Playstation 3 Games - ranked by preference

Release Date: June 12, 2008 (ALL)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Kojima Productions
Genre: Action - Stealth

I love the Metal Gear franchise...And when Metal Gear Solid 4 came out, I was really looking forward to it. I had high expectations and this game shattered them and went far beyond what I was hoping for, giving me an experience that I enjoyed so much that I felt the need to play through the game nearly ten times since its release.

The area where you battle Crying Wolf had me bouncing in my seat with joy, as I couldn't believe that Kojima would create such an awesome fan service as that level (which I refuse to mention by name due to spoiler reasons). Video games rarely create such excitement within me these days, Metal Gear Solid 4 managed to create it a few times throughout my time with it.

Release Date: October 17, 2008 (EU/AU)
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: 2K Marin
Genre: First-Person Shooter

I played BioShock as a skeptic...I generally get bored with first-person shooters and the first few minutes of the game made me feel like this one wouldn't really be too different...But then I had noticed that hours had melted away and that the game's awesome story mixed with exploring the strange and demented world of Rapture had gotten me hooked to the point that I didn't want to put the controller down.

Much like Metal Gear Solid 4, BioShock was a game that I enjoyed so much that I've beaten it multiple times. The best part? Almost every time, I discovered something new...From easter eggs to neat new uses for plasmids. BioShock always means good times when I pop it in my PS3.

Release Date: September 10, 2007 (NA)
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Genre: Adventure

I love Oblivion. The Game of the Year Edition of Oblivion included a few new add-ons, including the very entertaining 'Shivering Isles' expansion, which is an add-on that lasts longer than most stand-alone commercial games. It's the Oblivion I loved, plus a tad more.

Want to know what I think of the regular game? Read on to the next entry...

Release Date: March 20, 2007 (NA)
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Genre: Adventure

The best thing about Oblivion was when I realized that I had put over 60 hours of gameplay in....But had never finished the first mission of the main story yet. I had gotten so caught up in exploring this massive world, doing side quests, and taking part in fisticuffs with the residents of the world (including the wildlife...nothing beats boxing a bear) that I had forgotten that there was an actual main story to be found.

Oblivion may be sandbox-style gameplay at its finest.

Release Date: February 18, 2010 (JP)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Quantic Dream
Genre: Adventure

I liked Indigo Prophecy a lot...Until it transformed into a horrible sci-fi story with a plot that made less and less sense as the game continued on. So, when Heavy Rain was announced, I was excited, but also dreading a similar outcome. Thankfully, Quantic Dream took the great aspects of Indigo Prophecy and improved upon them...And it included a well-made, interesting story, to boot. I gladly played the game repeatedly just to see how the game world would react to the different choices I made in the many different situations I found myself in.

Release Date: March 26, 2013 (NA/EU/AU)
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Irrational Games
Genre: First-Person Shooter

BioShock Infinite is a must-play game by all means...But I've been struggling to figure out how exactly I feel about it since I saw the credits roll. I don't feel like it's a "perfect" game like so many reviews seem to suggest...But at the same time, I have a hard time pinpointing any major issues I have with it to justify a lower score. In the end, I find myself flip-flopping between a 9 and a 10 here on Listal...But anyway, it's a fantastic game and a wonderful experience. I prefer the original BioShock over this one, but they're both near the top of the heap for their generation of games.

Release Date: November 11, 2011 (NA/EU/AU)
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Genre: Adventure

I think that, overall, I enjoy Oblivion more than Skyrim. That's taking nothing away from the fifth entry in the Elder Scroll series at all - it's an absolutely great game, and I do prefer taking down dragons to closing Oblivion gates...But there's something I can't put my finger on that Skyrim lacks and Oblivion has that makes me prefer my time in one game more than the other. Anyway, if you're looking for some great sandbox-style gameplay, Skyrim is an excellent choice. It's so well done that even its glitches (which aren't as bad or often as Fallout 3 or New Vegas, in my experience) don't hold the game back much. If you haven't played an Elder Scrolls game yet, give Skyrim a shot. It'll likely hook you.

