Top 20 Greatest PS3 Games Of All Time
#20: “Starhawk” (2012)
Of the first-party PS3 exclusives, “Starhawk” was kind of the redheaded stepchild of the family. It was barely marketed by Sony, which is a real shame considering how much fun the game was. A spiritual successor to the “Warhawk” franchise, it featured the same explosive action as its predecessors but with a few more bells and whistles. Players could build bases and bunkers in the midst of combat, and you could pilot colossal mechs! The single-player campaign may not have been anything too spectacular, but there was still a lot to love here.
#19: “Yakuza 4” (2011)
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Though it is available on more platforms today, “Yakuza 4” was originally a PS3 exclusive, so it qualifies for the list. Despite not being the most critically acclaimed in the franchise (nor the best-selling), “Yakuza 4” was the entry where folks started paying more attention to the IP. Multiple playable characters, a modest-sized world to explore, and diverse movesets were some of the game’s strongest points. The story might be hit-or-miss for the more hardcore fans of the series, but “Yakuza 4” is still worthy of being called one of the best PS3 games.
#18: “Tokyo Jungle” (2012)
To stand out from the crowd, you sometimes have to do some pretty ridiculous things. Sometimes, it’s best to throw all logic out the window and have some pure unadulterated fun. That was the approach of “Tokyo Jungle”, a survival game that is arguably one of the strangest and most entertaining of its genre. Humans have now become extinct, leading to a crisis in the animal kingdom. Taking control of dogs, cats, crocodiles, pandas, and more, you’ll have to traverse and fight your way through this human-less world. Even with an idea as absurd as this, “Tokyo Jungle” is a surprisingly intriguing title, balancing its serious yet goofy tones rather well. If only it had migrated to modern platforms…
#17: “PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale” (2012)
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Look, we give “PlayStation All-Stars” a lot of crap. We’ve put it on several lists of disappointing crossovers and failed “Smash Bros” clones. But credit where credit is due, it’s honestly a fun game to play! Every character feels as though they were ripped directly out of their games, both visually and mechanically. Stages featured bizarre mashups of different PlayStation IPs that added new environmental hazards to the fight like raining golf balls in Sandover Village and trivia questions in “LittleBigPlanet”. There was a wild and chaotic charm here that made “PlayStation All-Stars” stand out a bit…even if Kratos was broken as hell.
#16: “Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time” (2013)
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Even if it isn’t the best in the series, “Thieves in Time” was still an excellent title in the “Sly Cooper” franchise. Whereas “Sly 3” removed certain aspects that made “Sly 2” so great, “Thieves in Time” reintroduced them, throwing in more clue bottles and treasures to find. New costumes, gadgets, and playable characters brought forth interesting puzzles and challenges to overcome. Sure, the game wasn’t as well optimized as previous “Sly” games, but developer Sanzaru Games deserves recognition here…even if the game ended on a very open-ended note that has left the series unfinished.
#15: “Killzone 2” (2009)
Despite having a very controversial marketing tactic (remember that fake game trailer?), “Killzone 2” is still regarded as the absolute best installment in the franchise. For a time, “Killzone 2” was THE reason to own a PlayStation 3 with its astounding visuals, tight controls, action-packed campaign, and exceptional multiplayer. Really, you would have been hard-pressed to find even one significantly awful thing about this game. It is such a fantastic game that it really hurts knowing we can’t go back online and fight with our friends since the servers shut down in 2018. Maybe someday we’ll get a remaster for PlayStation 5?
#14: “Twisted Metal” (2012)
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With the explosion of online gaming, we were left to wonder what a new “Twisted Metal” would look like in the new space. The answer was team-based deathmatches and a new Nuke Mode. On top of that, we got an exciting new story mode that focused on Sweet Tooth, Dollface, and Mr. Grimm, each with their own unique cutscenes and epic boss battles. Special weapons with interchangeable abilities, more ways to destroy the competition, and the newly mechanized Sweet Tooth all made this a joyfully maddening way to spend an afternoon indoors.
#13: “Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch” (2010)
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There just hasn’t been an RPG quite like “Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch”. As a young boy named Oliver, you journey around across the land finding, battling, and taming familiars. Yes, it is very easy to call it “PlayStation’s Pokemon”, but it is so much more than that. Just an hour or two with it showed us a game that boasts an excellent story, breathtaking visuals, and superb animation done by the legendary Studio Ghibli. There was so much love and tons of care put into this world, and “Ni no Kuni” would receive enough success to warrant a sequel in 2018.
#12: “Journey” (2012)
The PS3 saw a handful of wonderful indie titles to help kickstart the indie scene on PlayStation, “Flow”, “Sound Shapes” and “Flower” to name a few. But of them all, “Journey” is the one we find ourselves coming back to years later. The wordless storytelling is mysteriously brilliant, the environments are gorgeous and imaginative, and every puzzle presents its own unique challenge despite having such simplistic mechanics. It is absolutely one of those games that everyone needs to play at least once, and completionists have a special reward waiting for them at the end.
#11: “Demon’s Souls” (2009)
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At the time, “Demon’s Souls” was a game that not many folks knew what to do with. While “Dark Souls” would introduce many players to the genius behind FromSoftware and director Hidetaka Miyazaki, “Demon’s Souls” was the start of it all. The enemy and level design conjured up vibrant and dismal locations while the deep combat mechanics made every fight feel like a challenge. Tough but fair, “Demon’s Souls” birthed a whole new community in the gaming landscape, and to see it rejuvenated on PlayStation 5 is heartwarming. Plus, the extremely short load times make the game even better than it was in 2009.
