Sony have had a bit of a stranglehold on sales in almost every generation starting from the PS1 era. The only exception has been the seventh generation of consoles, which saw the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 locked in fierce combat for the honor of being the best HD gaming platform.
Due to this rivalry, we had dozens of AAA titles to enjoy, as both Sony and Microsoft stepped up their game. It’s worth a look at those releases that defined the era where the PS3/Xbox 360 landscape was crowded by new titles. Not all were winners, though, and some didn’t meet the mark for various reasons. In this list, the 'disappointing' games aren’t necessarily bad in quality; they’re just those we feel didn’t reach the heights that were expected of them.
10 Disappointing: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
With the first two installments of Uncharted breaking all kinds of ground, the third entry in the series could never live up to the hype. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception failed at creating something unique of its own, as it ended up being a so-so offering, the weakest game in the series.
Its main failure was due to the developers looking to go the “bigger is better” route, and focusing too much on the extravagant setpieces that were made for highlight reels rather than gameplay experience. Every feature was needlessly convoluted, making Drake’s Deception a good game that couldn’t live up to the series’ standards.
9 Best: Grand Theft Auto V
If you want the most complete gaming experience, then look no further than Grand Theft Auto V. The game’s content is so expansive that we’re still playing it six years after its release. The game has bettered itself even further due to the online mode introduced, and gamers still haven’t had their fill.
If you aren’t one for multiplayer, then you don’t need to fret, as GTA V’s story mode allows for many hours of fun, which can be continued after the story ends as well (thanks to the number of side-missions and easter eggs). GTA V is the reason many players are still using their PS3/Xbox 360 systems these days.
8 Disappointing: Resident Evil 6
So much was promised, and so little delivered. After Resident Evil 4 completely changed the landscape of the gaming industry, and Resident Evil 5 continued to better the format, Resident Evil 6 arrived to splash mud all over that goodwill.
The game is a glorified shooter, and is filled with nonsensical action sequences that sully the Resident Evil name. It upped the action so much that the game is the only one in the series not classified under the horror genre, making it suffer from a lack of identity. With so many scenarios to play through, the player is left confused due to the radical stylistic changes and reliance on button-mashing.
7 Best: God Of War III
Hands down, the game with the best graphics in the seventh generation of consoles was God of War III. It proved the generation still had life in it, and the game was a fitting conclusion the Greek Saga of the series.
God of War III bettered the boss fights of the previous games, while also wrapping up the overarching story in a satisfying manner. It ticked all the right boxes, and God of War on the PS4 felt fitting because the previous main game had left us prepared for bigger and better things. It had three years of hype surrounding it, but God of War III delivered and then some.
6 Disappointing: DmC: Devil May Cry
Had it been called anything other than Devil May Cry, then DmC might have been lauded as a great game; however, carrying the series name made it fall well below expectations. It’s not a bad game, but it’s certainly a bad Devil May Cry game. As fans feared, it was a rehashed version of what they had come to love about the franchise.
DmC featured a whole lot of profanity, provocativeness, and all around bad attempts at being edgy; all of which made the adequate gameplay take a backseat. Regardless of that, what we loved about Devil May Cry was the cheesy, anime quality it evoked, and DmC was too Americanized for our liking.
5 Best: Gears Of War
At a time when first-person shooters were becoming the norm due to blockbuster titles like Halo and Call of Duty, Gears of War took the world by storm and delivered a revolutionary take on the third-person shooter.
Its ingenious cover mechanics changed the industry perception of the genre, and just about every game of its type nowadays, such as GTA, Uncharted, and The Last of Us, feature the cover system introduced by Gears of War. On top of that, the game had a genuinely intriguing story that drew the player into it – leading another revolution for the genre as storytelling became a vital aspect of gameplay once more.
4 Disappointing: Tekken 6
In contrast to Gears of War, Tekken 6 heavily diluted its style to pander to a larger market. The game was promoted mainly for being released on the Xbox system for the first time, which meant the developers didn’t bother to include the elements that had made the earlier games instant classics.
Gone were the engrossing single-player campaigns, and we instead had to trudge through a protracted story mode that few completed due to sheer frustration at its lack of quality. The single-player modes suffered from questionable mechanics as the game favored interactive environments instead, which were sub-par at best and lost their appeal after a fight or two.
3 Best: The Last Of Us
The Last of Us gave us art in the form of a video game. Never had a game quite made us feel the brutality of its setting such as this one, as we felt the main characters’ trauma every step of the way. The story has become legendary for the way it evokes emotional responses from the player.
The mash-up between multiple genres was a brilliant move, with the season changes in the game accommodating for the shift in atmosphere. You’d get the sense you stepped into a horror game at one point, or an action game at another.
2 Disappointing: Assassin's Creed III
After some very big wins with the Ezio Trilogy, Assassin’s Creed hit the sidewalk hard with this installment, which was a complete bore. The setting itself pretty much guaranteed we wouldn’t be having a good time, as the whole thing never really resonated with anybody.
This storyline caused the gameplay to be restricted to battlefields and boring rural landscapes, which meant side-missions were a total yawn-inducing affair as well. Most of all, however, it’s the fact that the ending of Desmond’s story was so anti-climactic that made us forget about Assassin’s Creed III entirely after finishing the story mode.
1 Best: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Ever want to know what it feels like to be in the Indiana Jones or The Mummy Universes? Or do you crave the high-octane action found in Mission: Impossible films? Whatever your preference, you can find it all in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which is without a doubt the best game of the PS3/Xbox 360 era.
Its graphics were so advanced for its time that they still don’t really feel outdated a decade later. Uncharted 2’s breezy story meant you always want to play through again so you get the sense you’re in Nathan Drake’s shoes climbing structures, taking down bad guys, and unlocking legendary secrets. Its multiplayer is a classic and players haven’t logged off to this day, thanks to the expansive maps and dozens of features.