Resistance (video game series)

The alternate history of the Resistance series diverges from current history primarily at the end of World War I, leading to the formation of the European Trade Organization, a continental peacekeeping alliance, and worldwide peace, preventing the Great Depression, the rise of the Nazi Germany, and World War II, but also leading to Franklin Delano Roosevelt losing the 1940 presidential election to Montana Senator Noah Grace who leads the U.S into a semi-totalitarian isolationist state, as well as the rise of an isolationist Russian Empire, as before his abdication, Nicholas II appointed Grand Duke Mikhail as Tsar, who crushed the Russian Revolution.[17]

Approximate location of the Tunguska event, in Siberia.

A new menace arises from Siberia, with the epicenter corresponding to the time and location of the Tunguska Event of 1908. In 1921, Russia initiated a communications blackout with the rest of the world, and built a wall against its European border called the "Red Curtain". Word spreads of small towns, villages, and eventually cities in Russia and Eastern Europe that are destroyed within a single night. A strange cold front also develops over Russia and spreads outwards. European intelligence agencies attempt to listen in on Russian radio stations, only to hear a single message repeated over and over: "Brotherhood, Strength, and Fortitude ... in the face of the angry night."

In December 1949, the Red Curtain is suddenly breached by numerous Chimeran forces. The Chimera overrun continental Europe by February 1950, leaving very few survivors. The Chimera then proceed to dig underneath the English Channel, invading Britain in late 1950. The bulk of the British forces are wiped out, with the rest fleeing to scattered bases in the northern parts of England.

Some time after the invasion of England the SRPA (Special Research Projects Administration) begins experimenting with the virus, supposedly in order to find a cure. It is never revealed whether they are really attempting to find a cure for the virus or are simply attempting to create a group of superhumans just as Malikov did with the Cloven. This project is known as Project Abraham.

There are only two known locations where Project Abraham took place. One was an unspecified military facility in Alaska and another in Bryce Canyon, Utah. Out of the viral website it is known that the only survivors are Joseph Capelli and Nathan Hale. They are both later transferred into Sentinel Squad Echo.

After the events of Project Abraham, the soldiers who were infected with the Chimeran virus were formed into an elite squad known as Sentinels.

The Resistance games play similarly to most first-person shooters, and feature a variety of weapons. The weapons include both conventional weapons for the setting of the game, weapons created by the Chimera that possess unique features, and human weapons that have been modified to take advantage of the Chimera technology. Each weapon features two modes of fire which work in conjunction with each other. The human assault rifles include grenade launchers, while the Chimera "Bullseye" has a secondary mode that fires a marker, such that all bullets shot in the primary mode will strike the marked target for a short time.

The three PlayStation 3 games feature large-scale multiplayer modes with support for up to 60 players in Resistance 2 and up to 40 players in 'Resistance: Fall of Man'. Gameplay was reduced to smaller matches in Resistance 3. All three console games offer extensive stat tracking for online combat, with Resistance 2 featuring trophies that require online play to earn.

Resistance: The Gathering Storm, a novel by William C. Dietz, was released in April 2009. It details what happened to Nathan Hale during the two years between the events that unfolded in Iceland; after his extraction from Great Britain, and later in San Francisco; where the Chimera launch the invasion of the United States.

Resistance: A Hole in the Sky, an indirect sequel to The Gathering Storm, was written by William C. Dietz. It is set before the events of Resistance 3.

Resistance, a six-issue comic book limited series, began in January 2009. The first issue, "Resistance #0" (which was available as part of the Resistance 2 Collector's Edition), details the early history of Private Jordan Adam Shepherd, the seemingly innocent soldier who volunteered to be a test subject in Project Abraham, and, due to the machinations of Doctor Fyodor Malikov, would transform into "Daedalus"; the Leader of the Chimera. Another comic issue released was called "Metastasis" telling the tale of a Nathan Hale mission and how he is to retrieve an antidote to the chimera virus.

• Insomniac Games website