Five upcoming exclusives that should be on every PlayStation fan’s radar

It's a great time to be a PlayStation gamer. With so many promising titles on the horizon — both exclusive and multiplatform — there's plenty of content to keep your thumbs busy all throughout 2012. In an effort to narrow down some of the best, we've compiled a list that takes the cream of Sony's exclusive crop so you don't miss out PlayStation's heavy-hitters.

So without further ado, let's kick off this top five list with two noteworthy PS Vita titles.

Resistance: Burning Skies (May 29th)

Developer Nihilistic, the team behind PlayStation Move Heroes, is looking to prove its talent as a studio with its upcoming FPS for the Vita. As one of the first fully-featured first-person shooters to make use of the Vita's dual analog thumb sticks, Resistance: Burning Skies is looking to be one of the most ambitious titles for Sony's handheld yet. The game was built from the ground up specifically with the device in mind, boasting visuals that rival the franchise's console counterparts. If you consider yourself a fan of the Resistance series or first-person shooters in general, this is one that you just have to check out.

Gravity Rush (June 12th)

This gorgeous action game from the Sony's Japan Studio is easily one of the Vita's few killer apps. With some seriously impressive art design and a unique gameplay concept, it's no wonder this game has been flying off the shelves in Japan. Sure, you may have already gotten your action-adventure fix with Uncharted: Golden Abyss, but Gravity Rush offers some really cool concepts that would have Nathan Drake's head spinning. As the game's title implies, the ability to manipulate gravity is where the true magic of this game lies, providing an experience that stands out from the rest of the Vita's software library.

The Last Guardian (TBA 2012)

While yes, there is a good chance that we may have to wait even longer for Team ICO's long awaited adventure game, there's still hope that we'll see this one by year's end. Having been in development for over half a decade, The Last Guardian has been a massive time and money sink for Sony, so you can bet that they are pulling out all the stops on this one. Will it be able to live up to the hype? Probably not, but if the game can manage to so much as peek out from under the shadow of the studio's prior work (see what I did there?), then we've still got a pretty solid experience on our hands. Team ICO set the bar impossibly high with Shadow of the Colossus, so it's no wonder it has taken the team this long to get The Last Guardian up to snuff.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (TBA 2012)

We haven't seen a proper Sly sequel since the days of the PS2 and man has that mischievous, little raccoon been missed. With a new developer at the helm of the series, there's a lot of potential for the franchise to really grow, especially when you consider that this is Sly's first fully-fledged outing on the PS3. As you might expect, precise platforming is back along side the game's jaw-dropping art style. If for some reason you're not hyped for Sly 4 and don't know what all of the hubbub is about, go give The Sly Collection a playthrough. Surely then you'll understand.

The Last of Us (TBA 2012)

Naughty Dog has quickly become the most beloved developer for the PlayStation, and their latest title has me giddy with excitement. The Last of Us is a brand-new IP that combines an over-grown, post-apocalyptic world with the horrors that stem from a zombie-esque outbreak. The game centers around Joel, a middle aged man who has promised to protect an adolescent girl named Ellie. What is particularly interesting about these two characters is that they provide two very different perspectives on what is going on within the game world. Still just a girl, Ellie doesn't know life outside of the horrible reality that she was born into. Joel, however, has seen both sides of the world and has become a ruthless survivor who will do whatever it takes. The team at Naughty Dog is made up of some incredible writers, so I can wait to see where they plan to take these characters.

Well that about does it. Think we left something out that was worthy of a mention? Sound off in the comments below and let us know what your top five most anticipated PS3 exclusives are of 2012.

Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for GameZone. Follow him on Twitter @a_charlez to chat with him about PS3 exclusives, your most anticipated games of 2012 or anything else video game related.