Vehicle controls and physics remain simplified affairs. Sometimes the physics get downright weird, actually, with vehicles bouncing or sliding around for no reason. AI teammates still drive tanks like they're bumper cars.
Just as in Operation Flashpoint, accessing your weapons and interacting with vehicles or the environment can be an unnecessarily slow and clumsy affair since the original game's action menu system remains in place. When people are shooting at you, you simply don't often have time to scroll through your options. The same sort of problem is even more pronounced when you try to command your troops using a cumbersome menu system, particularly when the mission calls for your men to use vehicles.
As in Operation Flashpoint, the multiplayer component of Resistance offers well-varied objectives and can be a blast--provided you find players skilled in realistic military tactics. This is a game where team coordination and careful observation really pay off, creating tense, dramatic matches with surprises around every corner. The multiplayer code has been optimized for Resistance, though you're still sometimes subject to game-killing lag even if you have a good ping. On some maps, you can also get stuck inside walls or walk through them at times, too. Needless to say, it's frustrating to get a bead on an enemy and then suddenly get stuck in some strange map-editor void, unable to move or hit your target.
Operation Flashpoint's visuals were loved by some, loathed by others. On the one hand, you got some nice skins for weapons, vehicles, and characters, along with memorable scenery. On the other hand, some of the 3D models looked blocky, and the terrain could seem rather sparse and washed out. Resistance offers somewhat improved visuals, including higher-resolution textures, more ground cover, and other decent but not stunning upgrades. Sadly, 3D character models (particularly the hands) could still use some work, and some faces are reused repeatedly. For that matter, many weapon models still don't look too hot, either. Clipping is also a problem, with vehicles sometimes partially sinking down into the ground.
Overall, despite the enhancements, the Operation Flashpoint graphics engine hasn't aged particularly gracefully, and the visuals can't compete with the best that the shooter genre has to offer, such as those in Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Then again, most shooters don't offer you the enormous vistas that Resistance does. The slightly improved visuals can also come at a high cost, potentially causing major slowdowns at the highest-quality level.
Varied missions include night infiltrations.
Still, the artistic design of a game is at least as important as any technical virtues of the graphics. Like Operation Flashpoint, Resistance succeeds well in that regard. The island of Nogova itself is beautiful, and plenty of little details bring scenes to life. Colorful architecture, working taillights on cars, blue-black exhaust billowing from trucks, clouds floating overhead--little details like these help create a convincing, memorable environment. You'll spot some humorous touches, too, like Troska wearing an Operation Flashpoint T-shirt early in the game.
Resistance's audio shows a similar regard for the little things that count. Footstep sound effects vary depending on the type of terrain, and chirping crickets and other ambient noises bring life to the surroundings. The weapons tend to sound a bit generic and bland, though. The game's interesting musical score generally does an effective job setting the mood. On the whole, voice-overs are improved over those in Operation Flashpoint; this time around, you're less likely to snicker at poorly delivered dialogue. You have to wonder why Troska has a British accent, though.
Generally, Operation Flashpoint: Resistance, despite any upgrades or changes, enjoys the same strengths and suffers from the same weaknesses as Operation Flashpoint itself. In other words, despite some real problems, Resistance offers a memorable setting and the sort of intense, intelligent challenges that can make tactical shooters so much fun.
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