Release Date: May 18, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar San Diego
Genre: Action

If you're reading this and haven't played Red Dead Redemption yet, you need to...if for no other reason than to experience the world that Rockstar created. I don't think I have ever been sucked into an atmosphere like I did with this game. Playing through this title really felt like you were in the old west...There is never really a safe moment, either. Whether it be bandits, law enforcement, or even the various wildlife, you can think that you're doing great, and then quickly find yourself pushing up daisies. The story is also very, very good. You really feel emotions towards the characters by the end...Whether you like them or hate them, the emotion is there, which is the key to a great story. To top it all off, the gameplay is on par with all of the stuff I mentioned above. And like the Grand Theft Auto series, it's just as fun wandering around, doing nothing, as it is playing the actual game. I can't recommend this game enough - it really is that good.

Release Date: April 26, 2013 (NA)
Publisher: Rising Star Games
Developer: Access Games
Genre: Adventure - Horror

Previously only available in Japan (well, as far as the PS3 version goes, anyway) where it was known as Red Seeds Profile, Deadly Premonition: Director's Cut expands on the original with some extra cut scenes, slightly better graphics, and improved controls, transforming a great game with poor controls into a great game with decent controls. Hopefully, this Director's Cut will be enough to create some new fans and make this more than just a cult classic, but a financial success for Rising Star Games...We need more games like this on store shelves.

Release Date: October 27, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Media Molecule
Genre: Platformer - 2D

LittleBigPlanet is such a great game...Not just because it's got a fun and different take on the 2D platformer formula, but because the replay value of the game is near infinite due to the fact that you can download player-made levels (many of which are really, really well made) at your leisure, or even create your own if your creative juices are flowing enough. On a side note, Sack Boy is easily my favorite new character of this generation of consoles.

Release Date: October 27, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Genre: Adventure

Like the concept of Oblivion, but want to use guns and explosives? Fallout 3 is for you. While I prefer Oblivion to Fallout 3, I can't deny that I have a soft spot for sneaking a landmine into the inventory of an unsuspecting Super Mutant I managed to sneak up on. I honestly can't get enough of the Elder Scrolls and Fallout style of games....Even if they do seem to only get buggier and buggier with each release.

Release Date: December 11, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
Genre: Adventure

The Walking Dead is a pretty nifty game that has a great story that pushes you along mixed in with a point-and-click adventure game with some action elements and quick-time events to give the game enough action to go along with the puzzles and difficult decisions along the way. I didn't quite buy all of the hype of this being 2012's Game of the Year by so many publications and websites, but after playing it, I understand why it got the hype it did. It's entertaining, it's fun, and with so many branching points in the story, it's a game that you can play over and over again and get different scenarios and conversations. It's fantastic. If you haven't played it yet, play it. You'll be glad you did.

Release Date: February 12, 2009 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Fighting

When I heard that Capcom was bringing back Street Fighter, but in 3D, I immediately thought of the Street Fighter EX games, which weren't terrible, but they weren't anything to get excited about, either. Then I played it and realized that even though the characters were all in 3D, the fighting still played like it was on a 2D plane...Which resulted in fantastic Street Fighter action that us old fogeys remember from the early 90's, but on a platform that allows a brand new generation to fall in love with hurling fireballs across the screen at an opponent.

Release Date: June 14, 2013 (NA/EU/AU)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog
Genre: Adventure

Much like BioShock Infinite earlier in the year, The Last of Us has gotten a mind-boggling amount of perfect 10 out of 10 scores from various publications and websites...And much like BioShock Infinite, I'll have to question whether this game deserves that much praise. It's a great game, don't get me wrong, but it's not 10 out of 10 great. It's a solid 9 and there's nothing wrong with that. This is a survival horror-style game, light on the horror, where you're put up against hordes of enemies with minimal supplies and ammo. The fun lies in using your brain rather than your firepower to take down your foes with traps and stealth. The story is pretty nice as well, and a nice little bit of motivation to keep you playing longer than you would have liked to.

