Get ready to discover some hidden gems as we check out the most Underrated PS3 games in Sony’s back catalogue!
The PS3 had a whopping 2561 games available for users to play. And, if like many users, you stuck to the popular PS3 exclusive titles, then you’re bound to have missed some epic titles along the way.
Don’t worry thought; that’s where writers without a life come in to save the day!
From a teenager wielding a chainsaw to a quest to save a forsaken kingdom, we’ve compiled a list of the most underrated titles on Sony’s classic machine as well as where to get your hands on a copy of each for your collection.
Get ready to dodge bullets, jump from rooftops, and to wield dual katanas while mouthing off at a guy in a yellow suit.
And yeah, that last one might sound very familiar to the comic book fans amongst you!
So, without further ado, let’s crack on with Number 10!
Table of Contents
10. Lollipop Chainsaw (2012)
Lollipop Chainsaw takes the 10th spot on this list of the most underrated PS3 games of all time, a button-mash slasher game featuring a cheerleader chopping up zombies.
Why this game hasn’t been played more I do not know! Ridding the world of Zombies from the Rotten World while wielding a chainsaw… what’s not to love?
Use different powered attacks from Pom-Pom hits to super attacks that slice Zombies clean in half. Oh, and you can also use the decapitated head of the main-character’s boyfriend as something to knock zombies down like skittles or to possess undead bodies.
Things just got weird very quickly!
There are some RPG elements to this game such as the regular upgrading of your chainsaw and a medal-based shop system where players can spend awards in order to buy new move sets to use in game.
It’s gory but not a massive blood fest, with zombies shooting out jets of light instead of blood when you cut them down. I guess that’s how Juliet manages to stay so clean all the time!
9. ModNation Racers (2010)
ModNation Racers is up next, the perfect mix of karting and character customisation.
Imagine if the character customisation of Little Big Planet met the addictive gameplay and weapons of Mario Kart; that’s ModNation Racers in a nutshell. We’ve seen players making Mario, Link, and so many more Nintendo Characters in this game.
It’s the creative gift that keeps on giving!
The modification elements of this game are unreal; everything is customisable from the landscape of the tracks to the karts that characters race in. It’s the kind of game that you could spend hours and hours tinkering with, which is just what we like.
And, like the worlds in LittleBigPlanet, players could upload their creations for other people to download and use in their own games.
The game makes you work for all these customisable features though, requiring players to pick up coins for an item vending machine while racing. So, get out on the track and start collecting!
8. Valkyria Chronicles (2008)
Valkyria Chronicles takes the 8th spot in this list of the most underrated PS3 games of all time, a strategic title set right here in Europe.
Well, an adapted version of Europe with made-up nations and a brutal war reminiscent of WWII with three brave characters bolstering the ranks of the resistance.
If you’re a big fan of games like Advance Wars with its top-down manoeuvre action but love explorative elements too, then Valkyria Chronicles has it all.
You’ll have to get to grips with lots of different troops and soldier units, harnessing each of their unique abilities to the right place at the right time. Bring Shocktroopers into the fray and send Engineers to diffuse bombs so that your Scouts can move ahead.
Plus getting to actually witness the action in the unique Manga style brought to the PS3 was something else entirely. It’s the perfect game to play after watching a film like 1917, though don’t blame me if you get so pumped up that you start running through the streets screaming.
7. Vanquish (2010)
Vanquish comes from the same genius minds that brought is Bayonetta. It’s incredibly fast paced, probably one of the craziest shooters on the console.
In a nice twist, it also boasts some fighting features that we’ve come to know from our favourite beat-em-up titles, all done in an amazing VR Troopers meets Transformers-style battle suit shown on the front cover.
You’ll never play another shooting game again after experiencing what it’s like to slide out of the way to evade torrents of bullets!
One of the best bits about this game is the the battle suit itself, or if we’re going to get onto first name terms with it, the ‘Augmented Reaction Suit’.
When you take on more damage, the suit automatically switches into a kind of bullet-time mode, allowing you to move much faster as though time has slowed down. It also becomes easier to make your bullets find their marks on any enemies in the vicinity.
I’m a big fan of this mechanic, and it doesn’t make it feel like you’re failing. It’s a chance to get back on top when things are getting rough, which is the permanent feeling you’ll be in when playing this game.
You do remember me saying ‘a torrent of bullets’ above, right?
6. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (2010)
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is one of the most underrated PS3 games that fans of games like Uncharted and Tomb Raider should definitely have in their collection.
A character that has taken heavy influence from the Monkey king of legend and a companion that throws EMPs at robotic enemies…
Sony should have hired me to write blurbs on the front of these underrated games!
Let’s just take a moment to look at how amazing this game looks. It came out in 2010 and still looks incredible on the PS3 today.
The gameplay mechanics kind of feel like Star Fox Adventures in the sense that Monkey’s movements are all based around the staff weapon he carries. As well as beating back robo-baddies, players much collect orbs throughout each of the stunning chapter locations they visit, upgrading his staff set and becoming more powerful in the process.
