Summary
It may seem easy to say thatSony’s PlayStation 3was undoubtedly a success for the company, but the console’s initial launch in late 2006 wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Microsoft was putting up stiff competition the year prior with the newXbox 360, not to mention Sony’s hefty proposed price tag in comparison. The console was even featured in the magazine PC World as number eight of theTop 21 Tech Screwups of 2006. Suffice to say, the tech-giant’s highly-anticipated console didn’t exactly seem to excite the fans, and its initial lineup of launch titles wasn’t turning heads either.
While the PS3’s reputation would certainly improve, the aforementioned games that were released alongside it unfortunately seemed to have faded from the memories of most gamers since then. It wasn’t all bad, however, as there were a number of strong titles that had quite a bit to offer the 7th generation of gaming despite being mostly overlooked.
This list includes games that are consideredlaunch window titlesfor the PlayStation 3, releasing within a few weeks or months of the console.
Resistance: Fall of Manwas one of the most anticipated launch titles for Sony’s newPlayStation, with many outlets even speculating it may reach Game of the Year status for 2006. Developed by the well-known Insomniac Games, who had previous worked on both theSpyroandRatchet and Clankseries, the brand-new IP was certainly piquing the interest of many gamers at the time, especially being a console exclusive.
Set in a post-WW2 alternate history,Resistancefollowed Sergeant Nathan Hale as he fought alongside other resistance forces to defend against an alien threat that has invaded the United Kingdom. The dark environments that were seemingly overrun with the mysterious alien race created a uniquely dreary and drab atmosphere, setting the game apart from the pack at the time.Fall of Manwas regarded for its gameplay and ability to show off the PS3’s new capabilities, becoming the console’s best-selling game within a week of its launch by a longshot. It was awarded Game of the Year for 2006 by multiple gaming publications, overall being received as a generally solid FPS for the PS3, even spawning two sequels and a handful of spin-offs in the coming years — though all has been quiet from theResistanceIP since 2012.
Ridge Racer 7was the PS3’s first racing option, ironically just being an updated version of the previous Xbox exclusiveRidge Racer 6, with new added content and enhanced graphics for thePlayStation 3. Nonetheless, it proved to be a solid addition to the console’s roster of release titles.
Coming from Namco’s long-running and well-known series that started back in 1993, its entries have always been a popular choice for racing fans, andRidge Racer 7was no different. It received IGN’s Award for Best PS3 Racing Game of 2006 and was generally loved by critics and fans, being praised for its gameplay, which found a balance betweenNeed for SpeedandGran Turismo’sarcade and simulation styles of racing, respectively.
That’s on top of its impressive presentation, not only being one of the best looking launch titles for the PS3, but it also ran consistently around 60fps at full 1080p HD, at a time when most console games of the era were locked at 30fps. Both its visuals and gameplay still hold up impressively well today, giving off the same stylish, fast-paced racing action it did back in 2006.
MotorStormmay have missed the window as a North American release title, but it did end up hitting the mark as a 2007 launch title for thePlayStation 3in Europe. WhereRidge Racer 7brought in the classic, methodical track racing,MotorStormtook the action off-road and seemingly dialed it up to 11 in every way possible.
Taking place during the fictionalMotorStormFestival, players can choose between a variety of different off-road vehicles, from buggies to full-sized trucks, all mixed together in the same races across different types of terrain. It creates a hectic experience full of tense moments, close-calls, and, naturally, plenty of crashes and explosions to go along with it. The mixture of each type of vehicle with the different track terrains made the gameplay a boat-load of fun. The small buggies might fly past most of the off-roaders, but the massive, rugged trucks can easily take them out with one sideswipe.
MotorStormreceived praise for how action-packed it was, being especially great as a couch co-op game with friends. It would end up getting a few more games in the coming years, but theMotorStormseries unfortunately hasn’t seen a game since 2012, despite being widely loved by fans.
