Sony PlayStation 3

The Uncharted series was spectacular in its own right, but The Last of Us was the most highly anticipated first-party game released on the PlayStation 3. Its production values were second-to-none, and the game successfully delivered a cinematic experience without fully crossing the line into “interactive movie” territory. The lighting, animation, camera angles, voice work, and soundtrack were almost unrivaled for its generation, and the obvious technical achievements were supported by brilliant art direction. The gameplay was the perfect fit for a zombie apocalypse setting, and the focus on stealth was a nice change of pace from Uncharted‘s explosive gun battles. Although somewhat cliche and predictable, there was real emotional depth to the story and characters. Because of this, the excitement continued to build as the story unfolded. The pacing was perfect and the environments were stunning, so I was always excited to enter a new area. I found it especially refreshing to visit post-apocalyptic landscapes that were overgrown with foliage instead of being defined entirely by drab colors. The Last of Us was Naughty Dog’s magnum opus on the PS3.

I was waiting for Red Dead Redemption from the moment I first played Grand Theft Auto III. I welcomed the unprecedented freedom that GTA offered, but I always felt that the concept would work better in the Wild West than in the concrete jungle of Liberty City. Neversoft’s Gun and Rockstar’s own Red Dead Revolver failed to live up to their potential, but Red Dead Redemption was an instant classic. Red Dead Redemption hearkens back to a simpler time where people still slept under the stars and caught their own food. At the same time, a lack of oversight and a lawless environment gave way to gunfights and bandits. Saloons and whorehouses were the primary sources of entertainment, but even laborious tasks like herding cattle are entertaining when they’re presented in video game format. One of the best aspects about Red Dead Redemption is a combat system that allows players to mark multiple shooting targets in slow motion. It’s extremely satisfying to casually pick off an entire band of outlaws while riding a horse. Sandbox games sometimes run the risk of sacrificing story in the name of flexibility, but Red Dead Redemption is driven by a tightly-wound story and strong characters.

Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series helped define the PS3 generation with its slick production values and carefully-directed action. Uncharted 2 is being singled out because it boasted the most interesting environments and characters in the series, and it generally felt more balanced with respect to its pacing and difficulty. The gameplay in Uncharted 2 is informed by exciting set pieces that are in a constant state of flux. Enemy guards will show up unannounced, platforms will shift unexpectedly beneath your feet, and high rise buildings will crumble around you. Dynamic camera angles frame the action like a Hollywood blockbuster, and the game creates the illusion of accomplishment without necessarily demanding a lot from the player. The scenarios might be scripted, but that doesn’t make things any less exhilarating. Critics insist that the whole game feels like an extended quicktime event, but Uncharted 2 represents the absolute pinnacle of “roller coaster” game design. Sure, it’s linear, but it’s also fun and exciting. It’s basically the video game equivalent of a Jerry Bruckheimer movie, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with a good popcorn flick. Uncharted 2 does exactly what it sets out to do, and it’s the perfect game for anyone who likes action, explosions, and Gilmore Girls-esque banter.

An innovative puzzle game played from a first-person perspective, Portal was the biggest surprise of 2007. Games like Half-Life and Counter-Strike helped cement Valve Corporation’s place in history, but Portal was arguably their most creative effort. The game places players in a research facility and basically treats them like a rat in a maze. In order to escape the test chambers, players have to create portals using a special gun. Momentum is retained through the portals, so its often necessary to position them so that horizontal movement is converted into vertical motion (or vice versa). For example, placing a portal on the floor and jumping into it can allow players to launch themselves out of an exit portal that had been placed elsewhere. As creative as Portal was, the sequel did more with the concept and introduced new environmental elements like tractor beams. The games shared a dark sense of humor and were filled with laugh-out-loud moments, but the puzzles in the sequel were more complex. This was especially apparent in the new two-player cooperative mode. Throwing a second player into the mix gave Valve the opportunity to introduce complicated puzzles that would have otherwise been impossible. Few games promote communication more so than Portal 2, and the ability to crossplay with Steam users was greatly appreciated. Portal 2 is one of those rare games that is guaranteed to be remembered decades after its release.

Fighting games were on life support in 2009, and nearly ten years had passed without a major entry in the Street Fighter franchise. Street Fighter IV revitalized the genre and went on to sell over 8 million copies worldwide. The game stands out immediately thanks to its hand-painted art style that employs brush strokes, ink smudges, and calligraphic swipes to accent the action. The fights are more cinematic than those seen in previous Street Fighter games, but the game itself feels like an updated version of Street Fighter II in many ways. The gameplay is still restricted to two dimensions, and all of the characters from Street Fighter II are featured on the roster. Street Fighter IV was an instant hit, but the Super and Ultra versions introduced new characters and gameplay refinements. Ultra is being singled out here since it has the largest roster and the most balanced gameplay. (It was nice to see Poison finally featured as a playable character too.) It would be easy to criticize Capcom for releasing multiple versions of the same game, but the results speak for themselves. Cash grab or not, Ultra Street Fighter IV was an incredibly polished product and stands tall as the best fighting game of its generation.

