20 Best PS3 Exclusives Of All Time
If you’re a die-hard Sony fan, then you’re going to love this list of the best PS3 exclusives as though it were your favourite child or sibling.
Sony has always made phenomenal exclusive titles for its consoles right from the word go. Sure, they open the door for multiple devs and third-parties to do their stuff, but at the end of the day, their official games are always the best.
Plus, with many of the titles in this best PS3 exclusives list racking up millions of sales, you don’t just have to take out word for it. I guess you can’t argue with numbers (even if you do try to argue with me).
So, let’s crack on and take a look at the best PS3 exclusives that the Retro Dodo team has played to death over the years. Take it away, Mr Hayabusa!
Table of Contents
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Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 kickstarts this list of the best PS3 exclusives, championing humongous blades and even bigger enemies with a formidable hero that you may well recognise.
Ok, so this was admittedly an Xbox game, but the PS3 version differs in a number of ways and is exclusive to Sony’s console… so it still fits the bill.
So how different are we talking?
Well, with improved resolution, updated designs, and an overall enhanced version of the original story, some could say that this is the quintessential version of the game.
Ryu Hayabusa means business on the PS3; just look at the size of that weapon he’s carrying. There’s no chance of escape once that thing hits you!
As well as adding lots of content and features, Sigma 2 acts as a bit of a ‘clean up title’ that gets rid of useless or unnecessary stuff that the previous version had. It makes the game less of a hack and slash title and more a well thought out action adventure game with less enemies and more skill required.
And although the online co-op has now been resigned to the history books, we can still remember how impressive it was… ah, the good old days!
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Twisted Metal is the first of two consecutive brutal PS3 exclusive racing games in our list.
If you’ve ever wished that Mario Kart had more of an ‘IT’ vibe to it with brutal clowns and explosions everywhere, then this is the racing game for you.
And, if you do have friends that still live in the same place as you and don’t require a server to connect with, then the multiplayer mode is truly where the magic happens In Twisted Metal.
TM is vehicular combat at its finest. We’re talking 4 player split screen, nuking each other into oblivion in a world where old, banged up motors are souped up with more firepower than the MOD.
Avoid firepower from your opponents and bombs dropping from helicopters; no one said that this was going to be a walk in the park…
… the park has probably been obliterated, in all honesty.
And when you’re done playing, why not revisit Twisted Metal: Black, one of the best PS2 games on PS4!
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MotorStorm takes the 18th spot in this best PS3 exclusives list, bringing high-speed ATV action to your living room, all without the dirt!
Choose from a whole host of vehicles from bikes to racing trucks, picking vehicles based on size, speed, and power.
As racing games go, this is one of the most interesting titles on the PS3 due to the sheer amount of choice available. I’ve not seen many games where a buggy can go up against a Mud Plugger… nor in real life, to be honest.
Race through dirt tracks with all types of loose and dangerous surfaces, each affecting the control of your vehicle. There are 8 tracks in total now that the servers have closed, with different shortcuts and routes available depending on what type of vehicle you’ve plumped for.
Of course, hazards on the track spice things up a little bit, as does filling your vehicles boost bar for that extra burst of speed.
Be careful though, if you boost too much your engine will explode! As if things couldn’t get any more hi-octane, right?
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Resistance 2 is an absolute belter of a title without a shadow of a doubt. Plus, with ratings like the ones listed on the front cover, we couldn’t very well have a list of the best PS3 exclusives without it!
So let’s get one thing straight right away; while the single player campaign is all well and good in this game, the thing that I loved the most was the epic multiplayer.
The servers aren’t online anymore, but back in the day, up to 60 people could play in the skirmish mode. I guess that might not seem that impressive now that games like PUBG and Fortnite rule the roost, but this was amazing for 2008.
Graphics wise, these games have definitely stood the test of time. Ok, so you might notice a difference if you’re now used to the 60fps majesty of the PS5, but the deserted city streets and whole post-apocalyptic vibe of Resistance 2 still looks fresh, crisp, and a joy to play.
Instead of picking up medipacks, something that comes into force in Resistance 3, players can take advantage of auto-regenerating health when they hide from enemy fire or skulk around out of the danger zones.
And trust me, you’ll be thankful for this once you get stuck into some of the battles in this game.
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Puppeteer might look a little kiddy at first glance, but don’t let the front cover fool you. This Pinocchio inspired game… though it is admittedly a lot darker.
You get turned into a puppet but then immediately lose your head, resorting to using other heads as you move through each of the levels.
So Pinocchio VS Majora’s Mask is the vibe we’re going for so far, got it. Hold heads as you move through the game and lose one if you get hit.
What can our puppet-boy use as a weapon then? Well, he wields the Calibrus, a pair of magical scissors that can be used to get to secret areas by cutting holes here, there, and everywhere. Think The Subtle Knife meets Yoshi’s Crafted World.
