History YMMV / Resistance

* AcceptablePoliticalTargets: Isolationists. In Russia, the tsarist regime withdraws from the world and builds a massive wall along its European border as part of its plan to fight the Chimera, which only leaves it standing alone against an AlienInvasion while the rest of the world distrusts its intentions and barely even knows what's going on within Russia until it's too late. The Noah Grace administration in the US makes the same mistake, thinking that America can escape the Chimera invasion under a policy of armed neutrality by letting its two oceans and strong military protect it. For good measure, the Grace administration uses a lot of rhetoric and imagery lifted directly from the real-life America First Committee, which opposed American involvement in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and advocated coexistence with a Nazi-ruled Europe.

* HomegrownHero: Russia, continental Europe, and the British Isles are attacked by a deadly mutant virus -- and you play, of course, as a soldier of an American intervention force, even ''before'' it reaches North America.

* ContestedSequel: ''Resistance 2'', in spades. It is either the absolute best title in the series, or the weakest entry in the trilogy. It has a sizable number of detractors, due to changing or removing several loved features and mechanics from ''Fall of Man'' and for [[FollowTheLeader taking a lot of cues from ]] ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'', as well as its abrupt ending; the biggest sticking point is the removal of the first game's weapon wheel. On the other hand, it has a decent amount of fans for its more versatile number of enemies, its squad-based combat in the single-player and the massive scale of the game in general; critics generally found it to be an overall stronger title, with a score of 87/100 on Meta Critic, making it one of Insomniac Games' highest rated titles during the seventh console generation. The polarized reception of ''Resistance 2'' deeply affected Insomniac Games, with CEO Ted Price stating that the issues pointed out on the game had a huge impact on ''Resistance 3''.
* CriticalDissonance: ''Resistance 3'' scored a respectable and fairly good average score of 83/100 on Meta Critic, though it makes the game the lowest-rated main entry in the series, with ''Fall of Man'' and ''Resistance 2'' sitting on 86/100 and 87/100 respectively. To many fans, however, ''Resistance 3'' represents the apex of the series, thanks to its grim atmosphere and post-apocalyptic aesthetics that make the game feel more like a SurvivalHorror than a shooter.
* DemonicSpiders: Widowmakers in the first game (who earn bonus points for actually looking like demonic spiders), Chamaeleons in the second due to their very annoying OneHitKill attack.
** In ''Resistance 2'', the A.I. of many Chimera Hybrid soldiers is set to banzai charge you regardless of how far away they are from you, even running right past your allies to shoot you in the face at point blank range. In a game that relies on regenerating health and the use of cover, this can be disasterous for you.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Mind you, there isn't much of an ensemble, but Colonel Rachel Parker is perhaps the most popular character in the series - enough to merit a downloadable multiplayer skin of her in the second game, even though she's not in it. Possibly due to her [[UsefulNotes/BritishAccents gentle British accent]] and the fact that Hale is almost entirely lacking in backstory and personality.
** What, no mention of Stephen Cartwright? At the time of ''Fall of Man'''s release, he was easily the most popular character, which is part of the reason for his return in ''Retribution''. Unfortunately, even though he now ''does'' have a backstory, Hale is rather bland and so he tends to be overshadowed by just about any of his co-stars.

** And no love for Henry Stillman, the reporter stranded in Philadelphia? Sure, you never actually ''meet'' him in person over the course of ''Resistance 2'' but you'll hear a lot of his signature radio-voice, chronicling the Chimera invasion from the viewpoint of an everyman. [[{{Tearjerker}} Which becomes all the more painful]] as the plot progresses, [[spoiler: ultimately ending with him committing suicide just as Hale takes the fight to Daedalus]].
*** Indeed, Nihilistic Software seem to have been aware of Stillman's darkhorse status, as they brought him back in ''Burning Skies''.

** At first, the [[spoiler:turnaround pulled off by the forces of humanity]] at the end of R3 seems like an asspull, considering that they spent the first two games getting their asses handed to them. Then you remember that the Chimera are no longer able to convert humans due to the Hale vaccine. Without the ability to create more forces from their enemies, the Chimera are slowly ground down through attrition by the human forces. By the end of the game, the Chimera are simply too worn out to maintain the edge in the war, allowing humanity to [[spoiler:regain the upper hand]].

* GoddamnedBats: Sentry drones and Chameleons in the second game. You will be screaming in frustration after dealing with them.
** The Shield Drones in R3. Can't hit anything until you deal with them and they just fly all over the place.

* GrowingTheBeard: While ''Fall of Man'' is definitely a solid title, it has several significant rough edges in terms of A.I., gameplay, controls, and graphics, due to both being the developer's first FPS in two console generations as well as one of the first titles for the console. It's only with ''Resistance 2'' that the series begins to truely be a seamless, triple-A title.

