The Best PS3 RPGs
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The PlayStation 3 was Sony’s response to the massively successful Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. This generation of consoles showed some of the best that the three giants in gaming had to offer. Sony continued their tremendous roll of amazing systems with their third iteration of the PlayStation. Released in 2008, the PS3 was a massive upgrade to the PlayStation 2 boasting Blu-Ray discs, PlayStation Network features allowing players to connect like never before, and a massive library of beautiful and fun titles. This console gave players some of the best series’ to date such as Uncharted, the Souls games, and Skyrim.
RPGs have engaged fans since the early days of gaming. This genre mixes the strategy management of a tabletop game and the beautiful worlds that a computer game can bring to their audiences. Sony has always been a haven for amazing RPGs since their first entry into the gaming market. Franchises like Final Fantasy have released some of their best on Sony’s family of home consoles. The PlayStation 3 continued the trend with amazing role-players that made the genre mainstream and made memories for players everywhere. Players who were not originally into RPGs found something for them in titles like Fallout, Skyrim, and Mass Effect which were massively successful on the PS3.
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Fallout 3
Fallout has been updated from an isometric adventure to an open-world, 3D RPG built using the same engine as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. This title has taken the PC cult classic series to the console market, making the quirkiness of this series accessible to more players.
Players wake up in Vault 101, long after nukes were dropped over a retro-futuristic America. The player must find their father and make their way through the Capital Wasteland. Players will explore a dilapidated version of Washington D.C., fighting mutated monsters, bandits, all while helping the poor residents of this cruel world.
Mass Effect 2
Return to this futuristic third-person shooter where the player’s choices matter in Mass Effect 2. An interactive comic brings players up to speed on the Mass Effect storyline and allows players to make some of those all-important choices from the first game.
In the sequel, Commander Shepherd has been confronted by a new evil force that has been capturing human colonies all over the galaxy. Players must create relationships with multiple different races of aliens, make choices based on gut feelings, and upgrade their character in order to defeat the forces of evil. This title has been called one of the best games of all time and it is certainly one of the best RPGs on the PlayStation 3.
Valkyria Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles is a tactical RPG that is loosely based on pre-WWII Europe with an awesome anime style. Players are tasked with following Welkin and his army as he defends his lands from invading forces.
The game plays similarly to X-COM in which combat takes place in real time and the camera follows individual soldiers as they fight against the enemy. Players are able to take control of individual units as they shoot at their enemy in order to pull off maneuvers or headshots. Each environment will affect how the soldiers will fight depending on their class and abilities. This is a must-play for fans of anime and alternate timelines.
Diablo III
The third entry in the long-standing series of dungeon crawling RPGs. Players take control of a character of their creation as they explore the dark fantasy world of Sanctuary. Returning players will immediately recognize some locations and characters from previous titles in the series.
This hack-and-slash adventure boasts some cool new features to the series such as the auction house in which players can sell valuable items for gold. This title also features online multiplayer so players can team up and clear difficult dungeons together. Diablo III is an awesome sequel to an amazing series of groundbreaking RPGs that players will fall in love with.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The much-anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is bigger and better than anything the series has seen before. Skyrim took the beloved series mainstream with its exciting new mechanics, giant world, and fun quests. In this title, the player-created character is the Dragonborn, a hero born only when the time is right and with the powers of a dragon, as they must save the province of Skyrim from evil dragons and a bloody civil war.
There are plenty of powers that the Dragonborn can unlock like brutal shouts with a plethora of different effects, enchanted swords, and wild familiars. The game offers hours upon hours of exciting content along with a few DLCs that keep the game fresh and allow it to still have a thriving community many years later.
The Legend of Heroes: Trials of Cold Steel II
This may not be one of the most popular JRPG series’ in the west, but players who have not been graced by this amazing title are missing out. Trials of Cold Steel II is a turn-based RPG pretty similar to that of Persona. Characters in this title are students who are embroiled in a nasty civil war which has made its way to their hometown. Players must explore the world and defeat a number of different opponents in order to save their town and stop this brutal war.
This sequel puts a much heavier emphasis on exploring the world rather than attending classes which is a nice change of pace for the series. JRPG fans will quickly fall in love with this amazing title.
Child of Light
This imaginative title from Ubisoft has the player control a team of characters as they explore the land of Lemuria and defeat the evil forces that lurk within. This title plays like a 2D platformer for most of the overworld portion and the fighting takes place within a turn-based combat arena similar to that of Final Fantasy.
Players will mostly confront the forces of Umbra, an evil leader who stole the light from the land and rules Lemuria with an iron fist. Child of Light beautifully mixes two beloved genres and tops it off with amazing art and story.
Dragon Age: Origins
From the developers behind Mass Effect comes a medieval fantasy title that will blow players away. In Dragon Age: Origins, the world is being consumed by the Blight, an evil force whose main purpose is to destroy everything in its path. The player must create a formidable opponent to this evil force and its cronies in order to save their world and rid it of evil.
The gameplay of this title has been compared to that of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic in which the player follows their character from a third-person view and combat is engaged with a party of characters. Players will have a wide array of choices, from good to evil, to make throughout the game, vastly changing the outcome. This is an awesome title that has been called the spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Ni no Kuni is a JRPG with a vast world and plenty of fun characters to meet. In this title, players take control of Oliver, a boy from Motorville, as he explores a mystical world with his doll Drippy. This world has been taken over by Shadar, a dark, power-driven wizard that has been harassing the inhabitants of this land. Oliver must defeat these evil forces in order to bring this alternate world back to its former glory.
The world is totally open for the player to explore, but main quests take place in a linear fashion. There are also plenty of side-quests players can undertake for various NPCs located around the world. This title has also been animated by Studio Ghibli, known for movies like My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke, giving this game some amazing charm.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
South Park: the Stick of Truth is a beautiful turn-based RPG that is everything a South Park fan could dream of. This game takes place in a role-playing fantasy built by the kids of South Park Elementary. Players take control of a player customized character who is a new-kid to the school as they join in on this wacky, adult adventure through multiple recognizable locations.
Players will come across a wide variety of enemies and NPCs like Al Gore, Mr. Garrison, and the aliens from the pilot episode. This title is an amazing game for RPG fans looking for some more comedy in their adventures.