It also feels a little like LittleBigPlanet… ok, so now I’m just listing games that it feels like. You could either view Puppeteer as a direct copy or a game that encompasses all of your favourite titles in one… I’ll leave you to be the judge.
What I will say is that you get a lot of value for money in this game. For full completion, players will have to go back over previous levels with new heads they collect to get that 100% completion rate.
Just how I like my games!
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We all love hack and slash games (we need to de-stress somehow, right), which is why Heavenly Sword remains one of the best PS3 exclusives for the console.
If you’ve ever plugged in Golden Axe, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, or Hyrule Warriors and found yourself smiling wickedly, then this game is certainly for you.
Wield the Heavenly Sword as you slice up enemies like sashimi, choosing from three different sword shapes and forms depending on which brutal attack you unleash.
The Quick Time Events in Heavenly Sword make for seriously fast-paced battles (I guess the clue is in the event type…).
In terms of gameplay, HS feels like Horizon: Zero Dawn mixed with God of War. I reckon Kratos and the game’s protagonist, Nariko, would get on pretty well… just think of the arguments they’d have though!
With Andy Serkis lending his voice acting talents to the game and tonnes of stunning visuals, this is one title that you need to dedicate proper time to in order to fully immerse yourself in narrative and world building.
It’s truly superb and great for beating back those bad office blues.
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Uncharted: Drakes Fortune takes the 14th spot in this list of the best PS3 exclusives of all time. It’s the title that started the iconic series off, and while it might look a little dated compared to the other two, it’s still a cracking game to sink your teeth into.
This is the very first time we meet Nathan Drake, treasure hunter and general bad-ass extraordinaire.
A bit of backstory – Nathan is apparently a descendent of Sir Francis Drake. This won’t make a bit of difference to the gameplay, but it gives you an idea of the type of dude we’re dealing with here.
The best way to discover secrets and treasures in this game is to be sneaky. With only one pistol and limited ammo, you don’t just want to go in all guns blazing.
That being said, when Nathan gets up close and personal with enemies, he really knows how to sock it to them. The man’s got some serious combo moves and melee attacks under his belt, so if you do find yourself in a sticky situation, he’s more than capable of fighting his way back to safety.
With sections that require you to man a gun turret on a jeep or ride jet ski’s around, Drake’s Fortune feels more like a Jame Bond movie than a PS3 game. It’s an epic feature-length story that sees you in the heart of the action from start to finish, cementing Nathan’s place as a Sony mascot for years to come.
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Everyone’s favourite dynamic duo return to the PS3 in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time.
This entry in the series is undoubtedly one of the best Ratchet and Clank games of all time (or perhaps the best?). The future series just seems to have a bit more oomph than the previous games in my opinion, and A Crack In Time boasts some epic story threads.
We join proceedings after ‘The Quest for Booty’. Clank remains a captive of the mysterious Zonis and Ratchet and his girlfriend are seriously loved up. In the background, Dr Nefarious is still causing tonnes of trouble that seems to be going unchecked…
… get your heads in the game, guys!
So why do I love this game?
It’s got a lot to do with the fact that there are two different plots to follow, giving gamers two adventures in one.
Both Ratchet and Clank need to find out who they are and why there are here in this two-part journey of self-discovery.
A Crack In Time feels familiar yet new at the same time. There’s more than enough to keep old fans happy, yet you don’t necessarily need to have played the other games in the series before jumping straight in.
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Cole MacGrath returns for more electrical shenanigans in Infamous 2. There’s a strong chance you might see Infamous 1 further down this list, but I don’t want to give too much away yet…
So, Cole. He’s got electrical powers, and he’s on a mission to become even more powerful to rid his city of the Beast.
How he gets rid of said Beast is up to you and the Karma system, the same type of morality engine we’ve all used before in games like Lord of the Rings: War in the North, one of the best PS3 RPG games.
Move your way around an open-world city saving or terrorising civilians… or in other words… choosing whether to suck their energy from their living bodies or not.
Like I said, morality engine…
It might be open world, but there are still story missions that need completing in a certain order to be able to progress through the main plot. Still, don’t get bogged down by logistics. This is a cracking sequel to one of my favourite games and one you need to try after playing Number 5 in our list… (this is where the ‘winky’ emoji would go if we were a trashy website).
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The 11th slot on our best PS3 exclusives list goes to Heavy Rain, one of the most thought out and intricate titles on the PS3. This is a game where every action can either have dire consequences or change the entire fate of your character at every turn.
Imagine a version of MYST where there’s a killer on the loose and you, along with three other characters, have to solve the mystery of his strange murders.
A serial killer that only kills when there’s lots of rain and leaves origami tokens… it’s original, I’ll give Quantic Dream that!
