PlayStation 3 in Europe Part 1: What Games Are On Offer?

PlayStation 3 in Europe Part 1: What Games Are On Offer?

Posted: 04-11-2007, 06:53 PM

Well, it has been nearly three full weeks since the PlayStation 3 went on sale around Europe and after having a record breaking first week of sales, followed by a pretty dramatic drop in console sales the following week, it is probably about time we took a break from looking at the performance of the system and focused on letting you all know exactly what is on offer in terms of the games out there right now. Whether you have recently picked up the new console or are contemplating grabbing one in time for Easter, here is Part One of a quick overview of what you can buy in stores this very moment…

Resistance: Fall of Man

This is the piece of software headlining the PlayStation 3 launch. Published by Sony itself, Resistance: Fall of Man sees the US and Britain team up in order to mount a last-ditch effort to save Europe and Asia from the Chimera, a species of unknown origin that is rapidly spreading a virus that metamorphoses humans into other Chimera and has overrun Russia and the rest of Europe. With all hope nearly lost, it is up to you, Sergeant Nathan Hale, to battle through in this epic first person shoot ‘em-up from the creators of Ratchet & Clank (Insomniac). With a fantastic array of weaponry at your disposal and clever use of the tilt sensor to shake off monsters and extinguish any flames on your person, plus a forty person online mode, it is no wonder this game slammed into the UK chart at No.1.

Formula 1: Championship Edition
Taking the official 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship license and putting it to the best possible use, all the cars, circuits, drivers and teams are featured in this Sony published launch effort, all set with stunning high definition visuals, full surround sound and wireless motion sensor steering to make this one of the most realistic F1 games ever made. On top of all this realism is an extensive online mode that allows you to compete in a full eighteen-race season against actual human opponents. Or if you prefer a different angle, then you can take on the role of a chief engineer working through a career mode. Finally, for the ultimate link up, this is the infamous game that allows you to use your PlayStation Portable as a wing mirror to see all the action behind you in full 3D…

MotorStorm
To add variety to the line up of games and for those that prefer their racing to be rather more off road than track based, there is MotorStorm, where attacking and offensive driving is the key. The aim is to not only win the race, but also survive against your racing opponents in a turbulent combat-laden environment. Your vehicle is your weapon as you cross some of America’s most recognisable desert landmarks, facing off against opponents that can analyse every situation they are faced with and react accordingly to bump up the difficulty level. But it is not just the opponents that cause you hassle, as there is real-time track deformation, with players never playing the exact same track twice, so navigation around courses is a new experience each time. Brace yourself for some high octane racing with a plentiful supply of extravagant Hollywood style crashes galore.

Genji: Days of the Blade
This game is actually a sequel to the PlayStation 2 original, and is set three years after that chapter of Genkuro Yoshitsune’s life. This time it expands on the historical accounts of feudal Japan, and is presented as a traditional action adventure gaming experience that features more than double the amount of gameplay found in its predecessor. This time round there are more diverse levels of fighting and more playable characters on offer, in an outing that contrains over fifteen hours of intense action based on the battle between the Genji Clan and the Heishi Clan. You can switch between four playable characters at any time, utilising each one’s unique style or even team up for devastating combination moves as you make your way through scenes such as the great naval battle of Dannoura or the epic monumental horseback encounters of Ichinotani…There is so much on offer in Genji: Days of Blade that you can hardly fail to be impressed.

Virtua Tennis 3
Tennis games have always been extremely addictive and the Virtua Tennis series in particular is one that stands out from the crowd due to its continuously high standards. This time it returns with twenty of the world’s best stars, with a rich mix of stadiums and surfaces from around the world, all presented with photo realistic graphics and advanced player animations. Other than major stars like Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer, now you can create your own character and work through a new World Tour mode to become a world superstar, whilst also enjoying a host of fresh mini-games (ten new ones, two classics), tournaments and other challenges. Want some multiplayer action, though? Well then, the online tournaments option is for you! Or how about arranging exhibition matches against top seeds? It is all at your fingertips. And to wrap things off, there is now the inclusion of five set matches…

Virtua Fighter 5
With Tekken waiting in the wings at the moment, fans of arcade fighting do not have a lot on offer. Thankfully, though, Sega has stepped up and delivered a delicious slice of gaming goodness in the form of Virtua Fighter 5, complete with seventeen fighters, two of which are new – El Blaze and Eileen. There is also a new offensive mode fighting system that allows you to grab and attack opponents from behind, as well as all the features fans know and love from previous editions that are played out within newly redesigned 3D environments. If fast paced, adrenaline pumping battling is what you are looking for, then Virtua Fighter 5 delivers on each and every count.

