These are the games that you will be able to buy on November 17th, the day the PS3 launches. (You can also find the list here if you want to sort and filter)
Genji: Days of the Blade (Playstation 3 Exclusive)
Giant enemy crabs! Flip them over, and expose their weak spot for massive damage! Genji has been the butt of many jokes since it's showing at E3 2006, and maybe for good reason. The early reviews are in and they're not favourable. Gamespot gives Genji 2 6.4, and IGN scores it 6.0. Of course the original Genji received similar scores and that found a receptive audience. When it comes to repetitive action games the gaming media is often times overly harsh, despite the fact that they're pretty popular. If you liked the original Genji with the great graphics, multiple characters and weapons, you can be confident that you'll enjoy this game as well. That being said, if you have no interest in the genre this one isn't going to change your mind.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire (Playstation 3 Exclusive)
Gundam... ya. If you're really into Gundam games then this will be right up your alley, but all hands-on impressions so far have labeled this one as slow and boring. That being said, the graphics do look great, and Famitsu Magazine gave the game 32/40 which is a decent score. Gundam makes no use of the motion-sensing capabilities of the SIXAXIS and doesn't offer online play.
NBA 07 (Playstation 3 Exclusive)
Developed by Sony first party studios, NBA 07 is one of the only 1080p games available for launch. NBA 07 is the next-gen version of the moderately popular series found on the PS2 and PSP. Most of the key differences that make the current-gen version unique have made it to the PS3 version, with some new additions and losses. The Life mode is not available in this year's PS3 version, but Sony plans to introduce it again for 08. Additions to the game come in the form of new gameplay mechanics, and a brand new mode called Replay Mode. Sony has addressed the defensive complaints that were raised about the PS2 version's defense. Sony has also added SIXAXIS functionality which gives players the ability to spin, juke and push by rotating, titling and thrusting the controller respectively.
Replay Mode is an all new addition to the PS3 version of the game which allows you to take on a historic match from a pivotal moment. This kind of mode has been seen in games before, but Sony has taken it to the next level by offering players new scenarios to take over based on the real-life games that have played that week. Players can download these situations to their PS3s (Sony says there'll be 5 new games a week) and turn the tides.
Resistance: Fall of Man (Playstation 3 Exclusive)
Resistance is the marquee title for the Playstation 3 launch. Developed by Insomniac Games the talented studio behind the popular Ratchet & Clank series, Resistance is set in an alternative history world where WW2 never happened and a new breed of monsters, named Chimera, have devastated the world. Insomniac brings its skills for imaginative weapons and awe-inspiring visuals to deliver a one-of-a-kind First-Person Shooter experience. Resistance hits all the key areas of a AAA FPS game: epic single-player campaign, deep online experience, and split screen co-op.
Multiplayer is one of the major hilights of the game, offering 40-player online multiplayer matches. Insomniac seems to have taken the best from Halo, Battlefield, and mixed in its own ideas. Just like Halo, Resistance uses the innovative Matchmaking system so finding games is a snap. Borrowing from Battlefield, players are able to gain in rank the more they play and the better they do, with increases rank comes new weapons and uniforms players can use in their online games.
The entire single-player campaign can also be played through with split-screen co-op, similar to the Halo games. However, unlike other PS3 launch titles such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance, co-op can not be played online.
Ridge Racer 7 (Playstation 3 Exclusive)
It's Riiiiiiiiiidge Raaaaaaaacer!! Ridge Racer 7 is the second next-gen installment to the ultra-arcadey Ridge Racer series. Namco continues with the traditional gameplay that has made the Ridge Racer series a gaming icon for the past 12 years, with completely unrealistic drifting mechanics and beautiful unrealistic cars. Namco introduces a few new quirks to the Ridge formula that should keep the series fresh for long-time fans. Players are now able to perform some basic mechanic tuning on their vehicles to tune the cars to fit their playstyles better. By mixing and matching optional parts, players can make the cars drifting monsters, super grip machines, or somewhere in between to best suit your style. The other new feature is the introduction of the slipstream system, known as drafting in traditional racing. Drive up close enough behind a car and fall underneath their slipstream to get a speed boost and blow past them.
Ridge Racer 6 for the 360 brought Ridge Racer into the online scene, and while there were some hiccups, was overall a great experience. Namco has extended the online portion of RR7 even further offering up more modes and more ways to play.
Untold Legends Dark Kingdom (Playstation 3 Exclusive)
Untold Legends is one of the first PS3 games shown to the public. The initial reactions were lukewarm to say the least, but over the past year developer Sony Online Entertainment has improved the graphics significantly. Graphics aside, Untold Legends Dark Kingdom is an Action RPG just like the other entries into the series found on the PSP. Hack-and-Slash is the name of the game here, with traditional item drops to build up your character and experience to improve their skills and magic. Untold Legends is one of 2 games in the PS3 launch lineup that includes online cooperative play. Untold Legends makes no use of the SIXAXIS controller, don't ask me why.
