The 20 PlayStation 3 Exclusives of 2013
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The PS4’s on the horizon, but the PS3’s still trucking.
When I was in New York City attending the PlayStation 4 reveal, I started to think a lot, ironically, about PlayStation 3. Sitting with well-known Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida and picking his brain about PS4, it became clear that the new console was a separate ecosystem. PS3 games – both digital and retail – won’t work on PS4, and it seemed like Sony may be slowly closing the book on PlayStation 3.
But that doesn’t mean that 2013 hasn’t been and won’t continue to be a great year for PlayStation 3 exclusives. Delving into the depths of IGN’s games database, I found a lot more of them than I expected. Sure, I’ve heard of all of these games and even previewed and otherwise written about others, but I didn’t quite do the math in my head until I saw it all before me: PS3 gamers have a lot to look forward to in 2013. Some of these games have already come out; most others are still on the horizon.
So let’s jump into the games and see what 2013 has already given us on PlayStation 3, and what it will continue to give us as the year winds on.
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Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk
The Atelier series has been ongoing since the first game – The Alchemist of Salburg – launched in Japan on PlayStation in 1997. A couple of dozen games later, we find ourselves with Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk, a PS3-exclusive JRPG that just launched this week. It’s the tenth Atelier game to come to the west and the fourth to find its way to PlayStation 3 (and our review will be live soon on IGN).
The Alchemist of Dusk – developed by Japanese studio Gust – is a niche RPG even for JRPG fans, but the Atelier series has found a solid footing in the west in recent years, enough so that these games keep on coming to our shores. The Atelier games PlayStation fans no doubt have their eyes on are the ones that have (or will shortly) come to Vita in Japan (we need something to play on that little handheld, after all), but in the meantime, The Alchemist of Dusk may just keep you busy. -
Beyond: Two Souls
With the exception, perhaps, of The Last of Us, Beyond: Two Souls is the biggest and most anticipated PS3 exclusive of 2013. From French studio Quantic Dream – the minds that brought you the surprise PlayStation 3 critical and commercial hit Heavy Rain – Beyond: Two Souls is yet another game in the genre Quantic Dream head David Cage all but invented: Interactive Drama.
In Beyond, players take the role of Jodie Holmes (played by Ellen Page) and take a glimpse into her life ranging from when she’s 8 years old all the way to her early 20’s. But Holmes isn’t any ordinary girl: she has a dark secret. She’s accompanied by a spirit of unknown origins named Aidan, and the game seems to revolve around her life with this spirit, including all of the governmental intrigue that such a situation encourages. Needless to say, Beyond: Two Souls is a game worth keeping an eye on leading up to its release in October. -
Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness
Disgaea D2 – also known as Disgaea Dimensions 2 – was only recently revealed for launch in the west, but Japanese gamers have known about it for some time. And unlike so many other Japanese role-playing games that find their way west, this game is primed for release in North America and Europe only a few months after it comes out in Japan (it’s not even out in Japan, at the time this article goes live). Either way, wielding the powerful Disgaea name, A Brighter Darkness brings the strategy-RPG series back to PS3 after some quality handheld distractions.
Developed by famed Japanese developer Nippon Ichi Software (NIS), A Brighter Darkness is a direct sequel to the PlayStation 2 game Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, but will look a lot more like the most recent core console release in the series, Disgaea 4. Naturally, the game will tote the deep strategy mechanics and, perhaps more notably, the series’ humorous dialogue and characters that the franchise is so well-known (and beloved) for. -
Dragon’s Crown
Technically, Dragon’s Crown isn’t exclusive to PlayStation 3. After all, it’s also coming to PlayStation Vita. But either way, Dragon’s Crown – which should be released at some point this year – looks like an exceptionally promising old-school inspired romp. These days, the saga surrounding the game, and in particular who’s publishing it, has overshadowed what otherwise appears to be a slick Vanillaware title that’s totally worth being excited over.
