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Resistance: Fall of Man is a science fiction first-person shooter video game for to the Playstation 3, developed by Insomniac Games. The game follows in the footsteps of Sgt. Nathan Hale as he and the human resistance forces attempt to drive a mysterious alien invasion out of Britain.

The game was released as a PlayStation 3 launch title in Japan on November 11, 2006, in the United States on November 14, 2006 and in Europe on March 23, 2007. Resistance had a generally favourable critical reception, garnering particular praise in view of its status as a launch title and winning several awards. It was the first million seller for the PS3.

Story

Setting

Resistance: Fall of Man follows an alternative history which diverges from true history at the start of the 20th century. Due to changes in historical events, the end of World War I led to a prosperous European alliance and worldwide peace, preventing the Great Depression, the rise of the Nazis in Germany, and World War II, but does lead to the rise of an isolationist Russian Empire, one that is still under czarist rule as Lenin's revolution was quashed.

However, a new threat to the world arises from Siberia, with the epicenter appearing to be the site of the Tunguska event of 1908. In 1921, Russia initiated a communications blackout with the rest of the world, and built a wall against its European border called the "Red Curtain". Word spreads of small towns, villages, and eventually cities in Russia and Eastern Europe that are destroyed within a single night. A strange cold front develops over Russia and spreads outwards. European intelligence agencies attempt to listen in on Russian radio stations only to hear a single message repeated over and over: "Brotherhood, Strength, and Fortitude...in the face of the angry night."

In December 1949, the Red Curtain is suddenly breached by numerous Chimera forces. The Chimera overrun continental Europe by February 1950, leaving very few survivors. The Chimera then proceeded to dig underneath the English Channel, invading England in late 1950. The bulk of the English forces are wiped out, with the rest fleeing to scattered bases along the northern parts of Britain.

The Chimera

The Chimera are the fictional, alien-like mutants that are the main enemies in the game. The creatures come from somewhere in Russia and they are believed to be the result of a biological experiment gone wrong, although events and revelations further on in the game and the Chimeras' advanced technologies (such as advanced weather control and force fields) might rightly lead a player to deduce that the Chimera are, in fact, extraterrestrial in orign. They infect humans with a transformative virus which causes its victims to fall into a coma, during which the virus transforms them into Chimeran creatures.

The Chimera are much stronger than regular humans, and have between two and six yellow eyes. The Chimeran metabolism is twelve times that of humans, which allow for extraordinary healing abilities, but it causes them to overheat quickly; for that reason, Chimera soldiers are implanted with cooling devices on their backs, and they alter their climate to lower temperatures. Chimeran technology is much more advanced than human technology. It is also said in several intelligence reports during the game that they will devour their own kind, usually their wounded or dead.

The Cloven

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

The Cloven have not appeared in Resistance: Fall of Man, and are fairly mysterious. They appear to be a kind of superhuman. An unlockable skin in multiplayer under the name "Cloven" features a bald, pale-skinned humanoid in a foreign military uniform. In intelligence reports and on the official site, they are said to be maniacs who speak Russian, ritualistically mutilate themselves and their victims, and feed on the bodies of their own dead soldiers. They appear to be enemies of both the Chimera and the Euro-American forces.

Plot

The game starts in 1951, with the protagonist, Nathan Hale, as part of the United States 5,000-man strike force to help liberate Britain and to retrieve a secret weapon that the British claim can be used against the Chimera. However, the force is quickly wiped out; Sgt. Nathan Hale, the only survivor, appears to be infected with the Chimera virus but does not go into a coma, though he does possess increased metabolism and limited regeneration, and his eyes sometimes flash gold/yellow, somewhat like the Chimera.

Hale continues on his mission, along the way meeting with and rescuing Captain Rachel Parker from a Chimera conversion center, who assists Hale over the radio for the rest of his mission. Hale and the British forces eventually manage to deliver the secret weapon to one of the Resistance's headquarters, only to be attacked by Chimeran forces shortly afterward. It is revealed that the "secret weapon" is actually an "Angel", a Chimeran creature that British Intelligence was able to capture. The Angels are the most powerful form of Chimera creature, and British Intelligence theorizes that they control the rest of the Chimera forces through some form of telepathy. The Angel attempts to enter into Hale's mind, but he manages to resist against it and kills the creature after emptying an entire magazine from his assault rifle into its head.

