The Best PS3 Games That Are Now Considered Masterpieces

PlayStation 3 had an enormous job ahead of it on its launch in the mid-to-late 2000s, following in the wake of the monstrously successful PS2. It needed to be an accomplished multimedia machine, a significant step up in specs, and, most importantly, home to some excellent games to make those specs worth having. All these years later, it’s safe to say: Mission accomplished.

PS3 did not manage to out-sell its illustrious predecessor. In fact, it was a bit of a hard sell at first because it was so expensive. Much like Nintendo’s 3DS, though, it would develop an excellent library and a dedicated fan base. Some of the greatest titles in recent memory came to PS3, games that could arguably be considered true masterpieces. Here are some of the system’s very best games, a blend of exclusives and multi-platform releases.

8

Demon’s Souls

The Challenge That Started It All

2009 was a simpler time. A time when we didn’t yet know what FromSoftware would ultimately unleash on us: A series whose very name has become synonymous with difficulty. Demon’s Souls is the precursor to the first Dark Souls title, which would arrive two years later. A series entry in all but name, Demon’s Souls presents an adventure through the foreboding realm of Boletaria, aiming to destroy those demons that bar the way to King Allant, and so to the means of ever leaving the Nexus.

It’s chock-full of unforgettable and super frustrating bosses, fiendish, unpredictable level design and a fantasy atmosphere you can’t help but get swept up in. It’s a sign of just how strong Miyazaki’s vision was that so many of the series’ conventions were firmly established from the very beginning. Complex leveling mechanics and snippets of lore from items and documents abound, ensuring that those who want to learn all there is to know about Boletaria can do so. The stunning PlayStation 5 remake was a real eye-opener for what the console was capable of, but if only for nostalgia’s sake, some prefer the original. What a legacy this title has.

7

Infamous

The Beginning Of Another Fantasy Legend

Sucker Punch Productions knows a thing or two about crafting engaging open worlds on PlayStation systems. Before the likes of the celebrated Ghost of Tsushima and follow-up Ghost of Yotei, there was the original Infamous, which hit PS3 in 2009. Where the Ghost games are centered in nature, history, and realism, Cole MacGrath’s story is set in a great contemporary metropolis known as Empire City, and gives the player command of his iconic superhuman powers. In the dramatic, tragic opening, a portion of the City is engulfed by a huge explosion of energy, with Cole right at the center. He awakens in a devastated Historic District, aware that his body is changing as the city descends into chaos.

Inadvertently triggering the Ray Sphere led Cole to become a Conduit, and it’s the extent of these powers that make Infamous so compelling. Command of electricity offers a unique moveset in combat, while also granting the protagonist movement options with which to traverse the environment. The game tells a gripping story, with significant twists like Kessler’s true identity, and for all its focus on Cole’s superpowers, it’s also a very human tale about the struggle to maintain relationships and the choices we make when the chips are down. This is reflected, too, in the characteristic morality system. A great game that spawned a popular series for PlayStation.

The Beloved Duo Debut In A New Console Generation

By the PS3 era, the dynamic Lombax and robot duo of Ratchet and Clank had already established themselves as PlayStation icons. PlayStation Studios’ Insomniac Games introduced the series in 2002, with Ratchet & Clank, and there would be a long and prosperous series ahead of them. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools Of Destruction was the fifth mainline entry, presenting the duo and their allies’ fight against Emperor Tachyon. Revelations about the Lombax and Cragmite races lead the pair on a planet-hopping journey in pursuit of the powerful Dimensionator, which was the key to ending the conflict between the two and which may also hold the future of the Lombax.

This may be a series of silly pun-filled titles and a wacky sense of humor (which, just as with Borderlands, doesn’t strike a chord with everyone), but it’s a blast to play, a much more action-packed affair that’s more of a TPS than a 3D platformer. Fans have been divided about the use of the Raritanium to upgrade weapons, but Tools of Destruction was an excellent title with which to bring the pair on to the PS3. It was a highlight of the system’s growing library and even incorporated some controls that utilized the new controller’s capabilities, just as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart would years later on the PlayStation 5.

5

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

A Super Launch Title In Every Sense Of The Word

With a system launch, of course, it’s always ideal to have a big exclusive title for excited consumers to add to their basket right alongside it. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance certainly wasn’t exclusive (it would also launch for everything from the PSP to the Wii), but the PS3 edition was an excellent version of a much-beloved game, whether we remember it or not. It’s always difficult to get a superhero video game right, but an action RPG that stars an enormous range of superheroes from the Marvel stable all at once? That’s a tall order indeed. Nonetheless, Raven Software delivered with aplomb.

