Two years after its inception, Sony’s PlayStation 3 has accumulated a stellar line-up of games under its belt, with big hitters including Resistance 2, LittleBigPlanet, and SOCOM: Confrontation available this holiday season, and the likes of God of War III, Killzone 2 and Heavy Rain bringing up the rear in 2009.
Despite the abundance of quality software available, it doesn’t mean we can’t envy other platforms for their own exclusives. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the top eight titles we’d most like to see put in an appearance on Sony’s black box.
8. Left 4 Dead
Developed by Valve Corporation (Turtle Rock Studios), Left 4 Dead is a first person shooter that utilizes an advanced version of the Source Engine, combined with v.2 of Turtle Rock’s AI technology to put players in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Aside from the flesh-eating zombies, what has us yearning for this game is it’s additive cooperative play. Gamers can either team up 2-4 players in co-op taking on AI controlled zombies, or go 4 vs 4, Infected vs Survivors.
Over the last few months, rumors have sprung up stating that Left 4 Dead is being ported to the PS3, albeit not by Valve. However, these claims were ultimately shot down or remain unconfirmed. According to Valve Software’s Doug Lombardi, the chances of Left 4 Dead coming to the PS3 are "50-50", however, knowing Valve’s history with PS3 support, we’re not holding our breath.
7. Crysis
For what has got to be one of the most visually stunning titles released to date, Crysis would make a great addition to the PS3 library. Featuring exotic lush landscapes, spectacular explosion effects, and a unique sci-fi storyline, Crysis has everything a FPS fan needs.
According to our sources, Crytek is planning to release Crysis bundled with the new expansion Warhead on the PlayStation 3 in Q1-Q2 of 2009. In addition, the developer plans to utilize the Cell processor as effectively as possible in order to push higher quality textures, improved A.I., and more.
6. Mass Effect
From the developers that brought us Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire comes a new 3rd person action RPG franchise, Mass Effect. Originally released on the Xbox 360 and subsequently ported to PC soon after, Mass Effect features top notch graphics, real-time combat, and a Grade A voice acting cast including Lance Henriksen (The Terminator and Aliens) and Seth Green (Family Guy and Robot Chicken). The game allows players to create characters, choosing from six different classes, evolving and improving technology, weapons, and equipment to help defeat foes across many different galaxies.
According to BioWare, the Mass Effect sequel will appear as an "Xbox 360 exclusive for at least a short period of time." It has yet to be decided if the series will ever see light of day on PlayStation 3. However, given that EA now owns BioWare, it would be contradictory of the publishers track record to not have PS3 versions of Mass Effect’s sequels.
5. Diablo III
Revealed in June at the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, Diablo III marks the return of one of the greatest dungeon RPG series ever conceived.
From what we know, Diablo III will feature five character classes including Witch Doctors, Wizards, and Barbarians. Also, utilizing a new Blizzard engine (including the use of Havok physics), the game will showcase destructible environments and a revamped 3D isometric camera.
The actual chances of the game making an appearance on the PlayStation 3 are somewhat slim; however, we live in hope, given that the original title eventually made the transition to PSone back in 1998.
4. Splinter Cell: Conviction
Utilizing the LEAD engine, Conviction continues Splinter Cell’s long legacy of beautiful visuals and fluid animations. This time around however, it seems Ubisoft has Sam Fischer walking among city life, blending into crowds, avoiding the authorities; quite a different take on the series, as past Splinter Cell titles had Fischer sticking to the shadows and cover of darkness.
Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Splinter Cell: Conviction will be the first title the series to not appear on a PlayStation platform, with 1up.com confirming in 2006 that the title would remain exclusive to Xbox 360 and PC. Despite this, the project has seen numerous delays, with recent news emerging that the game has been pushed back until the 2009-2010 fiscal year.
3. Star Ocean: The Last Hope
Revealed by producer Yoshinori Yamagishi during a pre-Square Enix Party press conference in May, Star Ocean: The Last Hope remains unequivocally one of the most anticipated games of 2009. This latest instalment is set as a prequel to the original Star Ocean, with players following the story of Edge Maverick and Reimi Saionji as they traverse the galaxy, hopping from planet to planet.
As of right now, Star Ocean: The Last Hope has only been announced for the Xbox 360, with the PS3 version still undecided. We hope that Tri-ace and Square Enix make the right move here and decides to continue this beloved series on the PlayStation 3.
2. Project Offset
Here is a game that has been under wraps for so long you could almost consider it vaporware. However, we like to be optimistic and dream that one day Team Offset will pull by the veil on this bad boy and reveal more than just a few tech demos.
Project Offset (working title) is a fantasy MMOFPS that utilizes a hybrid combat system, allowing players to jump from both first person view to third person on the go. As for the storyline, the single player game is not based around a single main hero, but many characters that eventually have intersecting paths. Your choices as one character may affect the outcome or environment of another. The multiplayer on the other hand plays out similar to other titles, pitting 2-24 players against each other in traditional modes in a Lord of the Rings type setting.
At present, the game has only been confirmed for release on PC and Xbox 360 platforms, though we’ve yet to hear anything on the project since last year. Unless Microsoft is publishing the game, there’s still a possibility it may see the light of day on Sony’s black box.
1. StarCraft 2
The sequel to one of the most popular Real Time Strategy games of all time, StarCraft 2 was first unveiled to rapturous applause at last years Blizzard Worldwide Invitational event.
Bringing back all the original races (Terran, Zerg, and Protoss) and many of the classic units such as the marine, zergling, and zealot, Blizzard has also thrown in quite a few new things including a new beautiful 3D engine, new units, and a storyline that is going to span three different titles (Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void).
If any of you should need convincing as to why the game would feel right at home on PS3, a few examples include the free and flexible services of the PlayStation Network, keyboard/mouse support, and the built-in hard drive. Furthermore, with the backing of Activision and the money Blizzard is already producing, it would, financially, be a wise move to bring the sequel to both PC and consoles.