The 25 Best PlayStation 3 Games That Still Hold Up Today

At the time of its release, the PlayStation 3 seemed to stumble out of the gate late and directly into third place in the 7th generation “console wars.” The Xbox 360 had a firmly entrenched user base it had been building since the launch of the console in late 2005, helped in large part by the platform’s backwards compatibility, and Nintendo had just launched the revolutionary Wii. In comparison, the PS3 seemed prohibitively expensive and lacking in new or exciting features, but it had it where it counts: the games. While the console’s library was initially pretty threadbare, the PlayStation 3 would eventually become home to some of the best games of the era, many of which still stand today as beloved favorites.

• Release Date — November 5, 2009
• Developer — Silicon Studio
• Publisher — FromSoftware, Atlus
• Genre — Action RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 77% (Generally Favorable)

A bit of a hidden gem in the PS3 library, but one that’s no less one of the console’s greatest games, is 3D Dot Game Heroes. This unique take on the classic Legend of Zelda formula is about as close as the PS3 got to its own version of an old-school Zelda game, and it features an interesting approach to New Game + that should feel very familiar to fans of FromSoftware games — no coincidence when you realize the studio published the title in Japan.

• Release Date — March 13, 2012
• Developer — Thatgamecompany
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Genre — Adventure
• Review Aggregate Score — 92% (Universal Acclaim)

The meditative adventure game was all the rage in the 7th generation, owing to several important and iconic titles that pushed the envelope for narratives in gaming during the era. One of the most significant and enduring of them all, though, is Journey, which practically established the blueprint for the genre moving forward. That it’s still one of the greatest games in the adventure genre and a profoundly moving experience all these years later is a testament to its enduring performance and proof positive it’s one of the PS3’s most important games.

• Release Date — May 26, 2009
• Developer — Sucker Punch Productions
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)

Years before Rocksteady would practically perfect the formula for the modern superhero game with Batman: Arkham City, Sucker Punch would take an incredibly ambitious crack at it with inFamous, and it remains one of the PS3’s best games (and most deserving of a remaster of some kind). That inFamous is as fun and interesting as it is without the aid of an established comic book IP speaks to how strong its core gameplay and interesting moral choices are.

• Release Date — November 11, 2006
• Developer — Insomniac Games
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Genre — FPS
• Review Aggregate Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)

The Resistance series was one of Insomniac’s opening statements on the PS3, with the first game in the short-lived alternate history FPS franchise arriving as a launch title for the console. As it stands, that first Resistance game is still the best of the bunch, delivering the kind of self-contained single-player campaign that’s all but fallen by the wayside in modern first-person shooters. Thanks to some excellent setpiece moments and some truly inventive weaponry, Resistance is still just as fun now as it was almost 20 years ago.

• Release Date — February 5, 2009
• Developer — FromSoftware
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment, Atlus
• Genre — Action RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)

Two years before FromSoftware would turn the gaming industry on its head with Dark Souls, the studio laid the groundwork with one of the PlayStation 3’s best games and most important exclusives: Demon’s Souls. Surprisingly, the original Demon’s Souls still holds up incredibly well even in a post-remake world, with its dark atmosphere and punishing gameplay just as gripping in a modern context as it was back in 2009. While Dark Souls is arguably the better game, there’s no denying that Demon’s Souls walked so it could run.

• Release Date — October 9, 2012
• Developer — Arkane Studios
• Publisher — Bethesda Softworks
• Genre — Immersive Sim, Stealth
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)

The last few years of the PS3’s lifespan were marked by an onslaught of incredible games that pushed the envelope for what was possible across a variety of genres and helped lay the foundation for what games would evolve into in the 8th generation. One of the more important titles to do this for the first-person shooter genre was Dishonored, which fully brought back the near-dead immersive sim genre just in time for it to capture a brand-new audience. And Dishonored‘s release couldn’t have been better-timed, arriving at a perfect window when players were eagerly anticipating BioShock: Infinite and ultimately ending up being a better game.

• Release Date — November 29, 2012
• Developer — Ubisoft Montreal
• Publisher — Ubisoft
• Genre — Action-Adventure, FPS
• Review Aggregate Score — 90% (Universal Acclaim)

The Far Cry series arguably peaked with Far Cry 3, as evidenced by every subsequent game riffing on its same core gameplay loop. And for a time, Far Cry 3 was both one of the best first-person shooters and one of the best open-world games, making it a strong contender for being one of the best titles available in the PlayStation 3 library. The emphases that Far Cry 3 places on emergent gameplay and player agency were leaps ahead of the first two games in the series, and they still make the third game the most fun you can have playing a Far Cry title.

• Release Date — October 28, 2008
• Developer — Bethesda Game Studios
• Publisher — Bethesda Softworks
• Genre — Action RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 90% (Universal Acclaim)

We have a lot to thank Fallout 3 for, from resurrecting a beloved RPG franchise to kicking off the Fallout series’ “modern era”, and eventually helping to pave the way for one of the best video game television adaptations with Amazon’s Fallout series. Underneath its importance to the IP, though, Fallout 3 is just a great game that successfully merged the exploration and immersion of The Elder Scrolls with a surprisingly competent shooter anchored by one of gaming’s best mechanics: the V.A.T.S. system.