Hale continues with the war effort, assisted by British commando Lieutenant Stephen Cartwright. The two of them eventually discover that the Chimera have established a series of metallic Towers throughout Britain, all inter-connected by a series of underground power conduits. Oddly, evidence indicates that the Towers were excavated, not constructed, adding more mystery as to the origin of the Chimera. Hale enters the underground Chimeran tunnels and discovers a central main Tower inside London. Through his connection to the Chimera, Hale comes to the conclusion that destroying the central Tower will somehow result in the total defeat of the Chimera.

The British and American forces launch one final, desperate attack against the main Tower in London, and Hale manages to reach the top of the tower and destroy its central nuclear fission reactor, resulting in a massive explosion that demolishes the main Tower. The reaction propagates along the Chimera conduit network, destroying all the Towers in Britain and killing all of the Angels inside. With the Angels dead, the remaining Chimera forces quickly die off. Parker theorizes that they are unable to survive without the presence of the Angels. While Britain is liberated from the Chimeran forces, the rest of Europe continues to be occupied by the Chimera.

As for Hale, he is presumed to have been killed in the explosion of the main Tower, and the Americans list him as Killed in Action. Parker is not convinced, though, and believes that Hale may have managed to survive somehow. The game's final cutscene shows Hale indeed alive, walking through the rubble and snow. Suddenly, he is captured by a squad of soldiers wearing unusual insignia, appearing to be some form of special forces, known only as the Black Ops, a name given to them in the multiplayer mode (their bodies are seen at various points towards the very end of the campaign game, near the Central Core itself, and appear to be specially outfitted in airtight suits designed to resist or repel Chimera spire attacks). Hale briefly contemplates killing them as well as himself with a grenade but ultimately decides against it and allows himself to be taken into custody by the soldiers.

Gameplay

Resistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter set in an alternate history. With it, many of its gameplay features stem from this, most notable of which is the weapons. Some weapons are based on real weapons circa the 1950s, while some weapons are futuristically altered, in accordance with the game's storyline. Insomniac Games has combined its passion for creating exotic weapons and vehicles, such as those found in the Ratchet and Clank series, with its proprietary development engine and physics system to create unique human and Chimeran weaponry. Each weapon provides a unique play style and strategy. An example of this is found with the Auger (Chimeran). The primary fire for this weapon is simple rapid fire, but the bullets burrow through walls, opening up a whole new level of strategy. The secondary fire creates a barrier that is resistant to bullets. In addition to the usual short- and long-range weapons, the game features several different types of grenades, with both historical and futuristic varieties. For example, one grenade is capable of creating a sort of barrier, where you can enter for cover. The barrier is kept, reflecting shots from opposing Chimerans. Some weapons are not initially available on the first play-through of the game but can be found at certain locations on replaying the game.

The game features melee attacks, and the jumping height is said to be "realistic". The motion sensing feature of the PS3 controller is used for a number of things including shaking off enemies that grab onto you, shaking off tags and flames in multiplayer, and quickly bringing up a map or leaderboard in a multiplayer match. The player also has access to turrets and a drivable jeep with a gun turret on certain levels.

Similar to Ratchet and Clank, there are also skill points that can be earned throughout the single player game. These are awarded for certain actions that are hinted at by their titles; however, the specific details are not revealed until the skill point is actually earned. For example, one skill point, called "Tag, You're It", requires killing five enemies in 30 seconds with the Bullseye weapon. There are generic skill points that can be earned during any single level, and some that are specific to certain levels of the game. Each task is worth a different number of points which are used to unlock additional media for the game. In addition, multiple Intel documents can be found scattered throughout each level. These give the player an insight into what has happened, is happening, and will happen.

Multiplayer

Resistance: Fall of Man features a multiplayer mode for up to 40 players. The multiplayer functionality of Resistance utilizes the same PlayStation Network ID (PSN) that users already have.

