I need a time waster.

March 6, 2012 8:23 AM

I like to have a simple, fun PS3 game kicking that I can pick away at whenever I have some free time. I just finished DaBlob2 and that was fun, but now I need a new game. Suggestions? Bonus points for the game being inexpensive.

I usually lean towards the platformer type. I'm a total puss, so scary zombie, things-jumping-out-at-me type games are OUT, and I don't tend to enjoy FPS games. Back in the day I played Warcraft and really enjoyed it because of the open environment and the billion different quests and what not, but I am NOT willing to get back in to Warcraft.

I'm also looking for one with a lot of hours of game play so that it can last quite a while. (I found DaBlob2 quite short).

Games I'm currently considering:
- Little Big Planet
- Lego Star Wars/Indiana Jones/Harry Potter
- Portal 2

posted by gwenlister to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (12 answers total)

Best answer: "Funky Lab Rat" is a really fun and charming platformer/puzzle game from the Playstation Store. IIRC, it's pretty cheap too.

Also, not a platformer, but I can't recommend "Flower" strongly enough.
posted by jbickers at 8:36 AM on March 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Well, Warcraft/open environment suggests Skyrim. And now it's out of beta (i.e. patched to be playable past 40 hours) on the PS3!

Journey comes out next week and I'm totally going to jump on it.
posted by supercres at 8:40 AM on March 6, 2012 [2 favorites]

Plants vs Zombies! It's not scary zombie, it's cute zombie. And the game is fantastic and will give you MANY hours of enjoyment.
posted by Grither at 8:41 AM on March 6, 2012

PixelJunk Monsters -- addictive and fun tower defense game. MANY hours of play.

It is harder than Plants vs Zombies (which is wayyyyyy too easy).
posted by LeanGreen at 8:47 AM on March 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

Best answer: If you enjoyed Warcraft, check out DeathSpank. It's basically a comedic take on Diablo (many of the key Diablo devs worked on it). There's plenty to explore, and it's highly engaging without being a black hole of commitment like Skyrim (a game into which I've sunk more hours than I care to admit). It's been out for a couple years, so it should be cheap on PSN. There are a few expansions as well.
posted by mkultra at 8:48 AM on March 6, 2012

Best answer: Seconding "Flower," and I would go with the Lego games (particularly Star Wars). Not too intensive, but enough collecting/puzzles to keep your interest.
posted by kuanes at 9:06 AM on March 6, 2012 [2 favorites]

Best answer: My boyfriend and I have been playing through the Lego games on Wii and we've found they're great for not-so-serious gamers - the game is served to you in small, digestible, semi-guided chunks, so you're never wandering around aimlessly or level-grinding, and though you will have to fight enemies in some levels, the focus of the game is on "solving" each level, not on killing a bunch of bad guys. They're also quite good for time value - you can finish all the levels of a Lego game in a day or two of intensive gaming, but to FINISH the game requires many more hours of secret-finding, etc.

I would say, however, that out of Lego Indiana Jones I, Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga, Lego Star Wars: Clone Wars, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean, and Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4, our least favorite games were the Star Wars ones - they're much heavier on enemies and battling, and seem to have less "ok, what pieces do we need to put where" and more "oh shit, RUN!" The Harry Potter game is probably our favorite so far, because it seems to have much more "bonus" content that you can work through once you've beaten all the levels. Bonus games, extra gold bricks to earn, new spells to buy, etc.
posted by badgermushroomSNAKE at 9:44 AM on March 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

Dungeon Defenders is great fun, on your own or multiplayer, on the ps3 or on your phone as well (its in the playstation store)
posted by sexyrobot at 9:54 AM on March 6, 2012

Daytona USA (PSN download), if you're the type who enjoys beating high-scores (or lap times, in this case). Just one car and three tracks, and that's all it needs.
posted by Bangaioh at 9:57 AM on March 6, 2012

Best answer: The ps3 katamari games fits your bill. Katamari forever?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:27 AM on March 6, 2012

Portal 2 is awesome. I also enjoyed all of the PixelJunk games, especially Monsters, and the games Braid, Limbo, and Critter Crunch.
posted by melissasaurus at 5:59 PM on March 6, 2012

Be wary of Katamari Forever — it has really huge and arbitrary spikes in difficulty, and you have no option other than to either keep plugging away at the same stage over and over, or just stop playing entirely.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is insanely fun, and is great fun for competing with friends/loved ones on high scores. Plus it's only like ten bucks, which is an absolute steal for its quality and potential longevity depending on your play style.
posted by DoctorFedora at 7:07 PM on March 6, 2012