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For the first two years of its life, the PS3 has been like the smart kid who doesn't know how to dress; PS3 has advanced technology in spades but has been hit and miss with great games to show it all off.

2008 is the year that PS3 hit its stride. Developers are getting a handle on the PS3's relatively complex hardware, and multi-platform games often look best on Sony's Blu-ray machine. Exclusive games are the pièce de résistance, and some of the year's best were PS3-only.


— Scott Taves


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“MLB '08,” only for the PlayStation family, is a full-scale baseball experience. The “Road to the Show” mode is the main event, following your customized player from high school to the Hall of Fame. The road to riches is authentic and rewarding as you rise through spring training, the minors and the major leagues.

The game is exceptionally polished; graphical details like the ivy-covered walls of Chicago's Wrigley Field make the stadiums come to life. The clouds of dust kicked up as a player slides into home and the crack of a broken bat give the game a startlingly realistic feel. No other baseball game matched the depth and fine tuning of \"MLB '08.\"
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This original PlayStation Network download is simple and crazily addictive. While the previous “PixelJunk” games were fine in their own right, “Eden” is a perfect casual game. The game involves navigating an odd little Grimp character around various gardens, from plant to plant, swinging like a mini Spider-Man.

The plants sprout and grow, changing the landscape of the levels in unexpected ways. The real star of “Eden” is the bold, dazzling look of the game. Colors explode and plants twist and flex in a psychedelic wonderland.

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The final “Metal Gear” game to feature stealth superstar Solid Snake is also the series' finest. Few games can match the cinematic power of PS3-exclusive “MGS 4,” a masterful mix of elaborate — often lengthy — cut-scenes, a rousing orchestral score, pitch-perfect stealth action game play and a cast of memorable characters.

Snake's character is touchingly human: his wrinkled skin, coughing and flashbacks are signs of his failing health. He's a warrior well past his prime facing mighty villains, both old and new. If there were any doubts about the emotional, dramatic power of games, “MGS 4” lays them to rest.
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Considering this is just a teaser to “Gran Turismo 5,” the mind reels at the possibilities. The “Gran Turismo” PlayStation series has always been focused on realism, a simulation as opposed to arcade-style game. “GT 5 Prologue” may be a taster, but with about 70 cars from real-world manufacturers to race in six locations, it is really a full game.

“Prologue” features a new in-car cockpit view complete with a finely detailed driver, dynamic lighting and working gauges. The most remarkable aspect of the game is how each of the cars, from a Mini Cooper-S to a Ferrari F2007, feels and sounds unique.
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Another PS3 exclusive, “LittleBigPlanet” is social, creative and utterly engaging. The game is a platformer that you navigate with your customizable character, Sack Boy. You'll guide this lovable burlap buddy through some introductory levels where you'll collect items to personalize your Sack, unlock mini-games and cooperate with up to three other players online. The game looks nearly photo-realistic; the gorgeous art design and stunning graphics make “LBP” one of the best looking games ever.

But the real fun starts when you begin creating and sharing custom game levels with the easy-to-use, powerful level creator; create your own landscapes and objects, all subject to realistic physics, save it and post it for others to enjoy. You can start from scratch or use a ready-made template.

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The first installment, a PS3 launch exclusive, took a hard-core single and multi-player shooter and wrapped it in an intriguing alternate history where Nazis were replaced by horrific aliens. “Resistance 2” is bigger and better in every way. The story, now set in the U.S. instead of Europe, is still classic sci-fi but the scale of the action has been pushed sky high.

The environments are massive and richly detailed. While the single-player campaign is lengthy and well plotted by genre standards, “Resistance 2” shines brightest in co-op and multi-player modes. A technically stunning 60-player online game brilliantly skirts deathmatch cliches by breaking the action down into multiple squads battling for specific objectives. Up to eight players can join in co-op campaigns that take place alongside the single-player campaign, giving “Resistance 2” an epic feel.

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Who needs all those musical instrument peripherals cluttering up the living room? “SingStar,” available in multiple editions for PS2 and debuting for PS3, takes music games back to basics. Just you, maybe a partner and the mic. “SingStar” has a slick interface and a broad selection of original artists performing something for nearly everyone.

When you've nailed all the included tracks, head over to the online SingStore to purchase new music. The brave can share their audio or video performances, the Eye Toy accessory is needed for video, in the online forum for some You Tube-style fun. “SingStar” remains the premier karaoke game experience.

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“Buzz!” is a madly enjoyable game-show-in-a-box, complete with four wireless buzzer peripherals. Muppet head Buzz, the host, picks from different game modes and players select question categories. Four player games can be played in person or online.

The questions and categories included are adequate, but the brilliance of “Buzz!” is in creating your own quizzes and downloading what others have created. Hop onto the PlayStation Network, design your own quiz on any subject, play it in the game, share it and receive ratings from other players.

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Futuristic anti-gravity racing game “WipEout” has been a staple of every generation of PlayStation. The action is hypnotically fast and notoriously unforgiving. Add some exotic weapons to the mix and you have a formula that never gets old.

“WipEout HD,” available only as a PSN download, is clearly the best looking, highest performance version to date; a solid 60 frames-per-second at full HD resolution. Online play and downloadable, extra content is icing on an already delicious cake.

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PS3-only “Valkyria Chronicles” is a visually strikingly, expertly executed Japanese RPG. The gameplay is an engaging combination of turn-based combat, a la “Final Fantasy” games, combined with real-time action. The story, set in a fictional 1930s Europe, follows Welkin, a young draftee, in a war between two kingdoms. Thankfully, “Valkyria” tends more toward realism and away from well-worn fantasy conventions.

The graphical presentation is sublime — the characters look hand-drawn in a comic style, with a charming look reminiscent of anime master Hideo Miyazaki. The action plays out like a graphic novel come to life, complete with “ratta-tat-tat” sound effect captions.

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