Release Date: November 17, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Bluepoint Games
Genre: Compilation

The first two God of War games were two of the best games put out for the Playstation 2, so it's only natural that when you put them together, you've got one of the must-buy titles on the Playstation 3. These HD remakes look better than their PS2 counterparts, but play just as great as they did a few years ago when they first came out.

Release Date: March 2, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: Sports - Baseball

The previous games in the MLB: The Show franchise were slowly building steam towards providing a solid, enjoyable baseball experience. MLB 10 marks where the series hit its stride and really solidified itself as the best MLB game series currently available for consumers. Road to the Show mode is enough to whet the appetite of most MLB fans, but if you need more, there's also pretty much any other mode that you could want packed in to boot. Later games in the franchise are just as fun, but for its impact, MLB 10 places higher on the list than the others.

Release Date: April 29, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North
Genre: Action

Grand Theft Auto IV was an extremely anticipated game when it came out...And while I loved the characters, story, and game as a whole...In some respects it felt like a step back. Half the fun of previous GTA games was the ability to take over the city. Granted, that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to allow that in this story, it still felt like something was missing when playing. That minor gripe aside, GTA4 lives up to any and all hype it received. If you haven't played it yet, give it a try. It's an easy game to lose several hours in.

Release Date: October 9, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Arkane Studios
Genre: Action

I love stealth. So, of course, when I saw that Dishonored encouraged, and even rewarded, players for being stealthy when playing, I was immediately interested. However, if you're more into barging into areas and killing everyone in sight, Dishonored let you do that as well. You can play Dishonored any way that you wish and the game will adapt to your style. Want to kill everyone? Naturally, you're more dangerous, so more enemies will appear to counter your threat. Want to be stealthy? Nobody knows you're around, so there's no need for so much security. Dishonored is a top-notch game, and is, quite possibly, my favorite non-remake game of 2012.

Release Date: November 29, 2012 (AU)
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Genre: Shooter - First-Person

Far Cry 3 is mildly like the Elder Scrolls or recent Fallout games in that you get to wander around the game's world, sandbox style. Unlike the Bethesda titles listed above, the glitches are few and very far between. Wandering around the beautiful, colorful, tropical islands in Far Cry 3 is a joy...And using stealth and the environments to hide and wipe out enemies without them even knowing you're there is just plain fun...And don't forget the wild animals, who are on nobody's side. My favorite memory from this game is watching a tiger tackle one of my enemies off of a pier, into the water, resulting in both of them drowning...I got to loot the enemy's body and I got a free tiger skin out of the deal as well. Random events like that give you a neat feeling of never knowing what will happen next, resulting in some very fun moments whenever you pop the game disk in.

Release Date: March 16, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: Action

God of War III brought the story of Kratos to a close in a solid, but not overwhelmingly great, fashion. This entry in the God of War series is a very, very solid game in the franchise, but it seems to lack something in comparison to the first two games. That being said, it's still an extremely enjoyable game, and the final battle really underlines the fact that it was the end of Kratos' story. It's a definite must-play for fans of the previous two entries in the series.

Release Date: October 11, 2011 (EU/AU)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom Vancouver
Genre: Action

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record successfully blends the best of the original Dead Rising with the best of the second Dead Rising to create the absolute best game in the series to date. More than a simple re-telling of the story found in Dead Rising 2, Off the Record is very much its own game with new psychopaths to kill, new areas to explore, and a new final boss to battle that results from an interesting twist of the story up to that point. I enjoyed Dead Rising 2 a lot. I enjoyed Off the Record a lot more.

Release Date: April 19, 2011 (NA)
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Genre: Fighting

I think that the only game in this franchise that I spent more hours total with was Mortal Kombat: Deception on the Playstation 2. Konsidering that this game in the series doesn't have Konquest mode for me to wander around and explore in, that's really saying something. While I don't think the fighting is as polished or pick-up-and-play-ready as Street Fighter IV is, it's still very good. The return of Babalities also made me smile, as I enjoy nothing more than a game with bodies getting dismembered to also have a komical side to it. With plenty to do outside of the normal arcade mode and a giant Krypt to unlock goodies in, Mortal Kombat has enough kontent to keep fighting fans occupied for a very long time. I replaced all words that start with "c" with a "k" for this komment. Krazy, huh?

