10 Best PS3 Games of All Time of 2026

The Last of Us is our answer to the best PS3 game of all time. Sony's launch announcement describes a game set twenty years after a cordyceps outbreak, in which Joel smuggles Ellie out of a military quarantine zone to a group called the Fireflies. Play mixes weapon crafting, scavenging, a listen mode and stealth, and the publisher noted that Metacritic listed it as the highest rated game across all consoles for 2012 through 2013. It also shipped with Factions, an online mode where players back the Hunters or the Fireflies in four versus four Survivors and Supply Run matches on seven maps. A used disc lists at $17.99 at DKOldies, far below the $59.99 launch price. The trade-offs are tone and pacing: it is rated M, and fights are tense rather than fast. For a PS3 shelf, this is the first disc to own.

Batman: Arkham City is the best value on the list. The publisher's store page describes Arkham City as a maximum security district five times larger than the world in Batman: Arkham Asylum, filled with villains such as Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, The Penguin and Mr. Freeze. The Game of the Year Edition adds Catwoman, Robin and Nightwing as playable characters, seven maps and 12 skins, and DKOldies stocks both versions on PS3. The standard used disc lists at $9.99, the lowest regular price of any game here. It drops below the top three because the story leans on the earlier Arkham Asylum and the extras are only on the GOTY Edition. It is rated T, which makes it an easy pick for a younger player who wants a superhero game.

Red Dead Redemption ranks third for its world and its ending. Rockstar describes the story of former outlaw John Marston, forced by federal agents to hunt down the gang he once rode with, across three territories: New Austin, the Mexican province of Nuevo Paraíso and West Elizabeth with the city of Blackwater. Undead Nightmare, a zombie-horror companion tale, is part of Rockstar's current re-release. A used standard PS3 disc lists at $16.99 at DKOldies, and a separate GOTY edition is also stocked. Downsides: it is rated M, open world travel is slow, and Rockstar now sells the game on PS4, PS5, Switch, PC and mobile, so the PS3 disc matters most to collectors and to anyone who already owns the console. Players who liked Red Dead Redemption 2 will find the events that follow it here.

Uncharted 2 is the runner-up because it does almost everything The Last of Us does with a lighter touch and a lower age rating. Sony's launch release describes Nathan Drake chasing the lost fleet of Marco Polo and the Himalayan valley of Shambhala, with cover shooting that still works while he climbs or hangs from ledges. Naughty Dog said the game fills the Blu-ray and plays without loading thanks to the PS3 hard drive. Beyond the campaign, it shipped with competitive multiplayer for up to 10 players across 7 maps, three co-op scenarios for up to 3 players, and Cinema and Machinima modes that record matches. DKOldies lists a used disc at $14.99. The weak points: online modes rely on servers that may not run forever, and the plot is a popcorn adventure rather than a drama. For players who want a pure action game, it may even be the better first pick.

God of War III is the PS3's showcase brawler. Sony's launch release calls it the final installment of the trilogy, with Kratos scaling Mount Olympus and the depths of Hades to take revenge on the gods who betrayed him. Santa Monica Studio built a new engine for it, and Sony said texture resolution quadrupled over God of War II while battles are four times larger than its predecessor. Combat uses double-chained blades plus new weapons and magic, broken up by puzzles. It is single-player only and rated M. DKOldies lists a used disc at $16.99. It sits below Portal 2 because its story leans on two earlier games and it offers less to do once the campaign ends. For players who want spectacle and boss fights, though, nothing else on the PS3 matches its scale.

Portal 2 is the best puzzle game on the PS3 and the strongest co-op pick. Valve describes a single-player campaign with new characters, fresh puzzle elements and a larger set of test chambers in Aperture Science, where GLaDOS returns. The two-player co-op mode has its own separate campaign, story, test chambers and two new player characters, so a second player adds a whole extra game rather than a bolt-on. DKOldies lists the PS3 disc as Puzzle, rated E, for 1 to 2 players, at a regular used price of $22.99. That price is high for a used PS3 game, and the campaign is shorter than the open world entries above. Valve also sells it on PC, so the console disc is mostly for people who play on the couch. If you want something calm after the violence of most PS3 hits, this is it.

LittleBigPlanet is the PS3's best family game. Sony's launch release describes a community game in which players control Sackboy to play, create and share levels in a stitched-together, crafted world. Story Mode offers 50 pre-loaded levels, and the editor uses the same tools, materials and stickers Media Molecule used to build the game. Creations can be shared, ranked and searched online through PlayStation Network, and co-op supports up to four players at home or online. It also supports the PlayStation Eye camera for importing photos. DKOldies lists the disc as rated E for 1 to 4 players at $14.99 used. It ranks below the action games because its depth sits in the editor and the online community, which depends on Sony's servers. For a household with several kids, few PS3 discs offer more.

Grand Theft Auto IV is the PS3's best crime story. Rockstar's page sets up Niko Bellic, fresh off the boat from Europe, and his cousin Roman, who hope to find fortune in Liberty City and instead slide into debt and a criminal underworld. The game was developed by Rockstar North and Rockstar Toronto and released on April 29, 2008. Rockstar's page also features The Lost and Damned, and DKOldies stocks a Complete Edition disc alongside the standard release, which lists at $16.99 used. It ranks eighth because it is rated M, its controls take time to learn, and Grand Theft Auto V is also on the PS3. If you want the grimmer, more personal GTA story, this is the one to own on PS3.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is the most important PS3 exclusive for collectors. Konami describes an older Solid Snake infiltrating key locations across the Middle East and South America in a future where conglomerates fight with mercenary armies. The publisher says it was the series' first move to non-linear stages and introduced the OctoCamo suit, the remote-controlled Metal Gear Mk. II droid and an enhanced Close Quarters Combat system. Konami brought it to PSN as a digital download on December 16, 2014 for $19.99, a 30 GB file, and DKOldies lists the used disc at $19.99. It ranks ninth on ease of setup: cutscenes are long, the plot leans on the whole series, and the download size is heavy for older PS3 hard drives. Fans of the series rate it highly, and it stays one of the best reasons to keep a PS3.

Demon's Souls earns its place for history and for collectors. FromSoftware's product page describes an action RPG co-developed with Sony in the dark fantasy world of Boletaria, where players destroy demons and uncover the mystery of the Souls. The page lists one player offline and online play for up to four, a Japanese release on February 5, 2009, and awards including a Japan Game Awards 2009 Award for Excellence and a CEDEC Awards 2010 win for game design. DKOldies lists the North American disc, rated M, at $59.99 used, by far the highest price on this list, which drags its value score down. Its difficulty also makes it a poor first game for a new PS3 owner. Buy it if you love the later Souls games and want the original on the hardware it was made for.