The Game of the Year award is one of the highest honors a video game can receive. But here's the thing — a lot of these GOTY-worthy titles were released years ago, and many gamers either missed them at the time or simply haven't had the chance to revisit them.
In this article, I've rounded up some of the most deserving past GOTY titles that are absolutely worth replaying today. Some of these you may have already finished, but trust me — they hold up beautifully, and going back to them is like reconnecting with an old friend.
Are you ready? Let's dive into the list!
Witcher 3
Witcher 3 was released last May 19, 2015. It’s been almost a decade since writing this article! As of today, Geralt of Rivia is still remarkable and recognized by gamers and non-gamers, thanks to the series adaptation.
Still, Witcher 3 stands out despite having so many games released afterwards. It is one of the gems that you really must play.
Witcher 3 Highlights
- Engaging side quests
- Romance with multiple sexy women (don't let your wife or mom caught you! 😏😜
- Card games (though I didn't enjoy that much - but some say, Gwent is one of the best card games ever built!)
- Expansion and DLC
- Epic boss fights
If you haven’t played this game, then I suggest it’s time. During it’s prime years, Witcher 3 is being sold at 60USD or more. Now you can grab a copy of it at around 10USD (no kidding!)
Batman Arkham Knight
This is another gem that is becoming more and more forgotten as time goes by. Batman Arkham Knight is the last of the Arkham Series (later on followed by Gotham Knights). Though Batman fans would argue that this is not the best game in the series, I believe that this has left the most impact to some.
Batman Arkham Knight Highlights
- Joker is not the main antagonist
- Interesting enemies
- Graphics
- Fight scenes
- Character progressions (unlocking weapons for the Batmobile)
- Team up takedowns
Doesn't believe me? Then take a look how awesome the team takedowns can be!
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
This is another gem in the list that is slowly fading away into the obliviion. The story begins with Big Boss Snake being in a comma and after 9 years, he woke up and is being targeted by his enemies.
Together with his companion, Ocelot, they established their own base and build an army of mercenaries called Diamond Dogs. They are also growing their force to take vengeance against Cipher, a military organization responsible for the destruction of their first military group MSF.
Metal Gear Solid V Highlights:
- Epic hour-long prologue
- Story
- Graphics
- Open-world setting
- Silent (especially when you're on chopper!😏🤩😍)
- The enemies' reaction on crazy things!
- Side Quests
If you’re a fan of the Metal Gear Series, you will greatly appreciate the game’s story because this covers the beginning and growth of the vital characters in the series.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne is one of FromSoftware's greatest games and a true PlayStation exclusive gem. Set in the gothic city of Yharnam, a mysterious plague has swept through the population, turning its citizens into bloodthirsty beasts. You play as a hunter who must uncover the terrifying truth behind the outbreak.
Bloodborne Highlights
- Incredibly atmospheric gothic world design
- Fast, aggressive combat that rewards skill and persistence, and NO blocking!
- Deep and mysterious lore that rewards exploration
- Unforgettable and punishing boss fights
- One of the best PS4 exclusives ever made
If you're looking for a game that truly challenges you and rewards every bit of effort you put in, Bloodborne is it. The satisfaction of finally defeating a boss that crushed you ten times over is unmatched. For the tito gamers among us who haven't touched this one yet — this is your sign! 😄
Want more GOTY-worthy games from the past? Here are more titles that deserved that top trophy and are absolutely worth revisiting today!
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is one of the most underrated entries in the entire franchise. Set in a near-future world where a private military corporation holds more power than most governments, you play as Jack Mitchell — a soldier caught between loyalty and doing what is right.
What made Advanced Warfare stand out was its exo-suit movement system. Boost-jumping, mid-air dodges, and wall-running made the gameplay feel genuinely fresh for the series at the time. Kevin Spacey's performance as the villain Jonathan Irons also gave the campaign a cinematic weight that most CoD games simply don't have. Worth revisiting!
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Highlights
- Exo-suit movement system with boost jumping, wall-running, and mid-air dodges
- Kevin Spacey's compelling villain performance (yep, this is truly epic!)
