What are the best games for the PS2?

[stm177]

I bought a PS2 slimline model for myself. I haven't played any PS2 games, so it seems like a cheap way to have some fun.

Anyone in the mood to suggest some good games for me? The PS2 catalog is gigantic.

I've bought Lego Star Wars II, God of War II, and Ratchet & Clank. I like all of them.

[Corlindale]

Some more specific information about genre preferences would be nice.
Of course you're probably going to like the other games in the game series you got those games from.

We Love Katamari is a very fun and original little masterpiece. The concept is extremely simple and extremely silly, but somehow it manages to be both entertaining and addictive.

Shadow of the Colossus is another great game, supposedly a prequel to ICO(another reputed masterpiece, though I sadly haven't played it yet). You won't find more epic boss battles anywhere else.

I like the Final Fantasy series myself (except X-2 and XII - the latter is probably a matter of taste, but the former should pretty much be avoided). The earlier games released for PS1 (VII-IX) are most likely the best, if you can live with outdated graphics.

Okami is also a very nice game, somewhat reminiscent of the Zelda series for Nintendo; with overland exploration, questing and dungeoneering. Very unique and beautiful graphics.

Look up some reviews to get a better idea of what these games are all about.

[Hunter Noventa]

I highly suggest any of the Suikoden games, assuming you enjoy classical JRPGs. Most of them are tough to find, but 3 and 5, the best PS2 entries in the series, are fairly easy to get a hold of.

If you like lots of cutscenes and holy crap mind**** plot, try the Xenosaga series.

Other than that, Lego Star Wars is an excellent choice on your part.

[bluish_wolf]

Anything by Nippon Ichi Software is a safe bet.

[Hunter Noventa]

Anything by Nippon Ichi Software is a safe bet.

I knew I was forgetting something! Yes!

This includes (in order of awesomeness in my opinion) - Disgaea, Disgaea 2, Makai Kingdom, and Phantom Brave. I have them all, and they all doth rock.

[HomerHT]

FFXII is definitely a matter of taste. Luckily, it's so huge that you can rent and then buy it and still have stuff to do if it's your bag of tea.

Definitely seconding Disgaea, if you can find it. I've only played vicariously through a friend's copy...

Kingdom Hearts I & II are both fantastic once you get out of the first hour or so of "meh" exposition.

If you're looking for a challenging experience, Shinobi is an excellent way to prove your gaming mettle.

Oh, and Dynasty Warriors 3 was the best of the series. Get it. Love it.

[Arameus]

DON'T PURSUE LU BU!!!!!

Silent Hill 2 is, in my opinion, the best of the Silent Hill series, although I haven't played number 4, which was quite a departure, I hear.

As far as survival horror games are concerned, SH takes Resident Evil over its knee and whales on it. Resident Evil relies on excessive blood, gruesome sights, and cheap shock thrills to add a horror element, but Silent Hill has created a worl that is organically and genuinely terrifying. You can taste the grit and dementia of the crumbling world around you. Silent Hill 2 is a crackerjack title, and if you can get your hands on it, definitely go for it. It plays through fairly quickly, and has great replay value, so you don't have anything to lose by getting it. If you're afraid of the dark, though, you might want to stay away, though; this game will seriously screw you up.

[Raroy]

You could other ratchet and clank games. Get going commando-> then up your arsenal. Deadlock is not true to the series. I don't even think its in continuity(Did going commando ever happen either?)

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne if you think you could handle it.

Some people like the god of war series (It's too.....overdone......for my taste.)

Disgaea- The story line is horrible but thats not why you play the game. You play the game to get it done, and then you play the game some more.

Guitar hero is on the Ps2.

I forgot about some really good ps1 games.......

This thread makes me think about how much I have neglected my ps2. Strange how I've played it more recently then my ps3 :smallbiggrin:.

[Alex Kidd]

Looking at what you've chosen for starting games, I'd recommend Devil May Cry 3(like God of War, but better and LOT harder, when you beat GoW come here for the game GoW is the watered down imitation of. DMC1 is also good, ignore 2 though).

