Sony hears you, loud and clear. You want to play a proper first-person shooter on the go, with real controls and everything – none of that
virtual thumbpad shit. Well,
Resistance: Burning Skies is certainly that. It's a recognizable part of Sony's sci-fi franchise, which sees 20th-century history diverted and converted by a snarling platoon of alien origin, and it counts as a traditional shooter that takes advantage of the Vita's twin directional sticks. Consider those goals dutifully met yet not exceeded, and realize that Nihilistic's spin-off is worth discussing only for that context, not its content.
Burning Skies is supposed to represent the worst day in a New York fireman's life, but its gauntlet of peril barely registers as lukewarm. As Tom Riley, you join the military's panicked push back against the Chimeran invasion, and eventually juggle an entire wheel's worth of alien weaponry. Firing them doesn't convey much kick or fury, and the impeccable presentation and orchestrated encounters of
Resistance 3 are missing here, but at least the franchise's playful variety in offense is preserved.
Moving and aiming with the Vita's shallow sticks takes some practice and finesse (and a few trips to the options screen), but soon enough you'll find that headshots are well within reach. However, the lack of fine-tuning via the accelerometer, used to great effect in
Uncharted: Golden Abyss, is odd – especially when considered alongside some of the other Vita gimmicks you have to caress and couldn't care less about.
Continue Reading