The Top PS3 Exclusives 2009

2009 was a great year for gamers everywhere, and an especially good one for those gamers who own a PS3. When it comes to PS3 exclusives, 2009 was indeed a year worth waiting for. Not only were there a number of high-budget blockbuster titles that have garnered awards from all over the gaming scene, but there were also wonderful little independent titles that offered unique, interesting experiences not scene before in the gaming world. Read on to discover the top six PS3 exclusives 2009 had to offer. In an effort to be fair to everyone's favorite titles, they will be presented in alphabetical order.

In a year already thick with great PS3 exclusives, 2009 brought us one truly unique title - Demon's Souls.  Atlus has a track record of bringing interesting, unique titles that most companies would not risk, and Demon's Souls is no exception.

On the surface, it may seem like a fairly typical hack-and-slash action game wit RPG elements added, but there is much more if you take a moment to look.  The multiplayer aspect of the game is fully infused into the single player experience.  You may find messages from other players, see replays of how you or other players have died, and even invade other players' games.

These features become quite useful for one specific reason - this game is hard.  Not just moderately difficult, where you may have to fight a boss two or three times, but extremely difficult, arousing memories of the intense difficulty of games from the NES era.  Every enemy encounter involves a definite risk of death, which makes victory oh so very satisfying when it happens.

The God of War Collection gains a place among the top PS3 exclusives of 2009 because it brings so much to an established franchise, despite the fact that the two included games were previously released separately for the PS2.

Now on one disc, God of War 1 & 2 have been remastered in 720p, running at a smooth antialiased framerate of 60fps, breathing new life into the aging titles and making two already very impressive titles look so much better.  The addition of PS3 trophy support also gives you a whole new reason to conquer Mt. Olympus all over again.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that it includes a voucher for the PSN God of War 3 demo?

Infamous comes from Sucker Punch Games, the company responsible for the popular Sly Cooper series of family-friendly platformer titles. Infamous both maintains the high quality and supremely enjoyable experience offered by its predecessors, while at the same time pushing into an entirely new direction.

You take the role of Cole, a messenger who, following an explosion, finds himself infused with electricity-based super powers in a city that has fallen into chaos and disarray. Will you use your newfound powers to save the city from itself, or will you brutally oppress and conquer those who cannot possibly stand against you?

When the PS3 was first announced all those years ago, one of the tech demos that blew away everyone in the audience with what was explained to be real-time game engine graphics was the early showing of Killzone 2.  Now that title, one of the top shooters available, is here.

Two years after the events of the first Killzone game, you are taking the fight to the homeworld of the Helghast.  The advanced enemy AI knows its home turf well, and will use every opportunity to use it against you.

And not to be left entirely to the single player experience, you and up to 32 friends can go head to head online over the Playstation Network, giving Killzone 2 a spot among the best PS3 exclusives 2009 has to offer.

Insomniac is a company with a lineage of great games that people have difficulty finding faults with.  Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time brings to a close the future storyline began with the hit Tools of Destruction.  Join Ratchet as he searches for his lost friend Clank, who has been taken by the evil Dr. Nefarious.

The gameplay is very platformer-oriented, with lots of destructible environments and enemies to face that you can lay waste to with a huge variety of customizable weapons.  In contrast to previous titles, the addition of time-based puzzles brings a good deal of variety to the action as you and your past selves work together to solve them.

Out of all the PS3 exclusives 2009 gave us, one stands above the rest.  Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was the, "killer app," that many PS3 fans have been waiting for.  From the jaw-droppingly beautiful artwork to the top-notch voice acting to the engrossing storyline and beautifully cinematic gameplay, there is little doubt as to why Uncharted 2 has received as much critical acclaim as it has.  If you own a PS3, there is no reason for you to not add this title to your collection.  The lost fleet of Marco Polo waits to be discovered...