Having discussed the best games for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and the PlayStation Portable, let’s fast forward to 2006. Sony had just launched the PlayStation 3, a console that transformed the gaming industry with its revolutionary hardware, delivering high-definition visuals that powered standout titles that are still celebrated today.
Beyond its impressive internal components, the PlayStation 3 also introduced the wireless DualShock 3 controller, eliminating the hassle of tangled wires during multiplayer gaming sessions with friends.
In the console’s later years, Sony launched the PS Plus subscription service, which lets players enjoy online gaming and access free games each month.
This era solidified Sony’s position as a dominant force in the gaming industry, as they collaborated with renowned developers to create some of the most immersive and timeless stories we continue to cherish.
In this list, I’ll share my five picks for the best PlayStation 3 titles:
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Naughty Dog’s Indiana Jones-inspired franchise kept us rooting for Nathan and Sully, hoping they’d survive their latest adventure. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a fantastic sequel that showcased how cinematic video games could be. The iconic train sequence alone was a standout moment for me.
The journey to find the mythical Shambhala, or Shangri-La, proved perilous for the gang, which is why the fast-paced mix of shooting and hand-to-hand combat made Uncharted 2 an exhilarating run-and-gun experience. I couldn’t help but wonder how Nathan copes with the aftermath of mowing down hundreds of enemies.
While I typically dislike online features in single-player games, the multiplayer modes in Uncharted 2 were surprisingly enjoyable—at least for the first few hours. I had fun blasting enemies, even when I wasn’t trying hard to win.
The Last Of Us
If the Uncharted series is pure, unadulterated action, The Last of Us is a gripping drama wrapped in a fungal-infected, horror-filled dystopia. I was utterly engrossed in the relationship between Ellie and Joel, to the point where I couldn’t fully grasp the weight of Joel’s choices at the end.
It’s one of those rare video games that evokes a profound sense of humanity, even within its bleak and harrowing setting.
The Clickers were secondary threats in The Last of Us, and I wasn’t particularly drawn to the zombie-apocalypse trope. I was captivated by how Naughty Dog crafted these characters—they felt like real people struggling to survive in a world designed to break them. Coupled with Naughty Dog’s nuanced storytelling and the PlayStation 3’s impressive visual fidelity, I deeply immersed myself in Ellie and Joel’s journey.
I even had a crazy theory that The Last of Us was Naughty Dog’s response to the over-the-top violence of Nathan Drake’s adventures in Uncharted. (At least in this game, we feel bad about killing people.)
God Of War III
After three years of waiting since God of War II’s cliffhanger ending, God of War III arrived with a bang. I was incredibly excited to play it at launch, but since I didn’t have a PlayStation 3, I had to borrow one from a friend. My hype was off the charts; you should’ve seen my face during the first boss fight with Poseidon, the literal God of the Seas.
It was a blockbuster video game showcasing the PlayStation 3’s full potential. Kratos’ vengeful quest saw most of the Greek Pantheon trying to take him down, but boy, did he decimate them all. Not even Zeus could withstand the power of a bald man fueled by rage.
I guess the new weapons were cool, but the boss fights were my favorite parts. Each Olympian had tricks up their sleeve, but Kratos and his signature Blades easily tore through them.
The ending was bittersweet, as Kratos finally accepted death—only to be whisked away to the Nordic realm in the later God of War titles.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots
Hideo Kojima could make an 8-hour movie, and I would watch it. That’s what Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is. It was a bold move, cramming action-packed sequences alongside big-budget cutscenes, but closing the book on the long-standing rivalry between Solid Snake and Liquid Snake was necessary. The terrible children had finally had enough.
The high-tech gadgets Solid Snake uses completely threw me off, especially since I was still reeling from Snake Eater’s World War II setting. I somehow forgot that we now had nanomachines and Raiden in the mix.
The final sequence felt like an emotional farewell from my favorite franchise. It was the last piece of the Metal Gear Solid series, chronologically speaking. Playing it after Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will tug your heartstrings if you’re invested in these characters. It’s a shame we don’t get to see them again now that Kojima is off making Norman Reedus a futuristic FedEx guy.
Persona 5
Okay, I admit it—I love Persona games. I wasn’t too deep into anime-based games, but Persona has a more mature premise than other titles. It was the only JRPG that had me spending over 100 hours playing it because I was determined to Platinum it. Not even Dragon Quest games could make me do that. (Sorry, DQ fans.)
Persona 5’s plot was simple: a group of thieves carrying out Robin Hood-type heists and giving the masses what they want. Your main party members are outliers in a society that exploits them for its gain. I was a teenager when Persona 5 emerged, and it somehow hilariously radicalized me.
Once again, aside from the heists and dungeon-crawling antics, my favorite part of every modern Persona game was talking to my fictional friends. This time around, ATLUS learned a thing or two about making their personalities more nuanced. They’re no longer the flat characters from Persona 3’s terrible Social Links, and I’m glad I took my time absorbing their struggles. And oh, I dig the acid-jazz soundtrack.
There were so many games released during the PlayStation 3 era. While Batman: Arkham City or BioShock Infinite should be included here, I have only five special games that stood out to me and truly left an impression.