B3yond the Special: Top Ten PlayStation 3 Titles

Posted by Mark Salmela on 06.17.2009

411’s Mark Salmela is sick and tired of hearing people say that there are no good games for the PS3. In this edition of B3yond the Special, Mark counts down his top 10 PS3 games! From Infamous and Uncharted to Killzone and even Metal Gear, see which games made the top 10 and in what spot! Plus, leave your list of favorite PS3 games for all to read!



Welcome everyone to a very special presentation. I am your wacky host Mark Salmela, and there will be no interruptions. No Shaq holding me down, no shenanigans to get in the way. As I promised a few weeks back this will be a list of the top ten PlayStation 3 exclusives. I was going to do this as a One Man Water Cooler segment in my normal B3yond the Report column, but there is just too much to discuss to hold this down to a small segment in a news report.

Now to clear everything up there are two asterisks in this list. One is that this list will be made of only PlayStation 3 exclusives. So no Call of Duty, and no BioShock. The PlayStation 3 is a great system, and the waters get pretty murky when I have to take multiplatform games into consideration. This list is more concrete and to the point. If it makes you feel any better the game I have chosen as number one would still be number one regardless of what games from this generation of consoles I included.

The second asterisk is that this list will be made up only of titles that have been released on a disc. That means no downloadable titles such as the Pixel Junk games and Wipeout HD. Those are great titles, and I recently made a top ten downloadable titles list in an edition of B3yond the Report which can be found here. This list will be made of full retail games that have been printed onto discs for the PlayStation 3.

This list is current as of today, June 17, 2009. The reason why I have delayed this list so long is so I could properly include Infamous. I wanted to wait a couple of weeks after the game's release so I could properly beat it and have some time to reflect on it. So without further adieu, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!



The Top Ten PlayStation 3 Titles

Honorable Mentions: Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, Motorstorm, Resistance: Fall of Man, Heavenly Sword


Honorable Mention: Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds

I really wanted to include this game in the top ten. Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds is an absolute blast to play even to this day. Hell, the Hot Shots games are the only golf games I've ever really enjoyed. In my opinion this game blows every Tiger Woods game out of the water. The swing mechanic is simple yet rather deep, which is a great combination. The online component of Out of Bounds may not be that good but I'd rather play this game locally anyways. Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds can probably be found pretty cheap now days and it's still the golf game to beat this generation.



10.) Resistance 2



The sequel to the PlayStation 3 launch title, Resistance 2 is a huge improvement of the original. Well, it's a huge improvement in every aspect except the online multiplayer. Don't get me wrong, the co-op is tremendous, and is the reason why Resistance 2 makes the top 10 at all. I love Insomniac, but they really dropped the ball on the multiplayer versus mode. I felt the original Resistance's multiplayer was fun and different from your standard multiplayer, but Resistance 2 abandoned that to become just another generic multiplayer shooter.

But enough hate, because the co-op mode of Resistance 2 is incredible. Getting a team of 8 people as you march through various missions exclusive to the co-op mode is a great time. There are enemies everywhere and without teamwork you will get annihilated. The single player mode to Resistance 2 is nothing to sneeze at and actually provides for a great cliff-hanger ending. The water-physics may be a joke but the single player is still a blast to play.



9.) Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction



Yet another title by Insomniac, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is one of the best Ratchet games ever made. Insomniac promoted the game as a Pixar movie turned into a video game and it shows. The production values to Tools of Destruction are great and the storyline is surprisingly good. The graphics are clean and crisp, the voice acting is top notch, and the weapon selection is great as always. And the weapon selection needed to be great, as Insomniac has created some of the best weapons in a video game ever.

My one real complaint with Tools of Destruction is the difficulty level. Now it may have something to do with my previous experience with the Ratchet games but I don't think I was ever really challenged in the game minus the final boss. Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time will be coming to the PS3 this fall and I hope they ramp up the difficulty a little bit because I cannot begin to explain how pumped I am for this title. A Crack in Time will be bringing back my favorite villain from the Ratchet series in Dr. Nefarious and so far the game is looking great. It's too bad Sony didn't really show much of a Crack in Time at E3, because it deserves better.



