The 50 Best PS3 Games of All Time

Naughty Dog has built itself up into one of Sony's most reliable first-party development houses. Near the end of the PS3's lifecycle, it introduced gamers to an all-new IP that encompasses everything they appreciate about stories involving a post-apocalyptic scenario. The Last of Us is an emotional roller coaster that follows Joel as he escorts Ellie through a world filled with the worst of humanity and infected creatures that have an insanely high creep factor. Fighting for survival in this PS3 gem means scrambling for supplies and making sure Joel & Ellie steer clear of the relentless "Clickers" & desperate survivors that want them dead.

Naughty Dog's greatness was solidified back on the first two PlayStation consoles via the Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter series. And once it made its way over to the PS3, it went the full Indiana Jones route by producing an epic action/adventure game that's all about traveling the glove and searching for lost treasure. And the very best rendition of that worldwide trek came in the form of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Nathan Drake's deadly close calls started early in this one with one of the greatest intro levels of all time. The rest of this amazing sequel greatly improved upon the cover-based shooting, humorous character banter, and clever puzzles that were present in its predecessor.

Kratos can sure hold a grudge, huh? That fact became even more evident as he fought alongside the Titans during his crusade against the Gods of Mount Olympus in this bonafide classic. God of War III is a graphical powerhouse that upgrades all the God-killing escapades and jaw-dropping cinematics the series rests its hat on. Kratos' arsenal of melee/ranged weaponry expanded to allow him to pull off even more gory combos & QTE (Quick Time Event) fatalities that never get old. As the conclusion to Kratos' bloody feud with his father Zeus, God of War III brings the series' original trilogy to a definitive close with a boss fight for the ages.

It pains our and plenty of other Hideo Kojima fans' hearts to realize that the fourth Metal Gear Solid game can only be played on the PS3. Lucky for you if you still have a physical copy of this satisfying conclusion to Solid Snake's espionage-filled career. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is one of those games that feels like you're playing through an Academy Award-winning film. The epic cutscenes, grand clashes with members of the "Beauty & the Beast Unit," and deeply emotional final half of the game is & always will be a mind-blowing undertaking. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to go back and play that magnificent fistfight with Liquid Ocelot...

Insomniac Games is another one of those Sony first-party studios that can always be entrusted with creating something worthwhile for any & all PlayStation hardware. Back on the PS3, it delved into the realm of alternate history via a first-person shooter that pits the human race against a race of gun-toting aliens during the early 1950s. Resistance 2 happens to be the best entry in that franchise due to a wealth of new firearms that helped Insomniac flex its creative muscles. The war with the Chimera excels thanks to a combination of a great solo campaign, an awesome co-op campaign, and a multiplayer suite that supported up to 60 players for plenty of unforgettable PvP skirmishes.

Killzone 2's pre-launch footage was super deceptive, of course. Even still, the final product that Guerrilla Games released on the PS3 ended up being one of the console's strongest first-person shooters. The heavy feel of the gunplay and movement are still given tons of praise as it retained Killzone's signature feel when compared to Xbox's Halo series. The ongoing war with the Helghast results in a shooter that does right by the series' gritty nature and impactful/explosive engagements. The plot of the game isn't all that memorable, but that opening cinematic speech from Scolar Visari will always give us chills.

The Future Saga of the Ratchet & Clank series got its start on the PS3 via Tools of Destruction. The uptick in visuals is clearly evident as the Pixar-esque world Insomniac Games crafted back on the PS2 looks mind-blowing here. This shooter/platformer hybrid brought several other exotic weapons into the fold that made all the chaotic enemy busting such a nonstop pleasure. The Groovitron, Alpha Disruptor, and Mag-Net Launcher are GOAT-tier weapons, in our eyes. Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction accomplishes its goal by bringing Insomniac's anthropomorphic icons to the PS3 in the finest way possible.

British developer Media Molecule created an amazing game that doubled as a learning tool for future game creators. LittleBigPlanet introduced the world to the precious frontman for the PS3, Sackboy, and a puzzle platformer that employed the basics of the genre to perfection. The custom stage creations that came from the game's community gave it a long lifespan as you could always download the most creative setups and play them for yourself. The main campaign stages put in place by Media Molecule and the near-limitless array of content that came from its ingenious player base started the LittleBigPlanet IP off on a very strong note.

