PS3 Launch List
Less than a month away, we offer our take on the upcoming PS3 launch line-up. by Patrick Evans
You faithful readers keep coming back to CCC for our opinions on the games that matter to you. After attending a few press events this fall and playing some previews, we have developed early opinions of the upcoming PS3 launch titles, as well as a couple games that will hit the system in the near future. And to you, our faithful readers, we deliver little nuggets of gaming wisdom in bite-sized form for quick and easy consumption. Dig in!
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII
The game: Battling the Third Reich from London to Berlin with only analog sticks is so yesterday. On the PS3, players will get to control their squadron using the Six-axis controller. There will also be two additional missions, ten new planes, and even better graphics than what we saw on 360.
We think that…: This game was underwhelming before and see little reason that it will suddenly become the engrossing WWII flight game that it strives to be. Controlling the plane works fine enough with the motion-sensor controller, but there’s little reason to think it will make us all want to go out and buy it when we’ve seen it all before.
Call of Duty 3
The game: The Normandy Breakout campaign was one of the bloodiest engagements of all of WWII. In storming France and liberating Paris, the Allies began to push the momentum of war back against the Nazis. Call of Duty 3 introduces real-time environments and break-away cover to provide the most engrossing and exciting WWII FPS in recent years.
We think that…: Activision obviously has a solid hit on their hands on all next-gen consoles, including the PS3. CoD3 looks just short of stunning as the release date approaches, and as long as the online gameplay on PS3 holds up compared to the 360 version, then the motion-sensor controls that we’ve seen incorporated will make this the slim favorite between the HD consoles.
EA Sports Fight Night Round 3
The game: Grown men beating the snot out of one another has never been more entertaining than in the Fight Night series. On the PS3, players will “Get in the Ring” and box their opponents in first-person view, available both online and offline in all gameplay modes.
We think that…: EA has hit the mark yet again with the new “Get in the Ring” mode. Not only does the first-person view make the gameplay even more intense than before, but they’ve thought of just about everything. You can literally have your bell rung, leaving a ringing noise that drowns out the surroundings. This coupled with crisper visuals makes this Fight Night a Must Have for boxing fans on their PS3s.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The game: The Emperor has been assassinated and the gates of Oblivion are opening all across the land of Tamriel. As a hero of the land, Elder Scrolls IV allows you to tackle the gigantic world in any way you see fit. Oblivion has devoured the lives of millions of gamers on PC and Xbox 360 already, and now it sets its sights on the Playstation 3.
We think that…: Anyone that has played this game before will be plenty satisfied with what they have already. The “Knights of the Nine” quest line that is new to the PS3 version will be brought to the other platforms sooner or later, so gamers who have already dropped 100 hours or so into their dude on 360 can breathe easy. Having said that, any fortunate souls that have escaped Oblivion’s clutches should definitely look this one up this time around for one of the deepest RPG experiences in gaming.
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
The game: Full Auto introduced players to the “unwreck,” but the sequel will put an all-new premium on sheer destruction and chaos. Instead of simply shooting at your opponents on the road, players can now use the environments to slow down or destroy their enemies.
We think that…: This game may be a solid attempt to overcome the underwhelming original. From everything we’ve seen thus far, this is the game that the original aimed to be, but came up short.