The game runs at a locked 30 frames per second, offline and online, no matter what happens in-game. Multiplayer games have no latency, even while playing the 40 player online due to the implementation of dedicated servers across the PlayStation Network.

Downloadable content

On June 7, 2007, a spokesperson from SCEA, posted a message on MyResistance.net, informing players that complications had arisen and that the Worldwide Update and map pack had been delayed for an unspecified amount of time. However, the spokesperson did mention that it was only for a short period of time..

In addition to the above maps, Insomniac made available two additional maps on June 29, 2007 in one map pack for $7.99 USD, $8.99 CAD, £2.99 GBP, €4.49 and $7.45 AU.

Ranked Matches

Ranked matches automatically places players in a match from a chosen category. The matches intened to place players together whose ranks are the same or very close together, to make the matches fair. Ranked matches give the player experience, which will allow the player to move up different ranks. As you move up ranks, you unlock special rewards for your character.

There are three categories the player can choose from, each category with its own modes with one the player will automatically be placed in. The three categories consist of:

• Free-for-all: In this category there is a deathmatch mode, which is a simple free-for all deathmatch. There is also conversion mode, an elimination game type.

• Team Deathmatch, is the second selectable category which directly takes the player to a Team Deathmatch where two teams battle to see who can get to the point objective first(Normal scoring) by killing the members of the opposing team.

• Team Objective: When selecting this category the player will either be taken to a Meltdown, Capture the Flag or Breach game type. The most common mode the player is automatically taken to is Meltdown, in which two teams fight to capture nodes.

• Map Pack Mayhem: Only available when the newly released map pack is bought and installed. A random mode will be playable on the new maps,Camborne and Westmorland.

In ranked matches players obtain experience points (XP points) and rise through ranks. Team Conversion is not available in Ranked matches.

Custom Matches

The multiplayer for Resistance also allows highly customizable unranked matches, known as 'Custom' matches allowing the hosts to set different parameters such as hit points, weapon sets and others. Custom matches already in progress can also be joined and the player can join matches of his/her choice with a filter that detects matches meeting the player's chosen criteria. Other Players can also be invited to games using the buddy list. Custom games do not have much XP to gain as opposed to Ranked matches.

Resistance's multiplayer does not feature the vehicles found in campaign mode.

Different species

While playing online you will either be assigned to the Human or Chimeran species, each of which has its strengths and weaknesses.

• Humans: Humans possess advanced radar that detects friends and foes. Humans are also smaller, thus harder to hit, and possess the ability to crouch and sprint forever. However, while sprinting the cross hairs will disappear, making it hard to aim correctly. Human players also spawn equipped with one fragmentation grenade. Their default weapon is the carbine.
• Chimera: Chimera are larger and make easier targets but they also possess "Rage Mode". This allows them to run faster, see enemies through walls at a short distance (like thermal imagery), and increase their damage given with any weapon (including the sniper rifle and the rocket launcher). "Rage Mode" can cause the Chimera to overheat and lose up to half of their health if left on for too long. The Chimera also lack the ability to crouch. Their default weapon is the bullseye, and do not spawn with grenades.

Critical reception

Within the first few hours of the PS3's Japanese launch, the game had already received praise from some publications. Famitsu gave the game a 33 out of 40. IGN was the first western site to review the game, giving it a 9.1 out of 10 with reviewer Jeremy Dunham declaring that while other consoles had to wait years to get their killer app, "PlayStation 3 users get theirs on day one." Game Informer has given Resistance a 9.5 out of 10. Also, Gamezone gave it a 9.5. GameSpot has given Resistance an 8.6. Following closely GameBrink.Com has posted their import review, giving it a 91 over 100.. However, the scores at the time of European launch were less brilliant, and the OPM UK gave it 7, compared to Call of Duty 3's 8. IGN UK gave it 8, compared to 9.1 at the US launch.

Awards

• Received IGN awards for:
  • PlayStation 3 Game of the Year 2006
  • Best First-Person Shooter on PlayStation 3 of 2006
  • Best Graphics Technology on PlayStation 3 in 2006
  • Best Original Score on PlayStation 3 in 2006
  • Best Use of Sound on PlayStation 3 in 2006
  • Best Online Multiplayer on PlayStation 3 in 2006
  • Most Innovative Design on PlayStation 3 in 2006
• GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2006 - Winner of Best PlayStation 3 game
• Gaming Target - 52 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2006 selection .

