Summary
Among some of thePlayStation’s first-party exclusives, Guerrilla Games’KillzoneandResistancebyInsomniac Games were two of the most memorable series to hit Sony’s consoles. During their time, both IPs were major selling points for thePlayStation, being largely well-received and reviewed with successful sales numbers. They also represented evolutionary steps for first-person shooters in their respective generations, with an increasing focus on impressive graphics and cinematic presentation on top of the tight action; elements that have since become expected staples of AAA FPS titles.
The developers continued to partner closely with Sony to produce highly-acclaimed games. Guerrilla went on to create theHorizonfranchise, while Insomniac released theMarvel’s Spider-Mantitles, both now iconic in their own right. But their earlier work onResistanceandKillzoneis credited with building prestige and attention for the PS, and helped set and sustain its standards for similar high-profile games. And though neither franchise has been heard from in a while,KillzoneandResistancecould benefit from two different yet equally feasible approaches to reviving them in some form.
Sony acquiredDestinydeveloper Bungiein 2022, although unlike the above IPs' more strict exclusivity status, its catalog of games has remained largely multiplatform.
Killzone and Resistance Present Two Opposite But Viable Paths For Their Potential Revivals
Resistance and Killzone Have Been MIA
It’s been well over ten years since the most recent entries in either series.Resistance 3was released in 2011 for the PS3, andKillzone Shadow Fallwas one of thelaunch titles for the PS4in 2013. Both were also attempting, to a degree, to provide competition for other established and popular FPS at the time, likeHaloandCall of Duty.While neither perhaps quite reached the heights of those, at least in terms of longevity, they were nevertheless successful in rounding out the PlayStation’s catalog of quality shooters for their eras. Since then, though, the developers have moved on to the aforementioned properties, withResistanceandKillzoneleft behind to languish in semi-obscurity.
How Killzone and Resistance Could Be Revived In Two Distinct But Effective Ways
Where things were left off narratively in each present interesting directions for possible revivals. InKillzone Shadow Fall,after Echo assassinates Marshall Sinclair, there are hints of more to come, as the consequences of his death could mean another war is averted, but it’s not as clear-cut as it seems. This opens the door to one final campaign to cap off the tensions between the Vektans and Helgast and end the conflict for good. ThoughGuerrilla previously stated it has moved on fromKillzone, it or Sony tapping another developer for a current or next-gen entry could provide closure while allowing Guerrilla to keep its attention focused on the multiple upcomingHorizongames it has planned.
Conversely,Resistance 3definitively concluded Corporal Capelli and Earth’s battle against the alien Chimera on a high note, with little room or need for a further story. It might be better served by a remake/remaster or, more ambitiously, a full reboot. PlayStation fans have already received a number of recent remasters of classic titles, andResistancewould be a great addition to the list. Similarly,Insomniac is working on a slate of Marvel-related properties, and would likely need to delegate such a project to another studio.
Still, given the above and with generations now gone by and nearing the next, it would be welcome to see both revived in some way to honor their legacies.Killzonehas some unfinished plot business, while inResistance 3’s case, a remaster could give it modern polish for longtime fans as well as provide a good way for those who may not have played the original to experience one of the PS' best shooters on current hardware.