** Remember the Widowmaker from RFOM? [[spoiler: Yeah, they're back in R3, they've gone feral if they weren't already (meaning that they CAN breed in the wild), they travel in PACKS, and they are larger than their RFOM counterparts. During one level, you see what are possibly THOUSANDS of them storming across the countryside, and when your your train has to pass by them, just one casually derails you.]]

* HomegrownHero: Russia, continental Europe and the British Isles are attacked by a deadly mutant virus - and you play, of course, as a soldier of an American intervention force, even ''before'' it reaches North America.
* ParanoiaFuel: Chameleons in R2. It'll be nearly impossible for you not to look in ''every single direction'' when you hear that dreaded bird call.

* SoOkayItsAverage: ''Burning Skies'' has gotten this reception from both critics and fans. It's not... terrible. It's just very bare-bones and doesn't have that special ''Resistance feeling''. The mechanics are competent and it controls well though. It is the lowest-rated title in the entire series, with a 60/100 on Meta Critic. In comparison, ''Resistance: Retribution'', the second lowest, sits on a very decent 81/100.

* VindicatedByHistory: In a fashion quite similar to its cousin series ''VideoGame/{{Killzone}}'', ''Resistance'' tended to get positive reviews and a decent fanbase, but at the time of the series' release the majority of critics and a good portion of the [=PS3=]'s playerbase saw it as nothing more than a solid first-person shooter that didn't add much to the genre. Following the release of the lackluster ''Burning Skies'' and Sony's lacking output of first-person shooters on the [=PS4=], alongside the general saturation of games like ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'', people began to look more fondly at both franchises. Particular praise for ''Resistance'' nowadays goes to its generally unique premise, distinctive enemy faction in the form of the Chimera, brutal weapons and the blend of action-horror atmosphere. Many also fondly look back at the series' trademark ambitious multiplayer, whose scale was unheard of at the time of the series' lifespan, at least on consoles.

*** Add to this that Chimeran victories tend to be Pyrrhic. They might have several successes, but at the cost of a truly enormous body count. The number of Chimeran deaths from the player character alone in the second game can be in the range of a small city, not counting the many Chimera who are killed in the destruction of the Fleet or the deaths of enormous creatures like the Leviathan that represent thousands of infected human beings. The Chimeran battle strategy seems to be a sort of no-holds-barred blitzkrieg with the end goal of [[spoiler: opening a portal to the Chimeran home world and inviting the Pure Chimera to take back the Earth. The Chimera are successful in achieving their goal, but when nothing comes through the portal alive]] the remaining Chimera just don't have the ability to fight a war of attrition in the long-term.

* EnsembleDarkhorse - Mind you, there isn't much of an ensemble, but Colonel Rachel Parker is perhaps the most popular character in the series - enough to merit a downloadable multiplayer skin of her in the second game, even though she's not in it. Possibly due to her [[UsefulNotes/BritishAccents gentle British accent]] and the fact that Hale is almost entirely lacking in backstory and personality.

* FridgeBrilliance - Ever wondered why ''Resistance 3'' didn't really explain the origins and ultimate goal of the Chimera? Simple: by that point, people are more concerned with simply ''surviving'' to the next day than anything else. Dr. Malikov is perhaps by then among the few who are still actively trying to understand the aliens. But whatever insights he would have had revealed, we'll never know. [[spoiler:Because he gets killed by Mick and his band of convicts.]]

* GoddamnedBats - Sentry drones and Chameleons in the second game. You will be screaming in frustration after dealing with them.

* NightmareFuel – ''Lots.'' From the basis of the alternate reality to the Chimera jumping at you on the screen and MUNCHING AT YOUR FACE!!!!! You will hardly be able to sleep.

* ContestedSequel: ''Resistance 2'', in spades. It is either the absolute best title in the series, or the weakest entry in the trilogy. It has a sizable number of detractors, due to changing or removing several loved features and mechanics from ''Fall of Man'' and for [[FollowTheLeader taking a lot of cues from ]] ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'', as well as its abrupt ending; the biggest sticking point is the removal of the first game's weapon wheel. On the other hand, it has a decent amount of fans for its more versatile number of enemies, its squad-based combat in the single-player and the massive scale of the game in general; critics generally found it to be an overall stronger title, with a score of 87/100 on Meta Critic, making it one of Insomniac Games' highest rated titles during the seventh console generation.
** The polarized reception of ''Resistance 2'' deeply affected Insomniac Games, with CEO Ted Price stating that the issues pointed out on the game had a huge impact on ''Resistance 3''.

* CompleteMonster: Mick Cutler of the third game was incarcerated in prison before the Chimera attack. Deciding to use the prison as a base, Cutler ran it with absolute savagery and barbarity. He disposed of any potential threats and led raids to capture other human survivors, using them for gladiator games to entertain himself and his followers or possibly cannibalizing them. Mick is first seen brutally murdering a doctor, and placing another TheHero Capelli into a gladiator arena. Even when the Chimera discovered the location and attacked, Mick tried to stop Capelli from actions that may have saved them just to keep his own power.