It’s no real surprise that the game script for Heavy Rain was 2,000 pages long; there are so many different possible outcomes for every scenario to take into account.
Gameplay is mainly through selectable actions, much like many of the early point and click games. There are some real-time events to take part in, but this is essentially a story-driven title that doesn’t need fast-paced action every other second.
The beauty of Heavy Rain is David Cage’s narrative; he’s created the ultimate hard-hitting adventure novel in a video game, a true masterpiece.
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Even though all of the Resistance 3 online servers have been shut down, this game still rules. Any game where Chimera spawned from humans overtaken by a virus that are running around causing bedlam is always going to strike both fear and respect into the hearts of game reviews everywhere.
As you might guess from the still below, firepower is a main feature in this game. We’re talking heavily artillery, massive explosions, and more guns than you can shake a stick at.
This FPS game differs from many by being set in the 1950s in an alternative universe.
Instead of walking around in finely pressed trousers, everyone is fighting for their lives.
The third entry in the Resistance series brought redesigned weapons to the table from all weapon types. We’re talking everything from a simple sledgehammer to automatic rifles that can pump demons full of lead faster than your mum can do your washing.
If you like games like Halo and Destiny, then Resistance 3 is going to slip into your life seamlessly. Pick up health from medipacks, stealth around destroyed environments, and go up against horrendously ginormous enemies that could easily kill you in real life.
Hey, it’s a video game; anything’s possible… apart from auto health regeneration…
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LittleBigPlanet2 is one of those games that I’ve played every which way loose. Like Super Mario Maker, the number of levels that actually now exist surpasses the amount originally created by the developers.
We all know how successful the first LittleBigPlanet title was.
Well, Stephen Fry is back narrating Sackboy’s adventures once again, opening a world of new features such as soundstage options customised speech, animation functions, and the ability to make your own exciting cutscenes!
Whether playing as a Sackboy or Sackgirl (yes, he has a friend now!), playing through the main pre-built stages or trying your hand at the hundreds of thousands of levels built by users across the globe never gets old.
Honestly, if you’re looking for a game without a real point that you can just switch off with, a little bit like Scribblenauts, then this will do nicely.
And let’s face it, listening to Stephen Fry talk never gets old either.
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The third title in every game is always a tough one. Many times, developers lose interest and just turn out any old rubbish to meet demand, but that certainly wasn’t the case with Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.
The graphics in this game are outstanding. Every element feels like you’re actually in a treasure-hunting war zone, risking your life as you move through territories captured by mercenaries while you hunt for a hidden city.
I don’t know many treasure hunters that carry the firepower that Nathan Drake lugs around with him. Seriously, I wouldn’t want to get between him and a golden idol.
PS3 exclusives always sell well, but Uncharted 3 is actually the fourth best-selling game out of the lot of them, just above Uncharted 2 in the fifth position.
Told you these games were amazing.
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Demon’s Souls takes the 7th spot in this list of the best PS3 exclusives list. It’s hard as nails and takes some serious beating, but that’s the mark of a great game, after all.
If you’re waiting to play the new Demon’s Souls game on the PS5 because you can’t find console stock, then it’s totally worth going back and checking out the PS3 offering.
Monster’s have been appearing all over the shop because of a dodgy mist that’s been appearing all over the world. An old demon has resurfaced, and now all hell is literally breaking loose.
Like Golden Axe, players pick a class of fighter and use them to move through different levels slaying anything that moves.
It’s all about collecting souls and using them to upgrade your stats, getting new weapons, building skill trees and many, many more elements.
Oh, and like Returnal on the PS4, dying is all part of the process. Carry on playing as a Soul once you die and lose everything that you’ve collected or work back through levels to pick up everything you lost when you snuffed it.
If your ideal date or outing is to a gloomy dungeon or a graveyard, then Demon Souls will make everyday feel like Christmas… or Halloween.
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Weirdly, Gran Turismo 5 is actually the 6th GT game in the series, but let’s not get too into the how, where, and why.
With over 1,000 amazing cars to play with and 20 tracks, gamers have a whopping 20,000 ways to play.
And one of the best features about this game is that for the first time in GT history, actual brands appeared in the game such as Bugatti and Ferrari. Finally, a way of racing cars that I will never… ever own.
I’ve spent ages playing the Endurance levels on this game, honing my skills while looking at the stunning scenery in the backgrounds of each track. From the shadows on the road to the sun shining through breaks in the trees, this game acted as a benchmark for future titles
Real time damage also occurs for the first time too in a GT game, meaning that crashes actually make a difference to your race. Tune up cars in the garage and race during the day or night.
I guess it’s not called ‘the real driving simulator’ for nothing!
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What would a best PS3 exclusives article be without the infamous Infamous (yes, I did enjoy writing that).
How many of you can remember the trailer for this game? Jeez, it was unlike anything that I had ever seen before. I still get chills whenever I think about it and especially when I play the game itself.
