ThePS2is one of the best-selling consoles of all time. Sony was seemingly a bit too in the cloud when they released thePS3,thinking it would be another smash hit. While the console eventually recovered, the first two years were rocky.
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Soon thePS3got a plethora of good games such asinFAMOUS,LittleBigPlanet,Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, and the list goes on. While these three examples would go beyond this platform, there was a bunch of series that never got a sequel beyond this almost decade-long generation. Some games remain trapped on the console forever, unable to even be streamed. With the creation of two new versions of PlayStation Plus, it’s high time these classics got some love if they aren’t receiving it already.
8Army Of Two
Army of Twowas a huge series duringthis console generation. It received three core console games along with some ports for handhelds like the PSP. They were co-op focused third-person shooters about two mercenaries who are hired to fight in varying conflicts.
They’re not the most immersive shooting experiences out there, but the mechanics are solid for a fun afternoon with a friend. The first game stands up as the best of the bunch and the series slowly deteriorated from there.
7DeathSpank
DeathSpankwas another trilogy of games, although they were smaller in scope. They were downloadable,top-down action RPGsakin toDiablo. Players could fight swarms of monsters, collect their loot, and attempt to become the kingdom’s toughest warrior.
There was a co-op option as well wherein the second player could accompany the titularDeathSpankon his quest as his best wizard friend. The most memorable thing about this trilogy was the humor as it was penned by the famed game developer, Ron Gilbert.
6DJ Hero
It’s hard to put into words just how explosive theGuitar Herofranchise was when it began on the PS2. As the years went on, more and more spinoffs kept coming out to try and tackle new markets.DJ Herowas a DJ-themed concept that operated similarly toGuitar Hero.
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Players got a turntable with the game that had buttons they had to press to the beat of the music like inother rhythm games. The turntable could remix tracks and there were other nobs to fiddle with too. It worked well for what it was and spawned one sequel on consoles and another on 3DS before this subseries disappeared into obscurity.
5Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
Dynasty Warriors: Gundamreceived four core games in this generation of consoles. It took thehack and slashaction from classicDynasty Warriorsand added mechs to the formula. The best of the tetralogy was the third game since it used cel-shading.
This made it look more authentic to the anime, and it had an incredible roster of characters too. Omega Force has continued to make anime spinoffs toDynasty Warriors, butthey have seemingly forgotten about one of their first endeavors.
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazardwas both a parodyofDuke Nukemand the gaming industry as a whole. Matt Hazard was a washed-up video game star, again likeDuke Nukem, who was hired to get back into action when the world needed him most.
The concept was good and casting Will Arnett as Matt Hazard was inspiring. Unfortunately, the gameplay and humor didn’t live up to this humorous idea. There was one sequel as a 2D downloadable game,Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond, which was received a bit better.
3Resistance
Resistancewas Insomniac’s first more realistic franchise after making it big withRatchet and Clank. All three console gameswere first-person shootersand they were set during an alternate history wherein aliens invaded during World War 2.
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There was also a PSP and PS Vita spinoff. The PS Vita game,Burning Skies, was released in 2012 which was a year before the PS4. It may sound like a stretch, but this technically makesResistancecount as a series that only thrived during the PS3 generation.
2Transformers: War For Cybertron
Transformers: War for Cybertronwas developed by High Moon Studios. Unlike mostTransformersgames during this period, this title drewupon the cartoonsrather than the then-current live-action movies. There was a sequel,Fall of Cybertron, and they were both third-person shooters.
The story was faithful to the original series and fans seemed to dig them for that. Even the multiplayer was received well. They remain trapped in licensing limbo, making them hard to play nowadays without tracking down physical discs.
1White Knight Chronicles
Level-5 started to make a name for themselves first withDark Cloudduring the PS2 generation. They found success in those two games so much so that they even went on to work with Square Enix on severalDragon Questgames.
So, the expectations for their first PS3 RPG viaWhite Knight Chronicleswere high because of their pedigree up to that point. Unfortunately, most reviewers and players did not adore the two PS3 games as much as Level-5’s other RPGs. Most don’t know this, but there was a PSP spinoff that was only released in Japan and Europe.
