Nowadays, time goes by so fast and there are so many new releases in the gaming industry, that we haven’t realized that the PS3 is only 3 years away from its 20th anniversary.
We are getting old…
But that means that the games of that console are rapidly increasing in value, while PS4 games are selling at very low prices. For a while now we have lived in a time collecting retro consoles like the NES or Mega Drive is popular among collectors, but with the PS3 it feels different, as it feels like it was yesterday when we bought it and enjoyed it.
Well, the reality is that now rare PS3 games are increasing in value, and it is estimated that in a short period of 2 to 3 years, they will double in price., so now is the perfect time to get your hands on some classic titles, whether you want to increase your collection or you want to sell them in the future. Here are the
10 Rarest Games For The PS3
Painkiller: Hell & Damnation Uncut (2013)
- Publisher: Nordic Games
- Genre: First-person shooter
- eBay: The game in good condition can be worth up to $80, while sealed copies go for more than $200.
You’re probably wondering about that “Uncut” in the title, and well, it’s that this game is so violent that an edited version was released to satisfy certain political organizations. What does that mean? You already know very well, the game became a collector’s gem.
This story full of blood and gore stars Daniel Garner, a tormented man who suffered the death of his wife in a car accident.
Since then, Garner has wanted to see her one more time, but Heaven has closed its doors. But this changes one day when Death itself appears to him, offering to give him a moment with his wife in exchange for 7000 souls.
For this, you annihilate tons of demons and other creatures from beyond the grave without stopping, sowing destruction in your path.
At its launch, the game generated some controversy among the German censors, who refused to give the game a rating because of how demonic it seemed to them, causing the creation of a softened PS3 version with less violence.
The funny thing about that is that it ended up helping a lot with the sales of the original untouched game. Yet another victory for gamers.
The Last Guy (2008)
- Publisher: Sony
- Genre: Maze
- eBay: Up to $300 for a sealed copy
From the creators of The Last of Us…(just kidding), but The Last Guy has a lot in common with Naughty Dog’s game. And the fact is that post-apocalyptic stories always catch the attention of gamers.
The greatest innovation that The Last Guy presented to the genre was its gameplay, in which we see the cities from above, as if we were a god, although the protagonist is a human, with the mission to save as many people as possible from a stampede of zombies. To achieve maximum immersion, the cities were modeled with real photographs taken from Google Earth, so yes, it is very realistic.
This quirky mix of puzzles, strategy, and zombies was released primarily for the PlayStation Network, meaning it could only be purchased digitally. However, a few physical copies translated into English were produced in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but never made it to North America, or even Europe.
Armored Core: Verdict Day (Collector’s Edition, 2013)
- Publisher: FromSoftware
- Genre: Third-person Shooter
- eBay: between $350 and $450
FromSoftware games are already very difficult to spot in the wild, finding those from decades past is nearly impossible.
As a direct sequel to Armored Core V, Verdict Day presents us with a world where pollution has subsided enough for humans to return to the surface, but almost immediately begins a worldwide conflict between 3 factions for control of several state-of-the-art Towers, which were previously hidden by pollution, but are now exposed, waiting for someone to unravel their mysteries.
With this premise, players can choose a faction in the online mode and duel for control of the world with their incredible mechas, the main attraction of the saga.
As is common, collector’s editions always tend to be more expensive for the content included, but Verdict Day has been greatly revalued in recent years.
Its Collector’s box includes the game, an art book, an official OST CD, and a C03 Malicious Mecha action figure.
The reason for its sudden price increase is still unknown, but maybe it can be due to the huge popularity FromSoftware is having lately with Elden Ring, the Internet sensation.
Demon’s Souls (Deluxe Edition, 2009)
- Publisher: FromSoftware
- Genre: Action role-playing
- eBay: Exceeds $600
Once again, a video game by the genius Hidetaka Miyazaki appears on this list. This time, with the title that laid the foundations for the famous Dark Souls trilogy and the later Soulslike games. That’s right, we’re talking about Demon’s Souls.
Set in a gloomy fantasy world, the player takes control of a warrior who must annihilate the king of Boletaria to appease “The Elder”, an entity that has plunged the entire kingdom into darkness. Or if you are Machiavellian, you can let the Elder finish plaguing the world with his demons.
Monsters, darkness, and a lot of suffering are the elements that you will always find in an RPG from this Publisher, but that makes them one of the best on the market because there is no greater satisfaction than overcoming their challenges.
In the case of PS3, the Deluxe Edition is the one that has more value, mainly because of the remake for PS5 and the current popularity of souls-like games. This version includes a strategy guide of more than 150 pages, and a collectible outer sleeve, although the game alone is already precious.
Syberia Complete Edition (2009)
- Publisher: Microïds
- Genre: Graphic adventure
- eBay: About $600 for a sealed copy of the game
Maybe you haven’t heard of the Syberia saga, composed of 5 games, but we recommend you give it a chance, as they are great adventures full of challenging puzzles, realistic graphics, and an intriguing story. And of course, the magical aura of the island of Syberia.
The Complete Edition comprises the first two games of the saga completely remastered.
In both stories, the protagonist is Kate Walker, an American lawyer who had only one simple task at the beginning: to deal with the purchase of the Automata factory from the Voralberg family. This led her on a very different journey across Europe and even to see live mammoths. If it doesn’t seem to make sense, what are you waiting for to try it?
