The year was 2006 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 was hitting markets around the world, unless you lived in Europe or Australia. The seventh console generation was upon us and Sony was determined to wow critics and fans alike with itsSpider-Man-inspiredfont, Blu-ray drive, and plenty of exclusives that are some of the best PS3 games around.
It was a beloved console with some of the best titles in all of gaming, in my opinion. So we’ve compiled a ranking of the best you could find on the PlayStation 3.
The Top 20 PS3 games you can play
20. Journey (2012)
Starting off this list is the calming, albeit emotional experience ofJourney.Through gorgeous visuals, you’re experiencing the life of a Traveler, who tries to reach the top of the mountain in the distance. With tears in my eyes, I traveled through beautiful vistas, met a new friend, and reached the top of the mountain with Austin Wintory’s music sweeping me off my feet. This is a game I don’t want to spoil too much, but take it from me, it deserved to be nominated for Game of the Year in 2012. It even won accolades from multiple outlets.
“Journey’s interactive, visual, and aural elements work together, rather than fight with each other, in order to provide a flowing, seamless, influential, and utterly exhilarating experience,” saidour review.
19. inFAMOUS 2 (2011)
inFAMOUS 2is thebest superhero game on the PS3, bar none. As Cole McGrath, you have control over some badass powers such as electricity and napalm, depending on your narrative choices in the game. The unique scenery of New Marais (inspired by New Orleans) adds to the gripping narrative as a new threat called The Beast looms over Cole. Your choices determine what happens in the world drastically, and the characters you befriend are a major part of that.inFAMOUS 2has blood-pumping action throughout as you zip across the Louisiana city and zap foes in Hollywood-like fashion. Try out this game if you haven’t already.
18. Rock Band 2 (2008)
The best music-rhythm experience on the PS3 is easilyRock Band 2.If you still have your plastic instruments lying around, it can make for a great party. Strumming the guitar or banging the drums to the beat is always a blast, especially with the rock tracks selected by developer Harmonix.Rock Band 2arguably has one of the best song lists in the series with “Everlong” from the Foo Fighters, “American Woman” by The Guess Who, and “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas.
There’s something special about getting all your friends together and playing your favorite songs together. It’s a part of the PS3’s history I’ll never forget.
17. Rayman Legends (2013)
We weren’t graced with many PS3 platformers, unlike the Wii, butRayman Legendscame to save the day in 2013. Competing with the majesty of Nintendo’sSuper Mario Bros.series, Ubisoft brought immense creativity intoRayman Legends.There are fun rhythmic levels with zany covers of well-known songs, spy-themed stealth levels in a 2D plain, and hours of fun slipping, sliding, and jumping our way through intense levels from Ubisoft Montpellier. The bosses are also charismatic and present unique challenges to the player.Rayman Legendsis a no-brainer if you want a great platformer for you or to enjoy with your friends on PS3. It’s a hidden gem on the PS3.
16. Ultra Street Fighter IV (2014)
The pinnacle of fighting games is often theStreet Fighterseries, and the fourth entry is one of the best.Ultra Street Fighter IVis the one to get as it has all the characters and most of the DLC included. Each character is animated well for the PS3 era, and each of the stages are filled with personality. Additionally, learning each character is compelling and when you pull off a neat combo, it does feel rewarding.
“All in all,Ultra Street Fighter IVlooks and feels fantastic, and despite the fact that many of its ‘new’ pieces of content have been seen and used before, it’s still very much an exciting riff on an already-solid fighting game,” said our8/10 reviewback in 2014.
15. Assassin’s Creed II (2009)
Still arguably the peak of Ubisoft’s premier series, Assassin’s Creed II features excellent stealth gameplay, a charming protagonist by the name of Ezio Auditore, and many standout moments within its storyline. The game replicates the gorgeous Italian scenery in its Renaissance era. The stunning detail of the architecture from that time period is unreal. It was also cool to meet and assist legendary figures of the time like Leonardo di Vinci and Lorenzo de Medici.
Jesper Kyd’s “Ezio’s Family” is also an epic theme from this game’s soundtrack that is still present within modernAssassin’s Creedgames today. Ubisoft truly captured something special with this entry of the series that it hasn’t quite matched its quality since. All this matched with the stellar stealth that Ezio is able to pull off makesAssassin’s Creed IIa triumph.