Reviews

Australia

• Official Australian Playstation Magazine — 10/10

United States

• GameSpot – 8.6/10 Critic Score 8.8 User Score 8.7
• NexGen Wars – 9.2/10
• PSM3 – 89%
• Game Informer – 9.5/10
• IGN– 9.1/10
• X-Play – 5/5
• EGM – 8.5/8/9

United Kingdom

• GamesMaster (magazine) – 85%
• Official UK Playstation Magazine – 7/10
• Eurogamer – 7/10
• Pro-G – 8/10

Controversy with Manchester Cathedral, England

On June 9 2007, the Church of England threatened legal action against Sony, for featuring Manchester Cathedral in the game without permission.

Cathedral leaders accused Sony of the "desecration" of Manchester Cathedral, referring to one scene which depicts a shoot-out in which dozens of Leapers are killed during a bloody gun battle inside the cathedral. Officials described the use of the building as "sick" and sacrilegious and stated Sony did not ask for permission to use the cathedral. They have demanded an apology and the removal of the game from shop shelves - otherwise legal action will be considered.

The cathedral’s spokesman, David Marshall, told reporters that the cathedral had received many supportive e-mails for its stance and that they intended to make several demands of Sony. These include an apology and a substantial donation, complete withdrawal of the game or modifying the segment featuring the interior of the cathedral, and financial support of Manchester groups trying to reduce gun crime in the city.

Cathedral officials also described the use of guns in a city which has a gun crime problem irresponsible. The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, stated;

It is well known that Manchester has a gun crime problem. For a global manufacturer to re-create one of our great Cathedrals with photo-realistic quality and then encourage people to have gun battles in the building is beyond belief and highly irresponsible. We know the reality of gun crime and the devastating effects it can have on the lives -- it is not a trivial matter.

The game’s developers Insomniac have declined to comment referring all inquires to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

Sony issued a statement saying

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is aware of the concerns expressed by the Bishop of Manchester and the cathedral authorities... and we naturally take the concerns very seriously. Resistance: Fall of Man is a fantasy science fiction game and is not based on reality. We believe we have sought and received all permissions necessary for the creation of the game." Sony also stated that it would be contacting the Cathedral on Monday, June 11 "to understand their concerns in more detail". David Wilson, a Sony spokesman, told The Times "It is game-created footage, it is not video or photography. It is entertainment, like Doctor Who or any other science fiction. It is not based on reality at all. Throughout the whole process we have sought permission where necessary."

Cathedral's formal demands

At a meeting with Church and Cathedral officials occurred on June 11, 2007 reporters noted that three people had been shot by guns within the city in the 72 hours prior. The attendees produced a letter by “The Very Rev Rogers Govender, on behalf of the Dean and Canons of Manchester Cathedral, to the entertainment giant Sony.” It stated that "We are currently seeking the advice of our lawyers in this matter and reserve our legal position in relation to the same". It demanded a "substantial donation" for the cathedral's work with youth in "resisting the culture of gun crime and other forms of violence in our society". It demanded “the immediate withdrawal of the game” and "furthermore, that Sony do not re-issue it without modifying the section of the game to remove the cathedral interior.” Govender described the use of images of the cathedral as “virtual desecration”. The letter stressed that they were in consultation with their lawyers and urged Sony to contact them so there can be a "mutually satisfactory conclusion to this matter". Govender told reporters that the church officials had only been told of the content on Friday June 8, 2007 and after watching footage of game play posted on YouTube said they were “dismayed beyond belief. …We are shocked to see a place of worship, prayer, learning and heritage being presented to the youth of today as a location where guns can be fired. Every year we invite hundreds of teenagers to come and see the cathedral so that they might appreciate an alternative to the violence that they experience in their daily lives. It is a shame to have a game like this undermining such important work."

