If you are a Sci-Fi fan like I am you’ve definitely heard of Stargate. Whether its the feature film, SG-1, Atlantis, and unfortunately SGU. You know that while it is starting to get up there with the Wars and Treks, it hasn’t necessarily gotten the treatment that the aforementioned franchises have gotten. By “treatment” I mean Games. Back in 0’5-’o6 work was almost completed on the first big Stargate game. Stargate SG-1: The Alliance was axed in 2006 and ever since then the only Stargate Video Game on the vine was Stargate Worlds. But like The Alliance, SGW has fallen under tough times due the economic downturn. And with MGM suffering as well people thought that Worlds would get canned and they would never get the chance to battle with Jaffa or Goa’uld. But TPTB didn’t want the fans to miss out so in December the folks at Firesky announced that CME (Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment) the developers of Stargate Worlds would be releasing a third person shooter in the Stargate Universe (not the show, the actual universe). Although CME’s track record wasn’t really much of anything since SGW and SG:R are there only games, the real purpose of SG:R is to not only help fund the development of SGW, but to hopefully convince present and future investors that they can release a game.
The Story
Yes, Yes, it’s an online shooter so there’s not much of a story so SG:R’s story is………. well there isn’t an actual story mode but there is an overview of the main plot. Resistance takes place in the current timeline of the Stargate Universe. So think Season 12-13 of SG-1 if you are fans of the show. In Season 8 of SG-1 the Goa’uld had been eliminated as a main enemy of the show although they would have small antagonistic roles in season’s 9 and 10. Now the new System Lords have risen up and are looking to reclaim what they think is rightfully there’s. They have also re-enslaved the Jaffa into their service of being incubators for their young. The only thing standing in their way of this diabolical goal are the Tau’ri who defeated the Goa’uld, Replicators, and Ori.
The Bleeps, Bloops, and Visuals
The music to SG:R isn’t really there which is a letdown since the Stargate series has some fantastic organic music. If you don’t believe me listen to the SG-1 or Atlantis soundtrack. The sound effects on the other hand is a success. The iconic Staff Weapon shots are here and P90 shots are heard in the distance and even going through the Chappa’ai (Stargate) feels authentic. At this point there is no voice chat but there are of course commands associated with the number keys such as Kree!, Go Go Go!, and Ashrak! but there is always hope for future updates. Last but not least, the visuals. Along with the music and sfx the stargate franchise is a very visual one so if things didn’t look right this game would be panned. So thankfully that is not the case as this game looks authentic in every way, even though it only matters for the SGC map (Hat’ak gate room is attached to the map for System Lords). To make the map bigger a fuel silo is added to be the bulk of the map. It could just be me but camping in the embarkation room as the SGC with my team blasting the System Lords to hell is really satisfying.
The Character Classes
There are 3 Classes for the System Lords and 3 Classes for the Tau’ri. The SL have the Jaffa (foot soldiers of the Gods) Ashrak ( stealthy assassins) and the Goa’uld (Parasites who burrow into the body of human hosts who then take control and pose as gods). With the Jaffa you have the staff weapon that shoots a small energy blast, a melee that can finish off foes, and of course grenades. The Goa’uld have ribbon devices that fries the mind of those who come into contact with the Goa’uld using the device, also there’s the ability to throw enemies in order to get them away, and there is a healing device that can be used to heal your teammates, and of course you have the shield that blocks enemy projectiles for a limited time (grenade launchers still do damage). Then there’s the Ashrak who has the ability to become invisible so it can get behind the enemy and backstab them. As for the Tau’ri you have the Commando, who is equipped with a Sniper Rifle, Magnum, and Claymore Mines. The Scientist, who has deployable turrets, administers health to weak teammates, a pistol, and another pistol that shoots out a symbiote poison that slowly kills anything that has a Goa’uld symbiote in it whether its a Jaffa, Ashrak, or Goa’uld in a host body. Finally there is the Soldier who has a grenade launcher, smoke grenade, and one of the most popular guns in the Stargate series (TV series), the P90. Like the Jaffa who has a 1+2 punch with the Staff and Melee, the Soldier has the shoot a grenade at an enemy and shred them to pieces combo. The most effective way of killing foes with the Soldier class is bending the kozars and shooting the fron of the enemy.
Where The Hell Are You!
Like the setting in TV and Film, the maps of multiplayer games are crucial to how the game can be played. If you have a game with a stellar multiplayer setting people will latch on to it and love it (CoD4, GoW) but if you have a game with a bad multiplayer mode people will stay away like it’s the plague. In the case of SG:R it’s actually fun compared to a certain third person shooter that came out on the 360 in ’08. Aside from some balancing issues there isn’t much kruvis with it. This game suffers from the Team Fortress 2 conundrum in that it launched without the usual amount of maps. TF2 launched with 6 maps and 3 game types while Resistance has only 3 maps and 3 game modes but in March there will be a free map add-on to pave the way for future DLC. The actual locations in SG:R are as follows: SGC, Piramess, and Amarna. The SGC is of course the headquarters for the Tau’ri and the most beloved location in the franchise. Piramess is a world that was once normal but due to conflict from the Goa’uld has been shrouded in snow and ice from a device very much like the Touchstone from the SG-1 episode of the same name. Amarna is a world that has a rich source of the element Naquadah the energy source for all of the advanced alien technology.
Dominate The Galaxy or Protect It
While most games MP modes are just mindless go into a game and go into another game and earn XP, SG:R has a unique way of handling it. The Goa’uld are trying to dominate the Galaxy like those who came before them and it is up to the people of Earth to stop them. It is a nice way of expanding the galaxy once the downloadable content arrives.
Stargate Resistance While It May Just Be A Way To Fund Stargate Worlds Not Only Proves How FireSky and Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment Can Not Only Deliver On A Product But Make A Damn Good Game. Yes SG:R Has It’s Flaws With The Limited Amount of Classes, Maps, and Game Modes But CME Has Already Confirmed They Are Working On Maps, Classes, Tweaks, and Character Skins. So The Next Few Months Will Be Interesting.
Hits
- Stargate Woo!
- Authentic In Many Ways
- Feels Great To Cross The Event Horizon
- The Classes Are Deep
- Decent Visuals
- Ribbon Device FTW
Misses
- Not Enough Classes,Maps,Game Modes
- Certain Points On Maps Are Useless
- Lack of Voice Chat
- Lack of Soundtrack
I Give Stargate Resistance An 8 out of 10
I Now Leave You With A Video Showing A Battle For The SGC
Filed under: Games Tagged: | Jaffa Kree!, SGR, SGW, Stargate