• Release Date — September 22, 2011
• Developer — Bluepoint Games, Japan Studio
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Review Aggregate Score — 92% (Universal Acclaim)

The PS3 would end up being home to a ton of great compilations, but The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection stands tall as one of the best for two key reasons. One, both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are two of the greatest games of the 6th generation and practically undisputed masterpieces, so to have both of these Fumito Ueda games available on one disc is a huge win. Two, the Ico & Shadow of the Colossus collection’s remasters were done by none other than Bluepoint Games, who would go on to remake both Shadow of the Colossus and, later, Demon’s Souls as one of Sony’s more notable first-party studios.

• Release Date — February 27, 2009
• Developer — Guerrilla Games
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Genre — FPS
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)

After making a bit of a shaky debut on the PS2, Killzone came back with a vengeance for its first PS3 outing, blowing players away with one of the best FPS campaigns of the era in Killzone 2. On top of it being the peak of the series, Killzone 2 also features some insane visuals for its time that somehow still look impressive today, even with more than 15 years of intervening technological advancements.

• Release Date — September 18, 2012
• Developer — Gearbox Software
• Publisher — 2K
• Genre — FPS, Looter Shooter
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)

Speaking of great first-person shooters, it would be a mistake not to bring up Borderlands 2 as one of the best PlayStation 3 games, simply for how essential it was to own for just about every shooter fan. Whether playing through the campaign multiple times in solo mode or diving into hour after hour of endgame content with a squad of friends in co-op, you’d be hard-pressed to find a shooter on the PS3 more fun than Borderlands 2, and it remains the pinnacle of the series.

• Release Date — April 27, 2010
• Developer — Capcom, Dimps
• Publisher — Capcom
• Genre — Fighting
• Review Aggregate Score — 92% (Universal Acclaim)

Sure, Ultra Street Fighter IV is technically the “latest and greatest” version of the series’ 7th generation entry. But for our money, the excellent Street Fighter IV peaked with Super Street Fighter IV, which also happens to be the greatest fighting game on the PS3. The seventh console generation was surprisingly skint when it came to fighting games, but Street Fighter IV served as a stark reminder of the series’ importance as one of gaming’s most iconic and dependable franchises. Plus, it’s still arguably more fun to pick up and play than either Street Fighter V or 6.

• Release Date — November 11, 2011
• Developer — Bethesda Game Studios
• Publisher — Bethesda Softworks
• Genre — Action RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 92% (Universal Acclaim)

Players were understandably blown away by The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion‘s impressive open world, so to say that hype for Skyrim was at a fever pitch before its release is an understatement. Still, nothing could have prepared us for the impact that Skyrim would have, not just on RPGs but on the gaming industry as a whole. It’s been ported and re-released endlessly, and it’s somehow just as popular and relevant today as it was back in 2011.

• Release Date — April 18, 2011
• Developer — Valve
• Publisher — Valve
• Genre — Puzzle Platformer
• Review Aggregate Score — 95% (Universal Acclaim)

To this day, Valve’s Portal 2 is still the greatest puzzle-platformer of all time, full stop. If the original Portal included in The Orange Box was a sort of tech demo or proof of concept, Portal 2 is where Valve blew the doors off, subsequently delivering one of the most enjoyable and replayable puzzle games in existence; one that’s perhaps even more brilliant in co-op than it already is in single-player.

• Release Date — January 18, 2011
• Developer — BioWare
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — Action RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 94% (Universal Acclaim)

It took PlayStation 3 owners a little bit to get Mass Effect on the console, but once they did, there was no turning back. BioWare’s sci-fi RPG epic is one of the most important game trilogies ever made, and the decision to make it multi-platform only meant that more people would get to experience its peerless storytelling, combat, and atmosphere. Mass Effect 2 has been and will likely always be the highlight of the series, which has helped it stand the test of time as one of the PS3’s best games — or one of the best games on any console, really.

• Release Date — November 5, 2007
• Developer — Infinity Ward
• Publisher — Activision
• Genre — FPS
• Review Aggregate Score — 94% (Universal Acclaim)

By the time the seventh console generation had kicked off, Call of Duty was already an established name, with the series’ second mainline entry serving as one of the Xbox 360’s flagship launch titles. But the seismic shift brought about by Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was one that is still felt today, both in terms of the general trajectory of FPS design and the enduring success of the Call of Duty franchise. And as you might expect, given that kind of legacy, both the campaign and multiplayer of Modern Warfare deliver some of the greatest FPS gameplay of the era or since.

• Release Date — March 16, 2010
• Developer — Santa Monica Studio
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Review Aggregate Score — 92% (Universal Acclaim)

Before we had the new Norse pivot for Kratos and the God of War saga, the PlayStation 3 was home to what was supposed to be the character’s swan song and the end of a three-part arc set in the world of Greek mythology. Looking back on God of War III, it’s the perfect refinement of what came before, delivering hard-hitting and visceral combat that’s only enhanced by the still-impressive visuals on display. That God of War III is the only classic game in the series available to play on modern PlayStation hardware is no mistake.

