Fight Night: Round 3 had the honor of being one of the first PS3 games shown in real time. The game managed to wow just about everyone, but the 360 version came out first and stole much of the PS3 version’s thunder, showing that the two systems were closer in power than everyone originally thought. Now, almost a year after the 360 version, the PS3 version is out. While it doesn’t add much to the experience, it is still worthwhile if you’re a boxing fan who has yet to climb into the next-gen ring.

There isn’t much more I can say about Fight Night: Round 3’s graphics that hasn’t already been stated ad nauseum. Looks are the main event and are what will grab people’s attention; the solid gameplay is just gravy. Fighters are full of life and never feel "fake". You’ll see blood drip and sweat beads swell all over as the match rolls on. Damage effects even go so far as to show bruises and swollen eyes, helping to sell the feel that you really are beating the tar out of someone.

Arenas are another source of eye candy. Each venue has its own personality, whether you’re slugging it out in a small gym or Vegas.

Visually, the PS3 version matches up with the 360 version, though both have their advantages that aren’t readily apparent until you view both side-by-side. The PS3 version features a few more lighting effects and tweaked texture work; it also benefits from a new camera angle called "Get in the Ring", which lets you play through the match in first-person view. On the other hand, the 360 version features better crowds and I didn’t notice as many clipping issues.

Sound isn't as impressive, but still works. Commentators call all of the action and do a great job of it. The blow-by-blow calls are usually really accurate and can help you to gauge just how much of a beating you’re laying down on your opponent (or how much of one he's laying on you). Sound effects are dead on and, when combined with the real-time damage, immerse you even further into the game's atmosphere.

As far as gameplay, Fight Night 3 doesn't break too far away from previous installments. Instead, this is more of a refinement of what worked in previous games. This year's addition is the stun punch, which switches the game into a first-person mode. From here you can really see the amount of damage you’re inflicting on someone. Also introduced is the Flash KO punch, which is more or less a one-hit knockout punch – the trick is landing one. A KO punch is slower than other power punches, but is a nice "last ditch" move for when you need to change the fight's momentum quickly. The downside to always using power punches is the drain it puts on your fighter's stamina. Use them too much and you’ll become tired and an easy target for a quick KO.

Career mode doesn't really evolve that much from past games and is one of the game's few disappointments. Even with the addition of rivalries, much of the game still follows the same train-fight-train pattern. Your fighter's career is really just built on reaching certain milestones. Having a rival who will chase you down during your career and try to put a snag in your rise to the top is a great idea, it just feels like it is an idea that is still in its infancy and needs more time to mature.

Training is handled through a series of mini-games. Before a fight you can train your fighter in one of three game types, each focusing on a different stat type. Some improve speed while others improve strength. All of the games are simple and revolve around timing or patterns. It takes some time to get the full benefit from each regimen, but in the end it is worth it. As you move up in ranks, you can hire new trainers (including "The King" from the Burger King commercials) that will improve your stats even further.

Outside of Career mode, there are several other modes that should give you a lot to do. My favorite was the ESPN Classic matches that let you recreate classic matches from the past.

"Get in the Ring" is the only major addition to the PS3 mode. The mode plays exactly like others, only everything is viewed from a first-person perspective. As you absorb your opponent's punches, your vision starts to get blurry, which is a really cool effect (even if it means you are getting your ass handed to you). I'll be the first to admit that I thought the mode would go over about as well as the first-person football mode 2k tried, but I was wrong. Once you get over the shift in perspective, the mode is actually pretty fun and one of the things that kept me playing the game longer that I thought I would. The first-person perspective is available in all modes, including online.

Fight Night 3 features a full-fledged online mode as well. Matches are easy to find and set-up, though the lobby system could use some work. Both ranked and unranked matches are available, as are leaderboards and the ability to take your created boxer online. Fight Night 3 also features ESPN integration while online that keeps you up to date on scores and sports news.

Fight Night 3's challenge level comes from two sides. The first are the controls, which look simple but take time to really get into. Learning to use the analog stick in conjunction with the shoulder buttons takes some coordination but can be done. It is tempting to resort back to the face buttons, but the game is built for using the analog stick, so it is worth your time to learn. Timing also plays a big part, since you want each punch to count. Simply wailing on the right stick will only tire you out.

The second difficulty front is A.I., which is generally good if a bit bipolar at times. Most of the time you’ll get a good fight out of the A.I., though there are times where it will simply lay-down for you or refuse to quit.

Fight Night: Round 3 keeps the Total Punch Control mechanic, so veterans should have no problem jumping right into the game. The left stick moves while the right stick punches; it is that simple. Which punches you throw depend on how you move the right stick. Quarter-circle rotations throw hooks and half-circles are upper cuts. Quickly flicking the controller throws jabs while holding back and moving puts a little extra power behind punches.

The shoulder buttons also factor into your arsenal and add depth. Holding R1 allows you to either block punches or parry them and L1 leans, which is a good way to avoid punches and regain a little energy.

The PlayStation 3 version doesn't make much use of the SIXAXIS' motion-controls aside from giving you the option of throwing illegal punches. Quickly moving the controller forward throws a head butt or elbow.

On the technical side of things, the PS3 version features some rather lengthy load times. There's a short load time after just about everything you do in the game, so matches take a little longer to jump into. The only time they become really annoying, however, is during Create-a-Fighter, since there is a short load after every change.

Fight Night Round 3 is a must own title – at least if you haven't already played it on the Xbox 360. In that case, you’ll basically be paying $60 for the option to fight from a first-person perspective. But, if you're looking for a game that shows what next-generation gaming is all about, this is it.