Explain the PS3 Library
 

I have recently become the owner of a PS3. This happened suddenly and without warning. I don't know anything about the PS3's library.

Knowing that I have a (frankly kick-ass) gaming PC, what kind of games would you recommend I borrow/buy? I'm not looking for FPS in general, but if you know a game that is just too good to deny, let me know.

I'm especially interested in RPGs, potentially of the j variety.

Chip in, and I may refine my criteria depending on the selections I get (to make your lives easier!)

Also what is a Playstation Network, and how can I not get my info stolen?

I'll second the MGS4 and GTAIV. BUT FUCKING SHAME ON YOU FOR FORGETTING RED DEAD REDEMPTION, SEIL!

Demon's Souls and Valkyria Chronicles are excellent games you can't get on the PC.

I can't as solidly endorse others myself, though I know there's a few other exclusives to the PS3/consoles like Record of Agarest War 1/2, a Disgaea game, and one or two Atellier Iris games.

What? I mean, I'm lobbying for Demon's Souls title to be changed to "Game Where You Wander Around A Castle For Three Or Four Hours, Ignorant Of Your Objective Or Even A Basic Sense Of Direction Before You Get Frustrated And Curse The Disc Back The Hellforge It Was Born From."

Seil is bad at video games.

Demon's Souls rocks. I beat it yesterday.

I am gonna limit this to 10 games, because fuck it 10 is a nice round number. Hell, let's throw in two more lists of 5 each for PSN games and PS0ne Classics!

Basically take my list and go on youtube to find some gameplay to see if you would enjoy it.

Demon's Souls - RPG/HackNslash
InFamous - Action/Super Hero
Uncharted 2 - 3rd Person Shooter/Platformer
3D Dot Game Heroes - Zelda Ripoff (In a good way)
Heavy Rain - Adventure Game
Metal Gear Solid 4 - Tactical Espionage Action Movie
Disgaea 3 - SRPG
Valkyria Chronicles - Action SRPG
L.A. Noire - Detective Noir/Action
Final Fantasy XIII - Why the fuck not it's a FF game.

On the PSN I would pick up:
Scott Pilgrim Versus the World - Sidescrolling beat-em up
Bionic Commando Rearmed - Platformer
Castle Crashers - Sidescrolling beat-em up
Costume Quest - RPG
Marvel vs. Capcom 2- Fighting

For PS1 Classics I would get:
Final Fantasy Tactics
Wild Arms
Suikoden
Parasite Eve
Vagrant Story

As for the PSN, if you are paranoid about it then just buy the PSN giftcards so you don't have any credit card information to steal.

Demon's Souls is the best RPG of the generation if not the best game full stop. Don't listen to Seil on this. Seriously I can understand being frustrated by the enemies but how in the fuck can you get lost? In Boletaria castle of all places. It's basically one path with short quickly terminating side paths and a few shortcuts. Really Seil. This is a review I agree with. Some of the complaints (like the no shadows one) don't even apply anymore as they fixed it for the American and PAL releases.

Also be wary of FFXIII some people find it okay, a lot of people hate it, me included. As far as I'm concerned it's to FF as the CDi games are to Zelda. But some people like it for some reason so maybe rent to see if you're one of them.

Anyway other recommendations, Just Cause 2 and Saints Row 2 are the best sandbox games around (GTA4's kinda just shitty, Red Dead I've just started yesterday, so can't say much about that). Both have fairly shitty PC ports (SR2 in particular was a complete failure) so getting them for the PS3 is a good idea.

Alpha Protocol's pretty fun, very well written but kinda crappy on the actual gameplay side, but it's like $12 now so I'd say it's worth that. It too had a fairly lame PC version. Katamari Forever is another decent cheap game (I've seen it going for under $5).

Disgaea 3, Heavy Rain, Uncharted 2, Assassin's Creed 2 and 3D Dot Game Heroes are all pretty good too, but might be rent before you buy, (Heroes and Disgaea 3 especially as they're kinda niche).

I'd recommend Mass Effect 2 as well as I've heard differing accounts of the PC version's quality. I mean it's no New Vegas(which I'm not recommending because the PC version is better) or Demon's Souls but it's still the 3rd best RPG of the generation.


Also for the love of god avoid Star Ocean 4. It is just terrible in every fashion and the writing is in the so bad it's painful category not the so bad it's funny.


Edit: If for some reason you want to a Fallout for the PS3, get New Vegas it's superior to 3 in every way. The only reason to get 3 is if you want to enjoy it before playing New Vegas. The improvements in balance, gameplay, writing, and worldbuilding kinda make 3 hard to play after NV (and I love 3 when I got it).

Edit2: Sorta forgot to mention the PS3 has a number of decent budget JRPGs, Atelier Rorona is fun if you like addictive collection fests and it's very cheap(it's also obviously made on a shoestring budget). Ar Tonelico I would avoid as it's just kinda shitty, but if you like to MST3K games it can be fun for that. Me and a few friends sat around playing and making jokes and that was pretty fun (it is like everything stupid and weird about Japan they could put into a PG rated game, it's hilarious). I've also heard good things about Resonance of Fate. NieR is also really good, probably the best JRPG on the system if you don't count Demons Souls (it's more sorta in it's own category between west and east). Sadly the best truly traditional JRPG of the generation (Tales of Vesperia) isn't available in English on the PS3.

I liked the game, but I'm going to disagree with this on the basis that accessibility is also a thing games should/can be rated on, and Demon's Souls was basically as inaccessible to a large portion of the gaming populace as it possibly could be.

I'd say that if you think you've got the third person action chops it's a very very good game, but I would never recommend it to someone without mentioning that it will not be fun for you if you don't like being punished repeatedly and are quite skilled at that type of game play.

Demon's Souls: Don't play this if you like games that eliminate any kind of challenge through bullshit like omnipresent checkpoints. This game will fuck you in the ass if you think it is. I wouldn't even call it hard, just really unforgiving. But you'll make sure not to make the same mistake twice. This really contributes to the already dense atmosphere of the game, though. Which is what the game does best anyway.

Bayonetta: A fun over the top action game in the vein of Devil May Cry. The game is more accessible, I'd claim, though. Simply because of the fair checkpoints. So if you like games that eliminate any kind of challenge through checkpoints, go for this. Well, not quite. If you want to get a good rank you should try to make it through the levels without dying, which feels so much better anyway. I did hear the X360 version was better though. But I didn't encounter any problems with the PS3 port.

Bulletstorm: Gameplay-wise, and I really mean just the gameplay, this is the best damn FPS I've ever played. However, the levels are strictly linear and the story tacked on bullshit. However, if you want to kill things in fun ways with innovative weapons, this is a thing you'll like. It was made by the team that made Painkiller after all. Only with a budget.

Just Cause 2: A sandbox game in which you are a government employed terrorist sent to another country to do terrorist things. Like blowing everything that belongs to the government up. The game world is a whole island nation and there's plenty of shit to do even after you finish the story missions. And the other missions. The best thing about the game is it doesn't take itself very seriously.

BlazBlue Continuum Shift: Really niche 2D Beat 'em up, I guess. Personally, I love it. It has a really good story for a Fighting game. By which I mean it actually has a story. I Believe to have heard that it was originally supposed to be an RPG, so that explains that. Mostly told in visual novel style, or what the kids call it. Sometimes there are little animated sequences. If you can dig the anime artwork, great music and are a fan of fighting games I'd really recommend this.