So what’s this game about then? Well, players take the electrifying Cole MacGrath through levels causing mass pandemonium.
He’s a bike courier that develops super powers after finding himself far too close to an explosion.
Instead of dying, he becomes supercharged with electricity and must develop his abilities while sucking energy from pylons or passing humans.
Yes, there’s a morality engine to this game like the sequel, and every action has direct consequences on how the game plays out.
Sucking energy from humans obviously isn’t a great idea, so that’s not going to go down too well in the eyes of others… just to give you a heads up!
If apocalyptic open-world titles are your bag, then this sure won’t disappoint!
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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots takes the 4th spot in our best PS3 exclusives list. As the sequel to Sons of Liberty, gamers get a chance to play as the legendary Solid Snake not in his glory years but in his older age.
Don’t be fooled though; he’s still kick-ass with grey hair and a steely glare… in fact probably more so than before.
While Liquid Snake is sipping liquidised meals through a straw, Solid is still out there showing people he can chew steak while pumping bad guys full of bullets.
Speaking of Liquid Snake, he’s changed his name to Liquid Ocelot, and he’s put together a band of mercenaries that are trying to take out our old timer. Man, these guys don’t know when to call it a day!
Like the film Logan where we see old Wolverine, this game feels deep with many layers to it. You don’t just see an old guy on the screen; you see Solid Snake in all his forms, remember all the adventures, and feel connected to someone that you kind of feel like you’ve known through all your gaming life.
Am I getting emotional here?
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There’s something about God of War III that I still can’t get enough of. I know we’ve got more games in the canon now, but come one, this game has everything.
I’m a big Greek Mythology fan and regularly listen to Stephen Fry reading his Greek lore books, so pairing that with brutal weapons and amazing visuals in these games feels spectacular.
Having an anti-hero as the game’s main protagonist makes GOW III feel as little like crashing your next-door neighbours birthday party while drunk – wrong, but it feels so right.
So what happens in this final chapter in the initial God of War series?
Well, Kratos is on a mission to kill his pops, Zeus. He’s enlisting the help of the imprisoned Titans in a bid to overthrow Olympian rule.
I guess they tried counselling and decided it wasn’t an option?
If you’ve played this game through and haven’t tried the Chaos difficulty, then go back and test your skills. Kratos demands it!
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Uncharted 2 has to take the second place in our list, if only because it shares its position with its name.
No, in all honesty, it’s always a close call between this game and the title in the top spot of our best PS3 exclusives list. I didn’t know whether NaughtyDog could top their success with the first Uncharted game, but they smashed it out of the park.
These games feel like an updated, modern day version of the original Tomb Raider games (pre PS4) with Nathan Drake reprising Lara Croft’s role. Discover hidden mysteries, solve puzzles, and find treasure
And of course, no Uncharted game would be complete without pumping guerrilla soldiers full of lead in run-down and deserted locations. The cutscenes are phenomenal too, not just driving the story along, but shunting it at break-neck speeds.
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The Last of Us takes the top spot in our list of the best PS3 exclusives of all time.
Listen, if I’m writing articles about the PS3, this game is always going to come top. Sorry, that’s just how it is, so it’s probably best we all get used to it…
This game is an absolute legendary title in every way. The graphics, the gameplay, the storyline, the action, the fact that I need to wear brown pants every time I play it. It’s that good that there’s currently a TV series in the pipeline, taking a leaf out of the Witcher’s book.
Play as Joel and Ellie, a shifty-looking smuggler and a teenager as they try to survive through post-apocalyptic America. It’s a lawless plain filled with degenerate humans and mutated monsters trying to kill the pair at every turn.
In other words, it’s an edge-of-your-seat game.
If you like ‘A Quiet Place’, then you’ll love this game. There are so many cool features like the listening mode that sees you trying to pick out nearby enemies with bated breath. And what’s more, the struggles that Joel and Ellie go through on their journey are so perfectly crafted that this game feels more like an interactive novel than anything else.
With downloadable content for Ellie and tonnes of collecting and upgrading to do, this is a game that you won’t want to put down in a hurry.
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Seb Santabarbara
Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 31 years on Planet Earth.
His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
Exklusiv für die PlayStation 3
Die neue Konsolengeneration ist schon in Sichtweite und angesichts dieses Silberstreifens am Horizont blicken wir erneut zurück auf die wichtigsten Exklusivtitel der vergangenen Konsolen-Ära. Letzten Monat haben wir die Xbox-eigenen Titel beleuchtet, jetzt tauchen wir in die exklusive Spiele-Bibliothek der PlayStation 3 ein.