With Atlus now leading the helm as funder and publisher, developer Vanillaware has been toiling away on finishing the game. Yet, we’ve not gone hands-on with it yet and don’t know much about it apart from what we’ve been shown and told so far. What we know right now is that Dragon’s Crown is a side-scrolling RPG with gorgeous graphics, and better yet, it will support seamless save transferring between Vita and PS3 (and vice-versa), making it most interesting to folks who own both PlayStation devices. -
Dust 514
When the free-to-play PS3-exclusive first-person shooter Dust 514 was first announced, it sounded like one of the most ridiculously ambitious games ever concocted. Developed by Icelandic studio CCP, Dust 514 is designed to be the console complement to EVE Online, the outrageously ? PC MMO that’s been raging on for nearly a decade. In particular, what happens in one game is supposed to directly affect the other game, an awesome idea on paper (and perhaps even in execution… we just don’t know).
Unfortunately, Dust 514 simply hasn’t launched yet, even with rumors suggesting that it was supposed to originally come out in the fall of 2012. As such, Dust 514 has lost some of its gloss and sheen, and the open beta has proven that the game may be way too ? and deep for some. Still, for those willing to invest the appropriate amount of time, Dust 514 may prove to be an incredibly immersive and deep experience. We’ll find out for sure whenever CCP decides to release it. -
? of War: Ascension
As of the time this article will go live, we’re mere days away from the launch of ? of War: Ascension (in fact, we already have the game here in the IGN offices). And out of all of the games on this list, Ascension might prove to be one of the most divisive. After all, Ascension is the first foray into multiplayer for ? of War, and even though it’s proven quite fun during previews, ? of War fans still love their single-player above all else.
The good news for all of those ? of War fans is, of course, that Ascension also has a full-fledged single-player campaign, with Ascension’s multiplayer modes as an optional aside. Then again, something tells me Sony Santa Monica – the game’s developer – didn’t name this game ? of War IV for a reason; multiplayer here may be an experiment to see what the future holds for the core series. -
Gran Turismo 6 (?!)
Okay, so here’s the thing. Gran Turismo 6 is real: we’ve known about it since 2010. But it’s never been confirmed for any platform, whether PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, or even PlayStation Vita. But then something unexpected happened. A high-ranking Sony executive mentioned that it was coming to PlayStation 3 this year, in 2013. He never tried to correct himself, and neither did Sony.
The silence, of course, is deafening. Sony refused to comment about the game to IGN beyond the fact that we’d learn more about GT6 soon, and even though it would be unusual for the game to come to PS3 so close to PS4’s launch, it also seems like, if this Sony executive is to be believed, Gran Turismo 6 is indeed a PlayStation 3 game due out this year. We’ll have to wait and see one way or another. I, for one, believe him. -
Guacamelee!
Like Dragon’s Crown, Guacamelee! isn't only a PlayStation 3 game. It’s also a PlayStation Vita game that will fully support cross-play and cross-save. And it comes from DrinkBox Studios, the minds behind the PS3 and Vita Mutant Blob games that proved to be quite fun (especially the Vita iteration). But compared to those games, Guacamelee! is a bit off the beaten path.
The Mutant Blob games are straight-forward, old-school inspired, bite-sized games. Guacamelee!, on the other hand, is a game that seems to be inspired by Super Metroid or Symphony of the Night, at least in a cursory way. Its cartoonish main character will be tasked with exploring non-linear environments full of enemies and collectibles, finding skills that will allow him to get further and further into the adventure. We thought Guacamelee! would be out by now, but we’ll have to be patient for just a little while longer. Hopefully, it drops soon. -
Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory
For those unfamiliar with the niche JRPG series Hyperdimension Neptunia, you might be equally unfamiliar with the series’ interesting plot that sets it apart from otherwise similar games in the genre. In short, the entire series’ series is a thinly veiled take on the console wars that rage on the Internet (and likely even in the comments of this very story!). Not surprisingly, this continues in earnest in Neptunia.
But like so many games on this list, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory won’t be for everyone. Compile Heart, the game’s developer, isn’t exactly known for its smash-hit games here in the west. Still, you can decide for yourself: we have a freelancer reviewing the game as we speak and hope to have the full review up in the next couple of weeks. -
MLB 13: The Show
It’s almost unheard of for a first-party developer like Sony San Diego to make an exclusive sports game; yet that’s exactly what this Sony-owned studio has been doing for years. MLB: The Show is a smash hit both critically and commercially on PlayStation platforms and has been for quite some time, and the trend continues this year with MLB 13: The Show, a product that appears on both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.