- Fresh near-future setting that reinvigorated the series
- Fast-paced multiplayer built around exo mechanics
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon Age: Inquisition is a massive, sprawling RPG that earned its GOTY recognition fair and square. You lead the Inquisition — a powerful organization tasked with closing a mysterious tear in the sky — while navigating a world of political intrigue, war, and ancient threats.
Player choice is at the core of everything here. Your decisions shape the story, the alliances you forge, and the fate of entire nations. The companions are well-written and memorable, and the world is rich with lore to uncover. Set aside plenty of time for this one — it is a long and deeply rewarding journey!
Dragon Age: Inquisition Highlights
- Massive open world full of lore and side content
- The feeling of becoming a hero, saving the world and closing the rifts
- Deep player choices that shape alliances and story outcomes
- Memorable, well-written companion characters
- Rich political intrigue and world-building
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Ni No Kuni is a collaboration between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli, and the result is one of the most visually enchanting JRPGs ever made. You play as Oliver, a young boy who travels to a parallel world on a quest to save his mother, accompanied by a fairy companion named Drippy.
The world is brought to life with hand-drawn animation straight from Studio Ghibli's studio, making the game look like a genuinely playable animated film. The combat blends real-time and turn-based elements in a way that feels both accessible and deep. For anyone who loves JRPGs or Ghibli films, this is an unmissable PS3 gem that flew completely under the radar.
Ni No Kuni Highlights
- Breathtaking hand-drawn animation produced by Studio Ghibli
- Charming, emotional coming-of-age story with real heart
- Hybrid real-time and turn-based combat with deep customization
- Richly detailed world packed with secrets and side content
Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is a cinematic interactive drama from Quantic Dream that pushed the boundaries of what games could be as a storytelling medium. Set in a rain-soaked city gripped by fear of a serial killer known as the Origami Killer, you control four different characters whose stories intertwine in unexpected and deeply emotional ways.
Every choice carries real weight — characters can die, relationships shift, and the ending changes based on every decision you make. There are no game overs; the story simply adapts to whatever happened. Heavy Rain is moody, tense, and genuinely gripping, and it remains one of the most ambitious narrative experiments in PS3 history.
Heavy Rain Highlights
- Gripping noir murder mystery with a genuinely shocking twist
- Four playable characters whose choices permanently shape the story
- No game over states — the narrative adapts to every outcome
- Groundbreaking cinematic storytelling for its era
Dead Space
Dead Space is one of the finest survival horror games ever made and a PS3 title that deserves far more attention than it gets today. You play as Isaac Clarke, an engineer sent to investigate a distress signal on a mining spaceship — only to find it overrun by horrifying alien creatures called Necromorphs.
What sets Dead Space apart is its strategic dismemberment system: you must cut off enemy limbs rather than simply shooting them, which keeps every encounter tense and tactical. Combined with zero-gravity sections, an oppressive atmosphere, and a story told through environmental detail and audio logs, Dead Space is a masterfully crafted horror experience that absolutely holds up.
Dead Space Highlights
- Innovative strategic dismemberment combat that stays tense throughout
- Relentlessly atmospheric deep-space horror setting
- Zero-gravity sections that add variety and mounting dread
- Compelling story told through environmental detail and audio logs
Catherine
Catherine is one of the most original games ever released on PS3 — a mature narrative-driven puzzle game from the team behind the Persona series at Atlus. By day, you play as Vincent, a man caught between his long-term girlfriend and a mysterious woman named Catherine who suddenly enters his life. By night, Vincent endures terrifying nightmares where he must climb crumbling towers of blocks to survive.
The contrast between the two halves is what makes Catherine special. The daytime story tackles relationships, commitment, and identity with a nuance that games rarely attempt. The nighttime puzzle sections are clever, tense, and increasingly demanding. Together they create an experience unlike anything else on PS3 — and one that absolutely rewards a second playthrough.
