At this point have PlayStation 3 run ended more than a decade ago, but its legacy lives on through its many, many masterpieces. Everyone played The last of us, MGS 4, Resistance, Notoriousand LittleBigPlanet back in the day, but not all PS3 games were equally lucky. Some of the console's best releases slipped by unnoticed and became little more than footnotes in the PS3's story.
While it doesn't have the largest overall library, the PS3 might be my favorite console of all time, and most of that love stems from hidden gems that completely blew away all expectations (even, Dark souls). These forgotten PS3 games deserves not only to be remembered but also to be celebrated and discovered.
OK, I admit, the title might be a bit of an exaggeration for some of these games, and I'm sure some people remember these games. Yet they deserved much more.
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is the icon of the PS3
And like Ico, Majin didn't sell well
Maybe my memories paint this gem in a more positive light than it deserves, but Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is one of my favorite PS3 games. Admittedly, I went into it with absolutely no expectations, which certainly made it easier to overlook its occasional quibbles and rougher moments. However, as far as Ico-wannabe games are worried, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom does it better than most and can sit next to SCE Japan's beloved masterpiece.
A buddy adventure that pairs a thief with a gentle forest ranger, the game focuses primarily on puzzles that require coordination between the two characters. Combat is pretty simplistic, but it works well when you approach most scenarios and especially boss fights as extensions of the puzzle system. With its vibrant aesthetic and story revolving around the budding friendship between a human and a spirit, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom feels like a playable Studio Ghibli moviea statement I do not make lightly.
2010 was in the midst of the awesome cover-shooter boom, which left little room for colorful, fairytale-like games not tied to established names.
3D Dot Game Heroes is PS3's classic Zelda game
However, it has not been immortalized as one
There is no such thing as “too many Zelda clones” and we don't really get many of them anyway. 3D Dot Game Heroes is one of the most obvious attempts to copy Nintendo's playbook from top to bottom, but it's infused with enough unique personality to ultimately create its own brand of goodness.
The premise was fantastic, set in a kingdom that had recently transitioned from 2D to 3D, resulting in an impressive voxel aesthetic. 3D Dot Game Heroes plays mostly like your standard top-down action-adventure game, albeit with a great twist regarding your weapon of choice: the sword. At full health, the sword extends to the point where it basically covers the entire screen, allowing you to destroy enemies and environments with a single swipe.
Although it sold quite well in the US, 3D Dot Game Heroes is the definition of a cult classic that has been largely forgotten these dayslargely due to its PS3 exclusivity. This is a game that could really use a remaster.
Puppeteer saw off the PS3 with a stage show
The forgotten swan song
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Developed by Japan Studio
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Incredible presentation
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Released just two months before the PS4
The last of us considered the PS3's Swan Song, but Puppet player fits that role better. Not only did it debut right at the end of the console's lifespan, but Japan Studio was the definitive PlayStation developer. Although it mostly played as a side scroller, Puppet player boasted visuals that could rival any AAA project, along with a theatrical motif that immediately set it apart from the crowd.
While not the first game to use a stage play as a framing device, Puppet player fully commits to the premise and convincingly sells the idea that everything we see is a show. Along with rock-solid platforming mechanics, the game introduces a couple of fun gameplay ideas, such as swappable heads that act as your HP and offer a few different effects.
Honestly, Puppet player was destined to flop. By September 2013, the cultural zeitgeist had moved away from the PS3 and onto the PS4, and many people were already mentally into the next generation.
Folklore was one of the first great PS3 games
And one of the first flops
It took the PS3 a long time to justify its existence, and it wasn't until a few years into its lifespan that it began to build a valuable library. Resistance: Fall of Man and Heavenly swords generally considered to be the console's best early releases, but Folklore actually ahead of both of them, at least in Japan. In North America it came out between those two games, but it didn't get anywhere near the same reputation (despite Heavenly swords is a notorious commercial disappointment).
An action RPG and creature collector, Folklore allows you to capture fairy-tale monsters that can be assigned to your face buttons and used in real-time battles. While it probably could have used a touch more depth, the combat system works as a fun evolution of the monster-taming formula, and it's no worse than, say, You No Kunis battle. The game even used the PS3's Sixaxis motion controller, making it one of the few to do anything with that technology.
Folklore had a good dual world premise, solid visuals for the era, beautiful environments and combat that could have easily served as the basis for sequels. As Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, Folklore is stuck on the PS3, a forgotten delight that will probably never see the light of day through a remaster.
Personally, Folklore was the first game that made me not regret dropping too much money on a PS3. When I was ready to go past the console, Folklore was still among my favorite RPGs.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is one of the best PS3 games
Ninja Theory Curse
Unfortunately, we can't have an underrated/overlooked/nobody played article without mentioning Ninja Theory, as almost all of the developer's games struggled to find an audience. I have already mentioned Heavenly swordsand the team's next project followed and fell short of expectations. While both games are now treated as cult classics, they came and went during their original runs, garnering praise and love but not necessarily widespread attention.
As much as I love Heavenly swordss battle, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is Ninja Theory's best game, barring maybe Hellblade. Written by Alex Garland and retelling The journey to the westthe story features one of the best duos of this era, with the crude monkey forced to help the resourceful Trip. Going from enemies to more than friends, these two have a great relationship AND combine brilliantly in the gameplay itself.
Post-apocalyptic games were popular during the PS3 era, but they featured completely different (and more depressing) worlds than Enslaveds amazing greenery. Reviews were generally very positive, but the game struggled to get off the ground at launch, and it would take a long time for its legacy to be secured. At least Enslaved is not locked on PS3.