Schon beim Brainstorming zu diesem Special ist uns klar geworden: Die Liste der PS3-Exklusiv-Hits wird wohl etwas länger ausfallen als bei der Xbox 360. Obwohl Sony in der PS3-Zeit einige Zugpferde in die Multiplattform-Welt davon galoppiert sind (am prominentesten wohl die Final Fantasy-Serie), hat die PS3 in puncto Exklusivspielen eine dicke Hose an und diesbezüglich die Nase im Match der HD-Konsolen dieser Generation vorn.
Wie ihr auf den ersten Blick seht, ist auf dieser Liste nicht nur die Top-Auswahl deutlich breiter als noch bei dem Xbox 360-Special, sondern im Gegenzug auch die Flop-Aufzählung etwas schmäler als bei der direkten Konkurrenz.
Damit wollen wir nicht sagen, dass die Xbox 360 mehr Gurken hervorgebracht hat als die PS3, denn auch auf Sonys schwarzem Ziegel lümmeln viele Spiele am unteren Ende der Wertungsskala herum. Jedoch: Viele Totalausfälle sind entweder nicht exklusiv oder (was häufiger der Fall ist) derart uninteressant oder obskur, dass sie schon zum Release in der Versenkung verschwanden. Mit Ausnahme der drei erinnerungswürdigen Debakel, die es dann doch in unsere wenig schmeichelhafte Flop-Kategorie geschafft haben.
Eigentlich wollte der Metal Gear Solid-Schöpfer Hideo Kojima nach MGS 3: Snake Eater keine weiteren Spiele der Stealth-Serie mehr machen. Nach einem umfassenden Fan-Protest hat er sich zum Glück dann doch hinreißen lassen und 2005 mit der Entwicklung von Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots begonnen.
2008 war es dann schließlich so weit: Das letzte Kapitel in der Geschichte von Videospiel-Archetypus Solid Snake wurde aufgeschlagen. Und was für ein famoser Schlussakt ist MGS 4 geworden!
Bernd kam damals verzückt von der mehrtägigen Testsession in Paris zurück und berichtete mit leuchtenden Augen, was für ein Traum von einem Spiel Solid Snakes letztes Abenteuer geworden ist. Kojima und sein Team ziehen in MGS 4 alle Register in Sachen bombastischer Inszenierung, packender Schleich-Action und kinoreifer Handlung. Aber was erzählen wir euch, die meisten werden Snakes Abschiedsfest ohnehin gespielt haben, schließlich ist MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots einer der meistverkauften PlayStation 3-Exlusivtitel aller Zeiten.
Wer MGS 4 noch nicht im Regal stehen hat und jetzt Bock auf die legendäre Stealth-Serie bekommen hat, sollte mit dem Impulskauf aber noch ein wenig warten. Im Juli erscheint eine umfangreiche Legacy Collection zu MGS in den USA und Japan. In der Sammlung finden sich neben MGS 4 auch sieben weitere Metal Gears (unter anderem das erste Solid und HD-Editionen der PS2- und Vita-Titel).
Vielleicht schafft es die feine Box ja auch nach Europa. Das dürfte dann auch die Wartezeit auf den nächsten MGS-Teil, bestehend aus dem Doppelpack Ground Zeroes und The Phantom Pain, verkürzen. Mit der PS3-Exklusivität ist es bei MGS 5 aber vorbei. Das Spieleduo von Teil 5 erscheint auch für Xbox 360 und PC.
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audience.
Using the numbering at the bottom of the page, you can scroll through the entire list of exclusives from the best to the weakest.
the best PlayStation 3 exclusives — Offtop on DTF
Games from the outgoing console that you must play.
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Sony will soon stop production of the PlayStation 3 for Japan: it is expected that in March. This also means the gradual closure of production for the rest of the world.
The PlayStation 3 lived for 10 years and has sold 86.8 million units since 2006. It was a time of not very successful experiments: unnecessary gyroscopes in joysticks, support for stereoscopic 3D (although Shadow of the Colossus looked very cool in 3D), PS Move, finally. Yes, and in the number of truly iconic exclusives, she still lost to the PlayStation 2. But still there were a lot of them.
DTF draws a line and remembers the best exclusives that came out on consoles that will soon disappear from stores.
The Last of Us
Like the recent Breath of the Wild, The Last of Us has consistently experienced all the syndromes of an iconic game that people like to both praise to the skies and stomp their feet — the temptation to turn one’s nose at what millions love is too great.
But apart from all this «greatness» and «false greatness» fuss, even decades after its release, when all its mechanics are fucking obsolete, The Last of Us will remain in history thanks to its incredible story.
For more than a dozen hours, Naughty Dog skillfully introduces the player, along with the main character, into a very specific and difficult to reproduce state of affect, which shoots out in the ending with incredible power.
The real final boss of The Last of Us is actually the player himself, who breaks down internally when he realizes that between love and common sense he needs to choose love. Therefore, immediately after the completion of this game, many cannot touch the gamepad for weeks — everything seems a little different. — Vadim Elistratov
Heavy Rain
A source of Sean memes and awkward bed scenes, but also a highly acclaimed interactive story with 17 endings that surpasses many films in terms of drama.
