Plenty of games were released for the PlayStation 3, with many being well-known triple-A titles that are well-loved today. However, some beautifully crafted hidden gems deserve a shot in the limelight under all those triple-A titles. While the PS3 has truly been and gone, the collectors may be looking for some games to add to the list.
Here are our top 15 underrated PS3 games.
15. Modnation Racers
If you’re a fan of cartoonish racing games, ModNation Racers is a fabulous game for all ages and can really allow you to bond with friends and family while engaging in some friendly competition. Not only could you compete in races against friends and family in local co-op, but it also allowed you to play against players from all across the world. In addition to this, you could also get creative and customize your own racer, as well as create your own tracks to introduce to players!
There were some fantastic custom tracks out there that could be really challenging but fun, and some very simple ones that allowed players to get used to the mechanics before trying on some of the harder challenges.
14. The Unfinished Swan
The Unfinished Swan is a beautifully made adventure game revolving around a young boy’s journey with grief and discovery. His mother was a painter and created the Unfinished Swan. You get to follow Monroe on his journey through a magical painted world using the same paintbrush his mother used.
Despite this game winning awards at the BAFTAs, it still feels as if it has been forgotten and lost in the sea of PlayStation 3 games.
13. Tokyo Jungle
If you enjoy survival games, you’re bound to enjoy Tokyo Jungle. With a vast world to explore, you’re plunged into a deserted futuristic Tokyo and have to fight for survival. You’ll meet many cool animals, friends, or foes along the way. From Pomeranians to Lions to Spotted Hyenas, there’s something everyone can enjoy in Tokyo Jungle.
Tokyo Jungle is the perfect marriage of resource management and adventuring through a derelict world. You’ll have to gather up your own pack of animals to help fend for yourself. This game also comes with two modes, which are equally fun.
12. Bulletstorm
In a sea of FPS and third-person shooters, Bulletstorm got lost in the sea. However, it is a criminally underrated PS3 game and deserves a lot more love than it got. It’s a unique FPS, requiring you to get creative with your kills to score more points. On top of that, Bulletstorm’s campaign is quite fun. If you want to avoid multiplayer in these games altogether, the campaign more than makes up for it.
Bulletstorm has many fun mechanics and various guns with different variations to choose from. That being said, Bulletstorm has a lot of crude humor you may not be a fan of.
11. Katamari Forever
Katamari Forever is a fun, adorable, and simple game to play, with fun for all ages. Rolling around 34 levels, you have to pick up as much junk as possible to return color to the levels to bring back the King’s memory.
All Katamari games are incredibly fun and enjoyable, and Katamari Forever is one of the best.
10. Nier
Nier walked so Nier: Automata could run. This game is often overlooked by fans of the sequel. That being said, there is now a remake of this game that is widely available across all platforms if players want a more streamlined experience in this adventure RPG game.
If you enjoyed the Drakengard series, then you should absolutely give Nier a go, as it is based on the fifth ending of the first game. That being said, even as a standalone game, it is a lot of fun, very fast-paced, and offers a vast world to explore with various enemies to defeat and attacks to utilize.
9. Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line is a fairly decent but underrated PS3 game that didn’t perform as well in a vast sea of FPS and third-person shooters. This was a reboot of the Spec Ops series and has eventually gone on to grow its own community despite not being as popular as Call of Duty.
Spec Ops: The Line includes a variety of difficulties and unique ways to kill enemies. For example, you can use the sand you stand on to kill enemies in specific fashions. This game is perfect for those looking for a shooter that doesn’t rely too heavily on a multiplayer aspect, as this game doesn’t have a strong multiplayer fan base.
8. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Initially pitched as a movie, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West became an action-adventure game made by Ninja Theory. This game has a bountiful world with plenty to explore and unique character designs. For those who are looking for a unique action-adventure game, this is certainly one of them. In a dystopian world overrun by mechs, you have to fight for survival as you attempt to shut down the mech organization once and for all.
7. Lollipop Chainsaw
Somewhat considered a cult classic, Lollipop Chainsaw is an entertaining, underrated PS3 game. While some consider it a cult classic, it was often overlooked at the time of release, as it received average reviews in the Western market.
Lollipop Chainsaw is a bizarre hack-and-slash game as you play as a preppy blonde called Juliet who fights against zombies in various ways. With melee attacks and various hits with the chainsaw, there isn’t anything she can’t do.
6. Mirror’s Edge
Mirror’s Edge is a fantastic, fast-paced game where players use parkour to escape narrowly from authorities trying to track down the main character, Faith. However, if you suffer from motion sickness, this may be a game to avoid. There are a lot of heights, ducking, sliding, and rolling, which can jostle the camera quite a lot. That being said, it has some very fun mechanics and can allow the player to climb to new heights that other games may not have allowed them to do. You’ll have to jump from skyline to skyline and infiltrate authority buildings as you run and weave through enemies for survival.
5. Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is an adorable action-adventure game you can play on the PS3. This game was buried in a sea of cutesy puzzle games for the PS3 and remains one of the most underrated PS3 games today.
Playing as Tepeu, the thief, you explore a beautiful kingdom and try to restore it by freeing the Majin, a magical creature who can restore the kingdom to its previous state. Teotl is an adorable creature that follows you and is AI-controlled. He is incredibly lovable and helps you solve puzzles as you give him commands and orders to follow to help you pick up items or take part in combat.
4. Dragon’s Crown
A bit of a different kind of game, Dragon’s Crown is a side-scrolling action RPG where you explore a variety of dungeons in Hydeland. You’ll have to fight against various bosses, interact with fascinating NPCs, and accept and complete quests given to you in the guild.
This game does come with some strong criticisms from critics and players in the Western market for over-sexualizing the Sorceress and exaggerating body parts, so keep this in mind if you decide to play Dragon’s Crown and aren’t a fan of graphics like that.
3. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
While Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning received positive reviews at the time of release, it was seen trying to do too many of the common tropes of an action RPG. However, it’s incredibly fun and has a somewhat dated aesthetic as you explore the Faelands, complete quests, and interact with NPCs worldwide. There are multiple types of combat to utilize, and you can choose if you want to be ranged, melee, or magic, and have access to a wide variety of weapons to spice up your gameplay.
For those who are fans of real-time combat, this is a great game to pick up.
2. Deadly Premonition: Director’s Cut
This game is controversial in the gaming community, to say the least. While some view it as a cult classic, others consider it garish and boring. That being said, at the time of release, it was generally well-received by the market and critics. While the graphics are seemingly dated for its time, the graphics and cheesy music lend some charm to the Twin Peaks-esque story of the game. If you like crime and mystery, this is a great game to dive into.
However, there are some horror elements you’ll need to keep your eye out for. If you are scared easily, you might want to give this a miss!
1. De Blob 2
While this game didn’t have a bad review per se, it wasn’t exactly one of the most favored games on the PS3. This game is fun and relaxing, whether you play it alone or utilize the game’s multiplayer aspect.
It is a lot of fun to paint a plain town and make it full of color again, and the characters are adorable to boot. Overall, De Blob 2 is a fantastic family game; you’re missing out if you haven’t played it!
That wraps up our underrated PS3 games list! Some games here are hidden gems or are just criminally underrated by the gaming community.
Is your favorite underrated game on this list?