* ContestedSequel: ''Resistance 2'', in spades. It is either the absolute best title in the series, or the weakest entry in the trilogy. It has a sizable number of detractors, due to changing or removing several loved features and mechanics from ''Fall of Man and for [[FollowTheLeader taking a lot of cues from ]] ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'', as well as its abrupt ending; the biggest sticking point is the removal of the first game's weapon wheel. On the other hand, it has a decent amount of fans for its more versatile number of enemies, its squad-based combat in the single-player and the massive scale of the game in general; critics generally found it to be an overall stronger title, with a score of 87/100 on Meta Critic, making it one of Insomniac Games' highest rated titles during the seventh console generation.

* ContestedSequel: ''Resistance 2'', in spades. It is either the absolute best title in the series, or the weakest entry in the trilogy. It has a sizable number of detractors, due to changing or removing several loved features and mechanics from ''Fall of Man and for [[FollowTheLeader taking a lot of cues from ]] Franchise/''CallOfDuty'', as well as its abrupt ending; the biggest sticking point is the removal of the first game's weapon wheel. On the other hand, it has a decent amount of fans for its more versatile number of enemies, its squad-based combat in the single-player and the massive scale of the game in general; critics generally found it to be an overall stronger title, with a score of 87/100 on Meta Critic, making it one of Insomniac Games' highest rated titles during the seventh console generation.

* ContestedSequel: ''Resistance 2'', in spades. It is either the absolute best title in the series, or the weakest entry in the trilogy. It has a sizable number of detractors, due to changing or removing several loved features and mechanics from ''Fall of Man and for [[FollowTheLeader taking a lot of cues from ''Call of Duty'']], as well as its abrupt ending; the biggest sticking point is the removal of the first game's weapon wheel. On the other hand, it has a decent amount of fans for its more versatile number of enemies, its squad-based combat in the single-player and the massive scale of the game in general; critics generally found it to be an overall stronger title, with a score of 87/100 on Meta Critic, making it one of Insomniac Games' highest rated titles during the seventh console generation.

* AnticlimaxBoss: Both ''Fall of Man'' and ''Resistance 2'' are guilty of this; ''FOM'' sees Hale going up against an inanimate nuclear reactor - once the four cooling rods are destroyed, it's over. ''Resistance 2'' does have a proper final boss in the form of Daedalus, but you don't actually fight him - instead you destroy the machinery in the room. Both bosses are very easy and don't really live up to the tension set by the NintendoHard stages that precede them. ''Resistance 3'' repeats the pattern; just like the first game, the final boss is an inanimate reactor... also, unlike the first game which at least had a massive firefight between British and U.S. soldiers and Chimera elite troops and sub-bosses, the reactor fight in ''Resistance 3'' is just you vs. a few squads of Chimera and one non-unique GiantMook.

* ContestedSequel - While ''Resistance 2'' has generally been well-received by critics, some fans have criticized it for its sometimes irritating enemy AI and for being [[FollowTheLeader too much like Call of Duty]]. The biggest sticking point is the removal of the first game's weapon wheel. These problems are thankfully fixed in the third game.
* DemonicSpiders - Widowmakers in the first game (who earn bonus points for actually looking like demonic spiders), Chamaeleons in the second due to their very annoying OneHitKill attack.

* SoOkayItsAverage: Burning Skies has gotten this reception from fans. It's not... terrible. Its just very bare-bones and doesn't have that special Resistance feeling. The mechanics are competent and it controls well though.

* GrowingTheBeard: While ''Fall of Man'' is definitely a solid title, it has several significant rough edges in terms of A.I., gameplay, controls, and graphics, due to both being the developer's first FPS as well as one of the first titles for the console. It's only with ''Resistance 2'' that the series begins to truely be a seamless, triple-A title.

* JustForFun/XMeetsY:
** The game is more or less ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' meets ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' meets ''GearsOfWar'' meets ''Franchise/MassEffect''.
** The third one meets the previous plus ''Half-Life 2''.

* SoOkayItsAverage: Burning Skies has gotten this reception from fans. It's not... terrible. Its just very bare-bones and doesn't have that special Resistance feeling. The mechanics are competent and it controls well though.

* HellIsThatNoise: That high-pitched screech the Leeches emit in ''Resistance 3''.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: A fairly minor one mostly within the backstory: was the Czarist Russian regime a heroic if tyrannical group that sacrificed itself to give the rest of the world a time to prepare, a bunch of idiots who unnecessarily destroyed Russia because of their inability to even request aid from the West against a far greater threat, or some combination of the two?