The PlayStation 3 was a pretty interesting console generation because it really marked the first time that Sony didn’t get everything right with a hardware launch. The Xbox 360 managed to essentially keep up with the global sales of the console (despite being massively behind in Japan), dominating Western markets in the process.
At the same time, it was also our first real confrontation with online console infrastructures and ecosystems, as well as marking the launch of PSN. The unfortunate knock-on effect was that there was a certain amount of “winging it” going on, and that led to plenty of notable titles being left behind as everyone moved onto the PS4.
With all of that in mind, here are five games that, despite much success in some cases, remain trapped on the PlayStation 3.
3D Dot Game Heroes
3D Dot Game Heroes is an action RPG developed by Silicon Studio that puts voxel graphics at the forefront of the experience, before it was quite such a ubiquitous approach. It featured nostalgic gameplay that was generally well-received by critics and fans, earning a significant cult following in the process. The game never received a digital release on the PS3, and that hasn’t changed in subsequent generations. The only way to play it now would be via the disc itself, which is no longer cheap or easy to find in most regions.
Folklore
Another action RPG largely lost to time, Folklore puts players in the shoes of two different protagonists as they contend with the oddities of Irish mythology. The game was generally well thought of after release, but it failed to really make an impact, and sales were notably lower than Sony had expected. Since then, the original developer, Game Republic, has closed, rights issues have emerged and the game is entirely trapped on the PS3, with the disc remaining the only option for those who want to play it.
Killzone 2
Easily one of the more well-known games on this list, Killzone 2 picked up the baton of the first game and ran with it. The game is not available to buy or stream via PS Plus or the store, and the only way to play the single-player is to use a legitimate boxed copy in your PS3. Not only that, Sony officially decommissioned the game’s multiplayer functionality in March 2018, meaning the only way to really experience what that was like is via community servers using an emulated version of the game on PC.
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
The second game in the MotorStorm series was actually a great demonstration of what the PS3 was capable of from a technical standpoint. Pacific Rift sold more than a million copies and was largely a success from a financial perspective, but it has since become very tricky to actually play. It’s another example of one where you need the disc to play it, after it was delisted from digital stores and Sony officially decommissioned the game’s multiplayer functionality in March 2018.
LittleBigPlanet 2
The last game on our list is easily the biggest of the bunch, as LittleBigPlanet 2 remains unfortunately condemned to the PS3 platform alone. The ability to purchase it digitally was removed in 2021, and the servers were taken down in the same year. You can play it if you have a physical copy, but a lot of the functionality is gone, with no sign of it returning in the near-future.
That’s the list! There are several other games that never made it out of the PS3 years, but these are the most noteworthy. At the very least, we do have the physical versions for preservation purposes, even if most people now won’t get to play them.
- Brand
-
Sony
- Original Release Date
-
November 11, 2006
- Original MSRP (USD)
-
$499, ¥49,980 (20 GB model) / $599.99, ¥60,000, £425, €599 (60 GB model)
- Operating System
-
CellOS
- Storage
-
20-500 GB
- VR Support
-
No
