Before its launch two years ago, Sony's Blu-ray-powered PlayStation 3 looked poised to continue the company's dominance of the game industry. Now it's scraping for exclusive content.
It's no coincidence that all but one of the games on Wired.com writers' list were bankrolled by Sony itself. The maker of PlayStation 3 has ramped up its internal game development efforts in an attempt to differentiate its expensive, third-place box. And it's doing quite a good job at it, judging by 2008's software lineup. Will it be enough to save PlayStation 3's bacon in 2009?
5. Wipeout HD
The warp-speed space-racing game with the techno soundtrack has been around since the original PlayStation, and the latest one had the the same effect on me that the original did way back when: Sheer audiovisual overload that made my jaw drop. The levels may not be new, but they are astonishing in their high-res, richly detailed splendor. And if you can play it without Pilot Assist turned on, I salute you. -- Chris Baker
4. Resistance 2
Come for the clever arsenal and vibrant alternate-history atmosphere, stay for the 60-player fragfests and sprawling cooperative campaigns. Resistance 2 doesn't reinvent the first-person shooter genre, but it raises the bar with a compelling story and varied, entertaining gameplay taking precedence over fetishistic sprays of gore. -- Nate Ralph
The tower defense game PixelJunk Monsters was cool, but it's Eden that's made us fall in love with this series of inventive downloadable games. Pollinate flowers and explore lush vertical spaces in this hybrid of puzzles, platformers, and interactive art installations. Eden couples gorgeous environments with delectably challenging swing-and-leap mechanics. -- Nate Ralph
2. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Defying prevailing trends in the Japanese development community, perfectionist game designer Hideo Kojima refused to slap together an Xbox 360 version of his masterpiece. We can see why. Guns of the Patriots takes full advantage of the double-layered Blu-ray disc's luxurious 50 GB of storage, offering a dozen or so hours of lavishly produced cinematic scenes. It's one of the most amazing experiences on PS3, even if Solid Snake's trademark stealth-action gameplay took a distinct back seat. -- Chris Kohler
1. LittleBigPlanet
At first blush, LittleBigPlanet is unassuming: Charming Mario-style mascot action games with adorable art style are a dime a dozen. But this platform game doubles as a development platform. The friendly design interface allows players to create levels that are just as clever than the standard ones -- or more so. And the freedom that it allows them to share their creations has the potential to transform the game industry. The line between game player and game designer is collapsing. -- Chris Baker
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