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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2021 2:49:35 GMT -5
Another thread for our recommendations and this time we’ll look at the PS2. Of course the PS2 has a gigantic library with many quality releases. Since this is a larger topic, instead of the voting format with an overall ranking of previous threads the focus will be on individual lists. Though I will still create a graphic of our highest and frequently recommended games, I don’t really expect much duplication.
Your List
To take part please list your top 10 games – you can choose to list less if you don’t have 10 to recommend. Please number your entries in descending order. To be eligible the game must be playable on the PS2 system, and be a PS2 game (no PS1 games since those will be a later thread).
Hidden Gems
In the recent Kirby thread there was an entry that fell outside the expected guidelines, and I would like to continue that possibility. You may in addition to your top 10 choose one hidden gem. This should be a game that perhaps isn’t one of your absolute favourites, but one you think more people should play and perhaps isn’t too well known. This way we can find recommendations for people who are looking to go beyond just the very best the system has to offer. If you want to include a hacked version of a game or something unlicensed, this may be a good place for it. I will include everyone’s hidden gem on the graphic.
As per the last thread this one will remain open. I will look to put the first result up in the first couple of weeks.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2021 2:50:13 GMT -5
Results:
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2021 2:50:27 GMT -5
I’ve spoken about most of these here before so no real surprises, but here’s my list to get things started.
10 – Beyond Good & Evil A nicely done Zeldalike with a small world but a great deal of personality. Protagonist Jade and her cast of friends are likeable and story is what it does best. It’s just a shame that story was left unfinished.
9 –Katamari Damacy Rolling up anything and everything as a concept sounds pretty out there, but it lends itself to a simple and exhilarating gameplay experience. Doing that to a quirky, upbeat soundtrack is endlessly fun. The game is short, but often revisited for me.
8 – Fatal Frame/Project Zero One of the more genuinely scary horror games I’ve played. The environment is feels claustrophobic which of course is perfectly fitting for tense combat against ghosts. Waiting for your camera to recharge whilst they slowly approach constantly has me on edge. This series has overstayed it’s welcome somewhat, but the original is a classic.
7 – Dragon Quest VIII Classic, fantasy JRPG at its finest. Dragon Quest VIII is full to the brim with personality. Every cast member or enemy you meet is memorable, animations are wonderfully kitsch and the voice acting is full of charm. Of course it’s all met with a simple but compelling quest and a battle system that makes full use of its options, and manages to provide a fair bit of challenge.
6 – King’s Field IV It’s tough to recommend King’s Field to everyone, it certainly doesn’t show its greatness on its sleeve. With a bit of time however (and there’s a need to grind early on), it may click, and if it does will be difficult to put down. The exploration in this entry is very Metroidlike with a lot of gated areas which makes it more compelling to the others in the series to me. The combat is quirky and flawed, but works and can be exploited in a way that can be a lot of fun. Of course the world is brimming with atmosphere as you would expect from FromSoft.
5 – Shadow of the Colossus Truly a unique game. There is a minimalist approach to the creation of the world that only makes the Colossi that inhabit it feel all the more special. I was in awe at first sight of many of them, after which posed the question ‘how on Earth can I climb that thing?’ Yet the climbing mechanism works so well and feels like a puzzle, and it is rewarding to figure it out – of course until you bring down the massive beasts, at which point there seems to be only loss.
4 – Outrun 2 Sega at its absolute best in my opinion. The eventual sequel to Outrun remarkably achieves the difficult goal in retaining the feel of the original classic, but outmatching it in gameplay. The adrenaline rush of drifting around every corner, perfectly and passing your rivals is perfection. And of course it wouldn’t be Outrun without a classic soundtrack.
3 – Fire Pro Wrestling Returns This was the best wrestling game ever made until just a couple of years ago in my opinion – surpassed of course by its own sequel. FPWR nails the flow of a pro wrestling match, with all the variety of styles available to the player, and a good amount of match options. You can create some real classic back and forth matches in this. Best played with others of course.
