The following list doesn’t necessarily include the best games that the PS3 had to offer, but rather the games that had the biggest impact upon the console’s legacy, from its launch right through to the release of the PlayStation 4. It’s also in chronological order to give you an idea of timeline of the PS3’s software successes and failures.
Here are the 10 defining games of the PlayStation 3 era. After reading this, be sure to check out the 10 defining games of the Xbox 360 era, too.
The 10 Defining Games of the PlayStation 3 Era
-
Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots
Considered by many to be series creator Hideo Kojima's masterpiece, Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots became THE game to show off the PS3 hardware in 2008. Whether it was its cinematic cutscenes, more action-oriented gameplay or those loading screens featuring a smoking Old Snake, it was a technical marvel and a bonafide system seller to boot.
-
LittleBigPlanet
Every console should have a cuddly mascot, and in 2008 developer Media Molecule achieved this for Sony by bringing the adorable Sackboy to the PS3. LittleBigPlanet was the most intriguing new IP of 2008, and it appealed to both families and fledgling video game developers, who came up with some marvellous creations using the game's innovative creation suite.
-
Killzone 2
Killzone 2's impact on the PS3 wasn't due to the game itself, but rather from the trailer that Sony displayed at E3 2005. Its graphics blew everyone away at the time, and significantly raised the level of anticipation for the new console. However, despite SCEA VP Jack Tretton saying that the footage from the trailer was in-game, a developer for Guerrila later confirmed that it was pre-rendered, and was intended to demonstrate what the team felt they could "achieve on the PlayStation 3". Needless to say, a fair few people were annoyed that they had been duped.
-
Uncharted 2
Most consider it to be the best Uncharted game, and many consider it to be the greatest PS3 game. Whatever your opinion, it's undeniable that Uncharted 2 is a fantastic title, that came at a time when the PS3 was starting to gain a lot of traction after its slow first couple of years. This was the game that propelled Naughty Dog into the video game developer elite, and for very good reason.
-
Heavy Rain
Opinion on Heavy Rain is divided, with some loving its story-focused gameplay and others bemoaning its deluge of quick-time events. However, by offering an experience that you simply couldn't get on the Xbox 360, developer Quantic Dream had created a surprising system seller for the PS3, and one of the most memorable games in the console's impressive library.
-
Sports Champions
While Microsoft at least aimed to bring something new to the motion-controller table with the Kinect, Sony decided to blatantly rip off Nintendo's Wii with the PlayStation Move "wand" controller. To seemingly prove how derivative they were being, Sony bundled in the controller with Sports Champions, a thinly-veiled Wii Sports wannabe that failed to impress almost everyone.
-
Gran Turismo 5
One of the more controversial games in the PlayStation 3's back catalogue, Gran Turismo 5 took five years to develop after numerous delays, cost a whopping $80 million and even had an elongated demo receive a retail release in the form of Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, in order to make the lengthy wait more bearable for the series' fans. The full version of Gran Turismo 5 finally arrived in 2010, becoming the highest-selling PS3 exclusive title ever and seeing sales for the console double in Japan in its first week on market.
-
Killzone 3
Sony's push of stereoscopic 3D came to a head in 2011, when the company tried to convince an unwilling market that the technology was worth investing in with 3D demos of Killzone 3 placed worldwide. Unfortunately, few people listened, and Sony eventually gave up with the whole "3D is the future" spiel - the PS4 now doesn't even support 3D blu-rays.
-
Journey
The PS3's library of indie games may not have been as well-recognised as that of the Xbox 360's, but 2012's Journey sought to change that by giving us one of the most affecting games of its generation. Journey implemented online multiplayer like no other game before it, allowing players to forge relationships with one another without even being given the ability to communicate in-game. Journey took everyone by surprise, and was deservedly placed at the top of many end-of-year lists by notable gaming publications.
-
The Last of Us
Whereas the Xbox 360 seemed to fizzle out within its final year, the PS3 had its perfect swan song in the form of The Last of Us. Perhaps the finest post-apocalyptic game ever (and there a LOT of them to choose from), The Last of Us was a subtle, moving and unforgettable game that stood to remind us of just how good the PlayStation 3 was.
