Resistance Retribution sticks to the traditional controls used by most PSP shooters. The analog stick move the player around while the main 4 PSP buttons (square, triangle, X, and O) are responsible for pointing you in the right direction. The R trigger is the responsible button for firing your main weapon while the L trigger is responsible for your weapon's alternate mode of fire. One thing that's very impressive about Resistance Retribution is that all weapons have an alternate firing capability. The directional buttons reload and switch weapons as well as initiate manual aim in the event that you have aim assistance turned on.

When it comes to aim assistance modes, most of the time I feel that unless I turn it off I'm actually cheating. Something told me to keep the aim assistance turned on for this game and I'm glad that I did. Unlike so many other PSP games where the action is limited and your enemies are far in between, in this game the action is nonstop and there enemies charge you in great numbers. Aim assistance, in this case, provides you with a fighting chance and you can switch to manual aim at any time by just pressing up on the directional button; well, it is actually a zoom and manual mode rolled into one. While the aim assistance option does make the game easier, it also provides new PSP players a chance to enjoy a great game without being overwhelmed by the action. Even with the aim assistance on, this game is not the easiest game to beat. You do have to come up with some strategies of your own.

The weapons are balanced really well and the levels are designed well enough to be both challenging but not impossible. You will get lost from time to time, but it will not take you hours to find your way back either. This is actually the longest PSP shooter game that I've ever played and if you get burned out on the single player maps, you can always try your luck at some multiplayer games. The multiplayer modes include the traditional shooter game modes such as free-for-all and capture the flag. I really don't have anything negative to say about this game. Considering how large the maps are, I can't even complain about the loading time. Sony really did a great job on this product.