2 – Gradius V This has been one of my PS2 favourites since it came out, but only last year did I decide to see it through to completion. The experience has only reinforced my opinion. Level design goes from strength to strength, with more bosses than seems reasonable, yet all of them adding to the experience. Gradius’s classic upgrade system is here, but improved. For those who say they can’t beat shmups this game gives you an additional credit each hour you play. Grind enough and it can be done.
1 – Persona 4 Persona 4 immediately gripped me with its mystery and cast of misfit characters. I felt I got to know everyone so well on this journey and was so engrossed in the storyline that I couldn’t put it down. Of course, there’s more than its share of problematic moments, but to me they made sense in this presentation since it is from the perspective of high schoolers. The social elements are married much better with the RPG than other entries. Collecting Persona’s is perhaps more interesting in 5, but this game has more challenge and therefore their selection is more important. For me, this is the superior entry.
Hidden Gem – The Red Star Whilst there was some anticipation of this one before release, it fizzled as the game was delayed beyond the PS3 coming out. This is a top down, brawler/shmup with bullet hell elements – it feels kind of like Smash TV with added beat-em-up combat. This one really shines in multiplayer since you can coordinate with your co-op partner to keep enemies at bay. There’s some simple upgrading but it relies on performing well on the prior level. I think this one was mostly overlooked due to its simplicity, but the enjoyment is there.
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Post by kaoru on Jan 7, 2021 5:49:10 GMT -5
10. Drakengard
09. Final Fantasy X
08. Project Zero II
07. Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner
06. Okami
05. Shadow Hearts: Covenant
04. Persona 4
03. Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land
02. Haunting Ground
01 .Shin Megami Tensei III
Hidden Gem: Echo Night Beyond
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Post by shelverton on Jan 7, 2021 6:56:51 GMT -5
Oh, this is a difficult one, but here we go.
10 - Yakuza
9 - Suikoden 5
8 - ICO
7 - Persona 4
6 - Okami
5 - Yakuza 2
4 - Shadow of the Colossus
3 - Dark Chronicle / Dark Could 2
2 - Klonoa 2
1 - Dragon Quest VIII
Would also wanna mention Shinobi, Final Fantasy XII, Soul Calibur II and GrimGrimoire as, dunno... honarable mentions. But they’re not in my top 10.
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Post by JoeQ on Jan 7, 2021 7:06:22 GMT -5
10. We Love Katamari
9. Wild ARMS 3
8. ICO
7. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
6. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES
5. Dragon Quest VIII
4. Shadow of the Colossus
3. Super Robot Taisen: Original Generations
2. Killer 7
1. Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call
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Post by shelverton on Jan 7, 2021 7:12:11 GMT -5
(Surprised to not see Silent Hill 2 or God Hand mentioned yet They’re not for me but I know people love them dearly!)
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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Jan 7, 2021 8:46:54 GMT -5
1. TimeSplitters 2 (PS2/XB/GC) 2. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (PS2/PC) 3. Resident Evil 4 (PS2) 4. Okami (PS2) 5. Rez (DC/PS2) 6. Ratchet & Clank 7. Spider-Man 2 8. Devil May Cry (PS2) 9. FF12 Zodiac Age 10. Silent Hill 2 (PS2)
HM: Outrun 2 Gradius 5 Beyond Good & Evil FF10 Shadow of the Colossus
Most of these aren't fresh in my memory and there's still a lot I haven't played yet.
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Post by dsparil on Jan 7, 2021 9:52:32 GMT -5
This one is tough for me. I didn't have a PS2 until the tail end of it's life so I played a lot of earlier multiplatform games on PC. I also don't really like some of the general favorites.
10. DJ Hero - The last time there was any real innovation in the rhythm game genre.
9. Gran Turismo 4 - I don't really know if A-Spec or 4 is actually the better game, but I only ever played 4. I prefer GRID these days since it's actually on a system I own, but I still have a soft spot for GT.
