Getting a PS3 this Christmas. What are the "must-haves"?

[shanewalker]

So, I know I'm set to get an 80GB Playstation 3 this holiday season. Yeah.

I was going to put a short list together of a couple of games, some accessories and some Blu-ray titles to start out. So, what do you all think the "must-haves" are?

Some background on what I'm leaning toward/am aware of:

I'm a fan of 'Ratchet & Clank', so that's on my list already. Also excited for 'Little Big Planet.' Thought 'Heavenly Sword' might be good, too. Was originally excited for 'Resistance: Fall of Man' but now that I've jumped into Gears of War and Halo on the 360, don't know if I need another FPS.

On the accessory side, I know I want the ability to take PS2 game saves with me to the PS3. I'm also aware that the ship dates on the DualShock3 isn't solidified yet (so I'm not planning on getting an extra controller--or is that a mistake?).

Some Blu-ray titles I was considering include: Blade Runner 5-disc set, Silent Hill, Close Encounters, Casino Royale and Memoirs of a Geisha (one for the wife--but full of 'eye candy' for me ).

 

[meStevo]

While I haven't played it, I wouldn't discount Resistance, larger multiplayer battlefields from what I understand (32 player matches).

Heavenly Sword people have commented is a good rental, not necessarilly a ownable.

No Warhawk? Again going back to the larger than what you've experienced multiplayer.

Will leave the rest for those who own the thing

 

[SOFAKINGCOOL]

Pirates of the Caribean trilogy on blue ray is a must have.1&2 look great cant wait for the 3rd

 

[ONUOsFan]

The PS2 memory card adapter is a worthwhile and inexpensive accessory ($10-$15), especially now that you can transfer data both ways. There is also a controller adapter for $15 that will let you use your PS2 controllers if you want to hold off on getting another PS3 one until the DS3 comes out.

I'd add Uncharted: Drake's Fortune to your list of games. Ninja Gaiden Sigma is also a good title, although essentially a remake of the same game for other systems, so if you've played it there, don't bother.

Another one that is more on the "fun" side, and especially good if you have kids (but still good if you don't) is LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, which comes out in early Nov.

Guitar Hero III should also be good, if you like that kind of thing, but you can get that on either system and it sounds like the PS3 is using some kind of "dongle" for the guitar initially, which might be kind of weird...

I'd also recommend The Great Raid or Flyboys on BD...

 

[mwgiii]

Call of Duty 4 - Will be a strong contender for Game of the Year and is a must have.

Warhawk & DiRT are supposed to be very good.

Folklore has great reviews, but I have heard zero hype about it.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Assassin's Creed are very interesting looking and getting a lot of hype.

Orange Box is outstanding. 5 great games for the price of 1.

Heavenly Sword is good, but short. Worthy of a rental.

 

[ONUOsFan]

Of course, the best thing about all of this is that almost all of these titles are or will be available as downloadable demos from the PSN store, so you can try them and decide for yourself what is a must have!

 

[VinceT3]

I only know two people who have one.. neither has much to say game wise.. nothing great has come out yet.. blu-ray movies are the main reason they have it..

 

[BigTimMN]

Ratchet and Clank demo is pretty fun(out soon). Many multi platform games worth checking out(GH3, etc). The Remote for Blu-Ray Playback is a must if you want to watch movies. I would give Warhawk a shot too. its a blast, a little more than just a FPS.

but really, check out the demos, there give you the best option to try games , as everyones tastes differ

Edit - also some of the games that come out later for the PS3 (Oblivion) look better than they did on teh 360. good way to check out some of those as well.

 

[shanewalker]

The PS2 memory card adapter is a worthwhile and inexpensive accessory ($10-$15), especially now that you can transfer data both ways. There is also a controller adapter for $15 that will let you use your PS2 controllers if you want to hold off on getting another PS3 one until the DS3 comes out.

I'd add Uncharted: Drake's Fortune to your list of games. Ninja Gaiden Sigma is also a good title, although essentially a remake of the same game for other systems, so if you've played it there, don't bother.

Another one that is more on the "fun" side, and especially good if you have kids (but still good if you don't) is LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, which comes out in early Nov.

