Summary
ThePlayStation 3might have over-promised with its initial showing, demonstrating incredibly unrealistic demos that did not represent how the final products would look. All the same, it still managed to become a beloved console and had a ton of great games. Even ifKillzone 2did not end up looking like it did in its debut trailer, it was still a magnificent game.
In addition to that FPS, the console also had a lot of contributions from the genre that are not remembered all that well. The games below were either bogged down by issues leading to lackluster reviews or they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Updated on June 05, 2025, by Jason Wojnar:As time goes by, more and more PS3 first-person shooters will be forgotten. Sony’s third mainline console is in an especially tricky spot, because future consoles lack backward compatibility for it, and the internet function of the PS3 means many games are in compromised states without patches or fixes.
Many of these games are already unplayable. In the updated version of this list there are even more obscure PS3 games discussed. They are not all great, but that does not mean they all deserve to be outright lost to time.
Though some of the games below have less than flattering Metacritic Scores, they still have something of value to offer that one does not find in every FPS.
Some people might be yearning for the ability to playCounter-Strikeon a console. Players might be at a disadvantage without the precision offered by a mouse, but it would still be nice to play against other console owners. Little do they realize that this has been a reality since 2012.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensiveis playable on PS3. There is an infinitely better version ofCounter-Strikeavailable with the Source 2-poweredCounter-Strike 2, but it would still be fun to jump back into the past and play this game on PS3, especially since this version is inaccesible on PC these days.
The Punishernever feels like he gets a fair shake in movies, video games, or television.The PS2 game was great, but it was a one and done.The 2008 filmPunisher: Warzonewas a splatterfest of an action movie that captured the grit and unrelenting carnage of the character and his stories, but it flopped in theaters.
Around the same time,The Punisher: No Mercyreleased to little fanfare. This downloadable title was an arena shooter with a barebones story mode. The multiplayer did not offer a lot more worthwhile content either. The game was delisted in 2011, just two years after release, making it impossible to purchase or play today.
13Blacksite: Area 51
Metacritic Score: 62
This early PS3 FPS was kind of a sequel to theArea 51Xbox and PS2 shooter, but also just its own separate game at the same time.Blacksite: Area 51was met with ire upon release and was quickly lost in the shuffle of failed early PS3 games.
This game became notable early onwhen one of the developers publicly called out publisher Midwayfor rushing its development, which caused the game’s broken state and poor reviews. It is difficult to know the truth, but Midway closed down not long after the game’s release, so maybe there was some truth to the accusations of poor management.
Metacritic Score: 63
Clive Barker’s Jericho
When a lost city mysteriously re-appears in a remote desert of the Middle East, the Department of Occult Warfare sends in a Jericho team - a special forces unit trained in both conventional warfare and the arcane arts. Their mission: To hunt down and destroy the evil at the heart of the city.• An original story from the twisted mind of horror legend Clive Barker, creator of Hellraiser• Intense first-person shooter action• Battle horrific creatures• Awesome weapons & paranormal powers• Thrilling squad-based horror
Clive Barker was no stranger to video games beforeJericho, having worked onClive Barker’s Undyingbefore this title.The idea of a horror filmmaker working on a video gameseems like a great thing, but it rarely works out well in practice.
John Carpenter did not add much toF.E.A.R. 3despite being a fan of video games himself. Similarly,Jerichois unremarkable, and the squad mechanics do not add a lot to the FPS gameplay. There is a real opportunity to use Barker’s unlimited imagination in the medium, butJerichodoes not hit the mark. Fans would love to see him try again, though.
This generation saw a bevy of horror-tinged first-person shooters. Other examples includeF.E.A.R., Condemned, Left 4 Dead,andBioShock.
Gamers' fondest memories ofMedal of Honorremain on the original PlayStation and PC. They remember the reboot from 2011, but it did little to bring the series back and was decried as aCall of Dutyrip-off. Most people downright ignoreMedal of Honor: Airborne,despite its unique paratrooper mechanic.
Players start each level dropping into the map from above, giving them the freedom to land wherever they please. This mechanic also carries over into multiplayer. Reviews were mixed, but few games use this parachuting gameplay other than the Battle Royale genre, and it’s rarely seen in single player.
10Bodycount
Metacritic Score: 53
Even though it was developed by Codemasters and not Criterion,Bodycountis the spiritual successor toBlackand was similarly designed by Stuart Black. The dedication to environmental destruction and standout audio is there, but the game does not quite reach the same highs asBlack.
Most notably, it does not feel great to play, and has an oddly placed aim reticle on the screen. If someone was looking for a shooter around the same time that featured destructible environments, they were better off going for John Woo’sStranglehold.
9Turning Point: Fall Of Liberty
Metacritic Score: 43
Wolfenstein:The New Orderdid not invent the tragic alternate history World War 2.The Man in the High Castlecame decades beforehand and, even in the video game medium,Turning Point: Fall of Libertybeat it to the punch by six years.
The game’s poor reviews mostly criticized its gameplay, but the title at least had an interesting story. It pales in comparison to whatWolfensteinwould do years later with its take on the alternate timeline trope. However, whileTurning Point: Fall of Libertywill not blow players away, but it is still interesting to play as a curiosity.
Fans would have loved nothing more than to see Free Radicaljump into the PS3 generation with anotherTimeSplitters. However, they went with a new IP calledHaze.The campaign could be played in 4-player co-op and the gameplay gimmick involved being able to inject oneself with a combat-enhancing drug.
The story was quite interesting and dealt with exploiting third-world countries for their natural resources and the protagonist’s eventual realization of his part in it before switching sides. However, this was not explored well enough within the plot, and technical issues prevented the best parts from really shining.
This was Free Radical’s last game before closing down. They had planned to make a fourthTimeSplittersand even were working on a canceledStar Wars Battlefrontgame.
Saber Interactive has since gotten back on its feet with thewell-receivedWorld War Z,but it could have become a big name much sooner ifTimeShifthad been the success it deserved to be. For some reason, the time manipulation mechanics did not grab audiences, despite the gameplay possibilities it opened up.
Being able to stop and rewind time created an interesting playground. In 2007, though, FPS games had to compete with juggernauts likeHalo 3and theCall of Dutyfranchise so it left little room for new IPs to even have a chance.
It does not matter how good a reboot is, if it makes a radical shift in genre it will turn hardcore fans away.Syndicatewas an isometric stealth game. When it was rebooted in 2012, it became a first-person shooter. It was a solid entry in the genre, but it was not what fans wanted for a return to the franchise and those unfamiliar with the series were not interested.
As such, it failed to make any waves and did not kickstart a reboot.The same year,XCOM: Enemy Unknowncame outand retained the same unforgiving and difficult gameplay of its predecessors, proving that reboots true to their roots can find an audience.
