47. God of War 3

The PS3 had a rough go at the start with the 360 having better third party ports, much better support and so on. But Sony still had it's first party titles, God of War was the big one that was missing around launch because they decided to launch GoW2 on PS2 the same year PS3 came out. And so we waited years to see what a next gen GoW would look like and my god it did not disappoint. The famous quote from some media member was that "it was like a painting come to life". God of War 3 was the best looking video game ever up to that point in time, a gorgeous game that holds up. Now I don't think GoW3 reach the highs of the second entry but it still is one of the best action adventure games you will find.

The combat was improved with more ways to interact with enemies like grabbing them to use as a battering ram. Or riding on top of the more massive enemies and using them to stomp the grunts. More magic attacks, more fluid combos, its the best GoW has played. The game opens up with a spectacle that only GoW could bring, an incredible battle against Poseidon which to this day is still one of the most impressive set pieces ever. The GoW formula just works, there is such a great ebb and flow to the title so that there is always something different coming up. Big combat sections, followed by platforming, a littl puzzle solving, new mechanics all the time, beautiful levels to explore and great boss battles.

I replayed this game last year to prep for GoW4 and I was enthralled by it all over again. There aren't many games like this anymore, everything is open world or some game as a service. I miss the linear action game so much. I couldn't put it down, it demands your attention for every second and never lets you get bored. No filler, no fat, just game. So many great momemnts like te Hades battle, the inside of the labyrinth with its rotating cubes while battling giant scorpions, the M.C. Escher's like perspective puzzle in the garden and the hercules boss battle. Sure the story was getting rather ridiculous and Kratos had become an irredeemable asshole but the point of the story was simply the spectacle and GoW 3 delivered.

My God, those GC graphics haven't aged well...

Smash Bros.  A series I end up buying every generation and playing less every time.  Very similar to Mario Kart in that way.

And we are back.

45. Metroid Prime 3

Metroid Prime 2 was a letdown after the masterpiece that was the first one. The third one was hopefully going to deliver in a way the second one did not, and it would do so with the power of the Wiimote. With full laser aiming Metroid Prime 3 became one of the showcases for the strength of the wiimote, you can hit all four corners of the screen without even toughcing the camera. Combat was far faster and more fluid. What was probably the weakest aspect of MP the combat became a big strength with the wiimote controls. I adored the controls, I have always been a big fan of the wiimote and this is one of the best uses for it.

Metroid Prime 3 did something most Metroids do not, break the game up into sections rather than one large interconnected world. Normally that is a big no no but MP3 makes it work. Each world you explore is of a decent size and comes filled with new gameplay mechanics that are activated by finding a new powerup. You can still revisit past planets to find hidden items. All the exploration and upgrading is still there now with more environmental variety and much better pacing. The opening act to MP3 is so exciting, it blows away any set piece the first two had and showed that Retro can create those epic gameplay moments that Sony was beginning to get so great at with Gof of War and Uncharted. MP3 is a tentpole game for the Wii, sadly it's also the last great Metroid game, hopefully Prime if it ever does make it out alive can be nearly as good.

44. Ratchet and Clank Going Commando and A Crack in Time

During the PS1 days two companies made a name for themselves by jumping into the 3D platformer ring, Naughty Dog and Insomniac. Crash went on to be the de facto mascot for the PS1 and Spyro, well he was there, good game but didn't set the world on fire. The PS2 would serve as round two for these developers to once again go at it for platforming dominance exclusive to the Playstation 2, during that gen Insomniac clearly came out the big winner with their best franchise Ratchet and Clank. Focusing more on wild weapons and combat that precise 3D platforming, Ratchet created a new style of action adventure platformer where action was center stage. The formula was incredibly strong, fly to multiple worlds each with their own theme and monstrocities to fight and earn bolts to constantly buy new weaponry which upgrades every time you use it. This gameplay loop keeps the variety coming as you never know what crazy gun is coming next and there were gadgets to find much like Zelda items which allow for new travesal options and puzzles. These games had it all and two of them really stand out.

Going Commando is one of those perfect sequels that takes everything done in the first and makes it bigger and better in almost every way. The first game feels like a prototype in comparison, the sequel added the leveling up of weapons which has become the core pillar of progression for the entire franchise going forward. Now guns evolve the more you use them, don't throw away that first gun keep using it because it can transform into a messager of death that can wipre out a whole screen of enemies. This also plays into the challenge mode post game which is an excellent new game plus with even crazier weapon upgrades.  

But the improvements didn't stop there, we got sphereical worlds that acts as a precursor to Mario Galaxy, space combat missions and arena battles. It was the first taste of the incredible variety this series would continue to show. Going Commando remains a highlight, there is argument for Up Your Arsenal but I felt that was more of a sideways movement than the clear leg up GC was to the first.

The series got a bit lost after UYA with some side games and some smaller titles on the PS3. The first major effort on PS3 was Tools of Destruction and it felt like a step back from the PS2 games in content. Graphically it was stunning and the games never controlled better. Still it was missing the depth offered in past games, A Crack in Time fixed that. ACIT is the culmination of the entire Ratchet franchise, all the best ideas distilled into one majestic game that stands with the very best the PS3 had to offer.

The title refers to the time hijinks featured in the game which manefest as Clank puzzles which are genius. You essencially can record clank and the rewind time and use that recording as a clone to perform actions while your clank can do other actions, up to four clones can be created. These time puzzles are the best the series has ever offered, by far my favorite Clank sections. The imporvements didnt end there, space combat got a big upgrade with one large space to explore and battle around in. The hoverboots make navigating the larger worlds a blast. The best roster of weapons, the best cast of characters, the best story, the best post game content, ACIT is the best the series has to offer.