PS3 Games With The Best Storylines

Video games give players the ability to do what they wish they could do in a book or movie; actually experience the world and make decisions within it. With an ability like that, stories have evolved for video games.

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Instead of a linear narrative, some games are written in the shape of an upside-down tree where players can only get a certain ending if they make certain choices. Some writing is still linear, though, and still remains powerful. There are memorable twists, characters, and places. Despite the PS4 and PS5 being out, there are still reasons to keep the PS3. The console has a lot of games known for their fantastic stories.

Updated September 13, 2023 by Mark Sammut: Roughly a decade has passed since the PS3’s retirement as Sony’s main hardware, but its legacy lives on. While some people might prefer other eras, the seventh console generation arguably represented a turning point in video game storytelling, at least in terms of importance. The best PS3 game stories are timeless.

To qualify, a PS3 game must have been released in North America. Also, no remasters.

16 Telltale’s Walking Dead

Telltale has made some amazing story-based games. The Walking Dead was their crown jewel in terms of characters, story, and motivation. They keep even truer to the comics than the TV show, and fans can see familiar faces like Glenn and Jesus, but the story truly revolves around some awesome original characters.

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The story initially focuses on Lee, who protects a little girl named Clementine through the zombie apocalypse. Also, be prepared to cry a waterfall at various points in this series. True to The Walking Dead franchise, this game is merciless to its characters.

15 Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch

Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch is a JRPG that combines some of the mechanics of Pokemon with a style and story that resonates with Studio Ghibli masterpieces (the animated scenes were actually made by Studio Ghibli). The story is about a little boy on a journey to save his mother in a magical world.

In terms of story genre, it is certainly a coming-of-age tale. The game won numerous awards such as Excellence in Animation, Best Sound, and Best RPG. The game is more famous for its art design than story, but that is because some adult players prefer grittier stories with more unpredictability. The story is one of the best, especially for those looking for something more innocent while still being poignant.

Like the Kingdom Hearts series, the Metal Gear franchise’s overarching plot can be overwhelming. It feels like a military shooter game, but there are clones, a vampire, cyborgs, and ridiculous and over-the-top antics.

However, fans still love the story. Sometimes they don’t understand what is even happening—especially if they never played a Metal Gear game before—but the characters just feel real, and players feel for them and their battles. A ton of love went into Guns of the Patriots, and the story had very memorable fights and dialogue between the characters.

13 Nier

Before Nier: Automata stole the show, regular Nier existed for the PlayStation 3. Players take the role of a grizzled father who seeks to find a cure for his daughter’s magical illness. (Though in the Japanese version, they play her brother.)

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Like Automata, the story is very tragic and full of unfortunate twists for the main protagonist. The characters are memorable, and, if someone liked Automata, then it would benefit them to know that Emil’s backstory is in Nier. Luckily, due to Automata’s popularity, its predecessor received a remake, which is the best way to experience this narrative; nevertheless, the PS3 original deserves a mention.

12 Spec Ops: The Line

Released in 2012, this third-person shooter game is a great story about the horrors of war and was inspired by famous pieces of media such as Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness. While the game was a commercial failure, it has been nominated for awards for its story, has overall positive reviews, and has a well-deserved cult following.

The story challenges morals and has four possible endings. The narrative design had a lot of work put into it, as the writers wanted a representation of the psychological tolls of war that most other war games do not represent well.

11 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel

Published in English in 2015, Trails of Cold Steel is an RPG and part of The Legend of Heroes series. Although not as well-known in Western countries as some other long-running JRPG franchises, The Legend of Heroes has earned a reputation for excellent and ambitious storytelling, and the Trails of Cold Steel subseries serves as a prime example of that standard of quality.

Despite being part of a larger property and not the first entry, Trails of Cold Steel works fine as an entry point since it introduces a new cast of characters. The game is also very long and has its share of downtime between the big story beats that serve the flesh out the cast.

10 Life Is Strange

Life is Strange is a very atmospheric choice-based game. The players take control of a photography student, Max, who mysteriously gets the ability to time travel. She uses her powers through various challenges, from little things such as getting someone’s name right to saving the life of her friend. The game was well-loved due to its interesting characters, choices, and story.

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It is a story that lets players enjoy the little things like just sitting on a bench while the protagonist monologues to herself. However, that does not mean there is not a lot of thrill in the plot either.

