Third generation of Sony’s popular console, the PlayStation 3 did not have a very positive start to life — due to its custom architecture, the device gave developers work, resulting in poorly optimized games, which could not extract the high performance promised by the Japanese giant . Even so, over time and with the help of the manufacturer, important titles were released, guaranteeing a respectable library for the console.
The wide variety of games released for the PS3 featured some of the shooters that not only defined the generation, but are still benchmarks today. Thinking about it, the canaltech listed 10 of the best shooters released for the PlayStation 3.
10. Binary Domain
Obscure title developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the same group responsible for the series yakuzaand published by Sega, Binary Domain is a third-person shooter (TPS) game that puts the player in the role of a squadron in Tokyo in 2080 with the mission of preventing an army of robots, which already controls the Japanese capital, from dominating the world.
With solid gameplay, unique mechanics, strategic elements to defeat the machines and some absurd battles, the game provides an immersive and somewhat fun experience, but it did not generate the expected commotion.
9. Borderlands
One of the most popular shooting franchises, Borderlands began in the PS3 era with the original title, which takes players through an apocalyptic scenario on the planet Pandora amidst a surprisingly dense plot.
With charismatic characters, well-polished gameplay, absurd weapons and an extremely chaotic and fun cooperative multiplayer mode, the game has conquered space and is currently in its third numbered title, accompanied by popular spin-off series such as Tales from the Borderlands and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
8. Vanquish
One of the first bets by Platinum Games, legendary producer of popular action games like Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, vanquish drew attention for its intense gameplay that mixes shooting mechanics and hack ‘n’ slash — one of the studio’s trademarks — including agile movement and even the famous bullet timebreaking away from the traditional formula of each genre.
Also based on a futuristic setting, the production takes players to face terrorists who attack a large solar power station, developed to circumvent humanity’s energy collapse, with extreme battles and some twists along the way.
7. Spec Ops: The Line
Another member of the TPS genre, Spec Ops: The Line features simple but solid gameplay, and really draws attention to the plot, inspired by the feature film. Apocalypse Now and in the novel The Heart of Darkness.
In the game, the player takes on a group of US soldiers in an operation to look for survivors in a Dubai devastated by a gigantic sandstorm, and in the process they end up having their “morality challenged” (as the game’s description points out) with decisions complex and big twists.
6. Bulletstorm
Title developed by the People Can Fly team, a studio also responsible for the development of Gears of War: Judgment and, more recently, Outriders, bulletstorm was another first-person shooter that hit the PS3 and challenged the traditional concepts of the genre.
In addition to weapons, players had access to special powers that included manipulating gravity to increase the score by getting stylish kills, amidst a storyline of revenge and survival.
5. Crysis 3
Third title of the franchise that is a reference in graphics until the present day, Crysis 3 it is not the most acclaimed title of the saga, but it polished elements of the predecessors and pushed the PlayStation 3 to the limit (too much, as performance metrics proved). The title puts players back in New York, now taken over by vegetation, bringing some interesting new features to the gameplay, such as the addition of archery.
Crysis 3 (as well as previous titles) received a remastered version for PS5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch and PC with improved performance and numerous visual improvements, including elements of Ray Traced lighting.
4. Killzone 3
Latest title in the Guerilla Games shooter franchise for the PlayStation 3, Killzone 3 it was the greatest of the saga so far and another title to push the PS3 to the limits. The game stood out for its great focus on the narrative, with epic moments, and was successful with the multiplayer mode, even among giants like call of duty and battlefield.
Killzone 3 it was also part of the wave of exclusive games that marked the return of Sony’s strong investments in Latin America and Brazil, with complete localization with dubbing for PT-BR.
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 not only is it one of the best shooters on the PS3, it’s also one of the most acclaimed titles in the franchise, with well-tuned gameplay and intense moments in the campaign that generated discussions across the internet, including the shooting in a fictional favela in Rio de Janeiro and the controversial scene at the Russian airport.
The game was also known for its popular online multiplayer, and the Spec Ops missions, which put the player to fulfill specific tasks in war situations with the possibility of carrying them out in cooperative mode. Modern Warfare 2 received a full remake with numerous visual improvements for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and PC.
2. Max Payne 3
Latest title from one of Rockstar Games’ most iconic franchises, Max Payne 3 it was another showcase of the PS3’s capabilities, elevating the gameplay mechanics of previous games and, as usual for the developer, delivering pretty impressive graphics for the time (including a visual change for Max Payne that sparked discussion).
In the game, now an ex-cop taken with an addiction to painkillers, Max leaves New York behind and becomes a private security guard for a wealthy family in São Paulo, Brazil, seeking to escape the past. After the kidnapping of the wife of one of his new employers, the protagonist ends up involved in a complex plot, trying to understand what was really happening.
1. Bioshock
Heavily inspired by classic titles like System Shock, bioshock was introduced to the world in the PS3 era, establishing some of the mainstays and gameplay mechanics adopted in modern shooters.
Its main differential at the time of launch was the addition of Plasmids, powers that inserted a more strategic element to the game, making it possible, for example, to electrocute multiple enemies by throwing electricity in an area taken by water.
The plot also drew attention, both for its rhythm and inspiration in the 1950s, and for the huge plot twist present at the end. Just like some of the other titles on this list, bioshock has been remastered for current consoles with graphical refinements and significant performance improvements.
