Of the three home platforms, PlayStation 3 had arguably the strongest lineup of exclusive games this year.
There were massive blockbuster titles like* Uncharted 2*, inFamous and Killzone 2. But there was also an explosion of indie downloadable games like Flower and Noby Noby Boy that are sure to become cult classics.
As you might imagine, it was tougher to whittle down the list to just five titles, but Wired.com's team of writers manned up and did it. Here are our top five PlayStation 3 games for 2009.
(ProTip: Also see Wired.com's Best Multi-Platform Games of 2009.)
This ain't no* Katamari*. For his latest experimental game design, about a weird creature that can stretch himself out to ridiculous lengths, Keita Takahashi threw away the time limits and rigid goals of his breakout hit. The result is a true sandbox game, based more on open-ended play. It's also one of the strangest, loveliest, most disarming games of the year. What's the point of Noby Noby Boy? That's all on you. -- Gus Mastrapa
This beautiful, dream-like game sets itself apart from the darkness and violence of most games. And it actually uses the PlayStation 3's motion controls (remember those?). Tilt the controller to gather flower petals and bring color back to a dreary landscape and a sinister-looking city. Flower is great fun and relaxing, too, thanks to the lack of any possibility of failure. Even the closing credits are pretty. -- Daniel Feit
At first glance, this role-playing game looks simple, shallow and quite difficult. Those first impressions are correct. And it is precisely those traits that make Demon's Souls such a refreshing online-enabled RPG. Subtly connecting players to each other without puncturing the powerful tension and solitude, this sleeper hit dials everything back except the drama. -- Gus Mastrapa
The PixelJunk games have all been simple to learn and highly addictive, but that fun factor has always been offset by a steep difficulty curve. PixelJunk Shooter takes all of those good qualities and omits the frustration, making this the most accessible game in the series. Even if you can complete the story mode in a few hours, the puzzle-like stages and hidden treasure will keep you coming back for more. -- Daniel Feit
Aren't you glad that Naughty Dog gave up on* Jak*? The continuing story of treasure hunter Nathan Drake cranks the cinematic, non-stop action up several notches. In addition to its engaging story and likeable characters, Uncharted 2's finely polished gameplay and surprisingly fun multiplayer makes us remember why we bought a PS3 in the first place. -- Tracey John
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