It is all the more interesting that you can and should go through it in the company: everyone wins back their character.
Gameplay Heavy Rain is an interactive movie with inventive QTEs, but this is the rare case when the simplicity of game mechanics is even beneficial: nothing distracts from the noir story about fatherhood, sacrifice, redemption and past traumas that do not let go in the present.
At one time, Heavy Rain, along with several other games, was the main reason to buy a PS3. And at sunset, the console remains one of its most iconic exclusives. — Artyom Slobodchikov
inFamous
inFamous is actually Horizon Zero Dawn of the previous generation of consoles. Instead of forcing Sucker Punch to continue riveting the games of the Sly series that made it famous, Sony gave the studio creative freedom and the opportunity to launch a new IP. The result of this adventure was wonderful.
At the time of its release, inFamous turned out to be a very ironic project in its essence.
While many publishers have been buying licenses to comics and trying to make at least one decent superhero game, Sucker Punch has more than successfully come up with their own from scratch.
Apparently, this was the secret of success. Cole McGrath’s superpowers were not designed to be displayed on the pages of comics, but directly under the gameplay. That is why it was the first game that could give the full feeling of being in the shoes of a superhero. Cole glided along the rails so spectacularly, jumped high and threw lightning from his hands that it was very hard to tear himself away from inFamous.
Yes, there was a lot of collecting in the game, but even with all its minuses, it still remains the most stylish, solid and original in the entire franchise. — Vadim Elistratov
Gran Turismo 5
Gran Turismo can be taken however you like, but it remains the most important and influential driving simulator not only on the PlayStation, but in the entire industry.
It was Gran Turismo that showed how to make a career in racing, it was he who set the standards for realistic car behavior over and over again, right up to Assetto Corsa. Kazunori Yamauchi and his colleagues love automotive culture with all their hearts, it is noticeable immediately. Until the advent of laser scanning technology, they drove to the Nürburgring to manually measure the angles of turns, the slope of the «carousel» and copy the graffiti.
Because Gran Turismo 5 is a game about the love of cars. In it, as usual, you can even feel the difference between different BMW M3 models on the gamepad and learn the basics of driving by performing tests on braking and cornering. But at the same time, it’s nice to take care of the car: wash it, change the oil and take pictures against the backdrop of cherry blossoms.
Because Gran Turismo 6 is a game about love for car culture in general. In it, you can do the same things as before and, as usual, even on the gamepad feel how the car loses grip on the track surface.
At the same time, you can compete on a lunar rover, participate in the Goodwood Festival, repeat the main stages of Ayrton Senna’s career and test prototype cars that automakers have created specifically for the game.
Gran Turismo Sport will go even further and try to combine motorsport and video games. But we will talk about this another time. — Fedor Sivov
Demon’s Souls
Now it seems that the Souls series has always been with us: bonfires, rifts, creepy bosses, an atmosphere of hopelessness and the brand name YOU DIED in full screen. However, in 2009 all this was still new. An interesting period when everyone seemed to have already forgotten about hardcore games from 8- and 16-bit consoles, but they were not ready for new challenges.
Demon’s Souls beat the hell out of everyone, and social media was flooded with rave reviews for «the hardest game of all time.» And it is important here not only that Hidetaka Miyazaki then received carte blanche and set about Dark Souls, but also that all other developers understood that the story can be built not only through videos and cutscenes.
The plot and lore are perfectly revealed through the environment, descriptions of in-game items and speculation of the players.
Next were Lordran, and Drangleic, and Yharnam. But it all started in the kingdom of Boletaria. It’s hard to come up with a better start to the series. — Alexey Sigabatulin
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Everyone thought that Uncharted 2 was destined to set a new standard for adventure games. So perfect was the combination of fun shootouts, puzzles, exploration of locations and the plot about the treasure hunter Nathan Drake: in Hollywood frivolous and thoughtful. But eight years passed and it became clear that no standard had happened. Uncharted 2 is such a brilliant work that not only third-party developers, but also Naughty Dog themselves failed to repeat the success. Both subsequent parts are still not so cool, and The Last of Us is already in a different category.
Perhaps this is for the best. Direct proof that magic exists and cannot be stamped.
— Danil Svechkov
Little Big Planet
Media Molecule’s colorful platform game was different from other PlayStation 3 projects and, according to Nintendo America CEO Reggie Fis-Aime, would have looked much more appropriate on consoles from another Japanese company.
Perhaps it was the non-standard and «childish» design of the game that attracted the attention of users, but the general love of Little Big Planet was brought by the gameplay, which encouraged creativity in all its manifestations. In addition to the 50 levels created by the developers, there were millions of maps created by the players themselves in the game. Many of them radically changed the concept of the project, turning the platformer into a calculator or even a parody of Shadow of Colossus.