Catherine Highlights
- Uniquely mature story about relationships, commitment, and personal identity
- Clever and challenging block-climbing puzzle gameplay that escalates well
- Stylish presentation and a fantastic soundtrack from the Persona team
- One of the most original and underappreciated PS3 experiences ever made
Dark Souls
Dark Souls is a landmark achievement in game design — a brutally challenging action-RPG set in the dying kingdom of Lordran, where interconnected environments are filled with deadly enemies and legendary boss encounters. Every corner hides something that wants to kill you, and death is a teacher rather than a punishment.
What makes Dark Souls special is its sense of discovery. The world is meticulously designed, the lore is hidden in item descriptions and environmental storytelling, and defeating a boss that has killed you dozens of times produces a satisfaction that few games can match. It redefined what challenge in games could feel like and spawned an entire genre. Absolutely worth revisiting.
You pick your poison, Dark Souls 1 (Remastered)? Dark Souls 2, Scholar of the First Sin, or Dark Souls 3? Either choice will be punishing! 😎🔥
Dark Souls Highlights
- Legendary interconnected world design that rewards exploration
- Punishing but deeply fair combat built on patience and pattern recognition
- Rich atmospheric lore told through environment and item descriptions
- Boss encounters that deliver some of gaming's greatest moments of triumph
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line is one of the most subversive and thought-provoking shooters ever made. On the surface it looks like a standard third-person military game set in a sand-buried Dubai, but within hours it transforms into a devastating psychological examination of war, violence, and what it means to play the hero.
Heavily inspired by Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, the game forces you to confront your actions in ways that most shooters never dare. The story doesn't let you feel good about what you've done — and that discomfort is entirely intentional. Spec Ops: The Line is not the most polished shooter, but it is one of the most important and narratively courageous games the PS3 era produced.
Spec Ops: The Line Highlights
- Devastating psychological narrative about the true cost of violence
- Subversive deconstruction of military shooter tropes
- Haunting sand-buried Dubai setting unlike any other game world
- One of gaming's most morally challenging and unforgettable stories
Vanquish
Vanquish is one of the fastest and most mechanically inventive third-person shooters ever made. Developed by Platinum Games and directed by Shinji Mikami — the creator of Resident Evil — it puts you in a rocket-powered combat suit in the middle of a sci-fi battle against Soviet robots aboard a hijacked space colony.
The speed is what defines Vanquish. Rocket-sliding across the battlefield, triggering bullet-time at the critical moment, and chaining attacks together creates a combat flow that no other shooter on PS3 matched before or since. It is short, intense, and endlessly replayable at higher difficulties. Vanquish was overlooked almost entirely on release, but it has since grown into one of the most celebrated cult classics of the entire era.
I've written a more detailed review here: [Press Play] Let’s Play Vanquish this year 2026. Is it worth it?
Vanquish Highlights
- Blistering speed and fluid rocket-suit traversal unlike any other shooter
- Bullet-time mechanics that reward aggressive, precise play
- Directed by Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil) at Platinum Games
- Short but intensely replayable — a cult classic hiding in plain sight
Dishonored
Dishonored is a first-person stealth-action game that gives you extraordinary freedom in how you approach every situation. You play as Corvo Attano, a disgraced bodyguard framed for murder who uses supernatural powers to navigate a plague-ridden city and seek the truth.
You can complete entire missions without killing a single person, or embrace chaos and cut through everything in your path. Both approaches are valid, and the game's level design rewards creativity and exploration at every turn. Dishonored is a masterpiece of immersive design that holds up beautifully today!
Dishonored Highlights
- Extraordinary player freedom in approach (stealth, lethal, or non-lethal)
- Creative supernatural powers and abilities
- Richly detailed, plague-ridden immersive world
- Brilliant level design that rewards exploration
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is one of the greatest strategy games ever made — and one of the most emotionally punishing. Aliens are invading Earth, and you are in charge of stopping them. Every tactical decision matters, and the permadeath system means the soldiers you've grown attached to can be gone forever after a single bad mission.