After Sucker Punch's run with the Sly Cooper series, Sucker Punch Productions moved onto something more "heroic." And in the process, PS3 owners got treated to inFAMOUS. Cole MacGrath''s mastery of his lightning-based toolset within an open world allowed players to glide through the air, shock the opposition to death, and cause massive explosions throughout the destroyed remnants of Empire City. Choosing the goodie-two-shoes route is cool and all, but inFAMOUS is way more fun when you fully embrace Cole's evil side to cause further chaos.

The second best-selling PS3 game of all time is none other than the fifth mainline entry in Polyphony Digital's racing simulation series. Gran Turismo 5 maintained the franchise's dazzling visual prowess and super deep approach to becoming an expert racer. You can still poor hours into doing anything and everything to unlock this game's offering of 1,000+ vehicles. The newly implemented car damage model mechanics, efficient weather effects, and custom course editor did a lot to make this Gran Turismo sequel incredibly worthwhile. Big props to his game for implementing the Super GT racing series, too!

ModNation Racers followed the blueprint that LittleBigPlanet put forth and attached it to the wild & wonderful world of kart racing. The "Play, Create, Share" motif did its job properly here with enjoyable kart racing mechanics, a custom creation tool that gave players the chance to bring their imaginative designs to life, and an online community that exchanged tracks/mods/karts to keep the game alive. It's pretty sad to learn ModNation Racers' online servers went down in 2018. But you can still dive into this kart racer and let your imagination run wild.

Activision's quintessential first-person shooter IP entered the mainstream lexicon with this series entry. By moving on from the World War II era and taking the action to the modern-day battlefield, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare morphed into one of the most impactful games of all time. The smooth and slick movement goes hand in hand with the game's heated firefights, which both did an awesome job of making each skirmish one to remember. The single-player campaign featured in Modern Warfare is one of the very best and its online multiplayer suite had everyone turning into angry "sweats" back in the day. A huge salute to our forever hero, John "Soap" MacTavish!

The spinoff JRPG series lifted from the Shin Megami Tensei series got its longest and largest entry to date with the series' fifth installment. Persona 5 oozes so much style and swagger that's delivered through its magnificent soundtrack, charming cast of masked vigilantes, and well-tuned dungeon-crawling & social interaction mechanics. Persona 5's story tells a mature tale that unfolds in the most shocking ways possible, which is why everyone that experienced it speaks so highly of it. The "Phantom Thieves of Hearts" journey into the dark Metaverse is the sort of epic trial that every JRPG fan should endure.

Thatgamecompany is responsible for crafting some of the most creative games on the PS3 - titles like Flow and Flower embraced unique concepts that did things differently in comparison to what the rest of the industry was doing at the time of release. Journey is the development studio's biggest title on Sony's third console, for sure. Taking control of the game's signature robed figure within a vast desert location paved the way for a mystifying trek. And through it all, huge revelations came forth. The joy of finally running into another player online and helping them on their "journey" in this game is unmatched.

Capcom breathed new life into the Street Fighter IP and the fighting game genre as a whole with the original 2008 launch of Street Fighter IV. After countless updates, this quality 2.5D fighter got its final and definitive upgrade in the form of Ultra Street Fighter IV. On top of all the greatness that was included in the game prior, USF4 threw in a bunch of character balances, the ability to pick both of your character's "Ultra Combos" pre-battle, "Delayed Standing," and the combo extending "Red Focus Attack." With five added characters and six additional stages from Street Fighter X Tekken, USF4 became the most feature-rich version of Capcom's triumphant return of its "World Warriors."

Capcom sure loves its fighting game updates, huh? After taking note of all the fan requests and suggestions for improvements to Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, the Japanese juggernaut gaming publisher/developer went back to the drawing board and arrived with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Fan favorites such as Strider and Ghost Rider hopped into all the 3v3 skirmishes, plus this welcome update arrived with extra stages, much-needed adjustments to air combos & the "X-Factor" system, and a fun single-player focused mode called "Heroes and Heralds." This team-based fighter still gets a ton of playtime from the FGC, which speaks to its overall greatness.

Ed Boon and the rest of the creatives at NetherRealm Studios decided to reboot its groundbreaking fighting game franchise back in 2011. Mortal Kombat came back with a vengeance by returning to the 2D combat mechanics the series started on and refining its approach to 3D visuals. The game's story enveloped the events of the first three games, which resulted in this fighter producing one of the most satisfying single-player experiences in the genre. And of course, everyone's favorites returned here as a new batch of bloody Fatalities and other gory moves splashed across the screen.

