Best PS3 Platinum Trophies

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Callum Marshall

Callum has been around the block within the gaming industry, working as an Editor-in-chief for a number of well-respected gaming outlets, he has worked as a games tester, he has gaming podcast experience, has worked in gaming PR. Basically, you name it, and Callum was probably there or somewhere on the periphery. Outside of gaming, Callum loves skateboarding despite his immediate family telling him to grow up and he is also known to watch the British sitcom Peep Show on repeat and will go toe-to-toe with anyone on Peep Show trivia.

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If you are a gamer that has been around through the modern age of gaming, or perhaps someone that was born into the new age and knows little else.

Then trophy support and the phenomenon of trophy hunting will be commonplace in your life, and will probably factor into your overall decision to play a game from start to finish.

There are lots of games out there that work hard to give players ample things to do throughout their run, and, equally, offer plenty of trophy-based rewards for your efforts. In truth, it’s incredibly rare to see a game that doesn’t include achievements. However, that hasn’t always been the case.

In 2008, Playstation players were first introduced to trophies, making the PS3 the first console to host trophy support. Now, some games did get left behind and never got the trophy support they deserved, as documented in my article listing the best games that never got a platinum.

However, plenty of games from 2008 onward did offer a stacked trophy list to work through, and this made the PS3 era one to remember for fans that love to finish games 100%.

So that got me thinking, are there some relics of the past that would offer some satisfying platinum trophy journeys while still being playable on a reasonably accessible platform? I’ll answer that for you. The simple answer is, yes, there are.

However, you may be wondering what games on the PS3 are really worth returning to in the year 2022. Do they really hold up under modern scrutiny? Are the trophy lists even fun, considering it was such a new phenomenon back then?

Well, we will answer all these questions and more and probably extend your backlog even further. So join us; here is our guide to the best PS3 platinum trophies in 2022!

Selection Criteria

Okay, so before we begin, we have to separate the good from the mediocre. This list could easily become a Best PS3 Games of all time list if we aren’t careful.

So we want to lay out some criteria to make sure that this caters to the trophy hunting community in particular. Offering games with accessible platinums and killer gameplay. Here are our selection criteria below:

• The games in question must have a full trophy list with a platinum included
• The games included must have a Metacritic aggregate score of 70% or more
• The games in question must have platinums that still function. I.E., no online trophies that require long-since-dead servers or an abundance of multiplayer trophies
• Platinum’s must be reasonably accessible, so no notoriously hard platinum trophies like Crypt of the Necromancer, for example.

Okay, now that we have all that admin dealt with, let’s get to the fun part!

Best PS3 Platinums to Revisit in 2022

#1 – Infamous

• Metacritic Score: 85%
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Time to Platinum: 30 Hours 
• No. Of Trophies: 50
• Player Completion %: 10.75%

We begin proceedings with a Sony-exclusive title that doesn’t get as much love as it deserves. Mostly because the sequels were much more refined than this title.

However, I have to say I really enjoyed the original Infamous when it arrived on PS3, not only because of the fun gameplay but also because it was gritty, comic-book-inspired, and it offered a killer anti-hero story, which before the boom of Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool, was a rarity.

As a platinum, it’s not the easiest on this list, but it’s relatively straightforward. Players will need to beat the story, grind some combat-specific achievements, grab all the collectibles, and then you will have to play the game on hard difficulty.

However, if you play on the toughest difficulty right from the start, you can earn this one in a single sitting. Overall, a stunning first outing for the series, and because of the PS3 data leak debacle, you probably have this game in your library as a means of apology from Sony. So get out there and light it up!

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

• Metacritic Score: 94%
• Difficulty: 7/10
• Time to Platinum: 80-100 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 34
• Player Completion %: 4.1%

Next, we have the fourth installment in the MGS series that sees you play the role of an aging Solid Snake as he battles against Liquid Ocelot in a bid to save the world from total enslavement. While he looks like he’s about ready for a comfy armchair and some hot cocoa, Snake still has plenty left in the tank.

