The PlayStation 3′s Shining Moments

The PlayStation 3 has had it’s fair share of ups and downs and as we reach the PlayStation 4 this Holiday, we will look back on this generation’s past. Next, I will look at the PlayStation 3′s Shining Moments.

Amazing Graphics and The Uncharted Effect

PlayStation 3 is known for its graphics and during Sony’s press conferences at E3, they consistently stated that the platform’s games were ”only on PlayStation because its only possible on PlayStation.” The Uncharted series has been an staple landmark for the PlayStation 3 in terms of graphics which include breath-taking action scenes which no other platform had performed up to that moment. From the sprawling warzone city of Nepal to a moving train, Uncharted 2 set the bar higher for action/adventure games. Ever since then, we have seen many other game franchises trying to replicate this cinematic look such as Tomb Raider, Assassin’s Creed and Mass Effect.

In the past seven years, we have witnessed spectacular sights from Journey’s desert landscape, God of War’s larger than life boss battles and the abundant rainfall city from Heavy Rain.  We have seen so many worlds in such great detail and the PlayStation 3 has proved that it is a powerful console even to this day as The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls are to release later this year. The PlayStation 3′s Amazing Graphics are one of the platform’s shining moments.

The PlayStation Network

The PlayStation Network is home to many great games and initiatives and this is one of the PlayStation 3′s shiniest qualities. Sure, there was a one month outage during Summer 2010 but for only baring that short amount of time for no online interactivity, we have received many great services and titles. Over the past year, we have received excellent PlayStation Network exclusive games such as Journey, Sound Shapes and The Unfinished Swan which manage to make their mark on the digital space with multiple Game of the Year awards (especially Journey) across the board including our own Game of the Year.  These games and many more PlayStation Network have opened the floodgates for imagination in today’s gaming. The PlayStation Network has also allowed independent developers publish and sell their own games and with the PlayStation Pub Fund, Sony have invested $20 million to independant developers who make their games exclusive to the PlayStation Network platform.

Another great feat of the PlayStation Network  is PlayStation Plus. First established in 2010, PlayStation Plus has given customers access to the Instant Game Collection, discounts and extras (avatars, themes, etc) for only $50/year. In the Instant Game Collection, we have seen games such as inFAMOUS 2, Street Fighter 4, Vanquish, LittleBigPlanet 2 and much more which has saved a lot of members’ wallets. Alongside some excellent discounts, PlayStation Plus is arguably the best value you can get from any gaming subscription service out there.

With both PlayStation Plus and the excellent exclusive titles available for the platform, the PlayStation Network is easily one of the PlayStation 3′s Shining Moments.

The PlayStation 3′s Exclusives

We are a PlayStation website so we can be a bit biased but you cannot deny that the PlayStation 3 has a plentiful library of excellent exclusives. From the critically acclaimed Uncharted series to indie titles such as The Unfinished Swan, Sony have it right. Most PS3 exclusives come with such an attention to detail with stunning world design (Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction), well thought out levels (LittleBigPlanet)  and the wonderful soundtracks we have listened to over and over again from games such as Journey, Uncharted, God of War, Killzone and Heavy Rain.  It’s not all about the presentation though. The PlayStation 3 has brought about new ways of playing with Play. Create. Share, which enabled people to create their own levels/tracks in LittleBigPlanet, inFAMOUS 2 and Modnation Racers. What Sony also changed in gaming was the ability to change the game’s story in a complex way. BioWare did this to an extent with Mass Effect but Quantic Dream fulfilled this to the nth degree with Heavy Rain, a game in which all your decisions have life/death circumstances to the point of having all of your characters die.  Other than featuring unique gameplay mechanics, the PlayStation 3 had third party exclusives, which many gamers who own other platforms are envious of, including Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Yakuza and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

From this generation, the PlayStation 3′s Exclusives are the games people are going to remember. From the engaging narratives of many PlayStation 3 Exclusives to the exquisite detail of the worlds Sony have created, these games are the shining moments for the PlayStation 3.

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Chris Penwell

For the past year, I have been writing for PlayStation Euphoria as Editor of the website. Five years ago, I moved from England to Canada in search for a new way of living. A lot changed but my love for gaming hasn't. Ever since playing Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis as a kid, I have played games almost daily. When I read my first gaming magazine, I knew becoming a journalist is something I want to do. At the age of 10, I used to create my own one page publication every month and share it with my friends and teachers. It's funny, now thinking about it, because I used to rate games HOT or NOT in red and blue bold font. Ever since then, I have written articles for various websites and now I have a great family of writers with me here at PlayStation Euphoria.

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