5 Best-Written PS3 Games, Ranked

Sony's first natively high-definition console was the PlayStation 3, which launched in 2006, competing with the Xbox 360 and Wii. By the time that the PS3 debuted, storytelling within the video game medium had grown markedly sophisticated. From sweeping RPGs to survival horror games with engaging plots that heightened the emotional investment, gaming had grown up considerably by 2006. Many of the best PS3 games of all time are known for their ambitious stories, tightly crafted by solid plot writing.

It's those PS3 games boasting the strongest plot writing that we're highlighting with this particular list. Whether it's darkly twisting narratives with multiple endings or epic fantasy sagas, the console offered some of the best video game storytelling of its generation. Some of the games we're including here were the next engrossing chapters in ongoing stories, while the PS3 era also featured the debut of new franchises and standalone narratives. Here are the five best-written PS3 games ranked, each offering their own exciting stories to dive into.

The development studio Quantic Dream has specialized in interactive story games for years, each presenting players with hard decisions and multiple paths to follow. One of the studio's highlights is "Heavy Rain," which started out as a PlayStation 3 exclusive title in 2010. A neo-noir mystery, the game features four playable characters, each linked to a murderer known as the Origami Killer. Player decisions over the course of the game offer multiple endings as the investigation takes a particularly dark and intense turn.

"Heavy Rain" may go overboard with its quick-time events, but the story around the gameplay is a gripping murder mystery. Each of the characters offer an interesting perspective to the central narrative before their paths inevitably collide. After unlocking one ending, the game encourages players to try again to see different ways the story can unfold, especially knowing things like the killer's identity. Without "Heavy Rain," narrative-driven PS4 games like "Until Dawn" may not have had the same impact (if they had happened at all).

Just as the first two games in the series ambitiously incorporated classical Greek mythology into its story, "God of War III" took these elements into climactic intensity. The 2010 game has Kratos resume his vengeance against Zeus and the other Olympian gods after the cliffhanger ending to "God of War II." Kratos' rampage expands to include the Titans, who betrayed him during the opening assault on Mount Olympus and left him for dead. As Kratos' vendetta escalates, the consequences have visibly disastrous effects for Greece, despite his unabating fury.

"God of War III" explores the price of revenge while continuing to draw from an extensive variety of Greek mythological elements to weave its tale. Uninhibited rage is the driving force behind Kratos, arguably even more so than past games, even in the face of the clear havoc that he's obsessively causing. But what the game does so well is demonstrate that this path comes with clear collateral damage, as opposed to presenting this spectacle without an emotional price. A classic PS3 game that still holds up today, "God of War III" provides a satisfying end to the series' original trilogy.

One of the best action-adventure games of all time is "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves," which was released in 2009. The game has treasure hunter Nathan Drake roped into a new quest, this time to locate Shambhala, a mythical lost city in the Himalayas. The story introduces Nate's old associates Chloe Frazer and Harry Flynn, who convince him to join the expedition, only for Harry to betray him during an Istanbul museum break-in. Aided by his old friends Victor Sullivan and Elena Fisher, Nate sets out to stop the fabled city's presumed treasure from falling into the wrong hands.

Compared to its predecessor, "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune," "Among Thieves" features a more compelling plot and richly intertwining character arcs. Betrayed by a trusted pal, Nate starts out the story from a place of revenge, and the introduction of Chloe gives the "Uncharted" franchise one of its best recurring characters. The true nature of Shambhala and its supernatural secret also feels more effective than other big twists in the series, kicking the action into high gear. One of the best games that Naughty Dog has ever made, "Among Thieves" is where the "Uncharted" property truly found itself narratively.

After going to the beginning of the entire "Metal Gear" timeline with "Snake Eater," Hideo Kojima took it to its twilight with "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots." The 2008 game features the return of original protagonist Solid Snake, with the genetic cloning process that created him breaking down, accelerating his aging. With his time limited, Snake embarks on one last mission to defeat his old nemesis Liquid Snake, whom he believes has possessed the body of his other enemy Revolver Ocelot. The game touches on the various figures in Snake's life as he carries out this globe-trotting mission for the fate of the world, including a return to Shadow Moses Island.

Intended as a swan song for Solid Snake, "Metal Gear Solid 4" feels like a requiem to the entire franchise that came before it. The game makes sure that no stone is left unturned, rewarding players who've been around since "Metal Gear Solid," complete with the glimpse of games' past. The title arguably goes overboard with its storytelling, with many prolonged cutscenes filling out the experience. But with the game included in the "Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2," now's the perfect time to revisit "Guns of the Patriots."

Storytelling in video games was never quite the same after "The Last of Us" and its grim post-apocalyptic tale. The 2013 game takes place in a world where a fungal outbreak has turned the infected into violent zombie-like monsters, triggering the collapse of modern civilization. Protagonist Joel Miller agrees to escort a teenage girl named Ellie across the ruins of North America so scientists can take advantage of her immunity to the fungus. As the game progresses, Joel and Ellie grow closer, with Joel fiercely protecting her as his surrogate daughter.

"The Last of Us" is one of the best post-apocalyptic video games ever made, and a lot of that distinction comes from its narrative. The game needs players to believe that Joel would kill other people to defend Ellie and potentially doom humanity in the process. That emotional investment comes over the course of the campaign and the evolving dynamic between its two lead characters across their shared journey. A searing odyssey that veers more into the cost of violence and its horrific premise than its contemporaries, "The Last of Us" is a major achievement in video game storytelling.