Last month, Sony ushered in the new generation of PlayStation with the release of PS4, marking the beginning of the end of a long and rich life for PlayStation 3. As such, we here at GameRevolution figured there's no better time to look back at some of the best games on Sony's (now) last-gen console.
Developer Housemarque solidified its place as one of Sony's most prized PSN-centric studios with Super Stardust HD. It was one of the PlayStation 3's first must-have downloadable titles, providing addictive gameplay akin to Geometry Wars and Asteroids. Despite being a simple yet excellently-crafted shoot-'em-up, its high-definition visuals are still dazzling to this day. What is most important, however, is the leaderboard system, which had gamers hooked for hours upon end, chasing those high scores.
I can count on one hand the number of superhero games that are worth your time, and Batman: Arkham City is number one on that list. Rocksteady took the excellent combat established in Arkham Asylum and built an incredible open world around it. If you're a fan of Batman, the sheer number of iconic characters and villains is reason enough to give this game a look. Plus, soaring over the city never gets old.
23. Demon's Souls
Gluttons for punishment swear by FromSoftware's super-challenging action game. Those who look back longingly at the early days of gaming when video games were actually hard will find much to love about Demon's Souls. If dying over and over and over again sounds like a good time to you, then this game will be right up your alley. If not, give it a try anyway, you might just find out that a heavy dose of grueling challenge is just what your thumbs needed.
Ken Levine is a master storyteller, and BioShock Infinite is Levine in top form. But in addition to the insane plot twists and well-written characters is one of the most fully realized fictional worlds gaming has ever seen. A floating city in the sky rife with political turmoil tied to an unhealthy obsession with the founding fathers of the United States? Check. A giant mechanical bird that is tasked with protecting a girl with time-bending powers? Check. Seriously, this game has creativity coming out of its ears.
21. Dark Souls
While Xbox-exclusive gamers missed out on FromSoftware's brutally punishing Demon's Souls, its spiritual successor brought the painfully difficult experience to the Xbox 360. This sword-slinging action game certainly isn't for everyone, but if you appreciate the tough-as-nails difficulty that defined the retro gaming era, you'll feel right at home with Dark Souls. You'll die a lot, retread the same path for hours at a time, and find the sudden urge to smash your controller on the floor—but hey, that's all part of the fun, right?
20. inFamous 2
The guys at Sucker Punch proved to the world that they have what it takes to make an incredible open-world platformer with the first inFamous and then improved upon it considerably with the sequel. With smooth and fluid gameplay, a sweeping open world, and a compelling story filled with a cast of memorable characters, inFamous 2 is easily one of the best open-world platforming action games you'll play on not just Sony's console, but any other platform currently on the market.
19. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
When Ubisoft first announced the next entry in the Assassin's Creed franchise would star a pirate, the premise was met with a mixed response. How could the studio possibly blend this setting into the framework of the series? But then when Ubi showed off how Black Flag elevates naval combat and exploration to new heights, the pirate theme made perfect sense. Having the ability to hop off the beaten path and get lost among the seas searching for treasure makes the open world of Black Flag totally work. Plus, the main protagonist, Edward Kenway, is infinitely more likable than Connor.
18. Nier
While a number of role-playing games to come out of Square Enix this generation have been far from impressive, Nier manages to buck the trend thanks to its captivating story and incredible characters. Sure, the gameplay may be a bit shallow and frustrating at times, but the game's tear-jerking narrative makes all the effort totally worth it. If you're looking for an experience that will stick with you long after the credits role, I implore you to give Nier a look.
17. Gran Turismo 5
Polyphony Digital knows how to make a killer racing game. The studio proved that decades ago on the original PlayStation and continues to do so time and time again with each iteration of Gran Turismo. While it took them a long, long time to develop, Gran Turismo 5 didn't fail to disappoint, serving up another feature-rich racing sim PlayStation fans have come to expect from such a talented and perfection-hungry development studio.
16. inFamous
While the sequel improved upon the first game in many ways, there's nothing quite like the original inFamous. Hot off the heels of the development of a bunch of Sly Cooper games for PlayStation 2, Sucker Punch was primed and ready to make something new. Instead of sticking with the cute, charming cartoon world of Sly, the studio decided to go in a much grittier direction with inFamous, putting players in a massive open-world city and confronting them with a number of moral dilemmas. Oh yeah, and the gameplay—platforming especially—is pitch-perfect.
15. Killzone 2
Guerrilla Games set itself up big time with Killzone 2. After showcasing a target render that was originally believed to be gameplay, the hype for this PS3-exclusive shot through the roof. Somehow the team managed to deliver a visual experience that was nearly on par with that debut trailer, blowing away gamers still growing accustomed to the HD era. The slower speed and character weight may be a polarizing topic among shooter fans, but it gave the game an identity, which is really saying something considering the massive influx of first-person shooters at the time.
14. Portal 2
I hardly consider myself a fan of puzzle games, but Valve's Portal 2 managed to win me over like few games have. Not only are the puzzles downright brilliant, but the game bleeds charm thanks to its excellent writing. The original Portal felt a lot like a tech demo, but the sequel takes that foundation and transforms it into one of the most engaging and memorable experiences you'll have on the PlayStation 3. And don't even get me started on the co-op…
13. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
The PlayStation 3 was sadly home to very few standout classic JRPGs. Fortunately, Level-5 managed to deliver one during the console's final years that not only pays tribute to the mainstays of the genre, but also pushes it forward. With a gorgeous soundtrack and visual style, the world of Ni No Kuni is absolutely dripping with charm. It's got a great story, a unique combat system that features creature collecting, and a vast world to explore. It's the very definition of enchanting.
