The Video Game Critic

Alright for the 7th gen I am considering PS3. I have a 360 already. I have no interest in the 8th gen at this time. Tried an Xbox One and returned it. Too much downloading. I have heard from so many PS3 fans over the last while about what a great system it is. Okay PS3 fans sell me on it on why it is worth buying I'f I already have a 360!

I know about the blu-Ray player but that doesn't interest me. What I'm interested in are what extra peripherals the system offers and most importantly what are the exclusive games that the console has that the 360 doesn't? I know about Heavy Rain. But what other great exclusives? GameStop has recently lowered their price on the PS3 to a great price. 80 GB. The inexpensive one I am looking at has no backward compatibility, but no worries since I have a PS2 that plays PS1 games and obv PS2. Advice!

The Uncharted games are an obvious pick; they're the first that come to my mind when I think of PS3 exclusives. Both Little Big Planet games are must-haves. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is excellent and the last Ratchet & Clank game that really caught my attention. Wipeout HD (plus the Fury expansion) is the best Wipeout by far and a brilliant game in general; I've spent a truly unreasonable amount of time with that one. MotorStorm: Pacific Rift is another great racing game with a very arcadey feel and massive courses (the other two aren't bad, but there's no reason to get them if you have Pacific Rift).

A few that I haven't played but have good scores from the Critic are God of War III, Puppeteer, Resistance: Fall of Man, and the 2012 Twisted Metal. (He liked Metal Gear Solid 4 too, but I'm not sure it's a good idea to get that one if you haven't played through the previous games already.)

You can also download enhanced versions of PS2 games, but I don't think that they're worth it if you can get the originals for your PS2. The upgrades are very slight, to the point that they actually make the games look worse; it's easier to see them as PS3 games with dated modeling than as PS2 games with modern rendering.

As for peripherals, I never got any, but they're all conveniently listed here.

Friend, have you heard the good news about Demon's Souls?

I think it depends, what type of games do typically like? Without knowing what genres you're into it's a little tougher.

Still here are some exclusives that I think make the system worth buying:

3D Dot Game Heroes - A half parody/half spiritual successor to A Link to the Past. Really fun and entertaining action/adventure style game.

Dragon's Crown - A beautiful 2D hack n slash that is equal parts Golden Axe and Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. If you're a fan of Streets of Rage, Final Fight, Knights of the Round etc... this one is sure to please.

Heavenly Sword - This one tends to get lost in the shuffle since it came out so long ago. Really well done cinematic adventure that plays out like a mix of God of War and the comic book Red Sonja. Love this one.

Puppeteer - Very stylish and unique 2D platform game developed by Sony Japan. I love the level designs and the art style is really well done. Fun game that most people tend to forget about.

Folklore - Remember when Sony was pushing motion controls in the Six-Axis controller? Well here is one game that actually used them well. This game is a action RPG adventure with two playable characters, a spooky story and enjoyable gameplay. Love this game.

Demon's Souls - This is the first game that kicked off the whole Dark Souls series that has become incredibly popular. It's not technically connected to any of the other games, but if you like those you'll want to check out this excellent game.

Motorstorm Pacific Rift - Not sure if you like racing games, but ANY of the Motorstorm games are worth checking out. Really awesome series that is exclusive to the system.

Yakuza Series - A few of these games made it Stateside and they're terrific! A mixture of GTA, Shenmue and typical SEGA wackiness. These are an acquired taste, but damn...they're good.

Ratchet and Clank - Insomniac did a great job bringing these series to the PS3. Big, bright, colorful games with a wonderful sense of humor, insane arsenal and breezy story. Perfect games for casual play and wasting time.

Some of these are "deeper cuts" than you're typical PS3 list that normally includes Metal Gear Solid 4, God of War, Uncharted, Last of Us etc...

Thanks so much for the recommendations folks. I have seen enough. At $80 I am biting on the PS3. But other users please recommend other games that have not been listed. My only question now is where the hell do I put it. My man cave is littered with consoles. More shelving! All my consoles are hooked up except my Odyssey 2. That thing is huge and in storage. And all the wires don't get me started. Thank goodness I never repurchased a 32X. That would triple my wire count with one add on....lol. Thanks again!

This is definitely the time to build up a good sized PS3 collection so if you're interested in buying the console you picked a great time to buy. Keep an eye out for Gamestop buy two get one free deals which will probably be coming out in the next month or so. You can pick up a ton of games pretty cheap then.