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The PlayStation 3 was a pretty weird console back when it came out. Not only was its top-heavy design unorthodox, but it pioneered Blu-Ray technology in an age where people just weren’t talking about the future of disc media.
This weirdness wasn’t exclusive to the console. Some of my favorite games on the PS3 are both incredibly fun and incredibly weird.
If you’re interested in games that set themselves apart from the pack, here are some recommendations.
17. Eternal Sonata (2008)
Let’s kick things off with a pretty normal-looking fantasy RPG.
Tri-Crescendo’s Eternal Sonata offers players a colorful adventure through a beautiful fantasy world in a turn-based RPG.
What makes an otherwise unremarkable RPG so weird is the subject matter. The world it takes place in is being dreamed-up by 19th Century Polish musician Frédèric Chopin during his last moments, as he lies in bed consumed by tuberculosis.
The point is driven home by the fantastic soundtrack, comprised of several of Chopin’s best compositions performed by world-class pianist Stanislav Bunin.
16. 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (2009)
If classical compositions aren’t your thing, I’ve got another game based on a famous musician.
Developed by Swordfish Studios, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is a third-person shooter starring 50 Cent and the G-Unit members.
The game explores what would happen in the hypothetical situation where some terrorist mastermind in the middle-east steals 50 Cent’s diamond-encrusted skull.
In case you didn’t figure it out by now, what happens is 50 Cent goes on a murder spree with backup from the G-Unit, taking out as many terrorists as he can on his way to retrieving his macabre bling.
I’d say the best part about this title is the 40+ song soundtrack – which includes 18 tracks made by the rapper specifically for the game.
15. Hyperdimension Neptunia (2010)
Developed by Idea Factory and Compile Heart, this traditional RPG shines for its appealing anime-inspired graphics, cute anime characters, and its bizarre concept.
The game takes place in the world of Gamindustri, populated by anthropomorphic representations of major game companies – including Compile Heart and Idea Factory themselves.
At the center of the story, you’ll find the Goddesses – also known as CPUs.
These powerful beings are based on all major consoles in the seventh-gen “Console War” – Nintendo’s Wii, Sony’s PS3, and the Xbox.
They’re all brought together by Neptune, a sort of neutral party based on Sega’s abandoned console-making dreams.
Get this game if you love cute anime girls with bad-ass armored suit transformations and non-stop barrages of video game references.
14. Flower (2009)
What is a video game?
That was the question ThatGameCompany decided to ask when they made flOw, and its successor, Flower – two experiences focused on the journey rather than the destination.
Where other games set objectives and challenge you to beat them, these two games are content with letting you play around in the worlds they present.
In the case of Flower, you’ll control a gust of wind capable of blowing up flower petals. The more you get, the stronger the wind seems to become, and you’ll be able to bring this life-giving energy everywhere with you – transforming the environment and opening new paths to explore.
The game was a critical success thanks to its beautiful imagery and subtle narrative told through emotional cues.
13. Shadows of the Damned (2011)
Grasshopper Manufacture is well-known for developing weird games under the leadership of Suda51 – famous for his work on No More Heroes and his rebellious, punk style.
Shadows of the Damned is what happens when you get Suda51 in a room together with Resident Evil’s Shinji Mikami – known for his action setpieces and penchant for thrilling storytelling.
The game follows Garcia Hotspur, a Mexican Demon Hunter on the hunt for the Lord of Demons after he kidnaps Garcia’s girlfriend, Paula.
Garcia’s descent into the City of the Damned is aided by his Johnson – which means his shape-shifting demon friend that can turn into different weapons to assist in the ghoul massacre.
The mixture of action-packed storytelling and ridiculously campy humor make for a great experience.
12. Lollipop Chainsaw (2012)
If Hispanic demon hunters are not your thing, maybe you’ll prefer a blonde cheerleader who’s secretly a zombie-blasting witch.
Also by Grasshopper Manufacture comes Lollipop Chainsaw, an exciting and visually appealing hack-and-slash where sexy cheerleader Juliet slices and dices through hordes of zombies with her trusty chainsaw.
Juliet is accompanied by her boyfriend Nick – or, rather, she’s accompanied by his disembodied head, which she had to cut off to keep him from turning into a zombie.
The benefits of having a magic girlfriend, right?
The game features multiple endings and lots of extra content to unlock, including outfits for Juliet.
11. Bayonetta (2009)
We can’t possibly talk about hot ladies in great hack-and-slash games without mentioning Bayonetta – the title that put PlatinumGames on the map for most of us.
This incredible title follows Bayonetta – the video-game version of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark – as she battles her way through a heavenly host of angels as one of the last Umbra witches left in the world.
Of course, a significant part of the game’s appeal are the visuals – especially when they include close-ups of Bayonetta’s scantily-clad body during her devastating finishing moves.
Other than lewd camera angles on the titular bombshell witch, the game shines for having one of the tightest combat systems on the system.
The mood-making jazzy soundtrack is also a highlight.
10. Alice Madness Returns (2011)
One criminally underappreciated game I’d like to bring to your attention is Alice Madness Returns, the sequel to American McGee’s Alice (2000).
Don’t feel too bad if you’ve never played the original – very few people did.
Still, Alice Madness Returns doesn’t need a big-name predecessor to earn your appreciation.
It’s a fantastic Action-Adventure game with tight platforming and hack-and-slash combat that’ll keep you hooked throughout the campaign.
The story is a darker re-telling of Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland, where the titular character is a 19-years-old mental patient with some excellent kitchen knife-wielding skills.
She’ll need these as she delves deeper into a dark Wonderland to face her demons and find the truth about the fire that killed her family many years ago.