• Release Date — October 17, 2008
• Developer — 2K Boston, 2K Australia, 2K Marin, Digital Extremes
• Publisher — 2K
• Genre — FPS, Immersive Sim
• Review Aggregate Score — 94% (Universal Acclaim)

The importance of BioShock, much like many of the other great games of the 7th generation, can’t be overstated, and one simply needs to play the game to understand why it had the impact it did. All these years later, BioShock is still impressive in terms of its combat sandbox, its world-building and atmosphere, and its gripping narrative, leaving many players never looking at the phrase “Would you kindly?” the same.

• Release Date — May 18, 2010
• Developer — Rockstar San Diego
• Publisher — Rockstar Games
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Review Aggregate Score — 95% (Universal Acclaim)

Much more than “Grand Theft Horse”, Red Dead Redemption is one of the 7th generation’s greatest games and Rockstar’s magnum opus of the era. Going back and playing it now, especially in a post-Grand Theft Auto V world, shows how much further Red Dead leans into its RPG elements and exploration, allowing players to truly experience the “wild” in the Wild West as part of a story that rivals some of the best action films and Westerns produced in Hollywood.

• Release Date — October 18, 2011
• Developer — Rocksteady Studios
• Publisher — Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Review Aggregate Score — 96% (Universal Acclaim)

Nearly 15 years later, no developer has been able to surpass Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham City as the best superhero game ever made, even if some (like Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man) have come close. Arkham Asylum was already an incredible game and a strong contender for the best playable version of Batman, but Rocksteady truly outdid itself with Arkham City, delivering the PS3’s best comic book game, its best licensed game, and one of its best open-world games.

• Release Date — April 29, 2008
• Developer — Rockstar North
• Publisher — Rockstar Games
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Review Aggregate Score — 98% (Universal Acclaim)

It was a bit of a struggle choosing between Grand Theft Auto IV and V to put on a list of the best PlayStation 3 games, but we ultimately went with GTA IV because of how essential it felt to the PS3 library. While GTA V did arrive at the tail end of the console’s lifespan, its later PS4 and PS5 versions (not to mention its PC port) would come to define it more, especially where the viral popularity of GTA Online is concerned. But as far as games that were contained to the PS3 era go, it’s hard to think of a more impressive leap between iconic franchises from the 6th and 7th generations than the jump from San Andreas to Grand Theft Auto IV.

• Release Date — September 22, 2011
• Developer — FromSoftware
• Publisher — Bandai Namco
• Genre — Action RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)

As far as influential games of the 7th generation go, it’s almost impossible to imagine the gaming industry being what it is today without FromSoftware’s Dark Souls. Released at a time when games were more likely to hold a player’s hand and safeguard them from failure, Dark Souls felt refreshingly old school, obtuse, and punishing, and players couldn’t get enough of it. It’s since gone on to spawn a trilogy of incredible games, its own subgenre of action RPGs, and help put FromSoftware on the map as one of the most important developers working today. But aside from all of it, it’s simply one of the greatest games ever made.

• Release Date — June 12, 2008
• Developer — Kojima Productions
• Publisher — Konami
• Genre — Action, Stealth
• Review Aggregate Score — 94% (Universal Acclaim)

The bittersweet farewell to Solid Snake that players get in Metal Gear Solid 4 is one of the PS3’s defining moments, and the game itself stands as one that was both ahead of its time and of it. While you could make the argument that Metal Gear Solid V refined 4‘s gameplay for the better (and you’d be right), it’s important to think about MGS 4 in the context of the PlayStation 3’s library, where it still sits as a console exclusive locked away by time and dead hardware. When thinking of games that both define and are defined by the PS3, Metal Gear Solid 4 is at the top of the list.

• Release Date — June 14, 2013
• Developer — Naughty Dog
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Genre — Action, Stealth, Survival Horror
• Review Aggregate Score — 95% (Universal Acclaim)

The bombastic and over-the-top swashbuckling adventure of the Uncharted games is about as far from The Last of Us as you could get, yet both series are still unmistakably Naughty Dog, underscoring the developer’s penchant for high-quality action-adventure games with great characters and compelling storylines. And yeah, The Last of Us has now been remastered, remade, ported, and adapted to the point where it seems like a bit of the lustre has worn off, but that original PS3 game is nothing short of a masterpiece.

• Release Date — October 13, 2009
• Developer — Naughty Dog
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Review Aggregate Score — 96% (Universal Acclaim)

Both Naughty Dog’s best game and the PS3’s most essential title, Uncharted 2 built on the success of the first game to evolve the franchise from simply being a male-fronted Tomb Raider to becoming one of Sony’s most important IPs. The opening sequence alone is one of the most legendary self-contained segments of any game, and it’s been endlessly copied since by a ton of other titles hoping to cash in on Uncharted 2‘s brilliance. If Naughty Dog ever remakes another game in the Uncharted series, all bets are on it being Uncharted 2 since it’s the franchise’s pinnacle.