Summary
When it comes to new generations of game consoles, they always aim to bring something fresh to the table for the industry, and naturally, the 7th generation was no different. Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony were all taking big steps in console technology, bringing new features, better graphics, and, of course, bigger games, especially when it comes to thePS3.
Sony was able to make a quick turnaround from thePlayStation 3’s rough launchin 2006, releasing updated and improved models. The PS3 would later go on to get some of the most technologically ambitious games that players had seen thus far. Pushing the console’s hardware to its absolute limit to deliver titles that were stunning in both graphics and content.
This list will cover the mosttechnically impressivegames on the PS3, due to their size and scope, or their graphics and presentation.
The entries will stick to onlyone titleper game series, and not just PlayStation exclusives.
Rounding out theclassic action-adventure trilogyfrom Sony in 2010,God Of War 3featured the series’ traditional, epic boss battle moments, just bigger and better than ever. Featuring some of the best presentations the series has seen thus far, from graphics to the massive scale of its surreal mythological environments. Players again take control of the infamous Kratos, as he battles through the various heroes, titans, and gods of Ancient Greece. Fantastic visuals aren’t uncommon for the well-known series, but its usual boss battles taking place in even bigger open environments than before made it all the more impressive.
The third installment dialed up the experience even further in its gameplay, bringing in some of the most over-the-top combos and finishers as the cherry on top. Like the other installments in the franchise,God Of War 3was widely praised for its gameplay and graphics at the time and has since been regarded as having some of the greatest hack-n-slash action of all time on the PlayStation 3.
Killzone 2may have one of the most prolific announcements of all time, and any gamer around back then would remember why. The reveal trailer for E3 2005 featured unbelievable-looking visuals for the time, quite literally, in fact. This caused the general reaction of raised eyebrows by pretty much any gamer who saw it back in the day.
While the controversial pre-rendered reveal graphics didn’t perfectly match the presentation ofKillzone 2when it launched in 2009, it still received universal acclaim as one of the more impressive titles for the PS3 at the time.TheKillzoneserieshas always had a dark and gritty tone in its games, with plenty of violence and gore to boot. That, coupled with its hyperrealistic graphics, made for an experience that felt more visceral and less arcade-like when compared to other FPS giants of the time.
At least in the current day,Killzonemay not be a popular name in the first-person shooter genre, with its last release being all the way back in 2013 withKillzone Shadow Fall. Nonetheless, its second installment is still regarded today by fans of the series as its best entry by far.
Crytek’sCrysisgames have long been regarded for their incredibly photorealistic, yet highly demanding graphics. So much so that the age-old question of “Can it run Crysis?” became a well-known benchmark in the world of PC gaming. But the question still remained unanswered when it came to Sony’s 7th generation console and its 256MB of VRAM, that is, until 2007. With the game bringing even high-end gaming PCs of the time to their knees, having console releases forCrysisjust seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. But Crytek managed to pull it off, bringing the game to both PS3 and Xbox 360 on release over four years later in 2011.
As with most console releases compared to their PC versions of the time, there were some visual downgrades, but the visuals on offer were still absolutely gorgeous. With its sprawling tropical environments featuring many fully-destructible buildings within enemy encampments, suffice to say, it had gamers in awe back in the day, especially in combination with its sandbox-style, FPS gameplay. Seeing players take out enemies while donning their “nanosuit”, allowing for different approaches to gameplay, go in for a quiet, stealthy approach, or dive straight in guns-blazing.Crysison consoles was a technical marvel in its own right that would’ve placed higher had its performance been a bit more consistent. Nonetheless, its PS3 version was an incredible achievement, and still easily holds up today almost two decades later.
TheUnchartedgames have been consistently regarded for their storytelling, gameplay, and presentation overall, perhaps being some of the most well-known PlayStation exclusives to date. And while the first two releases in the famous action-adventure series from Naughty Dog would certainly “wow” gamers at the time, its next installment ended up taking the cake for just how impressive it was at its launch in 2011. As forUncharted 3: Drake’s Deception,it was easily one of the best-looking titles to release on the PlayStation 3. As many know, the gamefollows Nathan Drakeand his mentor, Victor Sullivan, a pair of explorers on the hunt for long-lost treasures, taking them to many different parts of the world.