Release Date: June 12, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Genre: Action

Lollipop Chainsaw is everything I wanted it to be - a cheesy B-movie-like game that actually plays well. The Onechanbara games came close to that, but fell a little short in the gameplay department. Not so with Lollipop Chainsaw, which I enjoyed my time with so much that I wanted to start a new game immediately upon beating it. The game does begin to get repetitive after a while, but the game is at a near perfect length of 4-5 hours and ends once that feeling of repetition begins to appear. The jokes are also pretty comical now, but nearly all of them are based on today's pop culture, so folks playing this ten years from now will likely not get many of the references. All that said, I'm a huge fan of this game and I'm hoping that this isn't the last time we get to help Juliet murder hoards of zombies.

Release Date: October 30, 2012 (AU)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: THQ
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

WWE '12 was supposed to be a big deal...And it wasn't bad, but it did feel like a step backwards. WWE '13 gets the franchise back on track, and is one of the better WWE games to come out for this generation of consoles, but it's not quite the "revolution" that it claims to be. However, there are a lot more customization options than in the past, which is great, and the addition of the Attitude era wrestlers, arenas, and storylines is a great bit of nostalgia for fans, like myself, that remember that time fondly. There are better wrestling games out there, but WWE '13 is still one of the best wrestling titles to come out in years.

Release Date: August 25, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Genre: Adventure

Batman: Arkham Asylum is essentially a 3D Zelda game. It's so Zelda-ey that even many of the gadgets that Batman uses are similar to stuff found in the Zelda games...Grappling hooks, boomerangs, explosives...All Zelda. That's not a knock on Arkham Asylum in the slightest, 'cause it doesn't come across as a Zelda rip-off when you play. I don't feel that the game is quite as great as everyone says it is, but it's definitely one of the better games to come out in its console generation, and easily one of the best Batman titles ever released.

Release Date: September 10, 2013 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports - Hockey

My favorite part of hockey games is turning off the rules and just checking folks out of the way of me shooting a goal...But that can get boring when the computer doesn't fight back. In NHL 14, that's been solved. NHL 14 has an option for the most aggressive AI I've seen in a hockey game, and some new collision physics and a new fighting engine based off of the Fight Night franchise, ensuring that the carnage will always be at its most fun. Plus, with the ability to make the computer aggressive as well, it's just as fun watching your teammates get checked as it is doing the checking yourself. Of course, purists can still have more of a simulation for their game as well. There's also an option of playing a new mode based off of NHL '94, complete with player indicators, ice colors, etc. based off of the classic 16-bit hockey game...including the top-down camera view, if you so desire. Aside from the new physics, fight engine, and overall aggression, there's not much here that's different from NHL 13. So, unless you want an updated roster, or just love seeing carnage on the ice, like myself, there may not be enough here to make a purchase worthwhile for you if you already own the previous year's game.

Release Date: October 26, 2009 (NA/AU)
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
Genre: First-Person Shooter

Borderlands is a first-person shooter that dabbles in aspects that you'd find in an RPG, like leveling up, hit points, and finding loot....lots of loot. Add in some charming cel-shaded graphics and you've got yourself a charming little game that can appeal even to folks who aren't big first-person shooter fans. Also nice are the four characters to play as, with each character specializing in a specific play style. Whether you're into melee attacks, stealth, sniping, or plain ol' run and gun action, the game has you covered. The game also has plenty of humor and personality scattered between all the action, making this a very solid overall package that's fun to play co-op with a few friends or even just by your lonesome.

Release Date: May 20, 2010 (AU)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: United Front Games
Genre: Racing - Kart-Style

ModNation Racers, at first glance, doesn't really look like anything special. It basically looks like a Mario Kart clone with an odd art design...Then when you play, you quickly find out that ModNation Racers is basically the LittleBigPlanet of kart racing games. The tracks and creations found within the game only scratch the surface of the game's content, as you can create and download an infinite number of tracks, racers, and vehicles to enjoy. It's not a perfect game, but it's pretty dang good and if kart racers are your thing, you can't go wrong with this game.

