameplay which truly earns Resistance its high marks. A typical shooter in execution, the game nonetheless raises the bar with no slowdown and a speed of operation that keeps you glued to your seat. Also helping to raise the FPS bar are the scope of the battles and variety of weapons included as you fight your way through the game. When you get into a new city and you’re faced with an advancing horde of Chimera, there is action all around you – in front, in back, to the sides, and while you have your comrades in arms with you, when it’s all said and done, it’s truly up to you to finish the job.

Luckily, the variety of weapons you can carry make that job a little more interesting. Along with the trusty shotgun and variations of the machine gun and laser rifle, you’ve got a great sniper rifle, the much talked about Auger, which shoots laser bolts through objects, a gun which shoots eggs that double as exploding mines, and my favorite, the Hailstorm, which shoots bouncing bullets in bunches. There are also different varieties of grenades, including the hedgehog, which detonates needles at your foes. And as great as this is, when you finish the game, you are told that new weapons have been unlocked, making a second run through very enticing.