8.) WarHawk



The first great multiplayer game on the PS3, WarHawk was also the first game to demonstrate the potential of the PSN as a host of high-quality PlayStation 3 titles. WarHawk has been out for almost 2 years now and still receives continued support by Incognito. WarHawk pits teams of up to 32 players in an all-out war. Players can jump into a variety of vehicles including airplanes, tanks, and jeeps as they venture across large maps in team or single player based gameplay. My favorite mode has always been the capture the flag mode, and WarHawk's CTF mode is incredible. There are so many different ways to attack the flag it is an absolute feel-good moment to actually capture the opposing team's flag.

WarHawk has also changed considerably since its release. In fact I'd dare to say no game has gone under such a substantial evolution as WarHawk has through its three expansion packs. Weapons such as the drop-ship and the jetpack have completely changed the game for the better. The WarHawk community is still alive and well and I really hope the rumors are true in that a sequel is currently in development for the PS3. WarHawk in space? Why the hell not?



7.) Motorstorm: Pacific Rift



I want to take you on a roller coaster. That one line describes Motorstorm perfectly. It's a roller coaster. A dammed good one too. Motorstorm is the perfect adrenaline rush and Pacific Rift improved on the original in every way possible. There's split screen multiplayer, the graphics are better, there's more variety in the levels, and there are more vehicles to choose from. Pacific Rift takes the elements of nature into effect and has led to the creation of my favorite racing game ever. I can't get enough of it. Pacific Rift will give you an adrenaline rush every time you play it. The single player is long as hell and the online runs perfectly. Here's hoping the next Motorstorm will be even better.



6.) Infamous



The first title from Sucker Punch on the PS3, Infamous is an open world game that puts you in control of a superhero. But you don't have to stay a superhero, in fact it might even be more fun to become a villain and destroy Empire city. It's all up to you in Infamous. Infamous is a great summer blockbuster and has come out at the perfect time. Besides Prototype there is nothing else coming out right now that is of the level of quality Infamous will provide. Cole's moves are awesome, and the sense of power you feel towards the end of the game is incredible. There is no one who can stand in the way of some of the later powers you receive in the game.

Sucker Punch has effectively created their own superhero, which is why the game works so well. Unlike current comic book super heroes Sucker Punch was free to give Cole his own strengths and weaknesses, and not have be confined in ways a game would have if players had to control someone like Superman. Cole is basically a battery, which works perfectly in Infamous. You can charge yourself up *your battery* by draining the energy out of anything that runs on electricity in Empire City, which amounts to a lot of stuff. You then turn that energy into attacks that you unleash upon your enemies. Infamous has a great story and is a lot of fun to play. If you own a PS3 don't miss out on this title.



5.) Valkyria Chronicles



It's an absolute shame so many people missed out on Valkyria Chronicles. As someone who has consistently ranted about how much he hates RPGs, specifically JRPGs, Valkyria Chronicles has proved to be the exception. The gameplay is just so much fun and doesn't rely on the traditional turn-based gameplay that has turned me off to other JRPGs.

Valkyria Chronicles has an astonishing art direction. It's a water painting come to life. There isn't anything else like it. The story is also awesome. It's an actual story for someone like me who hates all the fantasy crap that's littered in other JRPGs. While Valkyria Chronicles does get a little fantasy and over-the-top towards the end it was built up so nicely that I actually didn't mind for once. I can't give Valkyria Chronicles any more of a recommendation other than I actually loved it, and I can't stand any other JRPG on the market.



4.) Killzone 2



Killzone 2 has been synonymous with the PlayStation 3 since E3 2005 where Killzone 2's trailer stole the entire show. Sure at the time it was pre-rendered but Guerilla did an outstanding job and managed to live up to the hype that the original trailer provided. Sony bet the bank on Killzone 2, and while there is an argument to be had as to whether or not it sold enough that doesn't change the fact that Killzone 2 looks amazing and is a blast to play. The multiplayer mode is booth deep and addicting. The single player looks incredible and does a great job keeping the player in the action. It's bloody, it's gory, it's downright nasty, and I love it. Killzone 2 is the premier first person shooter on the PS3.