14. BioShock Infinite (2013)
BioShock Infiniteis a cacophony of chaos in all the best ways. You’re drifted up into the world of Columbia, which at first seems like a paradise but turns out to be anything but. The narrative punches you over and over again with dramatic scenes between Elizabeth and Booker, pulling you into the universe ofBioShockfurther and further. The visuals of this floating island city are incredible as it’s filled with details. This first-person shooter also has plenty of satisfying magical abilities (Vigors) at your disposal like sending a flock of vicious crows at your enemies or shocking them to death.
“In an industry full of games that seem to struggle with satisfying conclusions — an areaBioShockitself famously failed in —Infiniteis one of those rare games with a perfect beginning, an engaging middle, and a perfect end,” said our10/10 review.
13. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (2011)
One of the best Japanese RPGs from the PS3 era isNi no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.It blends the majesty of Studio Ghibli’s anime visuals with a fun turn-based combat system from developer Level-5 that brings to mind thePokemonseries. You’re collecting creatures, using spells as a young wizard Oliver, and exploring a stunning world with visuals from the studio that brought usSpirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle,andLaputa: Castle in the Sky.Additionally, the emotional story about a boy trying to save his mother is truly engrossing and had me gushing into tears, like any good Studio Ghibli movie would. What helps that is the wonderful soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi.
12. Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (2009)
More than 15 years after its initial release,A Crack in Timeis still one of the bestRatchet & Clankgames you can play today. The storyline is epic as Clank realizes his hidden role in the universe as Ratchet tries to find his robotic buddy. The Lombax also finds out there’s another one of his kind, adding a father figure into the narrative. As you’d expect from any game in the series, Ratchet will get bombastic weapons at his disposal, such as the Spiral of Death, the Groovitron, and the goofy Sonic Eruptor which pulses burps at your foes. The time-oriented puzzle segments with Clank are also quite engaging.
“No surprise, exploring planets and blowing up a wide assortment of curious alien lifeforms is as fulfilling as ever inA Crack in Time,” saidour review. “The simple act of breaking boxes and collecting bolts hasn’t gotten boring, and is as addictive as it was in 2002 when Insomniac introduced the furry/metal duo to PlayStation 2 gamers.”
11. Persona 5 (2016)
This may be a latecomer for the PS3 butPersona 5is a masterpiece RPG you can get on the system. It has everything you want from a game of this genre. Magnificent visuals, spectacular music, a robust battle system, deep characters, and a thrilling story that keeps you entertained for around 100 hours. You’ll be enthralled by the game as you collect Personas for your character, like thePokemonseries, and fuse them together to create stronger creatures for your move list.
Additionally, you have to ensure you schedule your time wisely as you spend time with your favorite characters and upgrade the protagonist Joker’s stats by going to the gym, eating a burger, etc. “It still has the rigid backbone of a JRPG, but the organs, skin, and soul are teeming with more personality than most of us could even dream up,” saidour review forPersona 5.
10. Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
I really wanted to putGrand Theft Auto IVhere, but there’s no denying the juggernaut that is its sequel. A massive campaign split amongst three leads and a much-awaited online mode that has been running ever since led to Rockstar raking in obscene amounts of cash.Grand Theft Auto VandGrand Theft Auto Onlinehave been carrying the series since 2013 and it’s easy to see why.
9. Batman: Arkham City (2011)
2011 brought us one of the more classic Batman and Joker storylines with the release ofBatman: Arkham City. Rather than be confined to the haunted halls of Arkham Asylum, Batman prowls the cordoned streets of Gotham City which serve as a larger prison for some of the more deranged criminals. Written by the legendary Paul Dini and featuring iconic performances from Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill,Arkham Citywas the sequel the original deserved. It’s just a shame that Rocksteady tookTwo-Face’s wordsto heart.
8. Dark Souls (2011)
It’s truly something incredible to see a genre not only be born but also completely dominated by the studio that spawned it. Sure, FromSoftware put outDemon’s Soulstwo years earlier, but it wasDark Soulsthat really grabbed everyone’s attention. Moving fully into the spotlight, masochists could indulge themselves in the comfort of their living room rather than having to book sessions inthatneighborhood (you know the one).Dark Soulsrebranded FromSoftware as it was no longer known for theArmored Coreseries. Rather, they were the developer that was going to make you suffer in the best possible way.