That emotional investment is what makes XCOM special. Losing a veteran soldier you've had for ten hours feels genuinely devastating, and it makes every decision feel real. A classic that demands a replay!
XCOM: Enemy Unknown Highlights
- Deep, rewarding turn-based tactical strategy
- Permadeath system creates genuine emotional investment in soldiers
- Every decision carries real weight and consequence
- High replayability across multiple difficulty levels
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a stunning post-apocalyptic action game that almost nobody played — and one of the most criminally overlooked titles of the PS3 era. Written by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later) and featuring motion-captured performances by Andy Serkis and Lindsey Shaw, it follows a warrior named Monkey and a hacker named Trip journeying across a lush, overgrown America reclaimed by nature.
The world is gorgeous — vines crawling over collapsed skyscrapers, sunlight breaking through ruined cities — and the relationship between Monkey and Trip is what carries the whole experience. They begin as reluctant allies bound by necessity and develop into something genuinely moving. The story ends in a way that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Enslaved deserved so much more attention than it got.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Highlights
- Breathtaking post-apocalyptic world where nature has swallowed civilization
- Deeply compelling relationship between the two lead characters
- Story written by Alex Garland with Andy Serkis in a full motion-capture lead role
- One of the most beautiful and underplayed games in PS3 history
L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire is one of the most unique games Rockstar has ever published. Set in 1940s Los Angeles, you play as Cole Phelps — a war veteran turned LAPD detective working his way through increasingly dark and complex cases.
The facial animation technology was groundbreaking at the time, and reading suspects' expressions during interrogations to catch lies still feels remarkably engaging today. L.A. Noire is slower and more deliberate than most action games, but for players who love a great mystery story, it is absolutely captivating!
L.A. Noire Highlights
- Groundbreaking facial animation technology for suspect interrogations
- Richly detailed 1940s Los Angeles setting
- Compelling noir mystery storytelling across multiple cases
- Unique gameplay built around reading expressions and catching lies
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a cyberpunk action-RPG that gives you genuine freedom in every situation. You play as Adam Jensen — a security chief who is forcibly augmented after a brutal attack — as he unravels a global conspiracy about human augmentation technology and corporate power.
Hack your way through, sneak past enemies, talk your way out, or go in guns blazing — all approaches are valid. The themes around technology, identity, and corporate control feel more relevant today than ever. Human Revolution is a thinking person's action game that absolutely deserves a revisit!
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Highlights
- Multiple valid playstyles (hacking, stealth, combat, social)
- Deep cyberpunk story with relevant themes on technology and identity
- Meaningful augmentation upgrade system
- Richly detailed near-future world
Infamous 2
Infamous 2 is a PS3 exclusive open-world action game that builds brilliantly on the original's foundation. You play as Cole MacGrath — a conduit with electrical superpowers — as he travels to a vibrant New Orleans-inspired city to grow strong enough to face an approaching apocalyptic threat.
The game gives you genuine moral choices throughout, with each path unlocking different powers and leading to a different ending. Both routes are worth experiencing. The traversal is fluid and exhilarating, the combat is satisfying to master, and the city of New Marais is full of personality. Infamous 2 is one of the most enjoyable open-world superhero experiences the PS3 ever delivered.
Infamous 2 Highlights
- Fluid electrical superpowers with exhilarating open-world traversal
- Meaningful moral choices leading to two distinct and satisfying story paths
- Vibrant New Orleans-inspired city full of personality and detail
- One of PS3's finest and most underrated open-world superhero gam
In Summary
The games on this list represent some of the finest the industry has produced, and each one is absolutely worth revisiting today. Whether you are going back to relive a favorite memory or finally checking off something from your backlog, there has never been a better time to experience these classics.
Many of these are available at very low prices on Steam, PlayStation Store, and other platforms — so there are really no excuses! 😄 I hope I was able to list down some of the games worth checking, especially, nowadays, there are way too many games to explore. At least you get games suggestion from a tito/uncle who spent countless hours trying out games
Which of these GOTY-worthy games have you already played? And which one are you planning to replay first? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!
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