At last, the time of reckoning is here, a time when the moaning about overdraft shattering price points, delays, backwards compatibility and online services can finally be weighed against the most important factor in all of this: the games themselves. It's fair to say that Sony haven't endured the smoothest of entries into the next generation console arena but now the console's pre-launch problems will be firmly in the past and Australian consumers are at last able to get their sweaty mitts on a PS3 for themselves and, Sixaxis controller in hand, make their own judgments.
So, if you're already planning on joining the early adopter bandwagon and have secured a PS3, the next question becomes what to play on your shiny new slab of gaming hardware to show it off to those sceptical 360 owning friends of yours? The launch line-up, while commendably broad, contains a large amount of cross platform titles some of which have been available to those very same 360 owners for months. However, worry not, Sony's new baby has its fair share of launch exclusives too and, because we're nice like that, here's the lowdown on some of those titles.
Resistance : Fall of Man
MotorStorm
One of the first PS3 games to have a public showing back in 2005, the footage shown was so impressive it was greeted with almost universal scepticism as people doubted Sony's ability to keep the visual promises the footage showed. Two years later and credit where credit's due, it looks like they may just have pulled it off, MotorStorm is an off-road racer that sees the player picking a vehicle from a selection that includes bikes, ATV's, trucks, rally cars and buggies before taking part in some seriously fast paced racing on some of the most impressive off-road tracks ever seen in a game. One of MotorStorm's most impressive features is undoubtedly the tracks themselves, not only do they look very pretty but they naturally evolve over the course of each race. Drive a truck through an area of mud and besides having the expected effect on your own speed it'll also leave deep ruts in the ground causing all kinds of problems for the unfortunate person driving the motorbike behind you. Such mid game landscaping is integral to the way the game plays as each road surface is affected by the vehicles driving over it, enabling Sony to boast that no two laps of MotorStorm will ever be quite the same. Add to the party an impressive physics engine that sees vehicles bouncing off both the track and each other all the while hurtling around at high speed through a variety of canyons and gorges and it's no wonder that MotorStorm is one of the most eagerly awaited of the PS3's launch titles, one that may just become the system seller Sony is looking for.
Genji : Days of the Blade
Yes, we all the remember that embarrassing E3 demo where 'MASSIVE DAMAGE' was inflicted on the underbelly of a giant crab, but a lot of time has passed since then and Genji is now all finished and raring to go. While essentially not promising to ever be much more than a very pretty looking button basher of a slash-em-up Genji does have some tricks up its sleeves. One of the more interesting ones is the ability to swap between any of the four playable characters on the fly with a touch of the d-pad. With each character offering different abilities and fighting styles this has the potential to add an interesting tactical element to things, the prospect of using one character to break through an enemies defences before switching swiftly to another more suited to delivering the final few blows to finish things off is an interesting one. Upgradeable moves and weapons look to add an element of character progression to the mix and Game Republic promise some puzzles to test the grey matter now and then too, all of which could make Genji the perfect choice for people looking for a bit of puzzle and arcade action to show off their new toy.
Formula One Championship Edition
If you have even a passing interest in the world of F1 this game is no doubt up there on your list of launch titles to buy. First thing you notice is that it looks stunning, a phrase that gets banded around all too often but is honestly appropriate for this title, it really is a thing of beauty. It also promises to be accessible (well, as much as F1 can be) with a host of driving aids that can be turned on and off, ranging from lines on the track showing you the best route and speed through corners to the more expected automatic gearbox. The single player career mode sees you try and work your way up from test driver to world champion over the course of five championship seasons and there's always the single quick race options to fall back on when you don't want the hassle of the qualifying stages and all the fuss that comes with a full race. F1 as a sport isn't for everyone and as such F1 games tend to be a love 'em or hate 'em experience, something Formula One Championship Edition is unlikely to change, however, if you fall into the former category then this could just be the greatest F1 game around.
Ridge Racer 7
You mean it's a new Sony Console, and it's got a Ridge Racer launch title? Whatever will they think of next! Ridge Racer and the PlayStation brand have become almost inseparable since Sony nabbed the exclusive console version of the original to help launch the first PlayStation, in the process converting a whole generation of racing fans to Ridge Racer's crazy drifting-driving style. It's therefore a little bit of a shock for Sony fanboys to realise that this new Ridge Racer is actually almost identical to number six, the one Namco sneaked out as an Xbox 360 exclusive when Sony wasn't looking, all be it with the added bonus of a funky 1080p mode, slipstreaming, some new tracks and finally in a series first, a degree of car customisation. Surely by now most people will have played a Ridge Racer game at some point and experienced their unique and gloriously unrealistic approach to cornering, specifically how rather than actually breaking to get round a corner you instead send your car into a high speed slide around the bends, the real skill coming in avoiding other cars in the process and being able to regain control as your car exits the drift. Such an exaggerated arcade take on driving means that gamers more used to their Gran Turismo's and Project Gotham's sense of realism may find such a relaxed attitude to the laws of physics enough to put them off but for existing fans or anyone looking for some high speed arcade driving Ridge Racer 7 could well be an early PS3 must-buy.
So, there you have it. It is really all about the games, so now you, the consumer, finally get to decide.