I'd forgotten about "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune", that has been getting good early buzz. Might keep an eye on that one.

The Lego Star Wars (original trilogy) was one of the last disc-based PS2 demos I played before Playstation Mag folded (weep). I recall staying up until 3am to tap/explore everything...much to my embarassment/bemusement. It's not really 'next gen' but it was fun.

The PS2 controller adapter you refer to--is that the PS2-to-usb adapter you can get at Radio Shack? I planned on getting one for use w/ my old PS2 DVD remote so that I could use my Harmony 880 to control the movie player. If so, I might get two.

 

[fallout2600]

Motorstorm!

 

[hpman247]

PS3
- Heavenly Sword (Rental if you beat a game fast, but it's worth owning if you game like I do!)
- RFOM is a Halo Contender without a doubt. It depends on your preference for FPS. Halo is alot of hype in my mind, a lot of fun, but still way overhyped.
- Uncharted when it comes out is a must buy
- I like lair, few people do, but i would give it like a 7.5 out of 10
- Orange Box. 5 games for one, you cant beat it
- Haze - should be an awesome game with a great story
- Warhawk is no question at 40 bucks
- Motorstorm is a very good choice for fun thrilling off road racer
- COD4 is probably gonna be GOTY
- Ratchet which you have already said
- Assassins Creed is a must buy IMO
- Guitar Hero 3 or Rock Band or both should be GREAT

Those should be the great titles of this holiday with other great coming for PS3 by march. Enjoy those and DONT discount RFOM. At the very least if you don't get it this year, definitely play it when you get the chance. IT"S WORTH EVERY MINUTE.

Blu-ray

Spiderman
HP Series
Oceans Series
Matrix will likely be out by Christmas
Pirates Trilogy
and there are TONS of others. There are also very few BD's that arent impressive, so go out and get the movies you like and if you're on the fence thinking maybe it's not worth purchase over the SD-DVD then just head over to highdefdigest.com and look at the reviews. In most cases Peter can be trusted. Notice i say in most cases.

 

[IcEWoLF]

PS3
- Heavenly Sword (Rental if you beat a game fast, but it's worth owning if you game like I do!)
- RFOM is a Halo Contender without a doubt. It depends on your preference for FPS. Halo is alot of hype in my mind, a lot of fun, but still way overhyped.
- Uncharted when it comes out is a must buy
- I like lair, few people do, but i would give it like a 7.5 out of 10
- Orange Box. 5 games for one, you cant beat it
- Haze - should be an awesome game with a great story
- Warhawk is no question at 40 bucks
- Motorstorm is a very good choice for fun thrilling off road racer
- COD4 is probably gonna be GOTY
- Ratchet which you have already said
- Assassins Creed is a must buy IMO
- Guitar Hero 3 or Rock Band or both should be GREAT

Those should be the great titles of this holiday with other great coming for PS3 by march. Enjoy those and DONT discount RFOM. At the very least if you don't get it this year, definitely play it when you get the chance. IT"S WORTH EVERY MINUTE.

Blu-ray

Spiderman
HP Series
Oceans Series
Matrix will likely be out by Christmas
Pirates Trilogy
and there are TONS of others. There are also very few BD's that arent impressive, so go out and get the movies you like and if you're on the fence thinking maybe it's not worth purchase over the SD-DVD then just head over to highdefdigest.com and look at the reviews. In most cases Peter can be trusted. Notice i say in most cases.

I agree with him, and PS3 has a strong lineup of games coming out in 2008.

 

[shanewalker]

Thanks for the great suggestions. Please keep them coming, it's helping a lot (to either remind me of forgotten gems, or further solidify my inclinations toward certain titles).

MOVIES--

Here's what I've purchased on Blu-ray in holiday anticipation, so far (taking advantage of Disney 2-for-1 and Best Buy 2-for-30 promotions):

Pirates 1 & 2; Hitchhiker's Guide; Brothers Grimm (not Gilliam's best, but I'm a fan); Memoirs of a Geisha; Layer Cake (saw it on HDNet and thought it was pretty slick).