While MGS4 isn’t perhaps the best game in the series, it’s still held in very high regard and offers some of the finest espionage missions within the medium of gaming. It’s still got that typical silly and convoluted charm that comes with a Kojima project, and visually it still looks pretty great despite its age.

As for the platinum, well, it’s not an easy one, but it is one that will leave you grinning from ear to ear if you manage to make it pop. It’s all about collecting Emblems to make this platinum yours, and to make a long story short; you’ll have to play the game at least seven times before you’ll gather them up and make this platinum appear on the screen.

So I would say, play this one once and if you really loved the experience, maybe do it another six times, but we won’t judge you if you don’t!

Assassin’s Creed II

• Metacritic Score: 91%
• Difficulty: 2/10
• Time to Platinum: 15-20 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 51
• Player Completion %: 23.78%

Do you remember back in the day when Desmond Miles was still relevant, when the Animus and the real-world shenanigans in this series still sort of made sense, and when the games still felt fresh and new? Ubisoft has long since run out of ideas, hence why Assassin’s Creed Valhalla took a lot of cues from the Shadow of Mordor series.

However, it wasn’t always this way. Dare I say, Assassin’s Creed used to be a genuinely groundbreaking and exciting series, before the cash cow was well and truly milked.

Ezio Auditore’s installment Assassin’s Creed II  was undoubtedly the pinnacle of the series, perhaps tying with Black Flag, depending on who you ask, and even today, this game deserves to be experienced at least once.

The good news for trophy hunters is that this game’s platinum is a piece of cake. There are story trophies, some combat-related trophies, and then a lot of the others are related to building up your family estate and getting all the collectibles scattered around Italy.

Clean-up can be a little bit of a slog in the final hours, but overall, it’s one of the most accessible and common platinum trophies on this list.

Bioshock

• Metacritic Score: 96%
• Difficulty: 3/10
• Time to Platinum: 12-15 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 66
• Player Completion %: 12.65%

What can I say about Bioshock that hasn’t been said already. Certainly not a ‘Would you kindly’ reference; I’ll spare you that much at least.

However, I will state the obvious in saying that Bioshock is a stellar FPS title, a staggeringly brilliant narrative-driven experience, and a game that helped blur the lines between Hollywood blockbusters and video game storytelling even back in the primitive days of 2007.

Sure, the game was a little janky at times, and the frame rate was about as stable as my nan on a skateboard, but thanks to the incredible writing, the gripping gameplay, and the incredible setting of Rapture, we were too captivated to care.

As a platinum, it’s a relatively tricky one, but thanks to the quick save feature, it’s not as hard as it could have been. Players are required to play the game on the hardest difficulty, not use any Biochambers (checkpoints) throughout the run, and of course, you’ll have to get all the data logs, enemy research, and other essential items.

Overall, a relatively easy platinum and a great excuse to return to a seminal game that many regards as one of the best of all time.

Fallout New Vegas

• Metacritic Score: 84%
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Time to Platinum: 70-85 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 76
• Player Completion %: 7.04%

Up next, we have a personal favorite of mine and one of the first platinums I ever managed to get my hands on. This title sees you play as the courier who wakes up with some shrapnel in his head and heads off to New Vegas in search of vengeance.

However, the abundance of side quests will make sure that by the time you end up picking sides in the battle of Hoover Dam, you’ll be well acquainted with the Mojave Wasteland.

This title was a huge step up from Bethesda’s Fallout 3 and showcased just how important RPG elements and high-quality writing and quest design are within the Fallout series.

For the platinum, you’ll need to play right through to the end of the game and side with all the major factions. However, with a hard save after you deal with Benny, you can bring down playtime quite a lot.

Then you’ll have to complete all the major sidequests, play through the game on hardcore mode, and you’ll have to play around with various playstyles, and character builds to complete some combat-related trophies. However, as long as you aim to see all that this game has to offer, you won’t go far wrong.

Dead Space 2

• Metacritic Score: 89%
• Difficulty: 7/10
• Time to Platinum: 30-40 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 50
• Player Completion %: 6.38%

Seeing as the remake for the original Dead Space is on the way, and Callisto Protocol from the makers of Dead Space is also on the horizon, it’s quite fitting that we include the second in the series.