We Love Katamari is just brilliant. The man who made is a living testament to the skill of lunatic artists, and the entire game is a LSD trip. I'm actually scared of what playing the game high would be like. I think it might actual be so crazy it loops back around and becomes an accounting seminar.

Anything from Nippon Ichi is good for turn based RPGs. I've heard great things about Soul Nomad, and the Disgaea series rocks.

As mentioned Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne(Lucifer's Call if like me you live in Australia or Europe) is an excellent RPG, but VERY hard. Godhand falls into this too*cept it's a brawler not an RPG), EXTREMELY HARD(as in makes Devil May Cry look like a children's game hard, keep in mind DMc does the same to God of War, this game is Contra hard) but very good.

Also GTA San Andreas is a very fun time eater and stress reliever. Also Bully is great for this as well and perfect if you're not comfortable with the violence of GTa(which would be pretty hypocritical if you play GoW, but if your parents have a problem with GTA keep this in mind, you play a fairly good guy and the violence is completely bloodless and deathless but very satisfying in a street brawl way).


Finally, don't listen to the bashers of FFX-2. Under the fanservice and girl power lies the closest thing to a classic FF since FF9 and the most advanced and awesome rendition of the classic ATB system in the FFs. Personally I place it in the upper half of the FFs, below 6,7,9 and 12 but above the rest (haven't played 3 or 5 though). It's actually a solid game. That said there are better RPGs as the FF series is by no means the best RPG series. 12 or 6 is currently by far the best of the FFs in my opinion, female leads seems to be good for the series, which bodes well for FF13.


Edit: How the hell did I forget Okami. That game is incredible. Also Shadow of the Colossus is epic.

[Artanis]

I was fond of Chrono Cross. It's a PS1 game, but it's playable on the PS2, and you can probably find it for five bucks or something.

[Gungnir]

Even if you don't get Silent Hill, at least go read its wikipedia pages. That s*** is freaky. Especially anything within sight of pyramid head.

Seconded on the Kingdom Hearts recommendation. My favorite parts were beating Sephiroth (just about the only "that one optional fight that's 10 times harder than the real final boss" (anyone got a better name for that) that I've ever managed to kill in a Square game) and the Battle of a Thousand Heartless.

FFX-II isn't that bad. The storyline is a bit too kiddy-anime until towards the end, but the cool costumes are worth the cheesy sailor moon transitions. Also, you should just use a strategy guide from the beginning, there's a lot of arbitrary quest rewards (crashed hovercraft mystery, anyone?) and you only get the good ending with 100% completion. There are a lot of things that provide like .10% completion. (That said, it does take 2 playthroughs to get 100%, but if you forget one of the little tiny things, theres no way to find out what it is you forgot)

Excellent descision on GoWII, have you played the first one? It's also extremely fun. (Especially the cutscene right after you finally get Pandora's box.)
You need the box to kill Aries, and of course, after spending half the game in the temple holding it, the minute you step out of it, he spears you from across the continent with a broken off column from a building. Hardcore.

[Corlindale]

Well, I don't think FFX-2 is a bad game, as such. Perhaps I phrased it a little too strong. I just think it's a bad Final Fantasy game, but that still ranks it high above many other games, and I was quite entertained for a while by it. I kinda liked the Dresssphere system (although it was a problem that you were discouraged from using dresspheres you had mastered), but I disliked the new fast-paced combat system. The worst part of the game was the story and the characters, neither of which I could ever really take seriously - and I quite liked both Yuna and Rikku in their FFX incarnations. Ultimately that was what made me stop playing the game.

[Metal Head]

Definitely GTA: Vice City, the best of all the Grand Theft Auto games. The Ratchet and Clank games are also pretty fun. And here's a reason for you to not play Kingdom Hearts: It's Mickey Mouse and Final Fantasy put together with a bizzare story. Were the game designers on crack when they got the idea for Kingdom Hearts? Medal of Honor European Assault was also a pretty fun shooter for the PS2.