Release Date: December 11, 2007 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Valve
Genre: Compilation

Much like the God of War Collection listed above, the Orange Box is easily one of the best video game compilations ever put out. With just Half-Life 2, this game would place high on this list. But also included is Team Fortress 2, a decently fun multiplayer game, and the first Portal game, which ultimately stole the attention from the other two games with its unique and very enjoyable action-based puzzle gameplay. As far as compilations go, there aren't many better than this one.

Release Date: July 26, 2012 (JP)
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Arc System Works
Genre: Fighting

When fans squealed for a new Persona game, this likely isn't what they had in mind. Persona 4 Arena is a very enjoyable fighting game from Arc System Works, known for their terrific BlazBlue and Guilty Gear fighting games. Persona 4 Arena plays very much like those games during the action, but one of the real things in this game that separates it from most other fighters is the story mode, which is essentially an interactive book - You read through lots and lots of text (a written story for the character of your choice) and occasionally make a decision or fight a battle. This mode won't be for everyone, but I enjoyed it, and I assume that many fans of the Persona RPGs will enjoy this mode as well. That said, Persona 4 Arena is an impressive package that has enough for fighting game purists to love as well as enough to make it a worthwhile purchase for fans of the RPGs that rarely, if ever, play fighting games.

Release Date: January 5, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Vigil Games
Genre: Adventure

Darksiders is basically the love child of God of War and the Legend of Zelda. The game as a whole seems to be modeled after the 3D Zelda games, but when it comes to combat, it feels a lot more like God of War. The end result is a game that kind of feels like something that you've played before, but not necessarily in a bad way. A little originality in the gameplay may have helped Darksiders stand out a bit more, but as it is, it's just a solid game that isn't quite as good as either of the game styles that it emulates...But it's close.

Release Date: September 9, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports - Hockey

Kind of how I talked about MLB 10 earlier, NHL 09 was the turning point of the NHL franchise to bring it back to being the undisputed number one hockey game on the market. With new features like the Be a Pro mode, NHL 09 turned the franchise from a struggling one, competing with the NHL 2K series, to what was probably the absolute best sports game released in 2008, and one that left 2K's hockey franchise in the dust.

Release Date: January 17, 2011 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: BioWare
Genre: Action

The original Mass Effect was more of an adventure-style game with an emphasis on exploration and interacting with people. Mass Effect 2 still has some of that, but a much larger emphasis is placed on action this time around. The end result isn't bad, but I don't feel like it's as solid as the original. If games with more action is your kinda thing, though, you may have the opposite opinion of me and prefer this game to the original. It all depends on your preference, I suppose. Anyway, Mass Effect 2 is still a very good game, and well worth playing if you enjoyed the original to see where the story goes.

Release Date: November 16, 2007 (NA)
Publisher: Sony CEA
Developer: Naughty Dog
Genre: Action

I really enjoyed Uncharted...Up until the end. While not quite as bad as Indigo Prophecy, I felt the final hours of Uncharted were unnecessary. I like supernatural stuff...Heck, I love it...But Uncharted was already telling a fascinating story, and the end just took me out of it. That little bit of complaining out of the way, Uncharted is still an excellent game. Some of the platforming can be a bit of a pain, but for the most part it's very well done. It's a very solid start to what eventually became one of the best, and consistently good, franchises that Sony has to offer.

Release Date: November 22, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar San Diego
Genre: Action

This stand-alone expansion to Red Dead Redemption proves that zombies don't always make everything better. The game itself is just fine, but many of the missions feel less fun and more like a chore. That said, it is neat finding and obtaining the horses of the apocalypse and discovering all of the new cryptid creatures in the game, like the sasquatch. For a stand-alone title it's still quite an enjoyable experience, but the sometimes groan-inducing missions can take away from it a tad.