This one was a much more action-packed title when compared to the brutal survival horror original, playing a lot more like Uncharted in many ways. However, the game still maintained the fantastic gameplay, combat, and horrifying setting, making this just as gripping as the previous title in many ways.

Plus, I still have nightmares about the Nursery section of this title, and the famous needle in the eye section still makes me squirm.

The platinum for this title isn’t for casual completionists, as this one will test you to your limit. You see, you will have to beat the game on Zealot difficulty, which is pretty brutal.

However, the game doubles down on this relentless difficulty by offering a trophy that requires you to beat the game with three saves or less. Which essentially amounts to one save every four chapters, provided you want to space them out equally.

If you want this one, you will have to master the combat system, learn the ins and outs of this game’s run, and obviously, cut off their limbs!

Dark Souls

• Metacritic Score: 89%
• Difficulty: 8/10
• Time to Platinum: 40-70 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 41
• Player Completion %: 16.26%

After the incredible success of Elden Ring, there has been a surge of players that previously wrote off Dark Souls as a game that was too hard, giving the harsh but fair title another try. I myself have even gone and bought the trilogy and have decided to go after these platinums; maybe I was wrong about Scholar of the First Sin.

The original Dark Souls may be a title that shows its age a little, but even without the refinement that Elden Ring offers, the blueprint that has forged the entire Soulsborne genre is clear to see, and it’s still one hell of a challenge.

From the Brutal, toxic Blighttown to the punishing heights of Anor Londo, the game is still a treasure and one that deserves to be experienced by anyone wanting to become a Soulsborne aficionado.

The platinum isn’t too far removed from simply finishing the game. You will have to find a lot more items, upgrade weapons, and you’ll have to beat a handful of other optional bosses.

However, if you take the time to level up your brave knight, uncover all the subtle lore hidden in Firelink Shrine and beyond, and see all that this game has to offer, you’ll have this platinum in the bag. We aren’t saying it’ll be easy, but this is Dark Souls, you know what you’re getting yourself in for!

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

• Metacritic Score: 96%
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Time to Platinum: 15-20
• No. Of Trophies: 53
• Player Completion %: 18.55%

Honestly, we could have picked any of the three titles in the Nathan Drake Collection; however, due to the weird sci-fi twist in the first game, and the slightly underwhelming plot of the third game, we settled on the second installment in the series.

This title offered a compelling narrative, some of the most refined gameplay of the era with much better combat than the previous installment, and a couple of the most memorable set pieces in gaming history.

We all remember the train, right? The plane scene in Drake’s Deception might have been the scene that the Uncharted motion picture decided to use, but I think it’s on par for sure!

As for the platinum, this one is challenging, but it’s also one of the most enjoyable trophy lists included here. You’ll have to beat the game on crushing difficulty, which can be a slog, but after that, the fun begins. You get to earn trophies for speedrunning sections of the game, which is a blast.

Now, I will admit that the combat trophies where you have to kill enemies with certain weapons and with headshots can feel like a grind. However, if you play with a variety of weapons throughout, you shouldn’t have too much clean-up to attend to.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

• Metacritic Score: 90%
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Time to Platinum: 30-40 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 60
• Player Completion %: 11.86%

I have missed feelings about Deus Ex: Human Revolution, feelings that are largely reflected by HBBomberguy’s recent long-form video essay. However, regardless of how the game doesn’t quite measure up to the gamechanger that was the original Deus Ex, it’s still a decent cyberpunk adventure.

This one puts you in the shoes of Adam Jensen, a cybernetic supersoldier who, as he will tell you time and time again, ‘didn’t ask for this.’ The game has some issues in terms of quests, AI, pacing, and masquerading as an emergent game when it’s very linear indeed.

However, thanks to decent FPS mechanics, a flawed but multi-layered upgrade system, and a relatively interesting plot, the game is still worth your time.

As for the platinum, as long as you have a guide, everything is pretty straightforward and can be done in two playthroughs.

You just need to complete the main story, complete all the optional questlines, save all those that can be saved, and you’ll also have to approach certain missions in certain ways, by not using particular skills, or being super sneaky throughout, for example.

