After a few hours tinkering around with Epic's PS3 version of Unreal Tournament 3, we have to say we're very impressed. Epic has, at least upon initial examination, done a great job making sure PS3 users get the full Unreal Tournament experience. Not only does it control well with the SIXAXIS, but the game features fully customizable mouse and keyboard support, along with the ability to load in mods. Perhaps most impressive, especially considering the number of PS3 versions of games that run poorly when compared to their counterparts on other platforms, this version's visuals are brilliantly detailed and run, at least as far as we've seen, as a very smooth clip. We have experienced a bit of slowdown on larger Warfare maps with the maximum number of bots loaded in, but it wasn't anything to get worked up about.
A notable difference between the PS3 and PC version involves how dodging is handled. With the SIXAXIS, you tap jump while moving left or right to dodge ? there's no double-tapping of anything. With a USB keyboard plugged in, dodging still works the same way. You have to hold A or D then hit space (jump) to dodge, there's no double-tapping of A or D. Note that you can still wall-jump using this dodge move. There also doesn't appear to be a crouch command ? it happens automatically when approaching a space that requires it.
As far as getting the keyboard and mouse set up, it's simply a matter of plugging them in. The keyboard we used was instantly recognized and the game let us fully customize our key configuration. For the mouse we were using, we had to restart the console to get it to respond. The mouse only works while in a game, meaning you can't browse menus with a cursor or anything like that. Sensitivity for your mouse can also be set, as can that of your SIXAXIS, and your character's turn speed. Once you've got the keyboard and mouse working, expect a very PC-like experience with UT3. The pace of the game seems slower than the PC version, but it still has that UT feel to it.
For those who don't own or don't care about USB keyboard and mouse support, yet fear those utilizing the more precise mouse aiming will dominate their SIXAXIS thumbstick skills needn't worry, as before you hop into the online server browser you can filter out servers that have mouse and keyboard control enabled. You can also filter for pure servers and view server status (who's playing, whether bots are enabled, whether mutators are enabled, time limit, etc.) from the server list.
Though we haven't tried it yet, the process for uploading user mods is rather simple. Just pull the file from whatever site it's available on to a USB drive, insert the drive to your PS3, head to the My Content tab under Community from the UT3 main menu, and hit the square button to import. You then simply select the inserted drive and pull the files to your PS3. Again, we haven't actually tested it out yet, but the implications for free modifications that have traditionally been one of the biggest reasons to stick with PC gaming are significant. Console owners, don't turn a blind eye to this kind of feature ? user mods can dramatically affect your experience and enjoyment of a game.
Anyway, people are just starting to appear online, so we'll have the PS3 review later this week after we've flak-bombed a few faces over the interwebs. In the meantime, you should know that all signs point to this being an excellent version of Unreal Tournament 3, offering a unique and enjoyable brand of FPS action. You can check out our review of the PC version, which released last month, here.