Release Date: August 28, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Natsume
Developer: Rhino Studios
Genre: Adventure

I really enjoyed playing Animal Kingdom on the Wii, but kind of wished that it was aimed a tad more towards adults...Just a few weeks after Animal Kingdom was released, Afrika showed up on North American store shelves and granted me my wish. Animal Kingdom was simplistic and fun. Afrika is simplistic and fun as well, but also has enough complexity to prevent you from getting bored. It is worth mentioning that only people with patience will enjoy this game...There are times where you may just find yourself sitting in one place for five to ten minutes just waiting for an opportunity to take a specific picture that you needed to take. I found that to be relaxing, but others might find it to be frustrating. But anyway, if snapping photos on an African safari sounds fun to you, give Afrika a try - it's quite nice.

Release Date: October 13, 2011 (AU)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Toys for Bob
Genre: Action

Since I try to not stay up-to-date with the latest video game news (surprises make games more fun, in my opinion), I had no clue about this game until I stumbled across it at a Wal-Mart with its fancy display stand and the like. I bought it on a whim and I'm glad I did. The concept of Skylanders involves a "portal" while hooks up to whatever system you're playing it on. You then place figures that you can buy in stores on the portal, and the particular figure that you have on the portal will then be playable in-game until you swap it with another figure. The game itself is very kid friendly, but not in a way where adults won't enjoy themselves here, too. It's also worth noting that the console versions of Skylanders differ from the 3DS version. The handheld Skylanders is a platformer, while the console versions are more along the lines of an action-RPG dungeon crawler hidden behind cutesy and colorful graphics...And a well done one, at that. If this game sounds interesting to you at all, give it a try. I think there'll be a decent chance that you'll like it.

Release Date: September 24, 2010 (EU/AU)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Blue Castle Games
Genre: Action

I liked the original Dead Rising, but for some reason or another, I just could never get myself fully invested in the title. I was afraid that Dead Rising 2 would end up with the same results. I was incorrect. I found myself loving just about every minute of this game. The story was pretty fun to follow along, but the beauty of this and the other Dead Rising games is that when you're sick of following the story, you can just run around and mindlessly kill zombies...And be rewarded for your efforts with stat bonuses and the like. The only aspect I missed from the original Dead Rising was the photography gimmick...But Capcom later remedied that with Off the Record.

Release Date: September 11, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports - Hockey

While not as innovative as some of the past entries in the history of the franchise, NHL 13 is still fun and still offers at least a few new features like the "True Performance" skating and new modes like GM Connected and NHL Moments Live. Like other recent games in the franchise, NHL 13 also allows you to play in various other leagues besides the NHL, like the "minor league" AHL, or various other leagues around the globe, meaning that I could play a season as the Colorado Avalanche, Milwaukee Admirals, Calgary Hitmen, Team Norway, or a plethora of others. It's not the most innovate hockey game in recent memory, but it's still plenty fun.

Release Date: March 11, 2010 (JP)
Publisher: Marvelous
Developer: Access Games
Genre: Adventure - Horror

Red Seeds Profile is best described as a sandbox-style horror game, where you've got free roam of a quiet, little town known as Greenvale. I absolutely love this game, despite my rating for it. It's just so charming and interesting from beginning to end...It's hard, even with its faults, not to love it. The problem is that it does have faults, a decent number of them, most in the combat department, and that bogs the game down a bit, hence my rating for it....But I still love it, faults and all.

Release Date: March 13, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Vatra
Genre: Adventure - Survival Horror

I have mixed feelings about Silent Hill: Downpour. I like it more than a lot of critics seemed to, but I also came across plenty of glitches during my time playing it...some were helpful like the glitch that causes enemies to flee from you, and others irritating like the glitch I got that left a path locked in the subway after I had unlocked all routes. Also, I've got to add that I HATE the "void" enemy. Whenever I had to deal with those sections, I just groaned. All that aside, I do enjoy this game as a whole...But I can't help but feel like it could have been better.

Release Date: June 14, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Tri-Crescendo
Genre: RPG

Eternal Sonata is absolutely beautiful. There aren't many games that have graphics and an art design that just leave me in awe...But Eternal Sonata did just that; I was just in awe looking at the bright, colorful art design of the game. Graphics alone don't warrant this placement on the list, though. Eternal Sonata is also a solid game to go along with its pretty face. It might not be the greatest RPG of all-time or anything, but it was the best one available on the PS3 at its release, and it still holds up pretty well today.

