Capcom teased this title about a week to go before Tokyo Game Show 2019 and as the event has gone and concluded, we got a chance to play the game so we can give you our thoughts on it! Good? Meh? Read on to find out our impressions of the latest multiplayer game called Project Resistance!
First off, Project Resistance is an asymmetrical 4v1 multiplayer game. 4 players will take control of “Survivors”, each with their own unique skills and playstyle, and the other will take control of the “Mastermind”, who will do anything to stop these survivors from reaching their goal. If anything, it’s very similar to Predator: Hunting Grounds which we had also played during TGS but with very basic differences and we’re here to talk about the 5 things we learned while playing the game!
Each Survivor has an important role to play
For a couple of rounds during gameplay, I took on the role of January, a punk looking female that specializes in hacking security systems. That didn’t sound quite right but it is what it is. Anyways, each character has a unique skill that they can use in order for the team to survive longer and hopefully finish the mission. Samuel has devastating melee attacks, Tyrone is the tank of the group, Valerie is the healer, and January the hacker.
I found January to be very useful because as you may know, the Mastermind can look through cameras littered around the play area and through these cameras, he can pull off a variety of commands that will hinder your progress. Cameras may be disabled by shooting at them, which makes her skill a bit useless at first glance, but she can disable cameras in half the time as opposed to shooting at them, which also conserves precious ammunition. This way, you can assure the team that the Mastermind won’t be snooping in on your location every so often.
Since this is a multiplayer game, your experience will only be as good as the worst member of your team. If you’re unlucky enough to get paired along with a player that simply does not know what to do? Well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Stay close together, but not too close
It has to be said, unfortunately, In games like this, sticking close together to provide assistance is key to any group that succeeds. There are times though when you may need to split up to look out for specific objectives but you’ll have to do it systematically. Some objectives will require you to look for a couple of missing keys and some will be behind locked doors. There could be threats behind it, so having your team to back you up is crucial. If by any chance the other team members separate and decide to look for the other objective at the same time, your team effectiveness is basically halved and so is your chances of survival.
Don’t stick too close though, because you’ll need space to maneuver, and you’ll also need to constantly watch your back for any Mastermind sightings.
At least for our playthrough, the level we ran through was pretty small and compact, which really emphasizes proper team positioning, lest you get stuck in a corner with no one around to help you. At the moment we don’t know how many levels the game will launch with but we’re hoping for variety and better level design at the very least.
Purchase items wisely, cash is limited
In the game, you can pick up items here and there to help you out. A green herb, some ammo, even some cash. Most of the items you’ll need though will be from these ammo crates scattered liberally throughout the mission area. You can purchase melee weapons, grenades, weapon repair kits, ammo, and even herbs. You’ll need to stock up properly and make sure that you don’t run out of consumables before reaching the next area because you may be forced to backtrack and it’s not really a wise decision to do that alone.
Some items make sense. The melee items can go to Samuel, who is the melee specialist of the team. The backlines, January and Valerie, will need to defend themselves properly also, so don’t just rely on using your default pistols. You’ll need to strike a healthy balance between a new weapon, some ammo, and restorative items if you want to succeed. With cash being limited, at the very least this is an aspect of the game that I liked that really pushes the survival theme further.
Mastermind uses cameras and cards to hinder the survivors
As you take control of the Mastermind, you are greeted by a very confusing interface compared to the Survivors. There are 2 main things that a Mastermind will do – First is to switch from camera to camera, setting up traps to hinder the Survivor progress, and second is to lay traps via cards that you have. Think of these cards as your ammunition, you may have 1 zombie card and 2 dog cards and 1 leg trap card, meaning you’re allowed to use these based on how many you have.
You are also able to lock doors that will slow down their progress while at the same time, giving you room to set up your traps and zombies. Part of your arsenal of cards are buffs and enhancements that you can give the zombies so that they attack more effectively.
Sound like… fun? It’s not. You can’t place zombies right beside a survivor, there’s a certain distance / room requirement needed. It does not help that the controls and the user interface is confusing as hell. It’ll take a bit of getting used to, trust me. The camera angles are also really confusing so it’ll take you a bit to get oriented properly with what you’re looking at. These are quite a few small things that add up, making controlling the Mastermind a frustrating experience.
One thing about being the Mastermind? You’ve got nobody else to blame but yourself if you lose the game.
The Mastermind can go directly in the field by possessing a zombie
If you’re not the type to make your minions do your bidding for you, well why not just do it yourself? The mastermind has the ability to possess any zombie that he places in the field, allowing him to control the zombie to directly attack the survivors. This might seem like a good idea at first, you’ll just have to plan it properly. See someone left behind? Possess a nearby zombie. In a 1on1, you’re almost assured of a victory, but if you plan on facing a group head on, you’ll realize that it was not your brightest moment.
At the moment, the glaring issue I have with Project Resistance is that it’s simply not fun to play. There is potential in what Capcom is building, but a lot of issues have to be sorted out first. Balance is a problem, Controlling the mastermind is not efficient and is very confusing, levels are poorly designed… I’ve personally got a lot of gripes about the game and I hope Capcom is listening to feedback. They did say that they’re committed to making changes and improvements to the game as next year approaches so here’s hoping it turns out for the better.
In the mean time, I’m not feeling too good and confident about this title, but let’s hope Capcom proves us wrong come 2020 when the game releases across platforms!
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Videogame Content Editor. A father and gamer. Would gladly trade what’s left of his soul to witness a Final Fantasy 6 and Xenogears remake done during his lifetime.
