Digital-Only PS3 Masterpieces That Are About To Vanish Forever

The PlayStation 3 digital era is finally coming to an end as Sony plans to shut down the PS3 store, and with it, so many iconic and incredible games are going to be completely inaccessible forevermore. It is one thing to have a rare disc copy or to find a version from a different region, but it is a whole different world when the games never received a physical launch, and hence, when the lights go out, they won’t be coming back on.

Many people have cited their frustration with the decision to pull the rug on the store, yet as it stands, it seems as though there is nothing we can do to stop the closure. With that said, there is still time to give these games the chance they deserve to live on beyond the sunset, rather than being left in the dark.

1

Comet Crash

An Overlooked Strategic Gem

Details:

• Tower defense and real-time strategy
• Multiple co-op and PvP

Comet Crash quietly became one of the PlayStation 3’s most unique strategy games. Mixing traditional tower defense mechanics with real-time unit production, it challenged you to capture bases, manage resources, and overwhelm your opponents across compact battlefields that rewarded careful planning over brute force, making it feel a lot more like a classic RTS game in a lot of ways.

There is also an option to play both with and against your friends, opening the doors for some pretty intense nights of couch co-op for those looking to prove who’s the best. With the store closing, I think it is the perfect time to grab the game and save it as a crowd-pleaser, or to just grind out dozens of levels in solo.

2

Crash Commando

Deserving Of Far More Attention

Details:

• Fast-paced multiplayer platformer
• Distinctive visual and combat style

Crash Commando delivered chaotic side-scrolling multiplayer action, and even today, it really does feel unlike almost anything else on the PlayStation 3. You have access to a whole host of weapons and tools that can then be used to blow up both the environment and the players within it, and with objective-based modes added on top, you end up with some surprisingly mechanical battles.

To succeed, quick reflexes and creative movement are your greatest assets, with the latter becoming more important depending on the verticality and complexity of each map. A cult-classic that arguably deserves a revival, but a gem that will soon be gone if you don’t act quick enough.

3

Echochrome II

Built With Motion In Mind

Details:

• Used player-created shadows to solve impossible puzzles
• Never made the jump past the digital wall

Echochrome II took one of PlayStation’s most creative puzzle games in an entirely new direction. Designed around the PlayStation Move controller, you could manipulate light sources to create shadows that would then become physical platforms for a series of wooden mannequins to navigate, and as simple as the concept sounds, the later stages start to get pretty crazy.

Its reliance on PlayStation Move hardware already made the game something of a curiosity, and the lack of a physical launch elevates it even further. If you have a Move lying around, I highly recommend giving it a try, as although many of the puzzles can be insanely difficult, they will soon become impossible to solve.

4

Tales from Space: About a Blob

Cute, Charming, And Classic

Details:

• Absorption mechanic sets it apart from similar games
• Cult-classic status today

Tales from Space: About a Blob was one of the standout titles from the PlayStation Network era, letting you control a gelatinous creature that grows by consuming everything in its path, gradually transforming from a tiny laboratory experiment into a city-devouring monster. Its inventive size-based progression and lighthearted tone helped it stand out among the PS3’s digital library, and as if one blob wasn’t enough, you can also play co-op, with some specially designed multiplayer levels being added as an additional DLC.

The one gripe that many players had was the briefness of the experience, but within that short number of levels lies a huge amount of variety, far more than many modern puzzle-platformers. It’s got the unique factor, the fun, and I see no reason why anyone wouldn’t have a blast eating their way across a city one last time.

5

Savage Moon

Alien Defense In Your Living Room

Details:

• Surprising strategic depth
• Action-packed levels right from the start

Tower defense games come in all shapes and sizes, but Savage Moon is among the more impressive in the PS3 generation. Your goal is to defend mining operations from relentless waves of insect-like alien creatures, and in order to do so, you need to think very carefully about tower placement and upgrade decisions in order to adapt to the increasingly dangerous enemy types.

The action is also far more cinematic than its contemporaries, incorporating far more three-dimensional models to make those explosions and effects really pop in heavy firefights. Now, after a decade of defense, it is time for one final stand against the aliens to show them who the lunar king really is.