Well..I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion. If it took you this long to beat Resistance: Fall of Man, it's not Insomniac's fault..I'd say where the fault lies, but I'd probably get banned.
The checkpoints were fine..I beat the game no problem, and never experienced frustration over where the checkpoints were placed. I also beat it a few months after it came out, it didn't take me almost 4 years. I always play every game I purchase on it's hardest difficulty as well, as I did with Resistance. Just, maybe, get better at FPS', and it won't be such an issue? I dunno what to tell you. Didn't play through R&C, so I can't comment on that.