While Little Big Planet 2 and 3, also critically acclaimed, didn’t deliver the same freshness, the franchise still made PlayStation history. Sony consoles had more beautiful and vibrant games, and the best platformer in the history of the console, the Media Molecule project can be called a stretch.
But no other console game has been able to find such a good balance between the freedom given to the players and the gameplay that did not let them get bored. — Roman Novikov
Killzone 2
Killzone 2 is not just one of the most important games for the PlayStation 3. In fact, it is the face of the console. It was with the demonstration of this shooter that the story of one of Sony’s most controversial home consoles began for many. Killzone 2 itself also turned out to be controversial: by the time of release, the game had noticeably lost in graphics compared to the “target version” shown to the public (essentially just a CG movie) and found itself at the center of one of the biggest downgrade scandals in the industry.
Luckily, Guerilla still ended up with a big and damn beautiful game, the main feature of which was its very kinetics. In Killzone 2, everything seemed terribly heavy — the main character, and his weapons, and equipment — but at the same time real and almost physically tangible.
Shooting in this shooter was incredibly cool, and the game, against the backdrop of the limitations of PS3, managed to not be lost against the background of more advanced shooters on PC, showing that technology is not only about sharp textures and high resolutions.
Killzone 2 was a complex and dark sci-fi game set on the planet Helghan, a space Nazi lair. Most of the time, the player had to clear gray corridors and relatively spacious locations from smart and hardy opponents, but this is exactly what it differed from Call of Duty, which was flourishing at that time: it was not a simple colorful shooting range — you literally had to wade through it. But Killzone 3 has lost face, succumbing to fashion. — Vadim Elistratov
Tokyo Jungle
An excellent «post-bagel» about Tokyo, over which nature has seized power. It was necessary to play for animals: cats, dogs, deer and other new owners of the metropolis: they multiplied, hunted each other and survived as best they could.
If, for example, the cat-father died in a fight or simply from old age, then control passed to one of the descendants.
Tokyo Jungle was a small and inexpensive game, everything pulled out the creativity. The game in local multiplayer was especially captivating: the players “put together” a flock, hunted together, shared food with each other. And on the “back” at that time the story of the fall of civilization unfolded. A very unusual side of the usual post-apocalypse. It is all the more interesting that the game was created with the participation of enthusiasts from the Playstation C.A.M.P. for beginner Japanese developers. — Oleg Chimde
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
On the last generation of consoles, there was no more fun and in a good way difficult race than Motorstorm. It had everything we love about this series. Branched tracks, on which different routes were suitable for different types of transport: motorcycles will pass on some, SUVs on others, sports cars on the third, and so on.
There were rude opponents who could just fucking knock you off the bike or cut you into a tree or throw you off a cliff. There was a driving soundtrack with Nirvana, Pendulum and Wolfmother.
Pacific Rift, as a proper sequel should, multiplied all the good things and added a little madness. Canyons and forests gave way to a tropical island with beaches, volcano foothills, jungles, caves and a sugar factory. Opponents now completely shamelessly ran over you on bigfoots — new cars in the game. The soundtrack was graced by Megadeth, David Bowie, Machine Head, along with remixes by Nirvana, Aphex Twin and The Qemists from the game’s sound engineers. There were a lot of small details like lava and reservoirs, respectively, overheating and cooling the engines of cars, or freeze-frames in replays of accidents, showing how deliciously cars scatter for parts. And multiplayer made local races even more fun and added unpredictability. — Fedor Sivov
Valkyria Chronicles
Good Japanese tactical RPGs on PS3 can be counted on the fingers.
I only remember the high-quality continuations of the Disgaea series, and the magnificent Valkyria Chronicles. The game takes place in a fictional world, which in terms of development resembles Europe before the outbreak of World War II. The small country of Gaul was attacked by two superpowers because of the deposits of ragnite, a very valuable mineral in the game world. The player controls a detachment of the civil militia of Gaul, who are going to drive out the invaders and defend the honor of their homeland.
Valkyria Chronicles is divided into story chapters and numerous, sometimes difficult missions. Ingenuity and patience are used, often you have to sit for a long time on some tasks, and the duration of the game can easily exceed 40 hours (and this is without DLC). This is also a high-quality anime (a TV series was later released based on the game) with an interesting plot, characters and in the style of watercolor painting. Subsequently, two high-quality sequels will be released on the PSP and a relaunch of Valkyria Revolution for current generation platforms.
In 2014, Valkyria Chronicles was ported to PC, so it’s not exactly exclusive. But we couldn’t ignore it. — Semyon Kostin
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Every Metal Gear game Kojima worked on was the last. He never wanted to make a sequel, and over the years his desire to work on the franchise only faded away: for a while, the Japanese even naively believed that he could leave the development of MGS4 under the guise. Did not work out.