Then in the second playthrough, you’ll need to play the game on the hardest difficulty, play through the entire game as a pacifist, and you’ll also need to beat the entire game without setting off a single alarm. I would suggest you drop a lot of saves throughout to ensure you aren’t caught with your pants down.

Borderlands

• Metacritic Score: 81% 
• Difficulty: 3/10
• Time to Platinum: 50 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 81
• Player Completion %: 16.56%

Now we have the game that would change the FPS landscape, provide some of the coolest cel-shaded graphics ever seen in gaming, and offer an abundance of obnoxious humor that is, let’s say, an acquired taste.

Claptraps and low-swinging comedy aside, Borderlands is a super FPS title and one of the rare games on the PS3 that offers seamless couch-co-op so you can chase this platinum with a friend, and in fact, we would actively encourage you to do so, as there are multiplayer-related trophies, and multiple guns make for idle work. That’s the saying, isn’t it?

The platinum for this title is also very straightforward. You will have to play the game until you find out just what lies within this mysterious vault on Pandora, you’ll have to move to New Game Plus to level up your character to level 50, and you’ll also need to complete all the action points and Badass ranks.

This can be a little bit of a grind, but with a pal by your side, this can be a calm, casual platinum trophy that doubles up as a fun hangout session. If you haven’t played the original Borderlands, it’s not as story-driven as the superior second installment, but it’s absolutely worth trying.

Burnout Paradise

• Metacritic Score: 82%
• Difficulty: 3/10
• Time to Platinum: 10-20 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 95
• Player Completion %: 12.02

Even in 2022, I still firmly believe that there are very few racing games out there that offer the same incredible sandbox vibe that Burnout Paradise managed to cultivate.

A few Need for Speed titles have tried to some level of success, but there is something about Burnout Paradise’s sunny setting, killer soundtrack, fast-paced racing, and beautifully designed map that make this game timeless.

The game asks you to cruise around Paradise City, collecting junkyard scrap and tuning them up into lean, mean, racing machines, earning your way to a Class-A license and smashing everything that dares get in your way. In short, it’s chaotic adrenaline-pumping driving as you would expect from a Burnout title.

The platinum is pretty easy, too, provided you don’t mind driving around finding collectibles in the form of shortcuts, billboards, and stunt opportunities.

You’ll have to master the different race types like Road Rage, Marked Man and Stunt Runs to make your way to a top-class license, and then you’ll also have to make sense of some gimmicks like the Road Rules and Showtime. However, provided you keep your foot on the gas, you’ll cross the checkered line in record time.

Sleeping Dogs

• Metacritic Score: 80%
• Difficulty: 3/10
• Time to Platinum: 25-30 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 60
• Player Completion %: 15.22%

We all know Rockstar’s big hitters like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and to an extent, LA Noire. However, if you are looking for something that takes the GTA blueprint and then marries this with the Asian setting and the wackiness of the Yakuza series, then you might just want to check out Sleeping Dogs.

This title focuses on the Chinese Triads and allows you to let your fists do the talking as you aim to bring peace to the streets of Hong Kong. It’s a compelling story, the game is jam-packed with detail and fun distractions, and it’s the perfect way to wait out GTA6, should it ever come to exist.

The trophy list also mirrors the usual list for a GTA game; however, without all of those pesky online trophies that add hundreds of hours to your playtime. You’ll have to play the main campaign, and seek out all the side quests, races, relationship achievements, and events around the city.

Then you just have to find the more miscellaneous bits and pieces hidden in this vast open world, and you’ll have another platinum for the pile.

Hitman: Absolution

• Metacritic Score: 79%
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Time to Platinum: 25-30 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 47
• Player Completion %: 8.75%

Now we have everyone’s favorite killer for hire, Agent 47. The contract killer has seen a lot of success with the recent Hitman Trilogy from IO Interactive. However, like any teen going through puberty, there was an awkward in-between stage when the game had to bridge the gap after stellar titles like Silent Assassin or Blood Money.

Well, that awkward stage came in the form of Hitman: Absolution. This game was a strange departure from the games of old, with a much more narrative-driven approach and a lot more wackiness, which was a little out of place in a game about a cold-blooded assassin.

