PS3 Official Launch List

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has finally announced its PS3's launch titles. While no dates have been confirmed, all of these games are to be released during the PS3's "launch window" meaning on or around the launch date of the actual PS3, November 17th.

21 first and third-party PS3 titles will be available for the holidays. The launch catalog encompasses the most popular game genres, with the noticeable exception of a fighting game. Sony states that most of the titles are expected to retail under $60.

“Our line-up of PS3 games that will be available through the holidays is unprecedented in terms of volume, variety and innovation, surpassing any previous competitive launch catalog and even our own original offerings for other PlayStation platforms,” said Kaz Hirai, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. “We are pioneering a new era of true next-generation gaming through such titles as Resistance: Fall of Man, a visually arresting game that takes advantage of the large storage capacity and exceptional visual clarity offered by Blu-ray Disc (BD), and NBA 07, running at full 1080p for the highest resolution image possible, creating hyper-realistic characters and gameplay never seen before.”

The Full List of Launch Window Titles: Resistance: Fall of Man - Sony - Find Best Price NBA 07 - Sony - Find Best Price Genji: Days of the Blade - Sony - Find Best Price Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII - Ubisoft - Find Best Price Call of Duty 3 - Activision - Find Best Price EA Sports Fight Night Round 3 - Electronic Arts - Find Best Price The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Bethesda Softworks - Find Best Price F.E.A.R. - Vivendi Universal Games - Find Best Price Full Auto 2: Battlelines - Sega - Find Best Price Madden NFL 07 - Electronic Arts - Find Best Price MARVEL: ULTIMATE ALLIANCE - Activision - Find Best Price Mobile Suit Gundam: CROSSFIRE - NAMCO BANDAI Games - Find Best Price NBA 2K7 - 2K Sports - Find Best Price Need For Speed Carbon - Electronic Arts - Find Best Price NHL 2K7 - 2K Sports - Find Best Price RIDGE RACER 7 - NAMCO BANDAI Games - Find Best Price Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega - Find Best Price Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 - Electronic Arts - Find Best Price Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas - Ubisoft - Find Best Price Tony Hawk’s Project 8 - Activision - Find Best Price Untold Legends Dark Kingdom - Sony Online Entertainment - Find Best Price For the unofficial release dates for these games, see my unofficial list of PS3 launch titles release dates page.

 

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X3: The Official Game

X3: The Official Game is out just in time to coincide with X-Men: The Last Stand. While I am a huge fan of the X-Men Legends series, this game suffers from a bigger identity crisis than Mystique's. X3: The Official Game is part brawler, part action-platformer, and it does neither particularly well. The game's saving grace is that it is a pleasure to look at, and that the X-Mythos is just so darn compelling. The movie was better, but like the game, there is better X-Fun to be had elsewhere.It's hard to believe that Activision put out both the X-Men Legends games and X3: The Official Game. The two are as different as The X-Men and Alpha Flight. One rocks the free world, the other is dullsville, but from Canada, and Canada's a pretty cool place.

Much like Alpha Flight, X3: The Official Game isn't a total write off. It has superb character models that look like the walked out of the films. It has a decent fighting system. All three mutants (Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Iceman) play very differently, but all have healing powers... yeah, I know. And the game has a neat motivator built into it in that you can pick a different difficulty every time you play a level, and the tough you choose, the more upgrade points you'll get for your mutants.

But all is not rosy in the world of X3: The Official Game. The game features a good brawler system, but you rarely get to use it. The formula goes, fight two to three baddies, run around and look for a switch; rinse and repeat. Short levels with annoying puzzles, some on timers, do not do justice to the great physical locations or combat system. I don't mind a linear game, but you need to let a guy play. This felt more like X-Chores than a romp through the Danger Room.

The engine and graphics would have been put to far better use in large levels filled with baddies, and no silly tasks. Imagine if Prince of Persia levels were only two rooms long. I love the muties, but the game isn't charming enough to make up for poor design.

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