7. LittleBigPlanet (2008)
Every so often, the world is gifted with a character that is so undeniably cute, that it transcends borders.LittleBigPlanet‘s Sackboy was exactly that as it donned various costumes and personalities to then hurtle through player-made levels full of platforming challenges. It was a title that took advantage of more readily available internet and unleashed players’ creativity upon one another. It wasSuper Mario Makerwell before Nintendo came to the obvious conclusion itself.
6. Portal 2 (2011)
I’m going to be real with you when I say I cannot overstate how giganticPortal 2was to gaming in general. It bent the zeitgeist to its will and even those (like me) who weren’t into it at the time, could not avoid it. What’s even more peculiar to say, is that it’s all well deserved.Portal 2lived up to expectations in a way thatDuke Nukemnever could.
Portal 2puts players back in the bouncy calf boot things of Chell as she must work with GLaDOS against the new AI foe, Wheatley. With brilliant writing, performances by J.K. Simmons, Stephen Merchant, and Ellen McLain, a two-player mode, and even more mechanics,Portal 2was a mind-blowing experience. There’s nothing like banging your head against the wall trying to figure out a puzzle and then immediately feeling like an idiot once you get it.
5. Mass Effect 2 (2011)
Mass Effectwas rough around the edges,Mass Effect 3‘s ending was a massive letdown, and we don’t talk aboutMass Effect: Andromeda. That leaves us withMass Effect 2which just might be my favorite single-player science fiction title of all time. It serves as the undeniable high point of the trilogy, as Shepard plays the good cop pushed too far who must put together a rag-tag crew of equally badass individuals.
Shepard is working for the bad guys, teaming up with the greatest supporting cast of all time, and squashing alien bugs before heading off on an epic suicide mission. Building up my team and watching them come through the other side of the wringer is easily one of my top experiences in any game. I would die for most of the Normandy SR2 crew, except Grunt, Jacob, and Zaeed. They can stay on the ship or get jettisoned into space.
4. God of War III (2010)
God of War IIleft Kratos and players alike on quite the cliffhanger. Leaving behind the PlayStation 2 for the PlayStation 3, technology had progressed far enough to handle the raw power and fury of Kratos’ wrath for the Greek pantheon. The final entry in the eponymous trilogy was a high mark that burned brightly in the ruins of Olympus.
After doing a short stint with Maury Povich and learning that Zeus was his father, Kratos, being the reasonable demi-human that he is, stormed Mount Olympus with an onslaught of Titans to put an end to the meddling gods who had pushed him too far. From Poseidon to Zeus,God of War IIIpulled out all of the stops with its QTE finishers. Like the tales of old, it cemented Kratos’ tale as an epic.
3. Red Dead Redemption (2010)
I’m not much of a fan of the Western genre in general, so when I tell you thatRed Dead Redemptionconsumed me, that should lend some credence to the level of artistry on display here. From the dusty single road of Armadillo to the relative metropolis that is Blackwater, John Marston’s journey was a bittersweet one. Rockstar created a world unlike any other and it was freeing to simply ride the countryside or take on the occasional odd job.
Despite the betrayal he suffered at the hands of Edgar Ross, there was no keeping a good man down as John Marston rose from the literal grave in the phenomenalUndead NightmareDLC. I still haven’t forgiven myself for what I did to the Sasquatch.
2. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009)
Not content to rest on its laurels after dunking onIndiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, Naughty Dog jumped right into the development ofUncharted 2: Among Thieves. Running on a brand-new engine and boasting additional multiplayer modes (as was the style at the time),Uncharted 2put players back in the boots of Nathan Drake on another globe-trotting adventure.
TheUnchartedseries is one of those where you don’t need to worry about keeping up, as you would in a live-service title, and delivers a compelling story through action-packed set pieces and fantastic acting.Uncharted 2was a high point in an already stellar series that had many itching to boot up their PS3 as often as possible.
1. The Last of Us (2013)
I mean, who didn’t see this coming? Of course, Naughty Dog was going to nab the top two spots.The Last of Uskilled it on practically every front, from gameplay to narrative. It’s a bleak and realistic look at an apocalypse. Fellow humans are a tremendous threat and the fresh take on zombies kept it all from feeling like a tired retread of the genre.
Ellie and Joel are anything but 2D as they deal with trauma and hard choices at nearly every step of their journey. It is such a profoundly strong story that sucked players in back in 2013 and then pretty much everyone else in 2023 when the television series was released. Sure, there was plenty of controversy and mixed feelings regarding its sequel, but you’re able to’t deny thatThe Last of Uswas the greatest title released on the PlayStation 3.