Release Date: February 8, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: AM2
Genre: Fighting

Virtua Fighter 5 is a continuation of the great Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution...Which is a very good thing, but it also doesn't really introduce anything new, which isn't quite as good of a thing. That being said, Virtua Fighter 5 is still an extremely solid fighter and well worth playing, but if you've already played Vitrua Fighter 4: Evolution until your fingers were numb, you might not be too impressed with what Virtua Fighter 5 has to offer.

Release Date: July 23, 2009 (JP)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Namco Bandai
Genre: Action

I'm a sucker for the Katamari games. They could basically put out the exact same game each time, just with different things to roll up and I'd be happy. Granted, they don't do a whole lot more than that (new levels, a few new twists on what to roll up) in Katamari Forever, but that doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'll dock the score a tad for the lack of innovation, but I absolutely adore this game to no end, just like all of the previous games in the series and the games that have come out since. If you have yet to play a Katamari game and own a PS3, do yourself a favor and track this game down. I'm pretty confident that you'll be glad you did.

Release Date: February 5, 2009 (JP)
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: From Software
Genre: Adventure

Tough as nails? Not quite. Demon's Souls harkens back to the days of 8-bit video games, where games didn't baby the player and hold their hand through the course of the game to ensure their success. Demon's Souls appears as being difficult, but much like the games of old, practice makes perfect. This isn't a game you'll be good at right off the bat...But it feels quite rewarding when you begin to realize how much you've improved as you've played. The patient are rewarded in Demon's Souls, but the impatient will likely hate it.

Release Date: December 4, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: BioWare
Genre: Adventure

Mass Effect started out kind of rocky with me. When I first played through it, I thought it was so-so...And eventually got bored. I played it again a year or so later and really found myself enjoying it a lot. That second time was enough to motivate me to visit the game a few games again since then, and each time I enjoy it all the same. The first Mass Effect is still my favorite in terms of gameplay, story, and exploration. The two sequels just don't live up to this one, in my opinion. The PS3 version, released more than six years after the original, is still fun, but littered with a lot of bugs and glitches...Not enough to kill the game, but enough where I can't justify giving it a higher score.

Release Date: November 13, 2007 (NA)
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Genre: Action

I like Assassin's Creed quite a bit...But there's something about the game that I've never felt regarding another game before. When I play Assassin's Creed, I get to a point where I begin to get bored...But for some reason or another, I still feel the need to continue to play. Usually, boredom means I don't want to play anymore...But for some reason, that boredom seems to motivate me with Assassin's Creed. And don't get me wrong - I might get bored with it, but it's still a very solid game. I suppose I don't really need to say that, though, do I? Afterall, with the countless sequels the game has had since the initial release and the popularity it has gained, the game that started the franchise has to be pretty good, eh?

Release Date: January 31, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

The first Disgaea was a great surprise to many turn-based strategy fans. The second Disgaea was another solid entry in the series, but didn't quite have the impact of the original. Disgaea 3 follows that trend, as it's a solid game, but it didn't really evolve much since the original. Granted, it's still a great game and well worth playing if you enjoy turn-based strategy games, but if you've played the original two Disgaea games, it does kind of feel like you've played this game before at times.

Release Date: October 13, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Redwood Shores
Genre: Action - Horror

Dead Space is a fun action game...But if you were to classify it purely as a horror game, it disappoints. The scares are predictable and the concept of dismembering your enemies really lessens any scare factor the monsters in the game have, since you know that you'll be chopping off their limbs shortly after you meet them. It's still very fun and worth playing through, but don't expect to get the willys when playing it.

Release Date: January 25, 2011 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Visceral Games
Genre: Action - Horror

Dead Space 2, to me anyway, was just more of the same in regards to the first Dead Space. It's a solid action game, but predictable scares and a focus on totally dismembering your enemies really takes away any sense of fear that one might have. What exactly do I have to be scared of when I mutilate everything that gets near me? Just like the original Dead Space, it's a very solid action game and fun in that respect, but as a horror game it falls a bit flat.