As series fans will know, the title adopted a formula that allows players to craft dream teams of Marvel superheroes as they wish. By doing so, it’s possible to combine powers and specialisms, to cover roles such as frontline tank and ranged damage dealer. Foes from the Masters of Evil to the Atlanteans and from Loki to Mephisto are tackled along the way, as this assembly of heroes pursues those working with Doctor Doom to (predictably) take over the planet. Like the sequels that would follow, it’s an absolute treat for the Marvel faithful, with heroes, villains, and locales from across the length and breadth of Marvel comics. It’s much more than just fanservice too, though, with a lot of content to engage with, solid combat mechanics, and a leveling system that ensures your favorite characters continue to feel stronger and stronger.

4

LittleBigPlanet

The Introduction Of Sackboy

The original LittleBigPlanet arrived in 2008, and was one of those landmark titles that immediately set itself apart. Sackboy’s journey is not exactly a riveting narrative, revolving around a (seeming) villain dubbed the Collector who wants to hoard things for himself rather than sharing them. This is the central concept of this wildly imaginative platformer in a nutshell, though: Share as much as possible. Share your creations and so make LittleBigPlanet an even more unique place to be.

There’s something of Mario Maker about the game, in that it generally focuses more on the idea of creating levels rather than playing through them. With stickers adding character and life and the game’s robust physics engine to create some truly fiendish platforming sections, the game proved that it’s possible to be a complete novelty while also having real substance. The series proved this by expanding through several sequels and a kart racer, the world remaining full of personality and a joy to explore throughout.

3

Grand Theft Auto 5

The Pressure Is On Rockstar To Top This Open-World Icon

Part of the hype for Grand Theft Auto 6, of course, centers around just how long fans have been waiting for this sequel. It’s a little jarring to think about it, well over a decade later, but GTA 5 was indeed a PS3 (and Xbox 360) game, before coming to Xbox One and PS4 the following year.

Over its long lifespan, the game has quite rightly received a huge amount of attention, and a lot of it has been extremely positive. The most ambitious title in the series to date, with an intriguing three-protagonist system and a huge amount to do. As has typically been the case with the series, its sprawling setting is densely populated and really feels alive, which is something that certainly can’t be said for every open world title. There’s a wealth to see and to do in the game between the engaging main story and the multiplayer chaos of Grand Theft Auto Online, both of which remain beloved and are still popular today. From what little we’ve seen of the sequel so far, there’s no denying that it’s going to be an even greater phenomenon, but it’ll have to be an enduring masterpiece for a very long time before it catches up with its predecessor.

2

The Last of Us

A Life-Changing Triumph of a Tale

While some of the PS3’s defining games arrived very early in its lifespan, others launched very late in it. In fact, The Last of Us, Naughty Dog’s generational masterpiece of dystopian storytelling, was something of a swansong for the system. It would release for the PS4 over a year later, in the summer of 2014, by which time it had firmly established itself as one of the very best PS3 titles, and, indeed, one of the greatest games to hit a Sony system in recent memory.

It’s easy for an action game to lean too far into the intense sequences and setpieces, to the detriment of its storytelling. For The Last of Us, though, it’s the harrowing tale at the heart of it all that is the highlight. There’s a deep, horrifying realism about the fact that neither Joel nor Ellie are seasoned fighters, but desperate people sometimes doing terrible things in the name of survival. The very same thing is true of fellow survivors who oppose them throughout the story, and this lends every fatal encounter a heartbreaking weight. The game is less about the devastating impact of the spreading cordyceps infection than it is about the relationship and the bond that forms between the two leads, and this was just the depth the game needed to back up its excellent presentation and solid gameplay. Naughty Dog truly created something special here.

1

Dead Space 2

The Second Nightmare Is Even More Horrific Than The First

Dead Space represented a new standard in sci-fi horror gaming. Hapless engineer Isaac Clarke surely suffered enough during his ordeal on the Ishimura, losing his girlfriend and several colleagues to the Necromorph outbreak against which he fought so desperately. Tragically, though, this was just the beginning of his suffering. Three years later (in the series’ timeline), in 2511, he finds himself on a space station known as The Sprawl, the setting for Dead Space 2. Here, a new necromorph nightmare unfolds, and Isaac is right in the middle of it again.

As its name implies, the second game’s setting is much larger and more open than the first’s, and this, perhaps, has the effect of increasing the sense of Isaac’s isolation and the scope of the terrible danger he’s in. His knowledge was used and extracted by Earth Gov’s Director Tiedeman to create a new Marker, and the traumatized Isaac’s goal is to stop Tiedeman and neutralize this new artifact. In doing so, he’ll encounter a swathe of all-new necromorphs including the horrifying, shrieking Pack, new weapons including the Seeker Rifle (great for keeping necromorphs at a distance), and grisly set pieces that beyond even the horrors of the first game. Sadly, follow-up Dead Space 3 wasn’t so well received for its more sweeping changes to the series, but this 2011 masterpiece remains one of the greatest action horror games ever made. There might never be another Dead Space game, so fans may have to content themselves with revisiting the classics.