The game’s unique environments were detailed, looking fantastic for the 7th generation of gaming. What stood out possibly even more was the character animations in each of the story’s cutscenes. They showed off some impressive cinematics and realistic expressions for each and every character, making the already great storytelling feel that much more believable.Uncharted 3’simpressive presentation overall obviously showed, receiving near-perfect scores across the board, and being awarded Game of the Year for 2011 by many organizations.
TheBattlefieldseries has undoubtedly had its ups and downs these past few years, but the 2010s were a different story for EA’s famous FPS franchise, especially withBattlefield 3. Itsinitial reveal trailerfrom early 2011 generated a ton of excitement among gamers, showing off the series’ famous large-scale maps and combat, but perhaps most notably, its new engine.
DICE’supgraded Frostbite 2engine madeBattlefield 3the best-looking FPS game of the time, and it wasn’t even close. Alongside the return of all the series’ well-known features, like its massive 64-player servers and large, sprawling maps complete with destructible buildings and all sorts of vehicles. With its hectic, action-packed gameplay, it would seem almost impossible for it to look that great, while at the same time providing good console performance, but the PlayStation 3 managed it without issue.
TheBattlefieldgames always stood apart from the plethora of other FPS titles with the aforementioned features, but its third installment was what took the series to new heights. Receiving high review scores for its realistic gameplay and presentation,Battlefield 3would go on to be considered the “golden age” of the franchise still to this day by many fans.
Yet another beloved title from Naughty Dog,The Last of Usquickly became a huge success after its release as a PlayStation exclusive in 2013, selling over 1.3 million copies within a week, and being awarded Game of the Year by many publications.
It follows the now well-known characters Joel and Ellie as they venture across a post-apocalyptic rendition of the United States, avoiding threats, both infected and human. From small, abandoned towns, to the empty and dilapidated cityscapes, the game’s atmosphere was haunting, yet absolutely stunning at the same time, especially for 2013. Many gamers today still regard it as one of the best-looking games, not just on the PS3, but on the 7th generation consoles as a whole.
Combining its great writing, tense gameplay, and fantastic visuals, it’s easy to see where the game’s high praise comes from.The Last of Uswent on to get a PS4 remaster in 2014 and fully remade PS5 and PC versions in 2022 and 2023 respectively. That’s without even mentioning its 2022 sequel and newest HBO series from 2024.
Tomb Raider’sReboot received high praise from both players and critics alike upon its release in 2013, which is no surprise giventhe series' history. Making its first appearance on the original PlayStation and Sega Saturn, the franchise has since become one of the cult classics when it comes to action-adventure and 3D platformers of the 1990s.
With the series reboot in 2013, it made some big changes in comparison to the previous games. Especially in terms of its presentation, this time bringing some of the most stunning visuals gamers had ever seen on the PlayStation 3. Further than just its graphics,Tomb Raideralso brought some completely new elements to the franchise, adding in survival mechanics as well as a skill system and crafting.
Now being one of thebest-selling videogames of all time, seeingGrand Theft Auto 5make this list probably won’t come as a surprise to many. At this point, it’s almost hard to believe just how many timesGTA5has been released now, but possibly even harder to fathom is the fact that the game got its start in 2013, right near the tail-end of the 7th generation of consoles. Rockstar Games has always been known for pushing boundaries in many ways, but in the case ofGTAV’soriginal console versions, they certainly outdid themselves.
As is common withGrand Theft Autotitles, the original 2013 release had great visuals, a massive, detailed map, and tons of content to offer across singleplayer andGTA Online. From the dense urban center of Los Santos, all the way to the top of Mt. Chilliad, it’s a bit of a wonder just how they managed to cram all of this onto a PS3 in the first place. Due to the release of its updated versions for next-gen consoles soon after, the PS3 version wouldn’t see too many updates overall. But the fact that the PS3 was able to withstand a game of that size with decent performance is a technical feat, to say the least.
