Fight Night Round 3 review

Thanks to its unique control system and emphasis on speed and strategy, Round 3 is a surprisingly intense, almost draining experience. And it only gets more intense when you activate the Get in the Ring perspective, a first-person mode unique to the PS3.

Get in the Ring isn't just a switch in perspective - it's a fierce workout. Once you're laced into your boxer's boots, the action gets a lot more personal, as your intimidatingly ripped opponent charges at you from across the ring and starts throwing nonstop power-punch flurries straight into your face. The effects of taking those punches are pretty severe; your view might snap away from your opponent, and distressing crimson flashes appear where you got smacked.

As the fight wears on and you absorb more punches, you'll get a pretty good idea as to how you're doing from the deep red clouds that slowly creep in around the sides of your vision. When the only things you can see and hear are your opponent and your own labored breathing, it's probably time to throw in the towel - or at least stay clear until the bell rings and you can bring down the swelling in the corner-cutman minigame.