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WW2
What the heck is up with this game? It originall came out for the Xbox, and Xbox 360 earlier this year but even then there was very little fanfare or publicity before the release. Even after the game released reviews were minimal, and it just didn't get mentioned very much. The lack of publicity is especially strange considering there aren't that many games for the 360, so all of them usually get decent coverage. Well, the same situation is happening with the PS3. Did anybody even know this damn game was launching with the system? There's only 15 launch games too. Finding any screenshots or videos was notoriously. It's not even that bad of a game either. The 360 version scored decently, and the demo was long and fun. Being a flying game, the motion-detecting capabilities of the Sixaxis is a perfect fit, and Ubisoft was aware of it. Use the orientation of the Sixaxis to control your plane in two different modes: Arcade and Simulation.
Call of Duty 3
Call of Duty 2 is the number one selling next generation title, so the expectations for the sequel are high. The differences between the PS3 and 360 version are minimal, and so far the 360 version has been reviewing very well. In COD2 gamers were treated to a fantastic single-player experience but left with a mediocre multiplayer experience until many months later when Activision released a patch. Infinity Ward set out to flesh out and dramatically expand the multiplayer side, which they accomplished, but possibly at the expense of the single-player game. COD3's multiplayer game is significantly more complex than COD2 as there are now different classes and roles the player can take, as well as the use of vehicles. The roles determine what guns, items, and abilities are available to you. Within that role you have specific classes, and as you rank up to the next class you gain more abilities.
Madden NFL 07
It's Madden. The same game you've been playing for 17 years. Apparently the next-gen versions aren't as good as the current-gen with drastically less features, models, uniforms and stadium. Core gameplay sees some new additions with the superstar mode and an improved mini-game. If you've been playing Madden on your 360 these past 3 months there's nothing new here, aside from some standard tilting functionality. Fake out the defense, and tackle harder by jolting and twisting the controller. Nothing groundbreaking, but should add to the overall experience.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Using the formula made popular with the X-Men Legends series of games, Raven Software and Activision take superhero fighting to the next level with 20 playable characters. Marvel is a straight port of the 360 version with some improved graphics. Raven also took the extra time to implement some cool SIXAXIS gesture capabilities allowing you to perform stronger actions if you thrust the controller in the right way at the right time.
NBA 2K7
Now that NBA Live 2007 has been cancelled for the PS3, NBA 2K7 is the only 3rd party basketball game in town, and it's a pretty damn good game. As with most of the multiplatform titles the differences between the 360 and PS3 version is minimal when it comes to graphics, gameplay and presentation. The only significant difference between the two versions is the way Visual Concepts has decided to use the Sixaxis controller. Motion-detection isn't used as extensively as in NBA 07, however the way it's used is pretty cool. Players hold the controller like they would a normal basketball, and then perform a freethrow motion with the controller in your hand. It's pretty gimmicky but could be fun to change things up.
NHL 2K7
Another straight port of the 360 version. NHL 2K7 features all the improvements over the current-gen that the 360 does, including updated high-resolution graphics, new animations. The next-gen versions of the game introduce two new gameplay features, the first being crease control which gives the player more control over the goal and the action that goes on close to the net. Cinemotion is the second new feature which attempts to show off the intensity of the game with dynamic close up cameras.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
A straight up port of the 360 version, which itself was a port of the current-gen versions. The only addition that has been made to the PS3 version is the use of the SIXAXIS controller. Instead of mashing a button to control how the ball spins in the air, you can simply tilt the controller in the direction you want the ball to spin. It's a simple use, but it's effective and does a great job at demonstrating the potential of the motion-detecting capabilities of the SIXAXIS.
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Built from the ground up for next-generation consoles the latest installment in the Tony Hawk series goes back to its roots while moving forward. The gameplay has been slowed down from the 5th and 6th releases, and the focus has gone back to pure skateboarding. Levels are now truly seamless with no load times between the areas. Nail the Trick is the biggest new addition to the series, and it's friggin cool. While in the air, or doing a manual just press both thumbsticks you'll then go into a trippy, bloom-lighting, slow-mo filled mode where each stick controls a different foot you can then pull of crazy maneuvers and land perfectly back on your board.
Tony Hawk is released for both the 360 and PS3, but features some significant differences between the two games. Gamespot scores the PS3 version a 7.3, and the 360 one a 7.9. Gamespot reports a noticeably worse framerate with the PS3 version, above and beyond the 360's already unstable one. However, the biggest fault with the PS3 version is the complete lack of online play. Project 8 for the 360 features many different multiplayer modes, new and classic, as well as ton of leaderboards for the various challenges in the game. The PS3 version has none of these things.
Neversoft did make some improvements to the PS3 version making effective use of the Sixaxis controller. Players can control their manual or grinding balance by tilting the Sixaxis in the appropriate position. You can also perform moves with the motion sensing by jolting the controller in different directions, though Gamespot reports that while a nice novelty, doesn't work as well as using the analog or dpad.