I mean, you can kill someone in the desert by having an ice-cream truck just happen to drive on through. It’s zaniness for the sake of it. However, the game did offer a taste of modern Hitman gameplay, and some intricately designed sandbox levels. A sign of what was to come under IO Interactive’s stewardship. 

The platinum here is one that will be a struggle without a guide, as a lot of the trophies rely on situational actions and a lot of chain reactions. Especially the contracts, and miscellaneous challenges.

However, with a guide at hand, and the ability to make it through the pretty unforgiving hard difficulty. Then you will have another plat for your collection. So put on that sharp suit, get that blood-red tie tight, and grab some piano wire; you’ve got some work to do! 

Wolfenstein: The New Order

• Metacritic Score: 81%
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Time to Platinum: 15-20 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 51
• Player Completion %: 18.39%

Our penultimate entry is the seventh-generation Nazi-killing epic, Wolfenstein: The New Order. This game sticks in my head due to iconic coverage from Vidoits back in 2015.

The BAFTA video game award show was desperately trying to dance around the term ‘Nazi,’ which is tough in a game of this nature, and then not missing a beat, Peter Austin chimes in when asked his opinion and says, ‘Yeah, there’s nothing better than shooting Nazis in the face.’ Stellar coverage, just stellar.

Self-indulgent anecdotes aside, this game is a brilliant FPS title that makes you feel like the last bastion of hope in a bleak alternate future. I’ll admit, some of the scenes were a bit graphic and unsettling, but if you put that to one side, The New Order is superb. The eyeball-sucking machine was just a bit much for me. 

In terms of TNO’s platinum, it’s relatively simple. You’ll have to complete some situational combat actions, you’ll have to grab some secrets and collectibles, and you’ll have to complete some side quests when back at the safe house.

The only real challenge here is the Uber difficulty, which is why many tout this as a tough platinum trophy, but in my personal opinion, it wasn’t that tough at all.

The AI honestly wasn’t the smartest, and you can use this to your advantage. So if you feel like kicking some Nazi ass and sticking it to the Aryan race, then check this one out. 

Dishonored

• Metacritic Score: 91%
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Time to Platinum: 30 hours
• No. Of Trophies: 81
• Player Completion %: 11.18%

Last but certainly not least, we have Dishonored, which for my money, is the best modern stealth game out there. In this title, you play the role of Corvo, the empress’ daughter’s protector, turned outcast.

Your job is to clear your name, uncover the master plan of nefarious forces at the top of parliament, and save Dunwall from falling to plague and disarray.

Dishonored is a stunning game with a very cool art style, refined stealth gameplay, and sublime open-level design that caters to multiple playstyles and varied approaches to achieve progression. With the outsider’s blessing, you can turn the tide, clear your name, and cast out the evil that hides in plain sight. 

This platinum is a tough one and will require the player to play on top-difficulty levels, and master level layouts to ensure you slip in and out of missions like a ghost.

This platinum is all about mastering the various gameplay mechanics at play, making use of the different skills bestowed upon you by the Outsider, and when all that’s done, you’ll need to do it all without any powers at all.

You’ll have to be a versatile sleuth to succeed here. The best tip I can offer is to save often, play cautiously, and do multiple playthroughs if needed to lower the number of factors at play working against you. 

Honorable Mentions

Then just to cap things off, here are a few entries that we felt just missed the mark, but are still worth checking out if you want to add some older titles to your trophy cabinet:

• The Last of Us
• Final Fantasy XIII
• Trine
• Brutal Legend
• Just Cause 2
• Heavy Rain
• Dragon Age: Origins
• Red Dead Redemption
• Batman: Arkham Asylum

Old, But Gold!

As you can see from this stacked lineup, there are so many incredible games that offer fun and rewarding platinum trophies on the PS3. This console, while having a slow launch, would end up having a very successful second half of its cycle, and some of the games produced for this system were out of this world.

We hope that this list reflects that and gives you some options when you inevitably hook up your old, bulky PS3 and get going on these old relics. As always, thank you for reading Avid Achievers!

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