If there’s one major problem with The Show, however, it’s that it doesn’t use Sony’s vaunted cross-buy program to make the games cheaper. Unless you find a special deal online or at a local retailer, the PS3 version costs $60 and the Vita version costs $40, forcing you to spend $100 total if you want to have the full cross-play experience. Regardless of the series’ quality – which is very high – Sony would be wise to revisit cross-buy for The Show in future years. -
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Ni No Kuni was the first major PS3 exclusive to launch in 2013, and it ended up being awesome. A charming and deep JRPG from Level 5, with art from famed Japanese animation firm Studio Ghibli, Ni No Kuni blew us away with its Pokemon-like gameplay and its heart wrenching plot told through the eyes of a young boy named Oliver. But even with its cartoonish façade, Ni No Kuni also proves that it very much appeals to all ages.
Indeed, what I love most about Ni No Kuni is that it’s proof that the JRPG genre isn’t completely dead on consoles. While niche titles still fill most of the JRPG roster (many of those games are on this very list, in fact), Ni No Kuni isn’t niche at all. Its monster-catching fighting mechanics appeal to the Pokemon crowd and its amazing story and characters will appeal to just about anyone. It’s got just about everything going for it. -
Puppeteer
When the strange, quirky PS3 exclusive Puppeteer was revealed at Gamescom in 2012, people were a little confused about it. Was it a PSN game or a retail game? What was the primary mechanic that made it worth playing? What kind of game was it to begin with? Well, when we finally played Puppeteer for ourselves at New York Comic Con last year, those questions began answering themselves.
This game from Sony’s Studio Japan is a retail 2D side-scroller with a serious twist; the main character in the game, Kutaro, is able to switch heads he finds during his journey to give him new attacks and special moves. The entire game revolves around this integral mechanic, and it makes for a totally unique experience. Of course, the game’s graphics are beautiful, too, and the fact that the game takes place on a stage before a fictional audience simply increases its oddness factor… but in a good way. -
Rain
We don’t know a whole lot about Rain right now, other than that it might not be called Rain once it comes out (it’s currently a “working title”). It was revealed during Sony’s Gamescom press conference back in 2012, and since then, we’ve gotten nothing about it but a video, which you can watch below. What we do know, however, is that it’s also under development by Sony’s Studio Japan, just like Puppeteer. But unlike Puppeteer, it’s a PSN game, not a retail release, and it remains floating significantly under the radar.
From best we can tell, Rain is, at its core, a puzzle game. It takes place around a boy who finds a silhouette of a girl in the rain. By observing the girl, he gets sucked into her world, becoming as invisible as the girl he once looked at from afar. As such, players control the boy and can only see him because falling rain water cascades off of him. It’s a strange idea, to be sure, but we’re anxious to see and play more. -
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
Like a few other games already mentioned on this list, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time has already been released, and it’s not only on PS3, but also on Vita. But because it’s already out, we already know that it’s a pretty awesome game. It’s the first Sly Cooper title since Sucker Punch released Sly 3 on PlayStation 2 in 2005, and though it comes from a different developer – Sanzaru Games – it’s as much fun as anything released by Sly’s native studio back in the day.
A feature a lot of people playing Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time really seem to love is the game’s cross-play functionality. Using a dedicated cloud server, players can seamlessly send their saves between Vita and PS3 (and vice-versa), allowing you to continue your journey on the go or on the couch, or anywhere in between. Thieves in Time was also released at the sub-retail price of $40, and that price got you both versions of the game, proving that Sony may just be experimenting with some new pricing models. -
Tales of Xillia
The Tales franchise – perhaps the most famous JRPG series outside of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy – is quickly approaching its 20th birthday. When Tales of Phantasia launched on Super Famciom back in 1995, it was unlikely that Namco had any idea the hit it would one day have on its hands. And yet, here we are. The 13th game in the series, Tales of Xillia, came exclusively to PS3 back in 2011; it’s finally being localized for a western release this year.
Xillia revolves around two characters in particular: Jude Mathis and Milla Maxwell. The two protagonists, along with the party members they recruit along the way, live in a world called Liese Maxia, and the game otherwise totes Tales’ familiar graphical look and a slightly modified battle system that all takes place in real time, just like Tales games from the past. Better yet, Xillia 2 came to PS3 in 2012 in Japan, and if this one does well enough, maybe that one will meander across the Pacific, too. -
The Guided Fate Paradox
The flood of PS3 JRPGs in 2013 continues unabated with The Guided Fate Paradox. Developed internally at NIS, The Guided Fate Paradox – known as KamiPara in Japan – will launch in the Fall of 2013 on PlayStation 3, and is, in fact, the spiritual successor to a game called ZHP. Like ZHP, The Guided Fate Paradox is a rogue-like RPG. What does that mean? In short, you’re gonna be doing some dungeon-crawling.
