El33tonline's PS3 Christmas Buyer's Guide for South African gamers

For PlayStation 3 fans, 2009 was a bounteous year, filled with amazing platform exclusives that would make any owner of the console proud to be so, with Uncharted 2, inFamous, Killzone 2 and Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time beefing up the bragging rights.

This was also the year that multiplatform games releasing on PS3 were no longer treated like distant cousins and finally lived up to the quality of their Xbox 360 doppelgangers, as developers took more care in ensuring both platforms received the attention they deserved resulting in excellent versions of Batman: Arkham Asylum, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and more.

What follows below is a list of ten of the best games to release on the PlayStation 3 this year, both exclusive and multiplatform alike (and in no particular order, mind):

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
If you’re a PS3 owner and you don’t have Uncharted 2, you’d best get yourself down to the store this instant to experience an action adventure game of unparalleled quality, attention to detail, storytelling and engaging gameplay - a veritable ‘Must Buy.’

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Batman: Arkham Asylum
The first Batman game to effectively convey the feeling of becoming the Dark Knight and use the universe’s history and lore to excellent effect, no other comic book hero game comes anywhere close to the visceral, moody experience on hand in Batman: Arkham Asylum.

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Flower
This downloadable PS3 game offers an emotional ride quite unlike any other before it, using beautiful imagery, intuitive motion controls and stirring atmospheric music to deliver an amazing journey – a stunning accomplishment.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
While Modern Warfare 2’s singleplayer campaign was a bit of a mixed bag, there’s no denying the appeal of the game’s non-stop action and explosive Hollywood blockbuster qualities. Add to that a multiplayer solution that’ll keep you busy for months on end, and you’ve got a first-rate first-person shooter that comes highly recommended.

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inFamous
Even though inFamous has slipped under the radar, the game still packs a punch, and with an intriguing story, great electricity-based superpowers to play with and a huge, detailed world to explore, this third-person action adventure game is as addictive and satisfying as they come.

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Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time
Insomniac has once again delivered a wonderful story and cinematic experience in Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time, successfully winding up this chapter of the franchise with a satisfying, gripping conclusion, all wrapped up in sets of 3D platform gameplay challenges you’ll remember for a long time to come.

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Street Fighter IV
After years of pretenders to the throne, all clamouring for the fighter crown, the true king has returned after an extended absence – Street Fighter IV has effortlessly swept away the competition to once again be sworn in as ‘Best Fighting Game’ of the year, bar none.

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Need For Speed: Shift
The Need For Speed series evolved significantly with the release of Shift, and all for the better, containing a huge amount of content, lots of customisation options for those who want them, great visuals and a style of play that rewards you for playing roughly or precisely, Need For Speed: Shift is the best racing option for the PS3 this year.

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Borderlands
As a first-person shooter and a role-playing game, Borderlands can’t be beat, with an addictive quality you’re not likely to find elsewhere. Just be sure to get a friend addicted too – as a singleplayer game, Borderlands is awesome, but as a multiplayer cooperative game, it truly shines.

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Killzone 2
Do you want a game that will (still) ‘wow’ your friends and family with its incredible visual fidelity? Then this is your game, with stunning graphics, a great singleplayer campaign and a fully featured multiplayer component, as first-person shooters go Killzone 2 is definitely (still) worth a look-in.

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Bonus Game: Critter Crunch
Critter Crunch is a delightful, fast-paced, beautifully illustrated downloadable puzzle game that will provide you with equal parts glee and challenge – ignore this at your own risk!

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