But MGS4 is really the last one. She put a beautiful end to the fate of heroes and villains, completed the global history with dignity and remained true to herself. As before, it was the most beautiful game of its time. Kojima again surprised everyone with a crazy staging of cutscenes. He added an element of warfare to the stealth formula honed over the years: Snake often had to hide in the midst of the chaos of battles and use the war to his advantage. However, it was not without controversy.
Convenient controls and a gentle alarm system made it possible to play the game with a greater share of action. Cutscenes could last an hour and a half, and in general they took half the time to complete. Not everyone liked the pathos with which the game sent Snake to rest.
MGS4 feels tired, but she hasn’t lost her grip. She knew how to challenge and surprise with unusual, unique finds. She knew how to make laugh and touch. And, as always, she sold consoles: many bought PS3s just for Guns of the Patriots. — Artemy Kotov
Siren: Blood Curse
Forbidden Siren was invented by the author of the very first Silent Hill, and this is already a guarantee that it will be scary and terribly unusual. Siren: Blood Curse is a kind of rethinking of the first two parts, and presented as a series. It’s very difficult to understand the plot, but it’s worth it.
The main (and unique) gameplay feature is the ability to look through the eyes of the shibito, local immortal zombies.
Thus, you can navigate the situation and not get into a mess. And God forbid you one day switch to shibito and see your own back. — Oleg Chimde
Heavenly Sword
Heavenly Sword was promoted as an action movie about the female warrior Nariko, and the game tried to live up to this image — it has a lot of QTEs, it begins with a scene where the heroine fights an entire army alone.
However, this is not the strong point of the game. Ninja Theory made two-button slashers before DMC. Such that the combat system is mastered immediately, but at the same time looks beautiful and requires little from the player. Here it is, as in Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, the next work of the authors, done for the sake of a beautiful story. And the story of a strong-willed woman touches on difficult topics of hard fate, destiny and self-sacrifice. It looks like the next developer project, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, will be about the same. As for the mass battle, it lasts some ten minutes, but even during this time you have time to feel what it’s like to confront dozens of enemies at the same time.
— Fedor Sivov
Yakuza 3
The Yakuza series (Ryu ga Gotoku in Japan) appeared at the end of the PlayStation 2 era and quietly moved to a new console and a modern engine. The game was released in early 2009 in Japan and a year later in the rest of the world. The adventures of Kazuma Kiryu continued not only in Tokyo, but also in the city of Naha on the island of Okinawa.
Compared with the same Yakuza 2, the contrast was great. Gorgeous and lively animation of characters, skillfully staged cut scenes on the game engine, about 10 new mini-games, vast locations that you just want to walk around, looking into various establishments along the way and being distracted by mini-games. In Yakuza 3, Kazuma has a trendy mobile phone and a funny blog. He takes ideas for the blog from secret scenes scattered throughout the game. The player finds an NPC, watches a cutscene, goes through a QTE along the way, and selects a blog post. If done correctly, a secret trick will open.
It’s the little things like this that make us love the Yakuza series. Later, two more licensed parts and one zombie spin-off would be released on the platform, but they failed to impress in the same way that Yakuza 3 did at the dawn of the new platform. — Semyon Kostin
God of War III
The third part of God of War is the apotheosis of Kratos’ cruel revenge on the gods of Olympus. And he gave them a real bloodbath: he squeezed out the eyes of Poseidon, cut off the head of Helios to use it instead of a torch, ripped open the belly of the centaurs and crushed hundreds of mythical creatures with a break for a visit to the chambers of Aphrodite, until he got to Zeus himself.
Apart from such a cruel mockery of Greek mythology, God of War is also a cool slasher. Combat, although based on light and heavy attacks, benefited from brutality and dismemberment. And over time, Kratos, in addition to his Blades of the Exile, took possession of more and more abilities and weapons that opened up more ways to deal with enemies — for example, smash Hercules in the face with Nemean Cestus.
— Fedor Sivov
Beyond: Two Souls
David Cage’s last game to date came out in October 2013, a month before the PlayStation 4 went on sale. The game squeezed all the juice out of the console: facial animation is still one of the best in video games. At the same time, the actors are Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe.
It’s a pity that Heavy Rain didn’t become a success. The plot is clichéd and confusing, the gameplay is rudimentary. Cage wanted to make a game for everyone, even those who had never played video games. However, in reality it turned out not the best movie, albeit interactive. But this is one of the last PlayStation 3 exclusives. — Oleg Chimde
Journey
Jenova Chen’s modest author’s game, which eventually became almost a PS3 system-seller. Journey is beautiful in its simplicity. In the role of a small nameless man, the player travels through hot deserts, abandoned cities and cold caves.