Patsy McKie, who had a son slain in Manchester and is a member of Mothers Against Violence agreed with the church’s position stating it was “time to stand up to the makers of violent games. …I believe it's something that needs to be taken seriously first by the Church but also by parents. There's a war going on - not just in Iraq, but right here on our doorstep."

Sony's response

Nanako Kato, a spokesperson for Sony Computer Entertainment, addressed the matter from Tokyo. She said, "We take the church's views seriously.” She pointed out that “Historical buildings are often used in entertainment… iconic movie scenes involving Godzilla and the Tokyo Tower and King Kong in Manhattan.” She acknowledged the church in the game “holds a resemblance in some parts to Manchester Cathedral. The point was to depict a backdrop of an old church, not to illustrate a specific church. …Sony understands the Church of England was offended especially because of its efforts to reduce the serious problem of gun violence in Manchester.” She did not answer on whether Sony would donate money to the Cathedral's anti-gun program as the Church has demanded.

The legal question at issue

The controversy raises questions about the range copyright law can extend to, as one video game review site stated “While the cathedral authorities do indeed have a right to allow or ban photography within the cathedral grounds - it is uncertain whether an inaccurately re-imagined, virtual version of the cathedral can fall within any copyright laws.” The site spoke to two lawyers who deal with intellectual property on the matter. Paul Stevens of the Olswang firm said, "The fact that images appear in another medium does not change the potential for copyright infringement to have taken place." Seb Belcher of Harbottle & Lewis stated that, "A lot will hinge on how the images were produced and whether there was a requirement in property law to seek church permission."

Alex Chapman of Campbell Hooper solicitors, stated "The Church will have an uphill battle in a legal claim against Sony, and indeed it is likely that there is no basis for a claim." He cited a provision in the UK's 1988 Copyright Designs and Patents act that "explicitly states that it is not copyright infringement to represent certain artistic works that are on public display". This includes sculptures and buildings which are "permanently situated in a public place or in premises open to the public". Chapman also pointed out that in the UK copyright expires 70 years after the person who created the work dies. He went on to say "What all this means is that public buildings are generally fair game for inclusion in videogames, films et cetera, and it is something that their owners just have to accept. What isn't fair game, however, is if the building is presented in a way that could be said to be defamatory in relation to those associated with it and this might be what the Church is more concerned about. Also if the representation of the building could be argued to have become so closely associated with a business that its representation amounts to a false endorsement of Sony or its products, or it is registered as a trademark, there may be issues. In each case however my impression is that the Church will have some difficulty in pursuing Sony. There is no law against insensitivity and as with many matters of this kind, it is the public reaction that might be more damaging than the legal one."

An unofficial review by lawyers at Freeth Cartwright of the rights that Sony might have infringed concluded that the Church of England did not have a case on either copyright or passing off grounds.

British Prime Minister questioned

Tony Lloyd the Member of Parliament for Manchester Central addressed Prime Minister Tony Blair during the Prime Minister's Questions, saying “When large organizations like Sony find their copyright has been breached, they’re very quick to use the law. Would the Prime Minister agree with me then that when Sony used images of Manchester Cathedral as part a game which extols gun violence, this was not only in bad taste but also very, very insulting to not simply the Church of England, but people across the land who think it’s inappropriate that big corporations behave in this way?”

Blair answered,

I agree with my honorable friend. I think it’s important that any of the companies engaged in promoting these types of goods have some sense of responsibility and also some sensitivity to the feelings of others. I think this is an immensely difficult area, the relationship between what happens with these games and its impact on young people. I’ve no doubt this debate will go on for a significant period of time, but I do agree. I think it is important that people understand there is a wider social responsibility as well as an interior responsibility for profits.

Sony apology

On 15 June 2007, Sony issued a statement saying

We do not accept that there is any connection between contemporary issues of 21st Century Manchester and a work of science fiction in which a fictitious 1950s Britain is under attack by aliens. It is not our intention to cause offence by using a representation of Manchester Cathedral in chapter eight of the work. If we have done so we sincerely apologise.

The Dean of the Manchester Cathedral, the Very Reverend Rogers Govender, said in a statement: "We acknowledge the admission by Sony that the building in the game is Manchester Cathedral. We thank Sony for the apology they have made. However, we do not move from the position that we are against violence and especially the gun violence seen in this portrayal of the Cathedral." There was no word if they were still seeking a donation from Sony.

