The term “AA game” has not been around for a long time. However, it is pretty easy to retrofit it to games from prior generations like the PS3. The games below all have lofty ambitions and had resources behind them to make that ambition come true, but not quite enough to make a refined mainstream title.
Either they have some clear technical shortcomings that rob it of the sleekness of a AAA title or their genre was not quite mainstream enough to make it one of the most popular games of the time. Regardless of any faults these games might have, they are still some of the best on the PS3 despite their AA status.
While none of these games are ripoffs, they often serve as alternatives or additions to other AAA games. A note will be made whenever this is the case.
Before Dontnod touched gamers' hearts withLife is Strange,they made a lesser-known action game calledRemember Me. This title takes place in a future Paris where a megacorporation has basically commodified memories and uses this information to turn it into a dystopia.
Players control a rebel fighting against this system. Like the developer’s future games, there are interesting mechanics regarding parts of our humanity. InRemember Meplayers control, manipulate, and even dive into memories.
The game received mixed reviews upon release, with complaints mostly aimed at the action. The story and the mechanics regarding memories were a point of praise and would be the focus of the developer’s efforts in its later catalog
Suda51 is known for some incredibly unique games.Lollipop Chainsawis about a cheerleader annihilating zombies while the disembodied head of her boyfriend hangs from her hip, five years before Mimir was hanging around the same spot on Kratos' body.
The gameplay is a simple hack-and-slash with upgrades available as the story progresses.James Gunn had a hand in writing the story,and it reflects a pre-Guardians of the GalaxyJames Gunn with a more raunchy sense of humor.
The game is pleasing to anybody who likes grindhouse late-night drive-in movie sensibilities, but the actual gameplay is a little shallow.
Platforms
PS3, Xbox 360
Dead To Rights: Retributiontries to be as gritty as possible, putting players into the well-worn trope of a hard-boiled detective who will stop at nothing to solve the case. The gameplay hook here that separates it from the pack is Shadow, the protagonist’s beloved dog.
Shadow can be used in executions against enemies. The game does not play as smoothly as the best cover shooters of the time likeGears of War,but its over-the-top grit will entertain gamers. It has the vibe of a straight-to-DVD B-movie, providing enough fun for an evening without using excess brainpower.
4Saint’s Row 2
Metacritic: 81
Saint’s Row 2was far from the best-looking open-worldgame at the time, but it held onto some of the zany sensibilities of the prior generation that gave it a unique charm. Minigames like Insurance Fraud were a particular highlight.
Comparisons toGrand Theft Auto 4at the timedid not help win it any favors, but at the same time, the other game’s oppressive atmosphere helped makeSaint’s Row 2a more irreverent alternative. Sequels would become even more outlandish and even give players superpowers.
The debut entry in the series is an Xbox 360 exclusive.
Deadly Premonitionputs players in the shoes of an FBI agentinvestigating a murder in a small town. If that sounds likeTwin Peaks, the comparisons do not stop there. The game is filled with supernatural weirdness accentuated by the rural setting.
The story is strong for those into quirky mysteries that balance the weird with the scary, but the gameplay is full of jank and technical issues. Anybody able to look past these is in for an incredible ride of a narrative, but it is a big ask for some people to look past some glaring technical flaws.
The sequel,Deadly Premonition 2,is a Nintendo Switch exclusive and was marred by even more technical issues like an ungodly frame rate.
Unlike a lot of the games on this list, there’s really nothing wrong withXCOM: Enemy Unknown. In fact, many consider it one of the best turn-based strategy games ever made. It is more the nature of the genre that makes it an AA game, especially back in 2012.
The visuals do not live up to the best the PS3 could do, but that is not really important and does not take away fromEnemy Unknown’ssmooth gameplay that is simultaneously easy to understand and filled with depth.
Demon’s Soulswas so unique when it came out, that people barely knew what to make of it. It was difficult, obtuse, and had a unique online component. Little did people know that it was the start of an influential new genre and the beginning of FromSoftware’s path to becoming one of the most celebrated studios in modern gaming.
The PS3 exclusive is not without its drawbacks, however. The framerate is unstable and load times are long, which is frustrating for a game where players are expected to die constantly. On top of that, many of the systems are unevenly balanced,which can make the game too easy or almost impossible to beat.
BluePoint’s 2020 remake turns the experience into a true AAA gaming experience while still retaining the same RPG systems, ensuring a similar experience to the original title.