9. Katamari Forever (2009)
The original Katamari Damacy on the PS2 was already among the weirdest games on the system, and its sequel on the PS3 carries on the strange tradition.
Rather than an all-new game, Katamari Forever is a love song to the series’ previous installments, bringing 31 of their best stages together with three new ones.
The first half of the story mode takes you inside the King of All Cosmos’ amnesiac mind.
You’ll have to jog his memory by rolling up junk in these black-and-white levels. Eventually you’ll bring color back and make the king remember past Katamari adventures.
If you’ve never tried one of these titles, absolutely pick this one up.
8. Deadly Premonition: Director’s Cut (2013)
One unique title in the PS3’s roster of Survival Horror games is Deadly Premonition, which follows FBI agent Francis York Morgan during an investigation of a murder case in Greenvale, Washington.
This shooter features an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective similar to other popular PS3 games in the genre.
Still, it manages to set itself apart with a bizarre storyline centered around the struggle between the supernatural forces of good and evil.
The survival element is a highlight in Deadly Premonition. You’ll have to keep track of much more than your stash of bullets. You’ll also have to stay well-fed and sufficiently rested if you want to survive the slaughter.
7. NeverDead (2012)
I still remember the first time I saw the trailer for NeverDead.
It was both the weirdest and the coolest thing I’d seen in a while.
This Action game follows a main character who’s immortal, which may sound like a blessing, but is actually the result of a curse.
Being immortal doesn’t make Bryce impervious to damage, though.
Severed arms and decapitation are commonplace in the life of this 500-year-old demon hunter.
You’ll survive severe injuries, but you may have to recover a body part or two.
Combat is fast-paced and satisfying, and there are some interesting puzzles where Bryce must use his immortality creatively to proceed.
6. NieR (2010)
Everyone knows about NieR: Automata thanks to 2B and her perfect thighs.
But have you ever played its predecessor?
NieR got its start as a spin-off of the Drakengard series. Following a specific ending in one of the games, humanity pollutes the world into a dark age, and monstrous creatures called Shades roam the land.
Protagonist Nier teams up with a talking book known as the Grimoire Weiss to find a cure for the Black Scrawl – a deadly disease consuming his daughter and many others.
Combat is pretty similar to what’s seen on its successor and should please any hack-and-slash lover.
My favorite part about this game is its soundtrack, full of melancholic acoustic pieces with the refreshing vocals of Emi Evans. They have a unique style that positively adds to this game’s strange vibe.
5. Tokyo Jungle (2012)
I’m a fan of games that explore what happens as humans abandon cities and nature comes creeping back in.
That’s precisely the premise behind Tokyo Jungle, an Action-RPG taking place in a futuristic version of Tokyo that’s been overrun by nature. It now houses all sorts of wildlife rather than its original human population.
The story mode will take you through several missions where you’ll play as different animals trying to survive in the Tokyo jungle. It can be surprisingly dramatic – kind of like Meerkat Manor or Orangutan Island on Animal Planet.
The game features over 80 species of animals, including crocs, tigers, chimpanzees, Pomeranian dogs, and even some dinosaurs. You’ll have to form a pack if you wish to survive the concrete jungle.
4. Journey (2012)
After releasing Flower in 2009, ThatGameCompany teamed up with Santa Monica Studio to bring us a game that would usher in a new age of alternative gaming experiences – Journey.
This indie gold nugget puts you in control of a cute little desert wanderer with a magical robe who has only one calling – to reach the peak of a mountain visible in the distance from the very beginning of the game.
You’ll discover the fate of an advanced ancient civilization as you explore the ruins of colossal structures inhabited by pieces of magical fabric that fly around creating surreal vistas.
Throughout your journey, other travelers will occasionally pop into your world. This creates an odd sense of community and attachment as you bond through shared experiences.
3. Resonance of Fate (2010)
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you mixed Final Fantasy, The Matrix, and Call of Duty?
This unique RPG sets itself apart through its combat system, which revolves around planning and executing cool acrobatic moves while you shoot as much lead into your robotic enemies as you can.
You’ll get money and resources from hunting robotic beasts.
You can be responsible and pour it all into better firearms and attachments, or you can buy new outfits for your dashing anime characters so they’ll look cool in battle.
The unusual fighting mechanics that land it a place on the list also happen to be creative and incredibly satisfying to master – even if it all seems like too much at first.
2. El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (2011)
We’re used to seeing hundreds of video games come out every year taking inspiration from Greek or Norse mythology – but what would you think of a game based on apocryphal Judaic texts?
El Shaddai – named after the God of Israel – follows a story loosely based on the apocryphal Book of Enoch, which tells the story of a coming apocalypse as revealed to Noah’s great-grandfather.
In the game, a scribe by the name of Enoch is seeking seven Fallen Angels to help prevent a great flood from wiping out humanity.
The game features visually striking aesthetics that go hand-in-hand with the surreal scenery and somewhat high-tech look of the world.
What keeps El Shaddai from a higher spot on our ranking is its gameplay, which does little to stray from tried-and-true formulas seen in many other games of the genre.
1. Catherine (2011)
If you want to find a game that’s weird in both story and gameplay, look no further than Catherine.
The game follows Vincent Brooks, an average dude whose life spirals into chaos after an encounter with Catherine – a devilishly attractive girl. The thing is, Vincent is dating another Katherine.
As if that wasn’t enough, he falls prey to a curse targeting cheating men.
Now he must climb a tower of blocks every night, or fall to his death.
Climbing the tower is a hardcore fast-paced puzzle that’ll drive you to the edge of your sanity – and you’ll love every minute of it.
Developer Atlus recently released an expanded remake called Catherine: Full Body on the PS4, which I wholeheartedly recommend for veterans and newcomers alike.
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