I'm trying to keep from double-dipping w/ my DVD collection (and HD-DVD--which includes Matrix, Planet Earth and some other Warner titles, but are mostly format exclusives i.e. Bourne), except for those mainstays I "MUST" have in HD...Kubrick films, Blade Runner, etc. Too bad the former's titles, for the most part, don't seem to get as stellar treatment as I think they should.

GAMES--

Again, I'm looking to PS3 exclusives right now. Or those that will be substantively 'better' on the PS3. My Xbox 360 can also run 'Assasin's Creed' 'COD4' and 'Orange Box' and the like, so I'm waiting to see which platform gets the nod as the strongest version before purchasing...

I have the Half-Life Game of the Year Edition (HL1, HL2, Counterstrike) on the PC. Think its worth it to get Orange Box on the platform? Portal looks cool, and might like the controls (gasp!) versus keyboard/mouse...just more 'couch friendly' imho.

 

[hpman247]

Thanks for the great suggestions. Please keep them coming, it's helping a lot (to either remind me of forgotten gems, or further solidify my inclinations toward certain titles).

MOVIES--

Here's what I've purchased on Blu-ray in holiday anticipation, so far (taking advantage of Disney 2-for-1 and Best Buy 2-for-30 promotions):

Pirates 1 & 2; Hitchhiker's Guide; Brothers Grimm (not Gilliam's best, but I'm a fan); Memoirs of a Geisha; Layer Cake (saw it on HDNet and thought it was pretty slick).

I'm trying to keep from double-dipping w/ my DVD collection (and HD-DVD--which includes Matrix, Planet Earth and some other Warner titles, but are mostly format exclusives i.e. Bourne), except for those mainstays I "MUST" have in HD...Kubrick films, Blade Runner, etc. Too bad the former's titles, for the most part, don't seem to get as stellar treatment as I think they should.

GAMES--

Again, I'm looking to PS3 exclusives right now. Or those that will be substantively 'better' on the PS3. My Xbox 360 can also run 'Assasin's Creed' 'COD4' and 'Orange Box' and the like, so I'm waiting to see which platform gets the nod as the strongest version before purchasing...

I have the Half-Life Game of the Year Edition (HL1, HL2, Counterstrike) on the PC. Think its worth it to get Orange Box on the platform? Portal looks cool, and might like the controls (gasp!) versus keyboard/mouse...just more 'couch friendly' imho.

I just saw this follow up. I'll update when I get back with a few titles coming before end of fiscal year (march 08), but until then Accounting 2116 is callin my name for the next 50 minutes.

 

[ONUOsFan]

I'd forgotten about "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune", that has been getting good early buzz. Might keep an eye on that one.

The Lego Star Wars (original trilogy) was one of the last disc-based PS2 demos I played before Playstation Mag folded (weep). I recall staying up until 3am to tap/explore everything...much to my embarassment/bemusement. It's not really 'next gen' but it was fun.

The PS2 controller adapter you refer to--is that the PS2-to-usb adapter you can get at Radio Shack? I planned on getting one for use w/ my old PS2 DVD remote so that I could use my Harmony 880 to control the movie player. If so, I might get two.

If you like LEGO, Star Wars, or just something a little lighthearted for a change, that game is definitely worth it... tons of stuff to do between both games and the new stuff they're adding, and last I saw it's coming out at $49.99 instead of the normal $59.99, which is nice...

I don't think the Radio Shack adapter is the same thing... the new one has the "PS" button, which you'll need to use the PS2 controllers on the PS3.

 

[scraphead]

An xbox 360 Elite. Just kidding resistance and warhawk look fun if you like multiplayer and heavenly sword until kratos goes next gen

 

[ONUOsFan]

Speaking of Star Wars... "Force Unleashed" is scheduled for early April, but that's not exclusive, I don't think. Definitely one I'll be getting, though.

hpman, where did you see that about Matrix coming out on BD? That will be cool... and speaking of Matrix, they should come out with a follow-up to Path of Neo for next-gen - that really would be cool...

 

[Ramy]

I just got a PS3 myself and this has been informative. I mainly got it for the BD playback.

 

[NOHDjunkie]

Resistance is awesome. Much better gameplay and story than Halo 3 IMO.

 

[Derwin0]

Oblivion is a good choice, if you haven't played it on the PC or 360 yet.