Top 10 current PlayStation 3 exclusives

Having looked at the upcoming PS3 exclusives recently, I thought that I’d turn my attention to the top exclusives available to date. So if you own a PS3 and need some inspiration on what game to try next or if the last article didn’t provide you with a reason to buy one, here are some exclusive titles that I feel deserve a purchase…

10. Valkyria Chronicles

In this action RPG title developed by Sega you take control over Welkin and a group of his fellow soldiers who are looking to defend their home country of Gallia that’s under attack from The Empire. The game is set in the fictitious continent of Europa and takes place in 1935. Game play combines elements of RPG, strategy and utilises real time combat to create a thoroughly enjoyable and very addictive game. The Manga watercolor style graphics are ace. The game won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but it’s well worth a try.

9. Resistance: Fall Of Man

An incredibly popular and successful PS3 launch title, Resistance: Fall Of Man takes place in England during 1951. Europe has been overrun by creatures known as the Chimera and the fate of humanity rests with an elite force of US Rangers who are sent to England to retrieve a secret weapon that could stop the Chimera. Players take control of Sgt. Nathan Hale in this first person shooter that boasts a decent single player campaign as well as a very good online multi player experience. Whilst aspects seem dated now, it’s still well worth playing. Resistance 2 is also available but FoM is the better of the two.

8. Ratchet And Clank Future Tools Of Destruction

This was Ratchet and Clank’s first appearance on the PS3, after a number of successful titles on the PS2, and the first part of their Future trilogy that was completed by the recent release of A Crack In Time. The game explores the back-stories of Ratchet and Clank as they set out to stop the evil Emperor Tachyon. Incredibly easy to pick up and play thanks to its user friendly control system, it’s not the most challenging of games, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable experience that should entertain most gamers.

7. Little Big Planet

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy Little Big Planet as much as I do. I picked it up so that I’d have a decent platform game that I could play with my girlfriend. It has proved to be an excellent purchase as we’ve had a lot of hours play out of it. The levels on the disc are enjoyable and you get Stephen Fry talking you through the tutorials as you get used to controlling Sackboy. Customisation is a key feature of Little Big Planet; you’re able to change the appearance of your Sackboy using items of clothing and accessories you unlock whilst playing the game or downloaded items from the PSN store. You’re also able to create your own levels using a relatively simple creation tool. As with the clothing and accessories, you unlock more items to use in level creation through playing the game. By the time you’ve completed the levels on the disc you should have more than enough materials to build your dream level. The creation aspect is really where Little Big Planet has excelled. There’s an incredible amount of user created levels to play through and some are better than the levels created by the development team. Little Big Planet is a fantastic platform game and is a must own for any PS3 owner.

6. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

As a bit of a spoiler for the rest of the list, this won’t be Nathan Drake’s last appearance. Loyal PlayStation developers Naughty Dog released this action adventure title at the end of 2007 to critical acclaim. Players take control of Nathan Drake as he follows in his, supposed ancestor Sir Francis Drake’s footsteps to discover the lost treasure of El Dorado on an island in the pacific. For some time it boasted the finest graphics of any title on the platform as well as an incredible story packed full of action, plot twists and cracking dialogue. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is an amazing game and one that all PlayStation 3 owners should try.

5. InFamous

In this open world action adventurer you take control of Cole McGrath, who survives a massive explosion that completely destroys a large area of Empire City and finds that he’s able to fire bolts of electricity. Following the explosion, Empire city is in a state of quarantine and isn’t a very nice place to be at all. Some of the inhabitants are suffering from a virus that turns them into gun wielding maniacs; others have gained similar powers to Cole and are using them to take control over portions of the city. Whether you use Cole’s newfound powers for good or evil is entirely up to you. Being a big fan of Fallout 3, I enjoyed the moral decisions and leveling up. Add the comic book style setting and it makes this game a winner for me.

4. Killzone 2

When Harry Slater compiled his top ten games of 2009 so far  list, in September, Killzone 2 earned the top spot and, considering the great multi platform games that were released, it was high praise, indeed. The graphics in KZ2 are stunning. I’ve yet to see a better-looking FPS, and that does include Modern Warfare 2. KZ2 isn’t without its detractors, though; some feel that the game is a bit sluggish at times. From what I can gather, it was a deliberate move to give a sense of weight to the weaponry, which is something that I appreciate and it enhanced my enjoyment of the game rather than detracting from it. It has an average length single player that’s an incredibly intense experience at times. The online multiplayer is popular, but I imagine that numbers of players will diminish given the recent success of MW2. My forays into the multiplayer have been less than successful, although I’m sure my cannon fodder act was appreciated by those who killed me numerous times – perhaps not so much by my team mates.

3. WipEout HD Fury

I wasn’t a huge fan of WipEout when it was originally released on the PS one. My friends at school were into it in a big way, but I was awful at it. Despite not playing any of the previous games extensively, I decided to pick this up last month as it received a number of rave reviews, and I’ve been converted and a little bit addicted. Sometimes I get a bit carried away. Even on speed laps I’ve called the ghost ship a cheeky bastard on more than one occasion. This doesn’t reflect well on me when you consider that the ghost ships are based on my best performance on that particular track. The game and its expansion pack have been available on PSN for quite some time but they were recently released as a double pack on a disc. In Campaign you choose between HD, which is race orientated, and Fury, which is Battle orientated, and set to complete the challenges to unlock more levels. The game also has an excellent online mode that always seems to have a number of events that you’re able to quickly join. Stunning graphics in 1080p (as you’d expect from the title) and fast gameplay make this a game worth owning. Re-play value is high as there are plenty of items to unlock and it will take a while to get all of the trophies as some of the tasks to unlock them are ridiculously hard.

2. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots

Solid Snake returns for one final mission to defeat his old enemy Liquid Ocelot in this outstanding exclusive title that’s one of the few games that I’ve seen consistently achieve perfect review scores. It’s an unbelievable achievement and undoubtedly the best game in the Metal Gear series. Graphics are stunning throughout with their being little difference between the amazing (if often overlong) cut scenes and game play. Fans of the Metal Gear series won’t be disappointed, but I’ve heard complaints about the length of the cut scenes putting people off the game. It isn’t a game you can pick up and play for half an hour here and there; it’s a game that you’ve got to devote some time to in order to get the most out of it.

1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

The follow up to Drake’s Fortune was released and set two years after the events of the first game. Among Thieves sees the return of Nathan Drake, with some familiar faces from the first game, to uncover the secrets behind Marco Polo’s lost fleet and the city of Shambhala. Among Thieves sees improvements over Drake’s Fortune across the board and is the best looking game on the PS3 so far. This is the only game I’ve achieved a Platinum trophy for, so far. Having played through the single player three times to unlock all the achievements, I now spend a lot of time on the excellent multiplayer and imagine I’ll be playing it up until the inevitable third installment is released. This is, without doubt, the best exclusive released to date. There’s really no excuse not to own this if you own a PS3.

Feel free to provide your suggestions or let me know what I’ve missed below!