[Alex Kidd]

Well, I don't think FFX-2 is a bad game, as such. Perhaps I phrased it a little too strong. I just think it's a bad Final Fantasy game, but that still ranks it high above many other games, and I was quite entertained for a while by it. I kinda liked the Dresssphere system (although it was a problem that you were discouraged from using dresspheres you had mastered), but I disliked the new fast-paced combat system. The worst part of the game was the story and the characters, neither of which I could ever really take seriously - and I quite liked both Yuna and Rikku in their FFX incarnations. Ultimately that was what made me stop playing the game.

Ah that's understandable, I have the same problem with the characters. But I liked the battle system so I could put up with it happily. And hey it was better than 8's.


And here's a reason for you to not play Kingdom Hearts: It's Mickey Mouse and Final Fantasy put together with a bizzare story. Were the game designers on crack when they got the idea for Kingdom Hearts?

And that's a bad thing how? Weird is good. And man if you found Kingdom Hearts too weird, Katamari would **** you right up.

Also it was Disney that originated the idea I believe not the game designers at Square. A surprisngly smart move from a business standpoint. That said I'll also recommend against the Kingdom Hearts games. The weird's fine but the gameplay is pretty meh and way too many cinematics.

There are much better places for weird(Katamari, Psychonauts no one's mentioned that yet? GET PSYCHONAUTS) and several much better Action RPGs( the Dark Cloud series or Odin Sphere spring to mind).

[Arameus]

Weird is good.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Weird can be good. Just as normalcy can be good. Weird also has the chance of being irredeemably terrible. The view that something weird can be considered to be better than something run-of-the-mill even if for no other reason than that it was abnormal is skewed and ridiculous. Originality and abnormality are very different things, and the latter is quite capable of lacking the former utterly.

As for other games you might consider, look at developers instead of individual titles if you're stuck. A reliable developer is a real asset in determining buying choice, just as a film having a good director helps you choose what movie you want to see; there's a reason people anticipate Spielberg films more than Uwe Boll films. In the same way, games by Square or Konami, for example, can usually be depended on to be of excellent overall quality. So looking through a developer's stock of games can usually lead you in the right direction if you've heard a lot of good words about them.

[stm177]

I'll look for Katamari and Psychonauts. In fact, I'll make a list of a lot of these suggestions, and head to Gamespot and look for used ones. I noticed that Best Buy has lots of the newest stuff, but not as many older games.

I'm going to avoid Devil May Cry for right now -- you make it sound too difficult. I already have to channel my inner hyperactive child to beat some of the fights in God of War II. :smallsmile:

I'm burned out on pure FPS games too - last few things I've played on my PC have been FPS games (like Stalker).

Thanks for all the suggestions -- keep 'em coming too!

[EvilElitest]

i like the Final Fantasy series myself (except X-2 and XII - the latter is probably a matter of taste, but the former should pretty much be avoided).
good man, good man


from,
EE

[Skippy]

Okami is also a very nice game, carbon copy of the Zelda series for Nintendo; with overland exploration, questing and dungeoneering. Very unique and beautiful graphics.

Fixed it for ya :smallamused:

Myself, I can contribute very little to what has been said. Kingdom Hearts and KH2 are great games, Okami, Katamari, GoW, and if you are a fan of rarities and have the chance to get it, find Gitaroo Man. A really fun game.

[Gungnir]

And hey it was better than 8's.

8's system was just fine in my eyes, because Death was actually usable for something.

"Sweet! I just learned a spell that lets me kill enemies with just a few words!"

"Right. Sorry buddy, the only things that works on can be killed in one hit already."

"...Damnit."