Ridge Racer 7
Namco is back once again with another entry into the infamous Ridge Racer arcade racing series. This time there are forty vehicles and over forty courses (twenty of these are reversed), there is a new vehicle customisation mode that gives up to 200,000 different ways to tinker with your machine, a career mode that spans 160 races and the online option to bring your customised beast into a race against thirteen others from around the world. New additions to Ridge Racer 7 include the ability to take full control over the nitrous boosts, the inclusion of two new vehicle types (the sportsters ‘Centellee’ and ‘Magnifico’) and high definition, sixty frames per second speed racing. RR7 plays harder and faster than ever before, yet looks far better than its predecessors at the same time.

Call of Duty 3
Activision’s war-time series has been increasingly growing in popularity to the point where Call of Duty 3 sold through the roof across all formats with its re-telling of the Normandy Breakout. Now it is on the PlayStation 3 with a new physics engine, extra animations and close quarters battle mechanics that allow players to fight hand-to-hand, improvise explosive devices, disarm traps and face a whole host of other battlefield situations, with branching mission paths for extra strategic action. You can use environmental physics to your advantage as you can now destroy enemy hideouts with ease, forcing them out into the open…but beware as they can do the same to you if not careful. As well as the single player mode, though, there is team based multiplayer with vehicles that allows up to twenty four players to battle online with the option of single or split screen Internet play for greater immersion. Options galore await you in this fine product.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
Ever since EA started the PGA Tour Golf series of games it has led the way in terms of overall quality for golf fans and now on PS3 you can play the finest Tiger Woods effort to date. It is time to once again climb the ranks as you improve your stroke over twenty-one new courses with fifty golfers on offer to choose from. An all new Team Tour mode is included this time round as well, with you required to assemble a team, improve their status, establish rivalries and compete for the coveted EA Cup, trying to overcome the mighty Tiger Woods himself. This is on top of the extra pressure provided by larger than ever crowds, an enhanced career mode, a new PGA Tour Season format based on FedEx points earned at every tournament, ESPN integration that gives updates from around the world, more game modes and even an online side that pits you against others across the globe in large-scale tournaments.

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of World War II

With Ubisoft’s main focus being on Wii at the moment, it is pleasing to see the PS3 content is still there in the form of Blazing Angels, a game where you experience the greatest air battles of World War II in famous locations around the world. You can look forward to innovative squadron based gameplay, with the pilot’s heroism and leadership skills growing over the course of the eighteen missions. Players can choose from over thirty authentic aircraft, such as the British Spitfire and Luftwaffe’s Messerschmitt, even using them during the sixteen player multiplayer mode. This updated version includes new missions and special controller features that come into play as you begin as an untrained recruit, working your way up to be the hero of the day as you travel around the globe to locations such as London, the Pacific theatre, Normandy and Berlin.

Enchanted Arms
A port of the Xbox 360 game, this ‘enchanting’ role playing game puts you in the control of Atsuma, who inadvertently opens a seal that revives the fierce Devil Golem, which leads to an adventure full of strategic battles with over a hundred other Golems to customise for your own benefit, building them up using material and ether gained via trading, gambling and other combat. What makes this differ from the 360 version, though, is the interactive element the Sixaxis brings to proceedings, as the main character responds to tilt movement! In addition to this there are exclusive new missions and levels, plus thirty extra unlockable Golems (bringing the total to more than 130). Add to this the fact that there are over fifty hours of fantasy gameplay, intuitive battle mechanics, a deep, engrossing storyline and the option to choose the original Japanese dialogue track, RPG fans have what they are looking for right here.

Clearly it is an extensive line-up, but hopefully this will give you a better idea as to what you can buy in stores right now.

Stick around on PS3 Chat for the second part of this round up later this week…

Article by Adam Riley


jesusraz PS3Chat Members Posts: 21 Join Date: Feb 2007	04-18-2007, 10:32 PM With the PS3 at £425 and so many damn good games on offer, it really is quite daunting when deciding which one or two to pick up!

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