5. Bulletstorm (2011)
If you were a fan of the insane speeds and general mayhem of Vanquish, then Bulletstorm will be right up your street.
As soon as I see the term ‘Space Pirates’, I always think of Samus Aran kicking ass on Tallon IV. But in this game, players are playing as a Space Pirate captain.
And the general feel of the game is far darker and a lot gorier than Samus’ outings!
Are you aware of the skillshot system? If you’ve been playing a lot of Hogwarts Legacy recently, then you’ll know that there are certain conditions you must meet while battling in order to get more points.
Well, that same system can be found in Bulletstorm, and the only way to upgrade weapons and such is to kill enemies in very specific, and often brutal ways. We’re talking about lopping someone’s head off or throwing them up into the air and pulling them back onto a set of spikes.
Think of it like Mortal Kombat meets Vanquish, yet another blurb that would have made me buy this game on release day!
With a slick co-op multiplayer, tonnes of futuristic weapons, and a speed-running segment for the pros to try, there’s plenty to keep you occupied for a long time to come.
4. Mirror’s Edge (2008)
How does the thought of a parkour action game sounds? That’s Mirror’s Edge in a nutshell, and it gives me all the fun of jumping over buildings and shimmying up pipes without any of the fear of actually falling to my death.
It’s a little weird to get used to because of the fact that the action is all viewed from a first-person perspective and can be a little disorientating at first, especially as the camera moves just like your head would if you were hurtling along rooftops at break-neck speeds.
Neck breaking being one of the many reasons why I’m glad that this is just a computer game.
In many ways, this game feels a little like the beginning scene in the Matrix when Trinity is running away from agents along the rooftops. So much so, in fact, that this game also has a bullet time mode where players can slow down the action to make sure they make perfect jumps and for sliding underneath bullets.
There are only ten chapters to complete, but the story is driven forward continuously by film segments that create an exciting and compelling narrative.
Pick up collectibles in the main story mode and try your hand at the time attack mode where you can compete against the ghosts of other runners to get the fastest time. One slip and it’s a long way down, though, so watch your footing!
3. Nier (2010)
Nier brings every element of every RPG that we’ve every played to the table. If you’re a fan of the God of War series of games, then you’re bound to see some similarities here, which in our opinion can only ever be a good thing.
And, for all the PS4 and Xbox One fans out there, it lead onto the epic Nier Automata game that we’ve spent countless hours playing over the years.
One thing I will say is that this game is hard to follow at times, but it’s well worth sticking with. The storyline is complex but full off subtle-little secrets that are gradually revealed as though you’re reading a good book.
If anything, in the same way that Dune was a film for readers, this game feels like a game for fantasy book fans, those that value storyline and in-depth plot arcs over gameplay mechanics.
Interestingly, the PS3 and Xbox-360 versions of these games are super different too. In the PS3 version you play as a teenager, where as Microsoft’s offering sees players controlling a man in the middle of his life. The PS3 version feels more ‘Final Fantasy-esque’ which is why it’s always been our favourite.
2. Deadpool (2013)
Deadpool takes the silver medal in todays underrated PS3 games list. I’m sure the Merc with the mouth would have a lot to say about that, so if anyone asks, Brandon wrote this article instead of me…
One of the things I love about this game is the fact that Deadpool breaks the fourth wall and talks to the player, stepping out of his own game to speak to the devs about how disappointed he is with how things have panned out for him. It works perfectly and, as he mentions Zelda pretty early on, he immediately won my allegiance.
There’s a reason I stuck him at the top of the best Marvel PS3 games of all time!
Wade has some incredible weapons that players can pull out while running around defeating mammoth bosses. Collect Deadpool points to buy new gear, regenerate your health over time, and listen to his trademark funny quips, comments that genuinely make me belly laugh.
Plus with supporting characters such as Wolverine, Rogue, and Cable, you just know you’re in for a wild ride from the very beginning.
It wouldn’t be a Deadpool game if it wasn’t incredibly chaotic, would it?
1. Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom (2010)
The Retro Dodo team has spoken, the results are in, and Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is officially the most underrated game on the PS3.
Anyone who loves the puzzle elements of games like Zelda will be so into this game. The world of Q’markaj is stunning to behold, and there’s plenty of action for platforming fans to sink their teeth into.
Especially if their teeth are as big as the lad in the picture at the bottom down there.
Unlike Zelda, players don’t control the main character directly. Instead, they give him actions to complete while the Majin follows on behind and is controlled by the computer.
The abilities that players get to wield in this game are phenomenal too. Harness the elements to fire electricity, wind, and many more powers at your enemies.
Defeat four bosses to get to the king in his castle. Told you it was Zelda-ish!
The relationship between you and the Majin is brilliant, as is the rich and deep storyline spanning through this imaginative title. It’s a fantasy lovers dream and the perfect game to top our underrated PS3 games list!