3.) Uncharted: Drake's Fortune



Just like Insomniac I have always had a soft spot for Naughty Dog, and they never fail to deliver. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a summer blockbuster wrapped up in a video game. It did exploring for treasure right. It out-Tomb Raider'd Tomb Raider. The graphics are amazing even after a year and a half, and it has some of the best voice acting ever in a video game. Characters such as Drake and Sully feel like actual people thanks to the voice acting, and work to make a good game great. The twist in Uncharted kept the gameplay fresh and didn't take anything away from the story.

Besides the voice acting another thing that works to make Uncharted great is the way the characters move and flow. Everything from the way the characters walk to the way they animate is near flawless and blurs the lines between controlling a character and becoming a character. Uncharted 2 has to be one of my most anticipated games for 2009, and with good reason. Uncharted 2 nearly stole the damn show with its impressive demo at Sony's press conference. My heart was racing as I watched the building collapse around Drake live at E3. And after playing both the co-op and multiplayer modes of Uncharted 2 I am sold that this will be one of the holiday's best games. How do you improve on a near perfect single player mode? By adding an awesome co-op mode and a great multiplayer mode, that's how.



2.) Little Big Planet



It wasn't until recently that I came to realize just how great Little Big Planet is. I mean I loved the game, even at launch, but only recently has it clicked just how great this game is. A couple of weeks ago I was with a friend who loved video games growing up but due to college hadn't kept up with the current generation of consoles. One of the first games I showed him as Little Big Planet, and not only was I enjoying my third play-through, but my friend was ecstatic. Little Big Planet is a very special game, and you can feel the love that Media Molecule put into it when you play Little Big Planet. It's one of the best platformers ever made.

But I'm not finished. Not only is Little Big Planet one of the best platformers ever made, but it's entirely customizable. You can do basically anything the developers can do in the create mode. There are endless user-created levels online and there are dozens of levels that not only match the already great level of quality Media Molecule provides but in some cases may even surpass their efforts. If you can think it you can make it. There's no way someone should be able to re-create something like R-Type in Little Big Planet but by god it's been done. Little Big Planet is an absolute treat, and is begging to be bundled in with every future PlayStation 3 console. Now if only Media Molecule would release more levels already.



1.) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots



How could this not be number 1? Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is everything I've ever wanted and more. Hell, I have never been so attached emotionally to a video game. I couldn't ask for anything more. I don't care how many damn cut scenes are in MGS4, I don't care if it's somewhat linear, there's nothing that can compare to when you become emotionally attached to something. You can't artificially create that feeling. You can't substitute that. Metal Gear Solid 4 blows away anything you can find on the current generation of consoles. There isn't even a close second.

I could sit here and rattle on about how great the graphics are and how great the story is, but I don't need to. It's Metal Gear Solid 4. It speaks for itself. Hell, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is basically two games in one in that it includes Metal Gear Online, a full-on multiplayer game. And guess what? Metal Gear Online rocks too. Hell it should speak volumes as to how good Metal Gear Solid 4 is when the multiplayer was overlooked and forgotten about because of how incredible the single player was. Thanks to Metal Gear Solid 4 Solid Snake will go down among people such as Mario, Sonic, and Link as video game icons. Metal Gear Solid 4 was the perfect closure to one of the best series of all time, and I'm proud to have had the opportunity to play Metal Gear Solid 4.



That's all folks!

Do you agree? Disagree? Be sure to leave your own list below. I can't possibly think of any other good PlayStation 3 exclusives that I missed. Sure Haze wasn't absolutely terrible, but it wasn't anywhere near the caliber of the games I listed above. The same thing applies with Lair although it took until the dual-analog stick patch to make it playable. Oh and SOCOM: Confrontation was just plain terrible. With that said be sure to leave your opinions below, I always read them. I can also be reached at [e-mail] and by the PSN. My PSN ID is Fester. B3yond the Report will resume its regular schedule shortly, cya!



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