3. The Last of Us (2013)

Joel and Ellie’s story in The Last of Us was one of the best seen in the past console generation.

Few game studios are as skilled as Naughty Dog when it comes to delivering a compelling narrative, as they proved with their Uncharted games in the past. And their 2013 game The Last of Us arguably features their best story and characters, as this grim tale of survival in a post-apocalyptic world was utterly compelling, while also offering some pretty intense third-person action gameplay.

And it was great to see how the relationship between gruff Texan smuggler Joel and girl in distress Ellie developed throughout the game, even if The Last of Us has also been criticized due to the so-so AI of the game’s enemies and high difficulty in some spots. But still, this was clearly one of 2013’s gems, and one of the top exclusives ever to be released for Sony’s PS3 console no doubt.