Part 4: - The Boat Level

I misspoke a few times in the video: (1) I meant to say that the Rossmore shotgun's concussion grenades don't do any damage until you level it up (2) It's not Crawlers that collect human bodies for conversion, it's the aptly (though uninspired) named Carriers--they were basically wiped out due to the events of Resistance: Retribution and have since been replaced by Spinners.

Spinner are house cat-sized Chimera that collect human bodies and weave them into cocoons to begin the conversion process. Their existence has allowed the Chimeran to rely less and less on Conversion Centres for creating new hybrids. Conversion Centres are still required to apply any mechanical implants on Hybrids and other strains, but Spinners are able to at least start the process. How exactly Spinners work is kind of a mystery. No one is clear where they come from, where they go, and whether or not human bodies are required to make more. It's theorized that Spinners are created in a similar process to that of Leapers--Leapers are adult Crawlers who have failed to find a human host to infect and continued to grow in size and shape.

Grims are the by-product of failed conversions. Infecting a metropolis with Grims is an excellent way to wipe out human resistance, but it provides little in terms of giving strength to the Chimera; Grims wind up going feral and are dangers to humans and Chimera alike. While Grims are frail and unintelligent, they are fast and vicious. It's not uncommon for a swarm of Grims to overwhelm even larger Chimera such as Steelheads or Ravagers.

On the topic of the Kraken, it was a boring boss fight in Resistance 2 so its presence in this game as a hollowed out corpse is fitting, but hey, it brought about some neat-o concept art:



Anyways, fun lore aside, this level is alright. Cool atmosphere. Not a lot to do but sit around and wait for the shooting gallery to start. Still, cool atmosphere. Insomniac put a lot of effort into the mood of this level and it shows. But seriously, Insomniac really loves this boat level. In fact, here's a behind the scenes video discussing their thought process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3PRNUTkkWM

Advertising the game as a "travel" experience was done with the very first teaser trailer--it was a live action one, and pretty decent to boot. Very atmospheric. Sets a great tone. Regardless, I'm happy to see the devs were so passionate about the boat level, but as far as actual gameplay is concerned, sitting around on a small boat and shooting at things trying to get on isn't the most engaging thing to do. Still, this is a pretty unique moment that stands out in the game, so Resistance 3 is still doin' alright at this point.




Rossmore 239 Shotgun

"A sturdy, effective combat shotgun. Its powerful buckshot makes it ideal for
close-quarters fighting against multiple enemies. Not effective at longer distances.

R1 - Fires a blast of buckshot pellets in a close spread pattern.
R2 - Fires a concussion grenade that explodes on contact.

Upgrade 1:
R1 fires incendiary rounds, causing additional fire damage to enemies

Upgrade 2:
Arsonist Grenades"

It's a shotgun. Not exactly the same as previous games, those being the Rossmore 236 and 238 and R3's version being the 239, but more or less the same. There's the concussion grenade that's a bit different. That's okay. It's not super useful until you upgrade them to be incendiary.

At this point in the game, I'm kind of bummed out that the only new weapon of the series thus far is the EMP Grenade. It's new to Resistance, but the concept of an EMP is not new, clever, or original. Considering how bizarre the weapons in earlier Resistance games could be (and the fact that Insomniac also developed the Ratchet & Clank series), it's a little disappointing that 1/4 of the way into Resistance 3 we've only been given weapons that we've already seen and used in previous Resistance games. Still, our weapon wheel has a lot of empty slots in it, so there's still hope.




Ice Blocks

"Ice everywhere. Very thick--grows around those alien tube things. Ice axe don't work.
Bring guns next time. But watch out for the blast roots. One shot and they blow up like
a piece of goddamn dynamite."




Change of Strategy

"The Chimera have changed their strategy - they used to capture us, send us to
conversion centers and turn us into Hybrids, or worse. Now they kill us, and just leave
our bodies to rot. Why the change? Alas, it is a mystery to me. To uncover the Chimeran
plan, I must look to their history, their origin, their true nature."

Malikov Journals are a bit of unique intel in that Dr. Malikov will speak over them. Also, most intel document images correspond 1-to-1 with what is typed up in the game's text, but Malikov doesn't actually read what is written on his journal pages. Instead, he muses on whatever the topic at hand is. It's a nice touch.




Grim

This bloodthristy creature can be found ambling about in towns and cities across the
world. Once humans, it has now turned feral from exposure to the Chimera virus. It
often travels in mobs of other Grims and Leeches, and will stop at nothing to find and
devour human flesh.

Primary Attack - Charge and melee
Secondary Attack - Throwing rocks and flaming debris.

Survival Tip: Keep them at a distance. If they get close, use the Rossmore or the
Atomizer to dispatch them in a groups.


Leaper

This small-like Chimera has evolved into a fearsome predator. First developed
by the Chimera to seek out and infect hiding humans, this species of Chimera has now
gone feral. Its signature webbing is evidence that Leapers are close by. These
determined creatures will crawl on floors, walls and ceilings to track down their prey.

Primary Attack - Leaping bite attack.
Secondary Attack - Blinding venom spit.

Survival Tip: Use weapons that have a large damage spread. Rossmore and Magnum
Secondary fire are very effective.


Dropship

The Chimeran dropship is a flying transport used to deliver Chimeran ground troops
into battle. The outer shell is protected with thick armor that is impervious to most
attacks. A powerful plasma cannon, attached to the hull, is used to hunt and kill hostile
forces.


Goliath

This Chimeran automaton is able to destroy the whole city blocks with a single crushing
step. It is used to attack large targets such as military bases and small cities. The
Chimera have developed several models over the years, resulting in the most current
version which stands over 300 feet tall and has no known weaknesses.

Primary Attack - High-explosive, heat seeking rockets.

Survival Tip: Avoid at all costs.


Shock Drone

Shock Drones serve as small but relentless hunters. They typically move in groups, and
tend to scout the areas around larger mechanical hunters, such as the Goliath. Once a
Shock Drone has discovered a target, it will lock on and continue to attack until
destroyed.

Primary Attack - High-powered electrical discharge.

Survival Tip: Place a Marksman Mini-turret on the ground along its path of approach--
when the drones approach the turret will attack them continuously.