Nobody knows the lifespan of a games machine, but what is clear is that at this stage in the PlayStation 3’s life, roughly four years in, we can at least pick out a handful of platform-exclusives that have really made the console sing so far – the games that have really pushed the technology hard but, equally, have provided unique experiences and gone the extra mile for the end user.

With that in mind, then, TheSixthAxis presents a compilation of ten PlayStation 3 exclusives that we think every game should have, starting with Sackboy’s latest adventure…

#10 – LittleBigPlanet 2

That Media Molecule’s platform adventurer should find its way into the top ten PlayStation 3 exclusives won’t come as a surprise to anyone that’s played it, or – indeed, the original LittleBigPlanet.  Yes, they share the same core DNA and, yes, the second game’s main Story mode is essentially more of the same, but it’s in the Create mode that the sequel really starts to shine and elevate itself above anything else on the Planet.

Not everyone’s born with a creative streak, of course, and if the thought of spending dozens of hours pouring over microchips and blocks of wood trying to craft something spectacular isn’t your thing then you might well be shaking your head at the game’s inclusion – but you’d be missing the point.  Even though we’re pushing Sackboy’s latest into our elusive, exclusive club before the game’s out we’re more than confident that the community around the game will be developing the sort of concepts that we never thought possible.

Indeed, we’ve had LittleBigPlanet 2 for a couple of weeks and already there’s some staggeringly impressive stuff up there that’s already on show, including a stunningly brilliant retro arcade that really does highlight the fact that the engine Media Molecule has developed – the strict set of mechanics and a wildly generous batch of tools – is capable of producing anything.  And as such, LittleBigPlanet 2 is easily deserved of its place in our top ten.

#9 – Flower

The best videogames are the ones that connect. A tangible, real connection with the player is a device that most developers either forget or don’t seem to be able to grasp, but it’s one that thatgamecompany, with their second PlayStation 3 game, absolutely understood.  As a result, Flower, a simple, singular idiom that transcends genre and pigeonholing, connects from the very second it starts until the heart-pounding conclusion.

Flower doesn’t feature a lengthy introductory coda, or pages of dialog and exposition – instead preferring to tell the tale, an initially whimsical but ultimately devastatingly powerful story about nature and mankind, through the game itself, only taking the player away from the focal point inbetween the downloadable title’s handful of ‘levels’, each respresented by a windowsill-based collection of plant pots.

Controlled entirely with the SixAxis’ tilt control (and any other button to summon the wind) the player assumes the role of a leaf from a flower, darting through the blades of grass and upwards into the air at will.  To reveal the course of the game to the ignorant would be an injustice – anyone who owns a PlayStation 3 owes it to themselves to grab the game from the Store and set aside a few hours to soak in and become utterly enthralled by the game’s beauty.

#8 – Uncharted 2

I’m actually part of the small minority that actually prefers the first Uncharted’s single player mode, with its focused, rich jungle setting, over the varied sprawl of the second.  That’s just personal preference, though, and it’s one that perhaps has to sit aside when selecting which of the two to for inclusion in this list – because there’s not a PlayStation 3 gamer on the planet who wouldn’t rate Nathan Drake’s adventures as the absolute apex of the genre.

So its with no shock that the much more complete, ambitious sequel takes the spot: Uncharted 2 is a perfect example of how to push the third person genre to its absolute limits with a sense of scale and scope rarely seen in today’s rather more ‘safe’ line-up of games.  Visually it’s unmatched on the console, with breathtaking scenery and attention to detail bordering on the obsessive and the production values are second to none.

But it’s the multiplayer that really makes Uncharted 2 shine, with competitive and co-operative options featuring, giving the game a life well beyond that of the original.  Both modes are expansive and have seen plenty of community weight proving that developers Naughty Dog know exactly what they’re doing.  The only question is whether the third in the series, due this year, will unseat Among Thieves if we ever redo this list.