Playstation 3 (PS3), the seventh-generation console from SONY, was unveiled on 11th November 2006, in where else but Japan? Competing with Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, the console was the first to output in full HD (1080p) resolution, becoming the eighth-best selling console of all time, with a total of 87 million units sold.
Spawning a wealth of fan favourites such as Kill Zone, and The Last Of Us, the PS3 offered gamers a truly vast variety of titles across all platforms. But which was the greatest?
These are, CULTR’s Top 10 PS3 Games of All Time…
10. GRAN TURISMO 5
Offering breath-takingly crisp graphics, and a choice of over 100 cars, GT5 was everything motor-enthusiasts could hope for from a driving sim. Ranging from Ferraris and Lambos to NASCAR and Red Bull models, the game also offered racers the chance to spin down some iconic courses, such as a rain-soaked Le Mans or rip through an iconic street-track in Rome. Undoubtedly the greatest racing game on the console.
9. ASSASSIN’S CREED II
The follow-up to 2007’s hugely popular original didn’t just elevate the previous version in terms of gameplay, it expanded into an open-world adventure filled with several Matrix-style elements as players flipped, spun, and twisted through every battle across several gorgeous landscapes. On the weapon selection wheel, there are swords, daggers, and even smoke bombs, all ready to light up this 15th century Firenze backdrop.
8. RATCHET & CLANK FUTURE: TOOLS OF DESTRUCTION
Leaping across to PS3 after their considerable success on PS2, Ratchet and Clank were given a lush reboot for their debut in HD. With Captain Qwark’s buffoonery at an all time-high, the pair are thrust into the midst of an 80% shooting/20% platforming ratio which feels frenetic and throws the gamer right into the heart of the action. There’s also the same gigantic arsenal of vehicles to ride, and still a huge selection of space battles to blitz through, offering an enormous amount of re-playability.
7. UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES
Best known for their work on Crash Bandicoot, Naughty Dog proved they were no one-hit-wonders when spawning the Uncharted series. With stunning visuals, a fantastic story, great puzzles and high-octane gunplay, it is easily one of the best titles of this generation of console. With stealth playing a big part in the game, this wasn’t just a classic bash-em-up either, and instead, allowed gamers to really think through their actions over how to tackle tricky foes.
6. L.A NOIRE
Unlike the success of GTA, Rockstar chose to serve up something entirely different with 2011’s ‘L.A Noire‘, offering a more sophisticated take on the usual madcap violence we’re used to seeing. Here, you play the role of a (good) cop, looking to restore order to the violent streets of 1940s California. Sure, there are still gunfights and car chases a-plenty, but this nuanced title was a startling different approach to other games on the market at the time.
5. FIFA 12
Almost certainly the greatest FIFA game of modern times (and blessed with yet another killer soundtrack), the FIFA series had finally overtaken Pro Evo as football’s greatest simulation by this point, and by 2011, a revamped defending feature added a whole new depth to the game. No more would wild slide tackles help regain possession. Now, it was all about jostling and jockeying for the ball through strength and positioning. The end result was close to footballing perfection.
4. RED DEAD REDEMPTION
Encapsulating the grizzled country singers, dusty gold-rush and rootin’ tootin’ vibes of the US/Mexico border, Red Dead gave players a storyline roughly 20 hours in length, and packed with stunning realism throughout. From herding cattle, to shattering mustangs, the game offered unbelievable levels of realism, with many (myself included) just enjoying the simplistic experience of galloping a horse across acres of land. Though later bettered by the hugely popular sequel, the O.G Red Dead is still a bonafide modern classic.
3. GRAND THEFT AUTO IV
We could, technically, include GTA V on this list. In which case, it takes the crown, without much hesitation. But bearing in mind that title was truly crafted for 8th gen consoles, and excelled on the PS4, it feels a bit rogue to shoe-horn it in. With that in mind, let’s focus on the under-rated little brother (or, as GTA IV would say, in a gruff Eastern European accent… “Cousin!”). Sure, you still bang hookers, and mow over just about any walking civilian in stolen cop cars throughout this game, but here, main character Niko Bellic actually feels troubled by his shady acts, which adds a terrific layer of emotion and grit to GTA‘s fourth instalment.
2. BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY
Following on from the gargantuan success of Arkham Asylum in 2009, Batman returned for 2011’s follow-up, with the caped crusader roughing up more of the Joker‘s minions through the seedy underbelly of Gotham (oops, sorry, ‘Arkham’). Blessed with new challenges, gadgets, and dozens of riddles and side-missions to uncover, this wasn’t just the greatest PS3 game of the year, but arguably the greatest comic book title to crossover into the gaming world, full stop.
1. THE LAST OF US
How could it be anything else? A remarkable PS3 title, rated 10/10 by IGN, The Last Of Us intertwines choice-based gameplay with a supreme narrative, and cutting-edge realism of a post-pandemic wasteland. The pacing is such, that the game never relents, and features enough balance of jump-scare, and genuine tension, to always keep the relevant gamer on the edge of their seat. The dystopian world featuring Joel and Ellie has since spawned two series of the acclaimed HBO TV series, with the franchise becoming one of the biggest in the world.
Do you agree with our selections? Wanna shout out those hidden gems you think we might have missed? Why not head over to our CULTR Instagram page to start the debate!
