10 PS3 and PS Vita Games All PlayStation Fans Need to Buy Before the PS Store Shutdown — Gaming

There are many classic PS3 and PlayStation Vita games on the PlayStation Store. Both systems also were PlayStation’s first platforms to offer digital downloads, meaning there’s a rich history there to mine. But PlayStation seems content with letting that history wash away. The two storefronts are shutting down at various dates and such an anti-preservationist move is going to wipe away hundreds of games forever. It’s just one of two anti-consumer practices the console maker recently made that drew a ton of vitriol. Thankfully, many games on these platforms have been remastered or are on PC, but not every title has been this lucky.

While flooding to said stores to buy games plays into PlayStation’s hand, there are still titles worth snatching. Here is an unranked list of the 10 best titles that players should grab before the PS3 and Vita stores shut down.

10) Infamous: Festival of Blood

Halloween-themed DLC used to be quite popular, but now it has turned into a practice that mostly takes the form of spooky cosmetics players have to pay around $20 for. It’s a sad loss, yet games like Infamous: Festival of Blood make for a solid reminder of what once was

This “what if” story stars Cole McGrath from the first two titles but with added vampiric powers that complement his electric ones. He sucks blood to gain power and can even fully fly around for short periods of time. The horror theme and new abilities make the game a decent experiment, even if this is near the bottom of the Infamous tier list.

It’s also only available digitally on PS3, so there won’t be any way to play it legally and locally once the store is taken offline. Festival of Blood, however unideal it can be, can at least be streamed for PlayStation Plus Premium members on PS4, PS5, and PC.

9) Tokyo Jungle

Tokyo Jungle is one of the weirder (and, frankly, uglier) games PlayStation published on the PS3. And that’s the biggest reason why it deserves to be one of the PS3’s most downloaded games in its final year.

This bizarre action game lets players play as a ton of different animals from a buffalo to a Dilophosaurus in a post-human and apocalyptic version of Tokyo. All of these beasts have their own attacks and survival methods players have to figure out in order to make it to the next day. There’s a decent learning curve here — which can lead to somewhat of a grind before it all clicks into place — but it’s a unique loop no other game can claim.

Tokyo Jungle only came out physically in Japan (and has amazing box art). This disc version is somewhat rare and can be a little expensive, but it will play on PS3s in other regions, given how PS3 discs are region-free. PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can stream it on modern PlayStation hardware and PC, but that likely isn’t the most ideal way to play it. It can, however, at least give players a decent sampling of what’s in store and act as a demo for the native PS3 version.

8) God of War: Ascension

God of War: Ascension is likely not going to top anyone’s God of War rankings. It’s a passable prequel that didn’t seem to make a huge impact on the lore either way. But that doesn’t mean it is without value, particularly in an age where that kind of action game isn’t being made anymore.

Ascension is the last of the old style of God of War games before the Norse titles completely overhauled everything. So while that style of fixed-camera combat wasn’t as new back in 2013 when the game came out after three other full console games and two handheld spin-offs, it’s a little more novel now, as that specific type of action game has mostly died out. Ascension tries to mix things up by introducing a different and more skill-based kind of parry, elemental powers, and temporary weapons.

None of these additions best what came before, but they are fine enough and, perhaps more importantly, demonstrate why Santa Monica Studio felt the need to completely go back to the drawing board following Ascension’s release. It feels fine enough to play because of God of War’s inherently fluid controls — old Kratos at his “worst” is still better than most other similar action heroes at their best — yet a lot of its value is academic and stems from its place in the broader series. As of this writing, Ascension’s multiplayer servers are also miraculously still up, so it remains technically possible to see an oft-forgotten part of this game that defines its legacy.

Ascension was released physically and prices for that disc on the second-hand market are not usually too outrageous. However, said physical version might not have the online pass needed for its online multiplayer and Platinum trophy. It can also be streamed for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers on modern PlayStation systems and PC, but that’s not the most ideal way to play an action-heavy game like this.

7) PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was reductively always compared to Super Smash Bros. when it came out. It’s not an unapt comparison, but the label doesn’t fully capture the game’s greatness.

This platform fighter has a suite of fitting (and, in Big Daddy and Isaac Clarke’s case, ill-fitting) PlayStation mascots from PaRappa the Rapper to God of War’s Kratos duking it out in an array of levels that mix together said franchises. Seeing Metal Gear Ray invading the colorful land of LocoRoco and Patapon units attacking God of War’s Hades are two of the more entertaining ones and embody the crossover spirit of the game rather well.

The lineup of fighters has some notable exceptions — Lara Croft, Spyro, Cloud, and Crash Bandicoot, to name a few — but they are all relatively different and have some flexibility. Kratos and Metal Gear’s Raiden are more reliant on combos, while Ratchet and Killzone’s Colonel Radec depend on guns to keep their foes at bay. No matter the style, though, every fighter has layers worth exploring and means this party game can be a bit more than silly chaos when it needs to be. Winning is directly reliant on super attacks, which was one of its key sticking points during its lifespan and remains a small sticking point now. Changing how supers work could have been something a sequel could have ironed out, yet, sadly, that never happened.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale came out physically on both PS3 and Vita, and neither one is too expensive on second-hand marketplaces. However, the digital edition comes with both versions.

6) Sound Shapes

Sound Shapes is one of the only games on this list that is actually on PS4, meaning it’ll be purchasable after the Vita and PS3 stores get taken offline. However, Sound Shapes is, in its musical bones, a Vita-first game and best suited for that portable platform. And this isn’t just because players can be a DJ and use the touch screen to physically scratch the vinyl that represents each level.