8. Front Mission 4 - It's not as good as 3 and presumable 5 which I've been meaning to play for a decade, but it's the one officially in English.
7. Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within - The actual gameplay is better than Sands of Time, and while the edginess has always been cringeworthy, it's heaviest at the very beginning and eases off it after the intro which was also the demo.
6. Bully - It doesn't have some of the higher budget aspects of a regular GTA game like the licensed music, but I prefer the tone and sillier gameplay.
5. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - Nice that the improved sequel actually covered the good movies!
4. Guilty Gear X - I mostly moved over from SF Alpha to Guilty Gear once X came out. I honestly don't remember if I played X or XX #Reload more (and neither on PS2 anyway) so I'll give the spot to X.
3. Metal Gear Solid 2 - It probably wasn't until my fourth play through that I fully appreciated it. Minus: I had to play it four times to really get it. Plus: it was good enough for me to actually play it that much when I can rarely be moved to do a single replay.
2. Final Fantasy XII - Still the best version as the added job system in later version is poorly implemented.
1. R-Type Final - It's the Gran Turismo or maybe the Super Smash. Bros of Irem shooters. It brings together so many different ships including ones from other Irem franchises. It's the only PS2 game I still play so it's #1 by default.
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Post by jackcaeylin on Jan 7, 2021 14:30:22 GMT -5
top ps2 game, there are so many great games on this system
10: Critical Velocity - use "japanese beam" on Fast and Furious, then you will get this weird gem. Weirdly enough, it really works and it was a nice racing game.
9: Samurai Warriors 2 - The only musou that really clicked with me. It doesn't have a checkmark system, thus the game has an interesting system with its gameplay. You have to achieve optional objectives. You can ignore them, but your troops will be weaker and your enemies can do much more damage, thus you have to prepare how you want to attack and try to find out how to achieve the objective, otherwise the game can be quite hard. At the end of every character, you will be rewarded with a unique cutscene. They kinda managed to transport the goals of the characters to the player with its gameplay, thus the characters tend to be believably. A feeling that I never got from the other games of the series.
8: Shadow Hearts 1 - I really adore the chapter system in its story telling, From village, to boat, to a tower and much more. It manages to combine many different atmospheres. At the beginning, they kinda manage to create an interesting horror atmosphere that I haven't seen in a RPG. The characters are quite interesting and the main character has an arc and he is a changed person at the end of the game.
7: Silent Hill 2 - the themes and the way you progress is the way how you determine the endings. Although, it is a bit flawed, it is a unique system that hasn't really been used quite often. "The way you play it" - great to see how people use it and created a unique narrative
6. Persona 4 - a great game that combines the mechanics of its previous titles (social sim system from Growlanser, gameplay SMT) and manages to make a great game with a Disney afternoon feeling. You live in a provincial town, a new beginning, trying to find new friends and you are solving a weird mystery. Along, you try to survive the daily routine and at the same time, you try to live your life to the fullest. The atmosphere was more natural than in the predecessor. I really liked the provincial town feeling.
5. Ring of Red - Mechas and SRPG with its unique spin? count me in
4. Klonoa 2 - really like the world as well as how they use 2d and 3d platforming, it was fun.
3. Killer 7 - really like this unique gameplay and its story. The characters are quite unique and their design is quite memorable. The graphics aren't high value, but it doesn't need to be that. It manages to have a unique art design, thus it has its interesting shots when you go from point A to B, which makes the game quite beautiful.
2. Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution, to me, it was evolution! I am not a fighting game expert, but I had tons of fun and liked to play the game.
1. SMT III - This game is a great third person dungeon crawler that refined its gameplay. You need to adapt to the pattern of the enemy so you can find ways to win the battle, you need to buff, debuff, thus every victory against a tough boss feels rewarding. When a random Kwaidan is attacking you with mudo and you lost 2 hour progress, but you still want to play the game, then it does everything right to me.