#10: “Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots” (2008)
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You’d be hard-pressed to find a game below solid in the “Metal Gear” franchise. (Except “Survive”, but we don’t talk about that.) “Guns of the Patriots”, on the other hand, was way above solid. Once again, Snake had infiltrated our minds and brought with him a campaign loaded with bizarre characters and a deep story. And unlike many PS3 titles, the visuals hold up shockingly well today. We may still fawn over “Phantom Pain” and “Twin Snakes”, but “Guns of the Patriots” offers the same level of quality as those!
#9: “Resistance 3” (2011)
When it comes to talking about Insomniac Games, a certain Lombax and Warbot typically dominate the conversation, but one franchise that helped define the PS3 was “Resistance”, specifically “Resistance 3”. While Xbox users were fighting the Hive and the Covenant, we were blasting away Chimera in a fantastic single-player campaign and an equally fantastic multiplayer mode. It may not have been the “Halo killer” Sony had been looking for, but it was still a damn fine sci-fi shooter. Now, if we could only get a remaster of these games, or better yet “Resistance 4”.
#8: “ModNation Racers” (2010)
If you’ve ever wanted to create your own “Mario Kart” tracks, karts, and drivers, well, “ModNation Racers” fulfilled that desire and more. With hundreds of customization options to choose from, you could make almost anything you wanted. And take it from the writer of this video - there were some spectacular creations that came from the community! Unfortunately, owners now can no longer access online content as servers were shut down in October 2018. Hey, at least you can still enjoy the excellent single-player campaign and utilize parts from the base game!
#7: “Heavenly Sword” (2007)
Before this, Ninja Theory had only shelled out one game - “Kung Fu Chaos” on the original Xbox. So, what would a Ninja Theory game look like with a first-party budget? You get the epic “Heavenly Sword”. Our time with the alluring badass Nariko was filled with heartstopping action, immensely satisfying combat, and visuals that fully utilized the power of the PlayStation 3. Of course, Ninja Theory would be bought by Microsoft long after “Heavenly Sword’s” launch, but even today, folks are demanding a remaster or remake. (Seriously, could you imagine seeing this game at sixty frames per second!?)
#6: “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” (2009)
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Honestly, it was a bit difficult choosing which “Uncharted” to put on here. Do we go with the one that started it all? How about the one with the iconic cargo plane set piece? No, it’s hard to put anything above “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves”. Between the explosive fights in Nepal and the train chase in the Himalayas, the set pieces here were the best the series has ever seen. And the writing? Significantly better than its predecessor. Really, “Among Thieves” raised the bar that was already set fairly high by the first game.
#5: “inFAMOUS” (2009)
Prior to joining Nathan Drake on another questionably murderous adventure, we had met the newest hero from Sucker Punch Productions: Cole MacGrath from “inFamous”. Indeed, “inFAMOUS” was a stellar open-world experience coming from PlayStation. Empire City is teeming with places to jump off and rail grind around, serving as a blueprint for how all open world games should handle traversal. On top of that, no matter how many times we vaporized and electrocuted our enemies, every lightning power was a thrill to use. Imagine if this game ever got DualSense support!
#4: “LittleBIGPlanet 2” (2011)
The first “LittleBigPlanet” was a pioneer in games focused on user-generated content. However, its sequel really blew things out of the water. See, it wasn’t just more stickers and gizmos to make our platforming levels bigger. No, LBP2 allowed users to create more than just platforming levels. That’s right - you could build racing games, fighters, shooters, and many, many more. With the offerings here, fans of Media Molecule could let their creativity blossom, and some creators went on to become full-time developers at various studios! Should we ever get a fourth LBP, we sincerely hope it takes cues from this one.
#3: “Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time” (2009)
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It is widely regarded as the absolute best “Ratchet & Clank” game ever made, and rightfully so! By this point, Insomniac was going nuts with almost any crazy concept they could think of including robot pirates. This time around, it was…well, time control! As Ratchet travels the galaxy trying to find his pal, Clank is learning his origins and how to fully unleash the powers of the Chronoscepter. For roughly ten hours, you get the same chaotic “Ratchet & Clank” action as well as some of the most creative puzzles the franchise has seen.
#2: “God of War III” (2010)
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We waited five long years to see Kratos’s story come to a conclusion, and when we finally got it in 2010, it was worth the wait. “God of War III” finally brought a close to Kratos’s time in the Greek pantheon, loading us up on an adventure with colossal fights, brutal deaths, and an epic score to tie it all together. It was a big bloodied present for fans who had been following the Ghost of Sparta for so long, and to see his tale wrap up in such an emotional way brought a tear to our eye. Finally, our man could rest…until he became the Dad of Boi in 2018.
#1: “The Last of Us” (2013)
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Sure, some folks will roll their eyes with this pick, but one simply cannot deny how “The Last of Us” has changed the industry. A beautifully written story carried out by some of the most talented actors, a disturbingly gorgeous world housing creepy fungus monsters, a movie-like aesthetic - all this combined to form a game that would reshape the AAA market for better or for worse. Additionally, the Factions mode brought about a fantastic multiplayer package that has caused fans to beg for another. Developer Naughty Dog certainly proved its worth to the PlayStation brand here.