The FPS genre wasbooming in the early to mid 2000s, so there was certainly no shortage of games to choose from in the category, butF.E.A.R.was a bit of a different take on the genre. Developed by Monolith Productions, well-known for theBlood seriesat the time,F.E.A.R.is probably most well-known for its satisfying combat, which wasn’t just a simple run-and-gun affair. The game added in its famous slow-motion “bullet-time” mechanic as well as some points of destruction in the environment, with large puffs of debris and other effects just adding to the hectic nature of shootouts. When also adding in the element of horror, not only was the game insanely fun, it was also an impressive graphical display for the time.
It ended up standing out from the FPS pack at the time, generating high sales across all platforms and going on to win multiple awards. Unfortunately, not much has been heard about the series for years, and it doesn’t seem like that will change, asMonolith Productionswas shut down in early 2025.
It’s fair to say that theTony Hawk seriesof games has seen its share ofups and downs over the yearsin gaming. Starting out during the heyday of skateboarding in the late 90s, it was only natural that its many releases across home consoles of the time each became cult classics.
WithTony Hawk’s Project 8in 2006, the series was reworked with a new engine for next-gen consoles, featuring better graphics and improved physics to complement its gameplay. While its previous installments took place over various levels,Project 8had a whole town to explore. New areas would be unlocked with progression through different challenges and objectives as players worked to increase their character’s amateur-skater rep.
While it didn’t exactly end up a fan-favorite of the series,Tony Hawk’s Project 8was still regarded as another good entry to the series, even going on to win “Sports Game of the Year” at the10th annual D.I.C.E. awardsin 2007.
Though Raven Software is now mostly known for their work on theCall of Dutyseries, throughout the mid-2000s, their focus was quite different withMarvel: Ultimate Alliance. Naturally, given its universe and theme, it was another PS3 launch title that quickly generated hype among gamers. The top-down beat ‘em up was hardly a new formula, but they managed to pull it off in a way that felt fresh and fluid forUltimate Alliance. Raven had worked on other titles in the Marvel universe before, such as the X-Men Legends games, which definitely lent a hand in developing the games’ core concepts.
Having a total of 22 playable superheroes from the Marvel universe, the player can pick and choose their party of up to four characters at a time, each being true to their Marvel origins, with unique abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Traversing through its levels, beating and button-mashing everything from common enemies to various bosses, the incredibly simple-seeming formula worked very well overall.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliancewas well-received by both critics and gamers alike, spawning a sequel soon after, and even a full-on reboot for next-gen consoles in 2019.
Need for Speed Carbonwas the latest entry in the well-known racing series from Electronic Arts, easily being one of the most recognizable names in the genre, mostly due to its usual focus on underground street-racing rather than professional track or F1 racing.
NFS Carbontakes players to the fictional city of Palmont, where they engage in illegal street races with the end goal of taking over the city from other “racing gangs.” It’s the typical setup formany of theNeed for Speedtitles, but that’s not a bad thing. With a variety of vehicles to choose from, each offered even more customization and content than that of the previous entries. For the new generation of consoles,Carbonimproved upon the mechanics and presentation for the series. This time around, the game focused more on general racing and less on evading police like its predecessors.
EA’s newest addition to the long-running series would receive the same positive reception as was common for the franchise, eventually going on tosell 3.2 million copies worldwideby 2009.
Def Jam: Iconis perhaps the perfect representation of everything that was “cool” in the mid-2000s for pop-culture and media; a 3D fighting game with a theme heavily influenced by hip-hop music of the time.
Players can choose between 29 real-life hip-hop artists to engage in one-on-one cage matches, all while rap hits of the mid-2000s blare in the background. It’s an odd concept but undoubtedly a unique one in its own right, following the usual fighting game formula of simple and fluid button-mashing, complete with all the over-the-top moves and finishers. While it certainly wasn’t a smash-hit in the fighting game genre, it stood apart with its theme focusing around underground street-fighting rather than the professional ring fighting that was common for the genre.
Def Jam: Iconmay not have made waves in gaming, but it was still regarded for having some fun gameplay and even some pretty comical moments to it as well — not to mention its soundtrack being one of the highlights for many, which was full of hip-hop’s greatest hits from the time.