Hidden gems: There are too many to count. Venus & Braves, Growlanser IV, God Hand and much more
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Post by Snake on Jan 7, 2021 15:49:09 GMT -5
I don't think my order particularly means anything, but here it goes:
10. Prince of Tennis:Smash Hit 2 - Pity Konami didn't continue the series of games in this vein. It's a very cool tennis game, with signature Prince of Tennis special moves. Also has a very awesome soundtrack that keeps the atmosphere of the anime/manga.
9. Hokuto no Ken - A lovely fighting game from Arc System Works. Beautiful, 2D sprites. And so much fan-service.
8. Final Fantasy X - Easy to play. The fight system of being able to see the order or commands made this a bit too easy. Very nice to switch out characters on the fly. A surreal, but an intriguing and emotional plot to me. The ending is so bittersweet... well, until the advent of FF X-2. One of the last few FF's that I marathoned through to beat in a few days.
7. Capcom VS SNK 2:Millionaire Fighting 2001 - My favorite fighting game for PS2. Excellent roster of fighters and tight gameplay mechanics. And the inclusion of some cool, more obscure characters like Birdie from Street Fighter 1, Maki from Final Fight 2, and Hibiki from Last Blade, make this quite enjoyable.
6. Dragon Quest VIII:Journey of the Cursed King - Among my top 4 Dragon Quest games. I actually enjoy the inclusion of voice acting, especially Yangus'. Even though it is the usual grind, I like that I only have to grind for 4 characters. To me, this was a big, fresh jump coming off of Dragon Quest VII. And the most impressive to me up to this point in time.
5. Metal Gear Solid 3:Subsistence - Okay, so I admittedly hate having to change up camo, I still love this game. Lovely, cool bossfights. Story is the usual over-the-top defies belief kind of stuff, but it's all in good fun. And the origin story of Big Boss and his mentor is so, so cool.
4. Ace Combat 4:Shattered Skies - Enjoyable missions. Plenty of dogfight action. Also a great, dramatic soundtrack. And I really enjoyed the way the story is told, through the eyes of a civilian who interacted with the enemy as a child. It's interesting to be referred to as a kind of mythical opponent, even though I felt like just some regular guy trying to just carry out missions.
3. Rez - I play this game as an abstract, meditative exercise. For me, it's a hypnotic take on the Space Harrier/Panzer Dragoon formula, with great music, that gives me a satisfying sense of sound and effect as you're playing and destroying shit.
2. Odin Sphere - A visual treat for it's time. A touching, interlacing storyline. The only real downside is that the PS2 hardware can't keep up with all the on-screen sprite action, so... my god, it does suffer slowdown this side of an really busy NES era shooter. But this game really drew me in with the overall experience. I played it to completion for 3 days straight, which pretty much doesn't happen in my adult life.
1. Gran Turismo 4 - For me, the newest Gran Turismo is pretty much the overall best. Even if it's missing some lovely tracks in the past like Pike's Peak, or the older roster of cars, it's still a fantastic game with so much content to get lost in. While for me, the newest Gran Turismo is usually the best, I still put this one at number 1 because I see myself spending the most hours on it out of all the games on the list.
