The PlayStation and its users have always enjoyed a great library of exclusives with every generation. Part of the PS1’s success was not only down to its CD format in contrast to the Nintendo 64’s cartridge but the games that could only be found on the machine at the time.
Games like Final Fantasy VII, Wipeout, Resident Evil, and Tomb Raider helped cement the Platform’s legacy in the console market. That success continued with PlayStation 2’s dominance over the Sega Dreamcast, Xbox, and the Nintendo GameCube.
Even when the Xbox 360 established a strong presence in the console market the PlayStation 3 was still home to some gaming best exclusive games that couldn’t be found anywhere else. With the PS3, PSP, and the PS4 releasing some fantastic games in the last decade let’s take a look at where Metacritic ranks 10 of the best.
10 Horizon Zero Dawn (Metascore 89)
Horizon Zero Dawn was released on the PlayStation 4 in 2017 and developed Guerrilla Games who were best known for their first-person shooter series Killzone. The game is a third-person open-world action role-playing game with a female lead called Aloy.
The game’s world is easily one of the most beautiful seen in this generation. Not just because the graphics were great but because the art design and dynamic lighting is something special. Horizon Zero Dawn’s boss battles feel organic, the narrative develops with every discovery and the stealth-based combat is just as good as the Assassin’s Creed series.
9 LittleBigPlanet 2 (Metascore 91)
LittleBigPlanet 2 was released on the PlayStation 3 in 2011. Just like the original game from 2008, it is a Puzzle-Platformer that allows players to create their own content levels similar to the recent Mario Maker games on Nintendo systems.
In addition to having a good-sized single-player story mode that is jam-packed with unlockable for gamers to use to in their own created content. The amount of power the player has to create their own games and worlds is almost limitless making LittleBigPlanet 2 one of the PlayStation’s true gems.
8 God Of War III (Metascore 92)
God of War III was originally released on the PlayStation 3 in 2010 and was remastered and enhanced for the PlayStation 4 in 2015. Just like its predecessors, it is an action-adventure hack-and-slash game in the same vein as the Devil May Cry series.
It’s a far less difficult series than Devil May Cry making it very popular for gamers that just enjoy jumping into a cinematic action series. Everything from the gigantic boss battles to the orchestral score just screams epic and was the epic conclusion to Kratos’ Greek mythology saga.
7 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Metascore 92)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception was released on the PlayStation 3 in 2011. The action-adventure game was the last entry in the series for the PS3 and pushed the hardware to its absolute limits in terms of visuals.
The remastered Drake’s Deception doesn’t look out of place with some of the best looking games on the PlayStation 4. In addition, the writing, voice acting, and musical score put Uncharted 3 on the same level as many big-budget adventure films and television shows.
6 Journey (Metascore 92)
Journey is an indie-developed adventure that was originally released in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network store. It was one of the first games that one could truly make the argument for videogames as art. It was the kind of game that could evoke a sense of wonder and discovery.
Furthermore, the game only took players around three hours to complete meaning that even the most impatient gamer could experience something different without needing to commit hours of their time. Journey is an infinitely beautiful experience that can be as much an emotional experience for many players as it can be an original one.
5 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Metascore 93)
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End was released on the PlayStation 4 in 2016 and it is the final chapter in the Nathan Drake saga for the series. The game remains one of the best looking games of the generation with some of the most realistic facial and motion capture seen this generation.
Theif’s End offered players a much more open experience and featured reworked and more realistic albeit cinematic looking combat mechanics. Even the game’s hand-to-hand combat was reworked and is very reminiscent of an Indiana Jones fight scene.
4 Persona 5 (Metascore 93)
Persona 5 was released simultaneously for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in 2016. Just like its predecessors the game is based within the Shin Megami Tensei universe and is set in a modern-day Tokyo.
The game puts players in the shoes of a transfer student named Joker being put on probation for a crime he didn’t commit. At his new academy, he makes friends, forms bonds and potential romances with the other characters in the game. The visuals and art style look amazing on both machines and Persona 5 remains one of the best looking games in both generations.
3 Persona 4: The Golden (Metascore 94)
Persona 4: The Golden was released on the PlayStation Portable in 2012. It is an enhanced remastered version of the original Persona 4 released on the PlayStation 2 in 2008. The remaster includes improved combat mechanics, new characters, more Personas, new Social Links and more stories.
The game’s story is set in a modern-day Japan that focuses on a student moving to a new school as he works to uncover a supernatural murder mystery. The player will form relationships, friendships, and potential romances with other students and party members.
2 God Of War (Metascore 94)
God of War was released on the PlayStation 4 in 2018. The game served as both a follow-up to Kratos’ adventure through Greek Mythology and as a reboot this time with Norse Mythology as its main backdrop.
In addition to the new setting, the game features a completely different combat system that shares more in common with the Dark Souls series and an AI partner in the form of Kratos' young son. God of War has the best narrative and voice acting in the series by a long way and features lots of twists and turns to keep the player gripped from to start to end.
1 The Last Of Us Remastered (Metascore 95)
Developed by Naughty Dog the same team that created the Uncharted series, The Last of Us is a survival horror game that implements stealth, action and an amazing narrative into one complete package. Just like Uncharted, The Last of Us is an experience that deserves to be mentioned among the horror genre’s best whether it’s in gaming, film or on television.
It was originally released on the PlayStation 3 in 2013 with a remastered version following a year later with improved visuals, framerates and loading times. With a Metascore of 95 on both the PS3 and the Ps4, it is the PlayStation's highest-rated exclusive. The Last of Us Part II is due to be released for the PlayStation 4 in May 2020.