As we approach the 8th anniversary of the release of the Playstation 3 in Japan, and the end of its long lifespan (though Sony will continue to support the system with releases through 2015), we’re looking back at our 20 favourite games to grace the console since its release. If you missed the first ten, head on over HERE and then join us below as we count down our top ten…
10. Dead Space
There is nothing quite like the original; and even though the sequel comes very close, it’s this introduction of eerie abandoned space stations and genuinely terrifying monsters that creates an atmosphere which puts Dead Space in the category of a horror game that is actually effective – there aren’t many of those around. My main gripe with it, and the subsequent installments, is that they aren’t long enough! – Chris Singh
9. Batman: Arkham City
More intense, more addictive and improving on just about everything we’d already enjoyed from Arkham Asylum, is this the best Batman game of all time? Yeah, it’s never gotten better than Arkham City in our opinion. – Larry Heath
8. FarCry 3
I wasn’t a massive fan of the first 2 FarCry games. I just merely liked them. FarCry 3 turned that whole experience on it’s head, giving us addictive side missions (oh my god, those rare animals are nightmares!) and a really interesting and engaging story to follow. Typing this just makes me want to pick it up and play it all over again. It’s the right combination of stealth and straight up action, set on an immense, beautifully designed island. – Chris Singh
7. Grand Theft Auto V
Taking the world of San Andreas we first explored on the Playstation 2, Grand Theft Auto V took things up to another level with storyline, attention to detail and just about everything that came along with it. Not to mention a killer (literally) Online mode. Switching between three characters, buying property, trading on the stock market, having casual relationships with strippers – all while you explore an interweaving and utterly compelling storyline. Games rarely get this good. Oh, and blowing stuff up is pretty fun too. – Larry Heath
6. Red Dead Redemption
GTA transposed into a spaghetti western film? Surely that’s going to be a bit messy? No. No, Rockstar solidified themselves with this, proving that Grand Theft Auto wasn’t all they had up their sleeves and giving us something that is on the very same level as all the best GTA installments. Like many of the other games I chose, it’s the writing which puts this ahead of it’s peers. The story plays out like a film that’d easily tear up the Box Office and go on to dominate award shows; it’s just that good. The mechanics and the side missions are just beautiful here. One of the best experiences I’ve had with the PS3. – Chris Singh
5. Little Big Planet 2
Whilst there are a couple of build your own level platforms out there like Mario Maker and Create, LBP was a turning point in making gaming development easy and accessible to the public. The launch of the ‘play, create, share’ concept via PS3 really added another dimension to the console and the LBP series of course has won numerous awards and critical acclaim.
The main hook is the emphasis on creativity over gameplay, sack boy and his friends are quirky, fascinating and fun to control. I think I’ve spent hours just customising my characters and laughing at them dance or going nuts decorating my ‘home pod’. But the ability to create your own levels, share these with an online community and try other gamers creations as well, is what makes this series so compelling. LBP2 was a step up from the original in terms of a wider variety of level design options and a shift away from just platform mode to other gaming types. This combined with a gorgeously uplifting soundtrack gives this game a wondrous ability to take gamers to their ‘happy place’. – Nazia Hafiz
4. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots
There’s a lot of faults that lie with the Metal Gear Solid series, and the fourth entry didn’t do much to change – the tone switches between deadly serious and slapstick at the drop of a hat, the story and technobabble is probably impossible to understand without a fairly die-hard following of the series and backstory, and it’s possible to wrestle with the controls and not still not be able to do what you wanted to. But, dammit, that’s why I love the series. Bringing the decade long story of Solid Snake to a close, MGS4 did nothing but bring up more questions about the characters and world that Hideo Kojima has built, a cinematic masterpiece stuffed under a stealth game held together so inadequately with duct tape that it just explodes everywhere and forces you to jump straight in. It’s impenetrable and honestly bat-shit crazy, but it’s so well polished, rammed with minutiae, and so utterly sincere that you can’t help but admire it. – Andrew Wade
3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
There is simply no comparing this to any similar game that came before or any similar game that has come after it. It’s a truly cinematic feel as Nathan Drake returns and redefines what we’ve come to expect from action-adventure games. That train sequence still sticks out as one of the most thrilling, vivid, and intense experiences I have ever had while gaming. This is just incredibly fun, as long as you can get past the patience-testing ledge jumps. – Chris Singh
I am yet to see a better example of a game emulating the action-movie roller coaster better than this. Naughty Dog’s follow up to their PS3 launch title is better in every single way than it’s predecessor with bigger set pieces, more interesting locations and more colourful, well-drawn, deftly performed characters. – David Smith
2. The Last Of Us
The Last Of Us managed to transcend almost every expectation from Naughty Dog’s past catalog – with a change completely from left field of the tales of Nathan Drake and co, Joel and Ellie’s exhaustive journey through post-apocalyptic America was thrilling at almost every turn. Although the controls were a bit of a struggle at times, and some of the encounters had an inability to play them any other way than the exact way Naught Dog wanted you to, The Last Of Us pushed the system to the absolute limit, both graphically and in terms of the subject matter at hand, The Last Of Us was a brilliant send off to the almost decade long generation, being a showcase for the gigantic leaps forward in storytelling, acting, motion capture, and art direction. – Andrew Wade
1. Journey
Going against the grain of almost ever other multiplayer focused game of the generation, Journey sits head and shoulders above the heap – the elegant and minimalistic level design, the intuitive yet restrictive communication options, the absolutely simple but sublime platforming and wordless struggle of players that somehow managed to speak volumes elevate it to a true experience of the platform. In a generation that prioritized multiplayer networks and competitiveness at almost every turn, Journey is a breath of fresh air that bucks the norms for an incredibly tight, focused, enjoyable and almost magical game. – Andrew Wade
For a game that’s so small and short, Journey will stay with you an extremely long time after completing it. A beautiful blend of design, animation, music and considered story-telling, this game is almost better played without having read anything about it. Absolute magic. Trust me. – David Smith