This clever platformer has players controlling an egg yolk-like blob as it jumps between platforms to pick up coins. The clever part, though, is that these coins add different instruments to the soundtrack. Music is a core part of the game and grabbing these coins fills out the music and makes it better. It has a collection of worlds from various artists like Beck, Deadmau5, and Jim Guthrie, the latter of whom is known for his work on Indie Game: The Movie and Superbrothers: Sword and Sorcery. Its simple yet striking art style and ability to fuse the soundtrack with its gameplay combine to equal a memorable experience that makes it all the more frustrating PlayStation has mostly pulled away from games like this.

The servers have also been pulled, so it isn’t possible to try the swath of user-generated stages. Sound Shapes did technically get a physical release with Best of PlayStation Network Vol. 1, but that rare disc goes for a ton online on various auction sites. Buying it digitally at least grants access to the PS3, PS4, and Vita versions.

5) CounterSpy

CounterSpy is the other game on this list that was also released on PS4 and will, thus, be available for the near future. But it, like Sound Shapes, feels more at home on the Vita.

This one-of-a-kind stealth game has a beautiful art style inspired by Cold War-era propaganda, which is also reflected in its gameplay. Players have to infiltrate various bases to make sure the “Socialists” and “Imperialists” don’t nuke the moon. Getting caught and failing has some risk associated with it because being too sloppy can cause one side to flip and prematurely end the game.

It’s not the smoothest or deepest stealth game, but it works well enough and its strong style and novel objectives make it worth playing. CounterSpy is not difficult enough to make the looming threat of failure much more than a theoretical problem, yet it’s a great premise that would have ideally worked even better in a direct sequel or spiritual successor. It’s a unique and simple idea executed well enough, and, once again, points out how PlayStation doesn’t usually push these types of oddball games anymore.

As previously stated, CounterSpy is on PS4 digitally and buying it will grant the PS3 and Vita versions. However, it never got a physical release. It also came to mobile storefronts, but was subsequently pulled on both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store.

4) Super Stardust Delta

Super Stardust is on many other platforms in some form, but it is once again most at home the Vita with Super Stardust Delta. The arcadey nature of its twin-stick shooting is built for this PlayStation handheld platform since it, unlike the PSP and its comparatively questionable Super Stardust Portable, actually has two analog nubs.

Delta follows the Stardust formula pretty strictly, and it still works excellently. Narrowly avoiding asteroid chunks while building up power and score multipliers is a simple loop that remains engaging. It’s chaotic but excels because of its explosive presentation and smooth controls. The Vita-exclusive features aren’t notable since they are mostly gimmicky and don’t add much to the game. These can basically be turned off by playing in the Pure mode (one of its many different modes) that makes this game more akin to Super Stardust HD. It does, however, have only two firing modes — fire and ice — regardless, yet this is a welcome change that only streamlines the already-hectic gameplay.

Delta is only available digitally on Vita. The PS3 and PS4 both have their own Super Stardust games, but, again, Delta feels quite at home on this portable system.

3) Killzone: Mercenary

Horizon’s success has more or less killed the Killzone series. It seems as though another one is not coming anytime soon, which makes Killzone: Mercenary, the last great Killzone, a game worth getting.

Mercenary is not just a Killzone game that has been shrunk down to fit the Vita; it is built for the portable platform in a way that makes it more palatable. Missions are short and highly replayable, due to the numerous optional objectives in each. Ticking them off results in more money, which then leads to a bigger arsenal players can take into other missions. Centering the game around replaying stages works because of how much the player’s loadout can change. Using the same guns in the same levels with a limited economy would not work as well.

Mercenary’s online multiplayer servers were officially shut down in August 2022. There are still less-than-legal ways to play online, though. Regardless, Mercenary wasn’t released on any other platforms but did get a physical Vita release. The cost for that card on second-hand marketplaces may be a bit steep, though.

2) Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Uncharted: Golden Abyss was the Vita’s premier launch game back when the system came out. And even though it was mostly forgotten after — except for the silly nod in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End — it is a solid Uncharted game.

It mostly follows the Uncharted structure of seeking treasure in a distant land, with all the climbing, jumping, and cover-based shooting that entails. Such a formula, especially when presented without Naughty Dog’s signature flair, isn’t the most exciting in theory, but seeing it in any form shrunken down on the Vita is still a sight to behold, thanks to its visual fidelity and ability to mostly capture what makes Uncharted Uncharted.

This is a double-edged sword, though, since, unlike Killzone: Mercenary, it doesn’t fit the platform as well; it is just a smaller Uncharted that isn’t built around portability or shorter sessions and tends to overindulge in hardware-centric gimmicks that don’t always work well. Essentially, it does what it does well enough — Uncharted on the go — but it is worth questioning whether or not that goal is sound in the first place since the qualities that make a great console game and those that make a great portable game don’t always overlap. It’s a conflicting game in many respects but one well worth playing that won’t likely be ported anytime soon.

Golden Abyss did get a physical release on Vita and prices are surprisingly affordable in various second-hand markets.

1) Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational

Hot Shots is on modern PlayStation systems in various forms, be it through the PS1 installments on the PlayStation Store or the PS4 game that blended the Japanese and Western titles for the series. But its Vita iteration, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, benefits from being on a portable platform and bests even its own PS3 port that came out later.

Being able to knock out a few holes here and there fits this style of game so well and makes it a little hard to believe this wasn’t a series that started on the PSP. It is a fairly typical Hot Shots game in many respects and thankfully doesn’t get lost in gimmicks like some other Vita games. The timeless Hot Shots golf swing meter that dictates everything isn’t new, but it isn’t unwelcome, either. However, it can be pretty difficult at times and put up stiff roadblocks for the unlucky or unskilled players who can’t consistently stack up wins.

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational came out physically and is somewhat reasonably priced on used markets. The PS3 version, which has its own features and quirks, can also be streamed to PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers on PS4, PS5, and PC.