Best PS3 Hidden Gems

Throughout history, every video game system has had a handful of hits that define the platform. These are the games that become iconic. The Nintendo 64 has The Legend of Zelda and Mario 64. Xbox had Halo and Gears of War. The PlayStation 3 has God of War and Uncharted. But what about those games that flew under the radar? The ones that everyone slept on?

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That's what we're here to discuss. We're looking through the run of the PlayStation 3 as one of the most successful video game platforms of all time and finding some real hidden gems on the system. The games that most people overlooked even though they were good, for one reason or another.

Updated by Michael Llewellyn on January 16, 2024: The PS3 has a library of great games that deserved more attention at the time and are considered hidden gems for the system. This list has been updated to include two more PS3 games players should add to their PS3 collection.

25 The Saboteur

A Stylish Second World War Thriller

The Saboteur is one of the best open-world action games on the PlayStation 3, and it is set during the Second World War in Paris. Players take on the role of a skilled racing car driver who strives to liberate the city from German occupation.

The protagonist, Sean Devlin, completes missions and clears zones on the map — color is restored from the moody black and white tones to bring a little life into the areas. It's arguably a better-looking game before the liberation of these zones, but it's a unique mechanic that works well in this refreshing take on the genre.

24 Siren: Blood Curse

A Terrifying Horror Adventure With Stunning Visuals

The PlayStation 3 wasn't the best era for survival horror games, as even Resident Evil leaned more into the action horror genre. However, Siren: Blood Curse is a remake of Forbidden Siren, and it stayed true to the series' roots with one of the creepiest and most visually impressive games on the PS3. Siren: Blood Curse was originally launched as an episodic downloadable horror adventure.

It tells its story from the perspective of seven ordinary and vulnerable characters. Players must struggle to keep the protagonists alive as they try to escape and hide from the Shibito. As a result, it feels more like a true horror experience — as opposed to the gun-wielding, boulder-punching Chris Redfield offered in Resident Evil 5.

23 Majin And The Forsaken Kingdom

Majin and the Forgotten Kingdom is a fantasy-themed action-adventure game that focuses on the budding friendship between a thief and a mythical creature known as the Majin. The gameplay and mechanics share similarities to games like The Last Guardian, with its partner-based puzzles, and The Legend of Zelda series, with its exploration, combat, and family-friendly esthetic.

Its gameplay feels as fresh today as it did when it launched on the PS3, and it's a hidden gem that adventure fans should add to their collection. The voice acting is a bit hit or miss, but its heart is in the right place. Unfortunately, It's only available on the PS3 and Xbox 360, so fans will need to seek out a physical copy of Majin and the Forgotten Kingdom to enjoy it today.

22 Mars: War Logs

An Ambitious Sci-Fi RPG With An Excellent Story

Mars: War Logs is a low-budget but ambitious science-fiction RPG from Spiders. The desolate colonized setting is reminiscent of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Total Recall and is embroiled in a civil war. The story is narrated by a character named Innocence via the War Logs. The story/logs change based on the main character Temperance, i.e., Roy's decisions.

The dialogue and voice acting are wooden, but the story and world created by Spiders are interesting, and sci-fi fans will be engaged from the outset. Mars: War Logs got a sequel in Technomancer, another title from Spiders that went under the radar, but on the PS4.

21 Bound By Flame

A B-Movie Style RPG That's A Lot Of Fun

Bound by Flame was launched at the end of the PS3's lifecycle and was ported to the PS4. It's a solid action RPG from Spiders, the developers of Greedfall. The studio is known for borrowing ideas from other games, and Bound by Flame is no different. The RPG plays like a low-budget Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings and Dragon Age.

Bound by Flame is still a solid adventure for fans of dark fantasy and RPGs. The story and lore don't compare to its influences, but it's a game with its heart in the right place with the feel of a fun B-movie-style sword and sorcery movie from the 80s.

20 Back To The Future: The Game

A Worthy Sequel To The Popular Franchise

Telltale's Back to the Future is an episodic interactive adventure game from Telltale Studio. The game is like the studio's Walking Dead series, but the choices and stories aren't as impactful. However, as a companion piece to the movies and a love letter to one of the best sci-fi adventure movies of the 80s, Back to the Future - The Game hits all the right notes.

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Storywise, the game is the closest fans will get to a Back to the Future 4 and features Christopher Lloyd returning to voice Doc and special voice appearances from Michael J. Fox. Marty was played terrifically by A.J. LoCascio, who worked on Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, God of War: Ragnarok, Jurrasic World: Evolution, and more.

19 Eternal Sonata

A Stunning And Colorful RPG Adventure

Eternal Sonata is a colorful JRPG developed by Tri-Crescendo. Visually, its timeless artwork and character designs hold up today, and the story is one of the most unique in the genre. Players take on the role of a real-life composer, Frederic Francais Chopin, as he's drawn into a fantastical dream world. It gets emotional as Chopin tries to save a young girl from dying of the same disease that affected his sister in the real world.

It is a shorter adventure than most JRPG fans will be used to, but it is an emotional game that hits all the right notes. Stylistically, Eternal Sonata is like a Tales and Star Ocean title, which makes sense since Tri-Crescendo helped co-develop games in both series.

18 Enchanted Arms

An Overlooked JRPG From The Creators Of Dark Souls

Enchanted Arms is a surprisingly traditional JRPG created by the developers of the Elden Ring and Dark Souls. The multiplatform title launched so early on the PS3s that it doesn't have trophies. While not as groundbreaking as the Souls series, Enchanted Arms is a turn-based JRPG that features a simplified grid-based system that is not unlike Fire Emblem Engage.

Despite featuring some questionable stereotypes and voice acting that doesn't hold up very well, Enchanted Arms' story is surprisingly good. Moreover, there are hundreds of golems/fighters to recruit, and its mechanics are deep enough to keep JRPG fans invested. Even though its Metacritic scores convey a below-average game, Enchanted Arms is an underrated PS3 JRPG worth another look.

17 Singularity

An Outstanding Sci-Fi FPS From Call Of Duty's Raven Software

Raven Software is better known for its Call of Duty games, but one of its best titles, Singularity, was criminally overlooked on the PS3. With titles like BioShock and Deus Ex paving the way for narratively driven FPS games, Singularity is a time-bending science fiction game that deserves the same praise.

Where few games implement time travel cohesively and entertainingly, Singularity nails its complexities in one of the most rewarding first-person shooters on the PS3. It's a title that deserves another look, and with the endless amount of remasters and reboots hitting the shelves, Singularity deserves another shot at success on modern consoles.

16 Dark Sector

An Excellent Sci-Fi Third-Person Action Game

Dark Sector is a horror action game that borrows heavily from Gears of War and Resident Evil 4. The overly dark tones and atmosphere are typical of the genre during the PS3 era, but the visuals and combat hold up surprisingly well. It was a big-budget game with stellar art design and a terrific voice cast led by Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum.

Where Dark Sector shines is its use of the unique Glaive weapon, a throwing weapon capable of taking out enemies in multiple ways and puzzle-solving. It's inspired by Krull, the classic science fiction swords and sorcery movie from the 80s starring Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane in early roles.