The Chimera infects Sony's handheld in Resistance: Retribution, due for release on the PSP next spring...

Sony has unveiled the first outing of Resistance on the PSP. Resistance: Retribution will swap the home console series' FPS perspective with a third person action adventure style and will be released during the spring of 2009.

Insomniac (which is responsible for the PS3 games) will not be developing this spin-off as development responsibilities have been handed to SCEA Bend Studio. The studio's previous work on the Syphon Filter series puts it in a prime position to craft a third person shooter for the PSP, with Dark Mirror and Logan's Shadow being two of the best examples of their genre on Sony's handheld.

The story arc will rest between the plots of Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2. It's set to follow the tracks of former British Marine James Grayson, who goes on a maniacal spree to destroy every Chimeran conversion centre he can find after having to kill his own brother in one of them.

After he finds out that his efforts have been in vain (the Chimerans have developed new ways of morphing humans into their breed), Grayson joins the European 'Maquis' resistance alongside operatives Cartwright and Parker in operation overstrike with the aim of retaking Europe from the Chimerans.

Weapons from the first Resistance game will make a welcome return, while new firearms based on human/alien hybrid technology (e.g. the 'One shot, one kill' Longbow 1S-1K sniper rifle) will also make an appearance. Ten enemies are also set to feature in the game and will be taken from Resistance 1 and 2, including the new Hag and Cloven aliens.

Multiplayer has been accounted for, with up to 8 players being able to duel it out in Ad-hoc and Infrastructure battles. Game modes will include Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Assimilation and Containment. Resistance: Retribution will also tap into the Resistance franchise web portal.