10 Rarest PS3 Games Worth an Arm and a Leg

Fresh into my sophomore year of high school, PlayStation 3 broke onto the scene. It left a strong mark, from the online gaming service to the dozens of incredible titles. Titles like The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto V kept me glued to my couch for hours. But what about the obscure titles? Or the ones that didn’t do as well, so they quietly drifted to the wayside? Nothing stopped them from gaining a strong following among collectors. Rare PS3 games like the 10 titles listed below are worth quite a bit from a nice paycheck to selling your soul status. Thanks to PriceCharting, we have a solid idea of how much these games go for on the market.

10. Dead Nation (2010)

Zombies? Top-down style? And you can choose either a male or female character? Dead Nation boasted all the makings of a fun PS3 game that’s as straightforward as it gets. You can even play local multiplayer with a friend. With the lack of couch co-op these days (especially with horror-slanted games), it’s a refreshing take.

9. Armored Core: Verdict Day (2013)

Armored Core: Verdict Day saw less than favorable reviews as the 15th installment to the series. Many claimed it was too tough for newcomers, but that didn’t stop players from diving in, mainly for the co-op action. Although the digital download was readily available and cheap, finding a physical copy proved almost impossible. Factor in the recent shutdown of the servers, and Verdict Day promptly became one of the rarest PlayStation titles.

8. El Chavo Kart (2014)

A simple racing game, El Chavo Kart features characters from a Mexican animated show El Chavo Animado. You don’t have to be a fan of the show though to appreciate the colorful and simple nature. It saw a surprising jump in interest a few years back possibly because it’s only seeing updates and support for mobile versions. So, good luck tracking down a complete PS3 version under $100.

7. Painkiller: Hell & Damnation (2012)

Getting deemed “too violent” by an entire country is a sure way to get an FPS noticed. That’s exactly what happened with Painkiller: Hell & Damnation when Germany put up roadblocks to hinder the game’s release on consoles. Finding a physical copy of this rare PS3 game is tough, but worth the effort if you do. It’s not as flashy as other popular FPS titles, but the obnoxious gore and bloodthirsty enemies make it extremely fun.

6. Afrika (2009)

Enjoy the beauty of nature with Afrika without exposing yourself to the potential harm nature can bring. With so-so reviews, the game never stood out, but the relaxing soundtrack helped make it a go-to for gamers looking for a more chill experience. What makes it a rare PS3 game is grabbing a North American copy remains an uphill battle compared to how easily it was to nab the original 2008 Japanese version.

5. Syberia Complete Collection (2016)

A surge in vintage gaming in the last few years could be what jumpstarted this classic into rare PS3 titles worth a decent price. The Syberia Complete Collection features the first and second games in the adventure RPG series. It’s not like the reviews were stellar as many felt the sequel additions felt more repetitive. Nevertheless, it saw few printed copies, so finding a complete edition is almost a miracle.

4. The Last Guy (2008)

Post-apocalyptic settings are always exciting to explore, and The Last Guy plants you into a top-down version featuring real shots from Google Maps. As an indie-like title, it’s interesting and eye-catching, more than worth your time to try out. But with its availability as a downloadable game, it came to a surprise that several hard copies exist. The price range remained steadily high for the past few years too.

3. BlazBlue: Central Fiction (2015)

BlazBlue: Central Fiction is an entertaining dive back into arcade games, giving it the vintage factor that many casual and professional gamers love. How much it’s worth is thanks to how it made its mark as a rare PS3 game. It’s the only title in the franchise without an English dub. Paired with over a dozen fighters and a great storyline, Central Fiction easily transports you back to retro gaming times in the best way.

2. Aquanuat’s Holiday: Hidden Memories (2008)

Aquanaut’s Holiday: Hidden Memories is another laidback wildlife title to rank as a rare PS3 game because of how obscure the English version is. Lacking a legit release in the West, it remained in its original Japanese until scoring both an English and Chinese release. Thanks to such a limited production, you’ll have to shell out quite a bit to own a copy.

1. NBA Elite 11 (2010)

Notice a big jump in how much our final rare game is worth? That’s because NBA Elite 11 shouldn’t exist. What started as an iOS mobile game, there was a planned release for PS3 and Xbox 360, but it was canned. Even so, copies still snuck out into the wild. Now, if you want to own one, you’ll spend thousands to get it, making NBA Elite 11 worthy of the title as the most expensive, rare PS3 game.