Rocksteady Studios earned its status as one of the very best development studios in the industry once it released Batman: Arkham Asylum. Its much anticipate follow-up took the world by storm as it pushed the "Dark Knight" out into a haven for criminals within the dank slums of Gotham City. Being able to spread Batman's wings and glide around an even more expansive outdoor locale while doing battle with random thugs & solving riddles blew everyone's minds back in the day. And getting to mix it up with the likes of Hugo Strange, Mr. Freeze, and even Azrael felt awesome to experience as a longtime Batman fanatic.

Issac Clarke had already been through enough hell during his unplanned stay on the Necormorph-filled USG Ishimura. But he was forced to blast off the limbs of even more space terrors when he made his return in Dead Space 2. While more action-packed than its predecessor, this survival horror gem kept all the frights intact as players made their way through a horrifying space station called the Sprawl. Dead Space 2' incredible single-player campaign and surprisingly decent multiplayer mode make it one of Electronic Arts and Visceral Games' (RIP) finest works.

Development studio Quantic Dream made sure to grab everyone's attention with a big-budget project that placed players smack dab in the middle of a crime caper. Heavy Rain features multiple protagonists that are hot on the trail of a mysterious individual known as the "Origami Killer." And through a wealth of interactive drama set pieces and intense Quick Time Events, the game's story unfolded with a wealth of shocking twists and turns that caught everyone off guard. Being able to switch up the game's narrative through player actions meant you'd arrive at all sorts of different outcomes as it unfolded. Sure, it has its cringy moments ("Press X to Jason" will always be funny!). But Heavy Rain's positives certainly outweigh its negatives.

The original Portal hit the scene back in 2007 and became a surprise hit that pushed Valve to give it another go. Portal 2 upped the ante by not only featuring a mind-bending single-player campaign but also incorporating a co-op campaign with two of the most lovable bots in all of gaming. The Aperture Science Laboratory presents a myriad of tests that play with players' perception and challenges them to rely on the use of portals to navigate & keep themselves from harm. The charm that was present in the first game was magnified here and the puzzle-solving gets even more intricate, which are two factors Portal fans were thankful for upon this sequel's release.

The Souls series' immense popularity and success caught everyone off guard. Who knew that a series of action RPGs that are insanely difficult and has no sense of player hand-holding in place would capture the attention of so many gamers? Dark Souls II retains all the essential features that the first Demon's Souls and Dark Souls went all-in on, plus it threw in a bunch of smart gameplay tweaks & quality of life improvements. Navigating the dark and dreary kingdom of Drangleic brings a high difficulty curve, but you'll feel rewarded for sticking with it and fighting hard for your survival. This remastered edition of Dark Souls II is the best way to experience such an amazing action RPG thanks to improved online play mechanics and new enemy placements.

Rockstar Games and its San Diego development studio created the best wild west simulator back on the PS3 with Red Dead Redemption, an open-world trek through the lawless lands of the Western United States and Northern Mexico. Playing as John Marston is an enlightening experience for players as they get embroiled in wild shootouts & gun duels, seek out bounties on wanted criminals, enjoy some chill sessions while playing gambling, etc. The online multiplayer mode suite and "zombified" expansion that arrived post-launch did, even more, to spread out the seemingly neverending goodness at play here. Red Dead Redemption's closing moments will definitely have you in your feels if you haven't been spoiled about them already.

Grand Theft Auto V dropped in 2013, yet it's still being played by millions of people across a huge variety of consoles. And that's because of its ever-expanding online component (Grand Theft Auto Online), which continually adds huge update drops that keep things fresh. GTA's return to San Andreas happens to be the series' most ambitious foray into open-world criminology. The three-man money heist crew of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor threw players headfirst into wild situations that helped it stand apart from GTA's many predecessors. And with such an abundance of side tasks to embark on within GTA's fictional take on Los Angeles, players have the game's massive digital world at their full disposal.

The impact of this provocative FPS is tenfold. BioShock's plotline and shocking reveals have caused major discussions and interpretations. The game's heavy combat feel adds that extra oomph to clashes with the twisted denizens of Rapture and the towering Big Daddies that want you dead. And being able to pull out a wealth of elemental and non-elemental abilities via plasmids helped the game's battles differentiate itself from other FPS games. BioShock encapsulates the best parts of its genre while infusing unique elements that give it a flavor that's all its own. Everything (except that final boss fight...) is damn near perfection here.