This version of Syberia is usually found on other platforms, but for PS3 it has become very difficult in the last few years, being one of the most coveted games by collectors. Maybe it is too expensive, but its artistic design is priceless to enjoy.
Aquanaut’s Holiday: Hidden Memories (2008)
- Publisher: Sony
- Genre: Adventure
- eBay: If you are lucky enough to get a copy imported from Asia, it will cost you more than $700.
For those with thalassophobia, this marine inspired video game might not be your favorite, but for Subnautica fans you might like it. Only if you get it, though, as Aquanaut’s Holiday had a very limited release.
In this underwater adventure, you take control of a journalist who dives into the deep sea of Polynesia to find a missing oceanographer. Throughout your expeditions, you will discover new ocean areas and find clues about your target, as well as all kinds of fish, and of course, predators.
The thing with this game is that it didn’t leave Asia, being originally released for Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.
But a few months later, a version was released that changed the original Japanese for a Chinese and English translation, although the latter was not well executed. However, being an adventure game for all audiences, you can enjoy it without reading too much.
That peculiar release is the main reason for its revaluation today, so there are very few units in North America.
The Last of Us (Post-Pandemic Edition, 2013)
- Publisher: Sony
- Genre: Action-Adventure, Horror
- eBay: Exceeds $1300
Considered by millions as one of the best games ever, The Last of Us is still giving a lot to talk about today, especially for its recent remake for the new generations and PC.
But neither do we forget its beginnings on the PS3, when it pushed the limits of the console’s capabilities to present an adventure that has earned a unique place in the pantheon of gaming.
It seems redundant to explain, but for those who don’t know it yet, this game is set in a post-apocalyptic United States, where a fungal pandemic turned most citizens into fearsome infected (they are not zombies), and the few who remain try to survive as best they can, even if they lose their humanity in the process.
In this context, we control Joel, a survivor haunted by ghosts of the past who must help Ellie, a teenager, to cross the country, facing multiple dangers both infected and human.
And if anything makes this game even better is its Post Pandemic version, which includes different elements such as a small figure of Joel and Ellie, a Steelbook of the game, the first volume of the comic book TLOU: American Dreams, and other decorative objects and advantages that can be used in multiplayer mode.
It’s no surprise that these kinds of editions are hard to find because of the amount of stuff they come with, but this TLOU edition is even more complicated because it was sold exclusively at GameStop stores.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle (Exquisite Edition, 2014)
- Publisher: Bandai Namco
- Genre: Fight
- eBay: There is only one reported sale valued at $2000
Based on the popular shōnen and anime JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, this fighting game features mechanics from series like King of Fighters and Soulcalibur with all the irreverent humor and fun of the shounen characters.
With up to 41 fighters belonging to the shōnen’s 8 narrative arcs, you can throw yourself into combat in scenarios just as iconic as the characters. Well, it’s not called All-Star for nothing.
Despite enjoying a good reception from critics, this game did not achieve the expected success in the West because of its content so inclined toward Asian gamers, in addition to the fact that it was released in the late stages of the PS3.
And if we add a special edition, its rarity increases drastically.
Besides the disc, the Exquisite version of the game includes a special box, a figure of Jotaro, and his Stand Star Platina with 6,000 Swarovski crystals encrusted. If it was already very expensive when it came out, how can it not be now?
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Fortune Hunter Edition, 2009)
- Publisher: Sony
- Genre: Action-Adventure
- eBay: Up to $3000 and even more
Naughty Dog is back in the spotlight with its saga starring Nathan Drake, the reckless treasure hunter not at all inspired by Indiana Jones.
While the first game was already a technical marvel for its time, this sequel revolutionized the formula, which remained in use in Uncharted 4 and its DLC.
After the exciting quest for El Dorado, Nathan Drake embarks on a new adventure to the legendary city of Shambhala along with new allies like the intrepid Chloe Frazer and old friends like the loyal Victor Sullivan. But of course, he is not the only one interested in achieving this feat…
Among Thieves is not a very complicated game to find nowadays, but a very different case is that of its Fortune Hunter edition, of which only 250 copies were released in the following months of its initial release.
This version of the game, an Art Book, a Collector Case autographed by the Naughty Dog team, and a life-size replica of the Phurba Dagger, an important artifact in the story and the main attraction of this edition.
Also, the Fortune Hunter could only be acquired through contests organized by Sony, so you couldn’t buy it, only win it. Boy, is it justified at the price it has today.
NBA Elite 11
- Publisher: EA
- Genre: Sports
- eBay: Around $5000
All the super special editions with exclusive content and limited releases won’t be able to top the rarity of NBA Elite 11, a sports game that should have never existed in the first place.
Originally, this game was released for iOS, being the seventh installment of the NBA Live franchise. Sometime later, EA Canada began developing a version for both Xbox 360 and PS3 that would change the control system and add animations and mechanics to match each console.
But when the demo was released, it was full of glitches and other bugs that completely ruined the experience. The situation was so bad that EA decided to cancel the game, but a few PS3 copies still snuck into the market.
That peculiar situation made NBA Elite 11 the rarest game on the PlayStation 3, so it’s no surprise that it costs thousands of dollars for a copy… and if you get one.
As you can see, in the PS3 rarities catalog there are plenty of special editions, which were already expensive at the time, although there are some games in their standard version that have managed to capture the attention of collectors.
If you have games on this Sony console, we recommend you keep them under lock and key, because their revaluation is imminent.