Hidden Gem
Shadow of Destiny/Memories - Released in 2001, a game that follows the Groundhog Day/All You Need is Kill/Edge of Tomorrow/Re:Zero formula of reliving events again and again. I'm a sucker for mystery stories, like, who keeps killing you?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2021 2:01:40 GMT -5
Wow, that's a lot of replies. I think Thanks all for putting time into your lists, some really interesting picks. I think PS2 is really hard due to the quantity and variety of games, but I was unsurprisingly a Gamecube guy at the time, so have been playing catch up a little, and have many more games to play on the system still. I see a lot of love for SMTIII. kaoru - I would have chosen Echo Night as my hidden gem, but I'd spoken about it recently so picked something else. A few I'm interested to hear more from you about : Drakengard - I don't usually see the first game recommended, Wizardry - I have this and played some, but not enough to really draw conclusions. Would love to hear why you like it so much, Haunting Ground - I don't really know much about this one. JoeQ - I don't know much about Super Robot Taisen or Wild Arms. I'd love to hear your thoughts. shelverton - God Hand and Silent Hill 2 have now been mentioned. I really need to pick up a copy of God Hand. ommadawnyawn2 - Have you played the other Ratchet games? I know this isn't one of your more played systems so appreciate you taking the time to join in. dsparil - Didn't know DJ Hero was on PS2. I'm curious to hear which general favourites you don't enjoy. Also, R-Type Final is one I've tried a few times, but can never get beyond stage 2. Are there any tips on how to approach this game, or is it just perseverance? jackcaeylin - A couple of Japan only games I wasn't aware of there, it is always interesting to learn about them. Snake - I'd forgotten about Capcom vs SNK 2. That's a great fighter. Also, I was tired when I first read your post and thought your number 10 was a Prince of Persia tennis game. Seems that is another Japan only game. I also love the DQVIII voice acting - 'You Wot?', 'Cor Blimey!' - just classic. We Brits don't really speak that way though. I've very nearly started Shadow of Memories a few times recently. I'll hopefully get to it pretty soon.
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Post by dsparil on Jan 8, 2021 5:37:08 GMT -5
DJ Hero - I didn't get it right away, but the PS2 version must not have sold well at all because it was practically being given away not that long after release. Maybe I just got lucky though.
R-Type Final - Honestly, just start at the absolute lowest difficulty and work your way up. Every difficulty has a gallery unlock anyway. Most of the ships unlock based on time used on the one before it in the tree, and it isn't that much time. Eventually you'll end up with a ship that gives you the push you need. You could also try going straight to one of the password locked ships (maybe avoid unlocking #100 until getting the other 99).
For the games didn't list that other people did:
DQVIII - I really don't know what it is about it. I like VII on 3DS and IX as a multiplayer game so it isn't the series per se.
FFX - I've mentioned this enough, and I'm definitely in the minority.
Metal Gear Solid 3 - This has more to do with the pressure sensitive controls because I could never get past one part because of them. I don't know if it's because my controller didn't work quite right (it was used and the rumble didn't work) or if I kept messing up for another reason, but I could never get past the part where you need to interrogate the scientist. I might give it another try on 3DS someday.
Odin Sphere - I actually do like it, but the slow down is bad enough at times for me to not include it.
Okami - I have it on PS2 and Wii plus I bought Okamiden, but I just could never get into it. Feels a bit like it's being graded on a curve.
Persona - I like the 2 series, but I've always been repelled by the later games. I bought Person 3 but the disc was somehow missing so I've never actually played 3 or 4. To be honest, it's almost all due to some of the fanbase being intensely annoying and occasionally hostile during the run up to SMT IV.
Shadow of the Colossus - This I actually do hate. It's way to hard to get around and the map is completely useless. The actual colossus fighting is good, but having to schlep around to get to the good stuff was too much.
SMT: Nocture - I probably would have listed this if I could actually play it. I own two or three copies, and none of them work in my PS2. They freeze when I try to access the menu. I once found some random forum post mentioning the exact same issue, but it doesn't seem anywhere close to widespread. It might be some kind of laser issue as the PS2 stopping being able to play DVDs at some point.
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Post by retr0gamer on Jan 8, 2021 5:59:34 GMT -5
My advice on rtype final is play rtype delta or gradius V instead. I didn't like rtype final. The first stage is boring and some levels are ruined by slowdown, stage three is played at, no exaggeration, about 5 frames per second. It's not terrible but it isn't that great. Worth a play through though even if for the visuals of one of the final stages with the lovers in the background.
Also I only found out recently that the pal version for odin sphere eliminates all the slowdown from the other versions and runs in 60hz.
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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Jan 8, 2021 6:14:40 GMT -5
ommadawnyawn2 - Have you played the other Ratchet games? I know this isn't one of your more played systems so appreciate you taking the time to join in. I haven't yet, no. I hear the sequel has some control and pacing improvements. Which is your fave btw?
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