The survival genre of video games is one of the oldest in the industry, and the PS3 was a hub of survival content during the 7th generation of consoles. The PS3 saw industry giants like the Dead Space series and of course The Last Of Us, a favorite to fans all over the world. Though there are a multitude of titles available on the PS3 to satisfy a player's need to test their survival skills.
Some of these games may have been found deeper in the Playstation store, but they absolutely deliver experiences that force players to think on their feet if they want to see another day. These games offer mutated monsters, ghosts, toxic air, and of course, zombies.
10 How To Survive
A twin stick shooter and zombie survival experience with arcade antics, How To Survive was developed by Eko Software and published by 505 Games. It first released in 2013 on both 7th gen and 8th gen consoles, and throughout the game the player locates pages from a survival book titled How To Survive.
Combat in How To Survive is satisfying, lead pipes crack into zombie skulls in just the right way, and the sound design does a lot of the work in this field. Player progression is solid as well, with a leveling system in place to unlock abilities that aid in your survival quest.
9 I Am Alive
A gray wasteland drowning in toxic dust and murderous street gangs, I Am Alive was developed by Darkworks beginning in 2005, until they shifted control over to Ubisoft Shanghai, who released the game in 2012.
Playing like a love letter to The Last of Us despite being released first, one of I Am Alive's greatest strengths is its atmosphere. Players can expect the color gray on absolutely everything, as the city of Haventon has had a full year to fall apart after "the event" that spurred this disaster.
8 Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut
Superflat Games developed and released Lone Survivor back in 2012 as a flash game, though it was ported to the PS3 in 2013. Today it is an almost forgotten gem filled with survival and psychological horror. The player controls a nameless protagonist who traverses the world around them at the direction of their hallucinations.
The protagonist's apartment acts as the hub world for the game, and how the player interacts with the world and those who live in it influences which ending the player receives. Replay ability is very high in Lone Survivor, with a single playthrough taking anywhere from 3 to 8 hours.
7 Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Sequel to 2005's Condemned: Criminal Origins, Condemned 2: Bloodshot is a psychological survival horror game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Sega. Condemned 2: Bloodshot brings a new hand-to-hand combat system to the series, while still maintaining plenty of melee weapons and some firearms to choose from.
The game takes place 11 months after the original Condemned, and protagonist Ethan Thomas is no longer affiliated with the FBI. Ethan finds himself downtrodden, homeless, and drowning his trauma in alcohol. Though his supernatural visions are just as present as ever, and the FBI has a new case that requires his assistance.
6 Hydrophobia Prophecy
Dark Energy Digital's Hydrophobia came to the PS3 in 2011, with Hydrophobia Prophecy acting as a 1.5 version of the game with new levels and updated content. Hydrophobia Prophecy's gameplay is largely centered around water physics, provided by the game's HydroEngine.
Players can tackle each area in different ways allowing water to flow throughout the map in ever-changing levels. Players can revisit areas they already passed through and find the entire floor completely submerged, adding additional strategy elements to the game.
5 Clive Barker's Jericho
Written by Clive Barker and released in 2007, Jericho has the player controlling a seven-man team at different first-person intervals as they battle through lands twisted by the Firstborn and fight grotesque creatures.
Each member of the squad has different strengths and weaknesses, requiring the player to think tactically about which soldiers they choose for specific jobs. In Jericho's universe, God created one being in his own image, and was so horrified by what he made that he banished his creation to the Abyss. This being is the Firstborn, and it has incomprehensible power, and it is up to the Jericho squad to prevent it from wreaking havoc across the earth.
4 Saw: The Video Game
Developed by Zombie Studios and published by Konami, Saw was released in 2009 on the PS3. The player controls David Tapp, who after being locked in an abandoned insane asylum, must save several people with different connections to his life.
Tapp has numerous weapons at his disposal, including lead pipes, firearms, and explosives. Saw also tasks the player with environmental puzzles and traps. The traps and various other Jigsaw antics are on full display here, with some doors even rigged with shotguns and pulleys, forcing the player into stress inducing quick-time events.
3 The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct
Acting as a prequel to the TV series, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct follows Daryl and Merle Dixon as they journey to Atlanta during the early days of the zombie apocalypse. Through their travels, the player has the option of battling through zombies or sneaking around them.
The player meets other survivors along the way and can make many decisions on who joins the group, how the group travels, and how much fuel and food are available. The narrative of The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct sees Daryl dealing with the recent death of his father, as well questioning the motives of his brother Merle.
2 Alien Breed 3: Descent
The third installment of the Alien Breed remakes, Alien Breed 3: Descent has the player in control of Conrad, who they must assist through each level. Conrad has to clean waste, restore power, and find key cards all while being pursued by several aliens.
The aliens in Alien Breed 3: Descent come in a variety of different forms, and Conrad does have the ability to defend himself, though is easily overwhelmed. Players will need to be quick and crafty if they wish to reach the elevator at the end of each level.
1 Escape Dead Island
Swedish developer Fatshark along with Deep Silver and Square Enix gave fans the second spin-off in the Dead Island series, Escape Dead Island, in 2014. Protagonist Cliff Calo has traveled to the Banoi archipelago to uncover the secrets of what exactly happened there.
The player must not only combat and sneak around zombies, but they must also deal with Cliff's declining mental health. Cliff's hallucinations can get out of hand as he can sometimes teleport across rooms and see buildings falling from the sky. Fans of the Dead Island series should give Escape Dead Island a chance if they are curious about the lore of Banoi outbreak.