On 6 July 2007, Sony issued an unreserved apology to Manchester Cathedral by publishing it in the Manchester Evening News.

Sales bump

Organizations that track video games purchases announced that Resistance: Fall of Man sales have actually gone up since the recent controversy. Resistance is now the best-selling PS3-only game and has climbed back into the top-forty all-format charts, presumably on the back of the publicity generated by its controversial use of a digital replica of Manchester Cathedral as one of its levels."

Sequel

A sequel to Resistance: Fall of Man has been announced for a release in 2008 (not confirmed by either Insomniac or SCEE). In an interview with MyGEN, Ted Price stated that the sequel will continue on the story from Fall of Man and it is likely that characters from the previous game will return. It will also probably take place in Europe, which remains occupied by the Chimera, even after Britain's liberation. It could also take place in Russia during the original attack of the Chimera. Price also expressed interest in making a Resistance game for the PSP in the future.

Trivia

• The protagonist shares a name with Continental Army Captain Nathan Hale of the American Revolutionary War, who is remembered for saying: "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

• Although the game is set in a Europe whose borders are similar to that at the start of the Second World War (save for the independence of the Baltic States), a trailer showing the map of Europe enveloped by the Chimera displays borders close to their modern day equivalents (such as a divided Yugoslavia), though only a few of the Central Asian Soviet republics are displayed as independent.

• This is the first game by Insomniac Games to be released in Japan before the United States release.

References

1. "Resistance: Fall of Man". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
2. "'Insomniac Full Moon Show - 17/5/07' (podcast)". Retrieved 2007-5-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
3. supadupagama. "Resistance Fall of Man has 40-player online multiplayer". videogamesblogger.com. Retrieved 2006-10-22.
4. Kotaku - Resistance, Motorstorm Updates Pushed Back
5. Dunham, Jeremy. "Resistance: Fall of Man Review. The Chimera has won... and so have we". IGN. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
6. Iwata. "Resistance : Jinrui Botsuraku no Hi (Japan) Review". Gamebrink. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
7. Cathedral and Violence Controversy
8. Church attack Sony
9. Church of England demands Sony donation for shoot-out game
10. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
11. Cite error: The named reference AFP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
12. Insomniac declines to comment on Resistance complaints
13. Gledhill, Ruth (2007-06-09). "Fury over cathedral shootout game". The Times. News Corporation. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
14. "Church threatens to sue Sony over 'sick' video game". Times Online. June 11, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
15. Yuri Kageyama (June 13, 2007). "Sony Goes To Confession over 'Resistance: Fall of Man'". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
16. "Sony Responds to Bishop's Call to Withdraw Resistance". 11 Jun 2007.
17. "Can the Church of England Sue Sony over Resistance Images? Copyright lawyers speak out". 12 Jun 2007.
18. Ellie Gibson. "Church will face "uphill battle" if suing Sony, says legal expert". Retrieved 2007-06-12.
19. "Church of England try to send Sony on massive guilt trip". IMPACT, Freeth Cartwright. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
20. ^ "Prime Minister Tony Blair Speaks on the Resistance: Fall of Man controversy". June 14, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
21. ^ "Sony apologises over violent game".
22. ^ "Sony Apologizes to Church of England". June 19, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
23. Sony 'sorry' over cathedral game - BBC News
24. "Resistance: Fall of Man sales up".
25. myGEN Australia (2007). "Interview with Ted Price". Gametrailers. Retrieved 2007-02-26. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
26. "Resistance: Fall of Man sequel confirmed". PSU. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
27. YouTube. "Resistance Trailer border inconsistencies". SCEA. Retrieved 2007-03-03.

External links

• Resistance: Fall of Man website
• Official Online Community
• Resistance: Fall of Man videos at GameTrailers
• Resistance Fall of Man wiki at wikia

• 2006 video games
• Alternate history video games
• First-person shooters
• Insomniac Games
• PlayStation 3 games
• PlayStation 3-only games
• Sony Computer Entertainment games