Talk about pushing aging hardware to its limits. Rockstar Games accomplished a technical feat by building a fully-realized take on Los Angeles and getting it to run on eight-year-old hardware. With a gargantuan map to explore, countless activities to get lost in, and a revolutionary three-protagonist system that allows you to swap between characters on the fly, GTA V is more than just an amazing game—it's a crowning achievement in game design.
If you're growing sick of all the redundancy that plagues this industry, you'll undoubtedly find Valkyria Chronicles to be a breath of fresh air. This turn-based strategy game boasts some beautiful, inspired art that has few equals. It's a successful blend of third-person shooting, role-playing, and tactical action that yields a product that is like nothing else you've ever played. If that wasn't enough, Valkyria Chronicles tells an engaging story with memorable characters that you won't likely soon forget. This title is the very definition of an underrated gem.
10. Heavy Rain
David Cage is a visionary. I love games because of the potential that they hold in offering interactive storytelling experiences. Quantic Dream is all about creating games that fit into that mold. Heavy Rain is their most recent effort, and while it is by no means a perfect game, what it manages to achieve is absolutely incredible. This is currently the best the industry has to offer in terms of interactive drama, and if the hype for Beyond: Two Souls is any indication, I'm not the only one who feels this way.
9. flower
While thatgamecompany's Journey is undoubtedly the greatest experience the studio has created thus far, Jenova Chen and his team likely wouldn't have ever dreamed it up if they first hadn't developed flower. A game that features absolutely no violence and takes full use of the console's SixAxis controls, flower is an absolutely serene experience that just imbues you with a sense of peace. It's abstract, gorgeous, and emotional all at the same time.
You may have realized that Grand Theft Auto IV is noticeably absent. That is almost certainly because everyone on the GR staff was just so wowed by Red Dead Redemption that Rockstar's other open-world hit got pushed to the wayside. Who would have thought that a sandbox western could possibly be so amazing? As with any Rockstar game, there are plenty of memorable characters to be found in Redemption. Plus, the world is great and there's just so much to do. And then there's that ending. Oh man, that ending.
7. Resistance 3
Sure, the Killzone games are great, but Resistance 3 takes the cake as the best PS3-exclusive FPS. Insomniac Games learned some valuable lessons from Resistance 2, and it really shows in the third installment. It's got an incredible arsenal of weapons that each serve a specific purpose and function. The story is much more focused (and ultimately better) this time around, serving as the de facto single-player FPS experience on the PlayStation 3. Let's also not forget how totally awesome the box art is.
6. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
While not quite as revolutionary as Uncharted 2, the third installment in Naughty Dog's popular treasure-hunting franchise was an incredible thrill ride from start to finish. Visually, Drake's Deception is easily one of the most gorgeous games on the PlayStation 3. With a cast of incredible characters—that Catherine Marlowe still haunts me to this day—and an array of gorgeous set pieces, there's so much to love about Drake's latest sand-filled journey. Speaking of which…
Say what you want about Kratos as a character, the overabundance of QTEs, and the game's rather button-mashy combat, God of War III is easily one of the best games you can play on the PS3. If you have even a passing interest in Greek mythology, you'll eat up all of the incredible boss fights that take massive scale to a whole new level. If you've got some inner rage that you'd like to take out on a host of Greek gods, God of War III will feed that burning fire within.
4. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
The launch of a new Metal Gear title has become a major event ever since Metal Gear Solid blew everyone away on the original PlayStation. Over the years, the franchise has only begun to rise in popularity, virtually eclipsing Final Fantasy as the best Japanese-developed series available on the platform. As such, the launch of Metal Gear Solid 4 was monumental. It had gamers rushing out to buy a PS3 just so they could play Hideo Kojima's latest creation. Most importantly, however, Guns of the Patriots served as an epic conclusion to the story of the legendary Solid (Old) Snake.
The second entry in Naughty Dog's PS3 platforming trilogy is undoubtedly the studio's crowning achievement. Not only does it outdo its predecessor in nearly every aspect, but it's so good that even the third installment can't match it. The cinematic approach to gameplay and storytelling was unprecedented at the time and has since been emulated by a number of other studios developing games in the same genre. If you own a PlayStation 3 and for some reason don't have Uncharted 2, what is wrong with you? Go buy it right now!
2. Journey
Those who claim that video games aren't art clearly haven't played thatgamecompany's PlayStation Network title Journey. As technology has progressed over the years, games have gotten over-explanatory and unnecessarily complicated. However, Journey goes against the grain, providing an experience that requires the player to explore and discover things on their own. It's the very definition of elegant simplicity in game form. The very fact that a two-hour downloadable title can leave such a lasting impact is a testament to the artistic skills of Jenova Chen and the rest of his team at TGC.
How do you follow up a series like Uncharted? Sounds like an impossible task, no? Clearly, nothing is impossible for developer Naughty Dog, as the studio managed to outdo itself (again) with The Last of Us. Taking the basic framework of Uncharted and layering upon it a unique crafting system as well as beefed up stealth mechanics and dangerously dynamic enemy AI, TLOU blows away everything else on PlayStation 3. And that's not even taking into account the narrative, which is reason alone to play this game. It boasts some of the best acting, writing, and storytelling games have ever seen.
