While we've seen a few PlayStation 3 launch games go from stinkers to worthy contenders in a few short months, none have improved quite so quickly as Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire. Since we first played it in September, the game has gone from bland and boring to a sweet-looking giant-robot sim, and the finished version we've just played is looking to be a worthy entry in the first wave of PS3 games.

As we've previously reported, Gundam enables players to fight on either side of a conflict between Earth and its invading space colonists. This time, we jumped in on the side of the Zeon invaders, piloting a sleek, cobalt-blue mech called the Kampfer, and faced down a horde of Earth-allied Gundams who were trying to wipe out our mountaintop supply depot.

Unlike the clunky, one-eyed Zakus, who carry around giant assault rifles and laser-axes, the Kampfer packed a wicked lightsaber, a head-mounted machinegun and a giant shotgun. The shotgun turned out to be useless in sniper mode, but up close it knocked down enemy mechs in one hit; had we wanted a change, though, we could have chosen from several different weapon loadouts before the mission.