9 Batman: Arkham Asylum

Released in 2009, Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure game that made itself quite a legacy with near-perfect review scores. Many consider it to be the best superhero game of all time, with a compelling story, great visuals, and well-done voice acting.

The game contains all the best parts of Batman, showing not only him taking on big villains with only fists and gadgets, but also his deduction skills and fancy analytic technology as he solves mysteries around the island.

8 Fallout: New Vegas

Sandbox games can sometimes struggle to deliver consistently great stories since they can struggle with pacing. However, New Vegas is very much an exception. The factions are rich in lore and characters, the DLC has some of the best writing, and there are plenty of small touches that make the world feel alive.

In terms of endings, players also have a lot of freedom in choosing the fate of the various factions introduced. To this day, New Vegas is a title that stands out among Fallout fans.

7 Dragon Age Origins

The Dragon Age series is responsible for some of the most memorable fantasy stories and characters in the gaming world. It is not a sandbox game like the Elder Scrolls series, which allows it to be far more plot and character-centered.

Like Mass Effect, Dragon Age‘s races and cultures are fascinating; however, unlike Mass Effect, BioWare’s game allows players to choose their race and origin story. The writing in Origins is particularly spectacular, from the dialogue to the witty background banter.

6 Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 is a must-play game, and the same can be said for the entire trilogy. Everything about it is good, but Mass Effect‘s story is particularly amazing. Good writing is typically where BioWare excels the most. The characters are all memorable, and players take on the exciting role of their commander. The main villains are pretty interesting too, even if they are largely cosmic threats.

As a science fiction story, this game is amazing. It is no wonder that Mass Effect also has its own comics and books. The alien races and their cultures are particularly well-thought-out and fascinating.

5 Persona 5

Every Persona game features a lengthy and gripping narrative, and any of the last three numbered entries could be considered the franchise’s best projects. Along with being the most popular, Persona 5 benefits from an improved presentation that allows the dungeons, “Palaces” in the game, to thematically reflect each arc’s story.

The Phantom Thieves are teenagers who seek to improve the world by infiltrating the psyches of powerful and corrupt people in order to give them a change of heart. While the overarching narrative is strong, Persona 5‘s individual chapters are arguably better since they really allow the characters to shine.

4 The Wolf Among Us

The Wolf Among Us is another one of Telltales’ best games. Like many of their creations, it was based on a comic. Even if someone has not read or heard of the Fables comic series, the story for this game is still easy to follow and very enjoyable.

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Players get to play as Bigby (the Big Bad Wolf), who acts as sheriff and looks into fable-related cases. Similar to most Telltale projects, The Wolf Among Us requires players to make quick decisions that alter the narrative’s direction.

3 Bioshock Infinite

The BioShock series is so loved by gamers because the stories are known for their memorable twists, settings, and characters. BioShock Infinite definitely delivers on that front, even if its reputation has declined slightly in recent years.

Booker is hired to go to the floating city of Columbia to rescue a young woman, Elizabeth. The story was written with a lot of room for players to draw their own conclusions. The DLC is highly recommended, as it adds a lot to the story. Also, be prepared for mind-bending twists.

2 The Last Of Us

Regarded as the PS3’s swan song, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us is rightfully hailed as a masterpiece, and it proved successful enough to warrant a PS4 remaster and a PS5 and PC remake. Conceptually, the story sounds rather cliche on the surface since it takes place in a zombie-infested world and follows a father figure and an immune girl as they try to find a group that might be able to create a cure. However, while the parts might be familiar, they are combined in a way to create an experience unlike any other.

Joel and Ellie’s friendship grows beautifully throughout their exhausting journey, and they are both great characters as individuals. The Last of Us lives in the morally ambiguous gray and is not afraid to force its protagonists to commit horrible acts in the name of survival or love.

1 Dishonored

Dishonored is a game that did not have to add a lot of detail to the world it took place in, but it did. The mixture of technology and magic makes the world very interesting. Players are an empress’s bodyguard, Corvo; however, at the beginning of the game, he turns from bodyguard to assassin and takes vengeance on a group of people who ended the empress’s life.

Players are provided with different methods of getting rid of their enemies, and what they choose influences the story and future missions. Dishonored‘s story leaves players wanting more and allows for a lot of replayability.

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