I was fairly late to the party in with the PS3 – only picking one up in 2013. The benefit of going so however was that there was a library of high-quality games already in place, all lined up nicely for me to get stuck in.

Out of those that I played, here are my Top 5:

5. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

I didn’t expect to like Uncharted, as I prefer my games to have a degree of non-linearity, which is not something that can be said of the Uncharted series.

Instead I enjoyed every minute of Uncharted 2. Despite it’s linearity, it excels in its storytelling and atmosphere, and is probably the most visually impressive game of the generation. Everything from the characters, to the vehicles to the locations look superb, and the gameplay is simple but well done enough to keep the player entertained.

You can pick up Uncharted 2 on Amazon here.

4. Demon’s Souls

Demon’s Souls was my very first foray into the Soulsbourne universe, and it remains on a par with the first Dark Souls as my favourite in the series.

It’s a refreshingly brutal, unforgiving and fascinating experience. Throwing near-certain death in the face of the player and forcing them to learn the mechanics organically rather than spoon-feeding everything to them. The initial learning curve is frustrating, but once it’s surpassed and things ‘click’, it’s one of the most addictive games I’ve played.

I actually prefer the game’s Nexus – a purgatorial hub that connects the other areas of the world together – to the fully connected realm of Dark Souls, as I think the solace of a ‘safe zone’ provides a great contrast to the constant-danger of the worlds. In other Souls games, you never feel truly safe, which some may prefer, but I think Demon’s strikes the right balance.

Demon’s Souls is available on Amazon here.

3. Portal 2

As a fan of the contained and minimalist nature of the first Portal, I approached Portal 2 with caution. I wasn’t convinced applying the formula to a large-scale epic adventure would work, but I was very pleased to have my worries quashed within the first few minutes.

The production values are sky-high, with Stephen Merchant’s voice acting and GLaDOS’ taunting a joy throughout. What I really like about the single player is that it just keeps going – passing through the ruins of the Aperture Science complex before delving underground to discover the origins and piece together the story of what went wrong is a rollercoaster of a ride – I felt like I’d reached the end a few times, only to be faced with a new set of challenges.

Where the game really succeeded for me though was the co-operative campaign. Playing through specifically designed levels with a friend is one of the best co-op experiences I’ve had on a console, and a testament to the value of local co-op – something developers today seem to be leaving behind.

Portal 2 is on Amazon here.

2. Grand Theft Auto V

I really enjoyed GTAV. It brought back some of the tongue-in-cheek fun that was lacking in IV, and expanded in every area.

The first thing I did after completing the initial tutorial heist was to drive to the coast, jump into the sea and start swimming – only to find a sunken ship surrounded by sharks. Not since Ocarina of Time have I been so impressed with a game’s scope and scale, the sheer amount of things to do is incredible. The switch-any-time mechanic between the three protagonists is also very well-done – the joy in switching to Trevor to find him holding a guy by the ankle over a bridge, or in his underwear in the middle of the desert, never really gets old.

It also helps that the game looks amazing – Rockstar ave pushed the hardware to its maximum and the virtual LA is a sight to behold. Despite the gunplay not being amazing and the driving being a bit of a step back from IV in my opinion, GTAV is a must-play.

GTAV is on Amazon here.

1. Rayman Legends

2D platformers saw something of a renaissance in this generation, thanks largely to the flourishing of the indie scene. But despite some quality indie titles like Super Meat Boy and N+, it was publishing powerhouse Ubisoft that left me the most impressed with Rayman Legends.

Legends builds on the excellent Origins with an even-more-lovely aesthetic, more content in every area and the utterly inspired rhythm-based levels. The tight controls are still here, with Rayman and friends running, punching, jumping and wall-jumping with satisfying precision, interacting with the levels in a way that feels right.

And speaking off the levels – there really is no filler. Despite being more than 160 of them (not including the daily challenges), every one of them is a joy to run through and repeat. This game hooked me more than any other single-player game on the console, it’s up there with Super Mario World as the gold standard in 2D platforming.

Rayman Legends is available from Amazon here.



