In recent years, strategy games have carved out an important niche in an industry full of high-paced and dynamic action video games. That speaks very well of this genre that was one of the pioneers of disc-based gaming, although they went somewhat unnoticed in the seventh generation.
The PS3 is one of the most beloved consoles by gamers of every age, especially for its graphical and technical power in which open-world games and shooters shined like never before.
But behind that curtain of bullets and explosions, a few strategy titles managed to adapt the classic PC strategy game experience to the PlayStation 3. These are the
Best Strategy Games for PlayStation 3
Anomaly: Warzone Earth (2012)
Publisher: Headup Games
Tower defense has become one of the most popular subgenres of strategy, and although it is more common on the PC, Anomaly: Warzone Earth is a clear example that consoles can also adapt to this kind of adventure.
The plot is set in the year 2018 when what we all think may someday happen in reality occurs, a giant asteroid is approaching at high speed directly towards the Earth. The problem is that this asteroid was an alien colony that did not exactly come to strengthen its diplomatic relations with us.
The approach of this title is straightforward: you control a small group of vehicles (a convoy of generally no more than two or three units) under a zenithal perspective. You have the same objective for each scenario: to make it through a battlefield full of enemies.
On the other hand, your actions are somewhat limited: decide the convoy’s route, employ certain gadgets to distract the enemy, receive help, and repair our units.
As you can see, Anomaly: Warzone Earth is not the most complex Tower Defense game, but it doesn’t need to be. Sometimes, defending your backyard from a few aliens is satisfying enough.
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice (2008)
Publisher: NIS America
As we all know, the strategy genre is strongly linked to RPG adventures, and what better example than the Japanese Disgaea series, full of colorful characters and devilish difficulty.
Undoubtedly, one of the strong points of Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice -and of the series in general- is its delirious story, which moves away from the typical adventure of saving the world to offer us a totally different point of view.
It’s hard to find a more bizarre scenario than a demon academy where everyone competes to be the worst student. The prize? The title of Honor Student. I told you it was weird.
Absence of Justice is one of the PS3’s standout Tactical-RPGs, with a complex but entertaining combat system that will keep you glued to the screen for hours.
Speaking of which, the game is very long and replayable, especially since you can reach level 9999 with every character. Time to complete 100% of the game.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (2008)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
A great representative of war strategy is the Command & Conquer series, which, although it has been lost a bit in time, we still remember its best gems.
This is the case of Red Alert 3, which presents us with an alternate world in which the USSR traveled to the past to eliminate Albert Einstein since his creations frustrated many of their conquest plans.
Upon returning to the present, not only have the Soviets not become the dominant force on the planet, but they have enhanced the forces of the Empire of the Rising Sun.
With such a crazy context, Red Alert 3 proposes a simple and direct real-time strategy system in which, from the first minute of the game, you will be immersed in exciting battles against armies of the most varied units.
Including the Japanese army was a great success, as well as integrating the cooperative mode into the action. Indeed, this title did not innovate the genre, but you will have hours of pure war fun.
Fat Princess (2009)
Publisher: Sony
With such a peculiar name, Fat Princess was one of the top games on the PlayStation Network title that pitted up to 32 players against each other in epic multiplayer battles where each team had to kidnap the princess from the enemy castle and take her to their base.
The fun part was that in the process, they had to feed the princess to increase her weight and making it harder for the enemy troops to get her back.
That’s how simple the premise of this title was, and yet it was still hilarious, as great pitched battles were staged in which the blows and laughter were shared equally.
Of course, the strategic factor was significant, as the game had RTS elements, only there was no commander. All players had to collaborate, which also meant there was only chaos.
Even though its servers closed long ago, Fat Princess deserves a place in the list of the best PS3 strategy games of all time thanks to its high doses of fun, crazy game modes, and overeating princesses.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)
Publisher: 2K
Now, let’s go to the heavyweights of strategy on this console. XCOM is a saga that needs no introduction. Being a pioneer of turn-based games in the 90s, it decided to reinvent itself for the seventh generation.
The result was XCOM: Enemy Unknown, an epic title in which you will take control of a secret organization destined to combat threats not from our world.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown has two types of playable phases well differentiated throughout its primary and secondary missions.
On the one hand, we have the administration of your base of operations, which puts at our disposal a vast amount of options and possibilities.
And then there is the battle phase, where you must carefully choose your squad based on their specific roles.
Despite being turn-based, the confrontations are tremendously dynamic, fun, and very addictive. But above all, if there is something that perfectly defines what you will feel during the missions, it is tension. Remember, if you lose one of your soldiers in battle, you will lose him forever.
Undoubtedly, XCOM: Enemy Unknown was a pleasant surprise that took its saga to new levels, and we hope that the Firaxis studio will create a game like this again in the future.
Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution (2008)
Publisher: 2K Games
In a market plagued by real-time strategy games, the Civilization saga has remained a turn-based strategy game, like a board game, which has always given it a unique charm.
With its PS3 port, Firaxis Games was not going to make an exception, and boy, did they manage to create an experience as addictive as the PC one.
The idea of the game remains the same as in the PC versions. Choose your civilization from twenty possibilities, and confront it with others for world domination.
Each civilization starts with an advantage, generally related to its historical characteristics. As it advances through the different periods (Medieval, Modern Age, etc…), it will also accumulate benefits and specific units.
As we know, victory in Civilization can be achieved in multiple ways, from crushing the armed forces of other countries to reaching the Alpha Centauri system before anyone else.
The game looks much like the PC installments, and it is. It is Civilization adapted to console, beyond the fact that the maps are smaller and the combat system is somewhat different from the usual.
With an interface and gameplay with nothing to envy of the PC version, Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution is one of the best pure strategy games available for the PS3.
Valkyria Chronicles (2008)
Publisher: Sega
Unsurprisingly, the mix between strategy and RPG always results in something incredible, but Valkyria Chronicles is more than that. It is the beginning of one of the industry’s most iconic cult sagas of Tactical-RPGs.
Set in an alternate reality, the story takes place in Europe at the height of World War II.
The Imperial Alliance and the Atlantic Federation are in a fierce confrontation to control a small independent country called Gallia, where there there is an abundance of ragnite. This precious resource makes it a target for the superpower of the Imperial Alliance, whose war power will make Gallia succumb without many problems… or not?
The structure of Valkyria Chronicles advances through chapters where more characters will join your cause with unique personalities and abilities.
The game emphasizes this section, making it clear that there is no such thing as a perfect warrior. Instead, a well-balanced team in terms of friendship and power can make all the difference on the battlefield.
The game system is comfortable, agile, and far from the complications often associated with the genre.
The mix of strategy with a story and role-playing characters will make many enjoy the combat and the adventure that only requires time and dedication, like any Tactical-RPG from Japan.
And that, my friends, makes it the best strategy game on the PS3.
Wrapping Up Our List Of Top PS3 Strategy Games
As we have seen, the strategy video game genre went through a strange time during the seventh console generation. However, that didn’t stop us from enjoying new proposals and iconic sagas adapted to the PS3 that made us feel like commanders from the comfort of our couch.
