The Last of Us 2013
Why it still holds upToday the fights still come down to scarcity: retreating and coming back from another angle is often the way through, in levels open enough to improvise in.
PlayStation 3 third-person shooters that still hold up
First released on the PlayStation 3
Games
The Last of Us 2013
Why it still holds upToday the fights still come down to scarcity: retreating and coming back from another angle is often the way through, in levels open enough to improvise in.
Red Dead Redemption 2010
Why it still holds upThe restraint helps it now, since the world is full of life and your attention stays on varied, well designed missions.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves 2009
Why it still holds upIt stays playable now because you keep control of Nathan almost every time something happens on screen, and the characters talk like people.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 2008
Why it still holds upCamouflage, bought weapons or a run without killing give you different ways through the same act, which is the reason to go back to it now.
Dead Space 2 2011
Why it still holds upIts atmosphere is why it still works: the lighting and the sound design keep you on edge from start to finish.
Dead Space 2008
Why it still holds upBecause the interface is in the world and the game never pauses, the Ishimura never lets you step away, which keeps it tense today.
Mass Effect 3 2012
Why it still holds upCarrying choices from game to game is the reason to play it today, in order from the first game.
On sale
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain 2015
Why it still holds upWhat it still offers is a big sandbox where you choose how each infiltration goes, and where the base, the soldiers and the weapons you research feed into the next mission.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception 2011
Why it still holds upIts set pieces blend climbing, shooting and escape in single sequences rather than separate modes, and that is why it is still worth playing now.
On sale
Grand Theft Auto IV 2008
Why it still holds upToday it is still a satirical Liberty City full of radio, TV and side activities, with a story of conflicting choices.
Spec Ops: The Line 2012
Why it still holds upOrdinary shooter systems turned toward the protagonist's choices, with missions, hints and environment all pushing one theme, still make it play as one argument today.
On sale
Max Payne 3 2012
Why it still holds upWeighty animation, destructible cover and bullet time saved for set pieces still make each gunfight feel physical today.
On sale
Tomb Raider 2013
Why it still holds upBalancing stealth, action and puzzles, with fast travel that turns backtracking into a reward, still lets you set the mix today.
On sale
Mafia II 2010
Why it still holds upToday you still get a period feel from a city dressed in cars and music of its years, with cars that handle differently on ice.
Sleeping Dogs 2012
Why it still holds upIts fights and chases still sit in context, in a city you can roam between story missions.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist 2013
Why it still holds upEach level can still be played as the kind of operative you want, between silence and aggression.
On sale
Vanquish 2010
Why it still holds upThe knee slide still scores you for not using the cover.
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus 2013
Why it still holds upA short adventure with a gravity twist still suits one or two evenings.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction 2007
Why it still holds upA pair of heroes who share a wrench and an arsenal still make a lively duo today.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game 2009
Why it still holds upTrapping a ghost is still the reason to play it now: weaken it, wrestle it with the capture stream and drag it into the trap, with the films' cast and music around you.
On sale
Red Faction: Guerrilla 2009
Why it still holds upA world full of structures to level still makes each mission a choice.
On sale
Just Cause 2 2010
Why it still holds upThe tether still ties any two things together with a rope.
Infamous 2009
Why it still holds upA city to save or shock is still a good choice to make today.
On sale
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2011
Why it still holds upThe Fury still answers an Ork horde by walking into it with a chainsword today.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune 2007
Why it still holds upClimbing across ruins between gunfights is still a good way to spend an evening.
The Saboteur 2009
Why it still holds upThe color still shows a Paris you free a street at a time, and can see freed.
On sale
Saints Row 2 2008
Why it still holds upCo-op still works for the whole main story.
Sniper Elite V2 2012
Why it still holds upA patient shot with a reward at the end still gives each mission its own rhythm.
On sale
Saints Row IV 2013
Why it still holds upPowers that make its own city unnecessary are the game laughing at itself, which is still its charm today.
On sale
Resident Evil 5 2009
Why it still holds upIt is designed for two-player cooperative play, and a partner covering your back is still the way to play it.