We don’t know a heck of a lot about The Guided Fate Paradox right now other than that it’s a game designed to keep you immersed and engaged for a very long time. As it relies entirely on dungeon-crawling, the game is said to randomly-generate its environments, never giving you to the same locale to explore twice. Likewise, the game relies a great deal on character customization, giving players out there with time to spend a great deal to see and do. -
The Last of Us
Let’s not beat around the bush: The Last of Us is – by far – the most eagerly-anticipated PS3 exclusive on this entire list. After all, the game comes by way of Naughty Dog, Sony’s most popular and prolific fully-owned studio, the developer that brought you Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter and Uncharted in the past. While there’s no guarantee that The Last of Us will be any good, it’s safe to be optimistic based almost entirely on the pedigree of the studio.
So what is The Last of Us all about? Well, unlike Naughty Dog’s other series, The Last of Us takes place in the future, in a post-apocalyptic United States ravaged by a mysterious fungus and the aftereffects of that fungus wreaking havoc on the population. Players take control of a survivor named Joel who is tasked with taking care of a young girl named Ellie. And thus, your mysterious adventure across the dystopian United States begins, with a great deal of frights and fights to keep you busy from point A to point B. -
The Witch and the Hundred Knights
First revealed to be coming west about a year ago, The Witch and the Hundred Knights is a 3D JRPG that comes from NIS, a Japanese studio responsible for many other games on this list. It was revealed at the same time that Legasista and Mugen Souls were, however, and both of those PS3 games have already been released. This game was promised for early 2013 at the time, but has since fallen off the radar.
Still, the premise of this game – still due out in 2013 – sounds really cool. Players can either be a hero or a villain, and will control 100-man teams to fight creatures and other bad guys that you encounter on your journey. It’s unclear what’s been holding this game up and why we haven’t heard much about it as of late – especially considering the flood of NIS games that have come out since its announcement -- but hopefully the company will have a more specific release date available for us soon. -
Time and Eternity
Another day, another JRPG. This time, we’re focusing on Time and Eternity, a game known as TokiTowa in Japan. We first heard that it was coming west back in late 2012; we got official confirmation not too long ago that Time and Eternity will be launched in North America and Europe exclusively on PlayStation 3 this summer.
Not surprisingly, NIS is helping to bring Time and Eternity to western shores, but unlike some other games on this list, NIS didn’t actually develop it. Image Epoch – the studio behind Luminous Arc – created the game, one that purports itself to be the “first HD animation RPG”, indicating that it has beautiful graphics that are neither 3D models or sprites. The interplay between one of the main character’s alter-egos – Toki and Towa – rest at the heart of the game, and we’re eager to see more about it in the coming months -
Until Dawn
When Until Dawn first emerged, it was wrapped up in a trademarked title story alongside another game on this list, Rain. But unlike Rain, which is a strange art-like game, Until Dawn is basically the exact opposite: it’s a teen horror movie that you can actually play and take part in. In many ways, it even takes a page from Heavy Rain.
When we finally got to see the game in action at New York Comic Con, however, we were left with a lasting impression that this game might actually be really cool. Unfortunately, when we saw it, it required the use of PlayStation Move, but the developers openly admitted that they wanted to integrate classic DualShock 3 controls as well. Either way, the game’s premise is unique and it doesn’t at all take itself seriously. It has the formula -- if executed properly – for a fun game. We’ll have to wait a little longer to play it, though; it still has a nebulous 2013 release date attached to it. -
Nippon Ichi games dominate the list.
Looking forward to Time and Eternity and Tales of Xilla. -
man should I buy GOW:A?
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What the hell? Did NIS just hold back all their games for the twilight of the PS3. Looks good though. I've been wanting another good old fashioned RPG to play.
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Look im getting ? of war last of us the im gonna try not to by anything else.... maybe lol
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Mehhhh, only interested in the last of us and ? of war. Gran turismo 6 will come out same tuesday as detox