The amount of things to do in Grand Theft Auto V is staggering. When you’re not busy stealing cars or hijacking military aircraft, you can treat yourself to a lap dance at the local stripclub or wind down by scuba diving. You can also become a restate mogul, compete in a triathlon, or put your base-jumping abilities to the test. Random events can appear at any time, and this adds tremendous depth to a game that was already oceanic. The game’s new character-swapping mechanic allows players to switch between the three main characters at any given time. Different characters are better-suited for certain missions, and this allows for better pacing and more variety than earlier GTA games. The game’s a heck of lot less frustrating too, thanks to a refined cover system and smarter mission checkpoints. Grand Theft Auto V is exaggerated and over-the-top, but it also provides a biting look at post-economic crisis America. None of the central characters are especially likable, but you’d have to be pretty dense to miss the game’s tongue-in-cheek approach. Some will argue that its immediate predecessor was a more realistic experience from both a gameplay and storyline perspective, but I’m partial to the over-the-top nature of Grand Theft Auto V since it feels more in line with the spirit of San Andreas and Vice City.

The first Borderlands was a surprise hit in 2009, and it stood out for its unique visual style and sardonic sense of humor. The sequel is larger, more diverse, and even more absurd than the original. Equal parts action RPG and first-person shooter, Borderlands 2 boasts hundreds of missions and about a gazillion weapons. As players traverse a savage wasteland in search of loot, they’ll partake in deadly firefights and encounter myriads of aliens, robots, and deranged bandits. It’s essential for players to upgrade their gear, learn new skills, and experiment with different weapon combinations along the way, and the randomly generated treasures keeps things interesting. One of the most notable aspects about the Borderlands series is its multiplayer component. (Any game that supports couch co-op in this day and age automatically earns my respect.) If you want a visually interesting game with a great sense of humor and tremendous replay value, look no further than Borderlands 2. It’s refreshing to play a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Persona 5 is an eleventh hour arrival on this list, but it was well worth the wait. Like previous games in the series, Persona 5 feels like a cross between a traditional RPG and a “choose your waifu” visual novel. The game follows a group of high school kids who can jump into parallel realms born from the distorted desires of humans. By harnessing manifestations of their inner psyche called “Personas,” the group of vigilantes aims to eliminate corrupting influences from various authority figures. When they’re not busy dungeon crawling and battling dark forces in alternate universes, players are free to spend their time as they wish. Most RPGs require players to grind for experience by battling monsters, but Persona 5 lets you increase your stats through regular, everyday activities round Tokyo. After class, you can study at the library, visit batting cages, settle down with a good book, watch DVDs in your bedroom, find time for a workout session, or get a part-time job. The game also encourages players to spend time with other characters. Establishing social links with others will make them more helpful in battle and will open up more extracurricular activities, but the characters are so interesting that you’d probably want to learn more about them even if you weren’t rewarded for doing so. Persona 5 is thematically similar to its immediate predecessor in many ways, but its presentation makes Persona 4 seem almost bland in comparison. There’s always something interesting happening on screen, and everything in the game – from the battle menus to the transition screens to the dialogue boxes – is overflowing with style. Simply put, Persona 5 is the best menu-based RPG to appear on a Sony console since the PS1 era.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is right up there with Batman: The Animated Series and Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy as one of the best interpretations of the Caped Crusader. After being tricked by the Joker, Batman finds himself locked inside Arkham Asylum with the very inmates he helped put away. As Batman fights to escape the makeshift prison, he is forced to sneak through air ducts, blast through walls, and find alternate routes. The way the areas of the game are connected gives Arkham Asylum a distinct “Metroidvania” feel, and players are actively encouraged to take their time and explore their surroundings. Batman’s fighting skills are highlighted by a combo-centric combat system, and the stealth sections are a perfect fit for a hero who adopted the shadows. The game features a compelling plot and iconic characters, and voice acting from the likes of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill make Arkham Asylum come to life. At the same time, the game keeps players engaged by introducing new moves and gadgets as they progress through the Asylum, so it never feels like you’re just watching a story unfold around you. Arkham Asylum is the game that all superhero video games will forever be compared to.

Praised for its dark fantasy themes and unforgiving difficulty, FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls was an action RPG that had “cult hit” written all over it when it was released in 2009. Dark Souls was built on the same foundation and helped rewrite the rules of modern gaming. Most AAA games are linear experiences that bombard players with forced tutorials, but Dark Souls is void of obnoxious hand-holding. Players are instead left to figure things out on their own out based on cryptic conversations and subtle environmental clues. The game is notable for being brutally hard, but this ultimately makes the experience rewarding. Dark Souls is designed in a way that forces players to learn from their mistakes, and patience is rewarded with the joy of new discoveries and a high sense of achievement. Players always seem to have their backs against the wall, but there are many ways to approach the game since its semi-open world is filled to the brim with secret areas, hidden weapons, and optional bosses. The Souls games deserve tremendous credit for their creative approach to multiplayer. The ability to see how other players died was especially creative and provided valuable insight on how to proceed. The game won’t appeal to every temperament, but anyone who cut their teeth in the arcades or on 8-bit consoles will appreciate the direction taken by Dark Souls.