Best PlayStation 3 Classics That Are Still Perfect

Similar to the PS2, the PS3 was too expensive when it first came out, so I waited to buy one. Being a college student with limited funds, and the lack of compelling games initially, made waiting the right choice. In 2008, I found a good deal that made the PS3 affordable, and I was able to get it just in time to play Grand Theft Auto 4 and prepare for the release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots shortly after.

I have many fond memories of the PS3, but it’s frustrating that so many great games are still only playable on that console. While some, like Dead Space and Demon’s Souls, have been updated for newer systems, others are unavailable to PlayStation fans except through less-than-ideal streaming services. Recently, I revisited a few of my favorites – inFAMOUS 2 and Spec Ops: The Line – and I was happy to find they still hold up well, just like I remembered.

Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.

Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)

Your Order

Results

— —

More Games

Dead Space 2

Hide Your Eyeballs

Even with advancements in gaming graphics, Dead Space 2 remains as terrifying as it was when it first came out in 2011. From the infamous opening scene with the eye to the shocking moments of people being ripped apart, it’s a truly frightening experience.

Even after multiple playthroughs, Dead Space 2 remains an incredibly engaging horror game. The satisfying combat – shooting enemies on wrecked ships or in outer space – is made even better by the ability to upgrade your weapons, and my many hours played are a testament to how good it still is.

inFAMOUS 2

Shocking The Bayou

The entire inFAMOUS series – including the first game and its expansion – would be great to see remastered for the PS5, but inFAMOUS 2 is truly special. I remember it being the perfect game to play after graduating college in 2011, a much-needed escape from thinking about school.

New Marais, the fictional swamp city in inFAMOUS 2, was a much more compelling place to explore than the first game’s typical city environment, and the gameplay was significantly refined. Cole’s electrical abilities were more diverse, hand-to-hand combat felt fantastic, and getting around was effortless. inFAMOUS 2, along with the other inFAMOUS titles, truly holds its own when compared to today’s popular superhero games like Marvel’s Spider-Man.

Rock Band

Time To Jam

I spent a lot of money on Rock Band, not just the game itself, but also all the instruments, stands, and downloadable music. But it was worth the investment! Rock Band provided years of fun as a party game, even though the equipment was a bit bulky to store.

Even after years and a quick cleanup, the game’s instruments still functioned perfectly, and it was just as fun to play. The drums, guitars, and microphone, combined with the familiar songs, instantly brought back great memories of playing with friends – it’s amazing how music can unlock those kinds of recollections.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools Of Destruction

A New Generation Of Platforming

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction was the first game in the series for the PlayStation 3, and it was a hit. While later games, after the second installment which experimented with role-playing features, followed a similar formula, that wasn’t necessarily a drawback.

The Ratchet & Clank Future series was always known for its enjoyable weapons, creative worlds, and precise controls – it was a really polished experience. While Tools of Destruction wasn’t revolutionary when it came out in 2007, it remained a relaxing and fun platformer, even years later.

Just Cause 2

Crossing Wires

Man, I had so much fun with Just Cause 2 because it just let you go wild! The whole game took place on this fictional island, Panau, and you could basically cause total chaos. Blowing up those silos was so satisfying, taking down enemies felt great, but honestly, the grappling hook was the best part. It was seriously useful for everything!

The grappling hook allowed for incredible freedom – players could scale buildings, launch themselves across the map with a parachute, or even steal cars by attaching to them. Even now, over ten years later, few games deliver the same sheer fun as Just Cause 2, and playing it still brought a huge smile to my face.

LittleBigPlanet 2

Co-Op Fun For Everyone

LittleBigPlanet 2 is a fun 2D platformer that’s great for playing with friends and family. Up to four players can play together locally as customizable Sackboy characters, with tons of costumes available to make each one unique.

I purchased some downloadable content when the game first came out, letting me dress my characters as iconic figures from Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid. Beyond just the costumes, the developers at Media Molecule packed LittleBigPlanet 2 with imaginative ideas – even without the level creation tools – like worlds made of candy and fun racing challenges.

DuckTales: Remastered

Nostalgia Goggles

Despite being called DuckTales: Remastered, this game is a full remake of the classic 1989 DuckTales game for NES. It features updated controls, slightly changed and even some brand-new levels, and—most notably—includes voice acting and cutscenes.

When the game was created, the original voice actors were still with us, including Alan Young, who voiced Scrooge McDuck and was 94 years old at the time. While the backgrounds aren’t particularly detailed, the characters, which were hand-drawn, still look great on the PS3, and playing the game brings back fond memories of watching the original cartoon.

Enslaved: Odyssey To The West

A Mystical Adventure

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is an exciting action-adventure game where you play as Trip and Monkey, who are on a quest to find treasure. While exploring the remains of old cities – sometimes floating on water, other times scaling crumbling buildings – they’ll have to evade relentless robot enemies.

When it first came out, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West didn’t get the attention it deserved, and it’s still a relatively unknown treasure today, especially since it’s never been remastered. While games like Horizon Zero Dawn look more visually impressive, Enslaved is still a great choice for a shorter, enjoyable adventure.

Eternal Sonata

A Melancholy RPG

Originally released for the Xbox 360, Eternal Sonata is a unique RPG that also appeared on the PS3. The game has a peculiar premise: it features the famous composer Frederic Chopin as the main character, experiencing a dream world while facing his own mortality.

This game features a world populated by characters and creatures inspired by music, and combines fast-paced action with strategic turn-based combat. Its unique art style, which looks like a moving cartoon, helps it still look good today, even compared to more recent games. The story is quite somber, but it explores thought-provoking themes about life and death.

Spec Ops: The Line

A Dark Twist Of Fate

Spec Ops: The Line is a particularly grim game, even more so than Eternal Sonata. It follows a team of soldiers entering a devastated Dubai after a major conflict. They find their allies and many civilians dead, and venture into dangerous territory hoping to prevent further loss of life.

Initially, the game seemed like a typical cover shooter in a series I wasn’t interested in. What really grabbed my attention, and the attention of many others, was the unexpected and surprising story – nobody saw the twists coming.

Read More

2026-04-04 17:08