[JabberwockySupafly]

Games I'd recommend for the PS2 are (some have already been mentioned, I will remention anyways!):

Katamari Damacy & We Love Katamari
Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition for the added awesome of Vergil.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner; Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th Vs. The Soulless Army
Kingdom Hearts I & II
Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare (While I love Silent Hill 2, I still say in terms of scariness tAITD drags the other Surivial/Horror games kicking and screaming through a muddy field behind the shed and makes them understand the meaning of the term 'whooping'.)
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy XII
Psychonauts
Disgaea 1 & 2
the .hack// series is extremely enjoyable for the storyline, but the gameplay can get a bit repetitive.
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
Really shocked noone has mentioned the Shadow Hearts series unless someone did and I just missed it. You can also try to find it's PS1 ancestor, Koudelka.
and if you like a good fighter, Soul Calibur II is, in my opinion, better than III.
And finally, if you like a good classic style console RPG with a hell of a learning curve: Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
I'd suggest Monster Hunter as well, but they are closing the online servers in a week, so yeah... BUT keep your eyes peeled for Monster Hunter 2 as it should be coming Stateside according to the latest rumours from Capcom.

There are more I could recommend but I would actually have to break into my games collection, which is in the same room as my now sleeping wife (bad planning, I know), so I may drop some more names for you at a later time. I also work at a game store so I tend to do a lot of "product research" :D

[CaffinatedAngst]

Soul Calibur 3 is a great game, and very addicting. (though you may just want to wait for the fourth one to come out)
Final Fantasy is fun, but there are A LOT of cut scenes.
Guantlet: Dark Legacy or Guantlet: Seven Sorrows are fun hack and slashish games
Dyanasy Warriors us another great game (and Arameus is right, you shouldn't persue Lu Bu)
Dark Alliance: Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 is a fun game, and is basically DnD for the PS2

[Alex Kidd]

8's system was just fine in my eyes, because Death was actually usable for something.

"Sweet! I just learned a spell that lets me kill enemies with just a few words!"

"Right. Sorry buddy, the only things that works on can be killed in one hit already."

"...Damnit."

I meant the story actually. I too didn't mind the system except that it made things way too easy.

[Darken Rahl]

I recommend Final Fantasy VII for the PS1. Good luck finding it, though. *cry*

[Hecore]

Man, I ~like~ X-2. Yeah, it's light-hearted J-Pop fan service, but it's fun to play and offers some customization. It isn't the best Final Fantasy ever, but I like it better then 8, 9 or XII.

If you want 100%, use a guide - it is possible to get 100% in a single game, however.

For RPG's I'd also suggest Radiata Stories, Ar Tonelico, Valkyrie Profile 2, Dragon Quest 8 and Tales of Symphonia.

You could also try Persona 3, one of the Kingdom Hearts game, one of the Atelier Iris games, Tales of the Abyss, Shining Force Exa, Suikoden 3+5, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter, Grandia III, Rogue Galaxy, Wild Arms 5, La Pucelle, and Dark Cloud 2. I'd recommend them, though not as highly as the other titles.

I also like the Katamari Damacy line, Timesplitters: Future Perfect, Disgaea 1&2, Makai Wars, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Silent Hill 4: The Room.

For PS1 titles I'd go for Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, Valkyrie Profile, Monster Rancher 2, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, Um Jammer Lammy, Legend of Mana, Suikoden 2, Azure Dreams, Breath of Fire 3+4, and Torneko: The Last Hope.


*spoilers*
And here's why I hate 8 - A. Take forever collecting magic to become powerful - but if you ever spend it you become weaker! B. We all grew up in the same orphanage, but we had GF (plotline) amnesia and forgot, but happened to pair up together through fate!

9 wasn't bad, it just didn't do much for me.

FFXII took too long and played like FFXI.
*end spoilers*

[Icewalker]

I'd like to note that Ratchet and Clank is awesome. Get all four games. And beat them all. Twice.

Awesome.


You could other ratchet and clank games. Get going commando-> then up your arsenal. Deadlock is not true to the series. I don't even think its in continuity(Did going commando ever happen either?)

All R&C games are canon, I believe...they make occasional references to each other...and are all awesome. Deadlocked is a little weak on plot compared to the others, but it's gameplay is slightly improved. Get and play all four, definitely. The gameplay gets better in each game.

Then there is R&C Future on PS3, which I have played a lot at a friends. It is also excellent, and the graphics are ridiculous good. Also, the plot in it is much more serious than the other games, and leaves off with everything not normal...set up for a sequel! :smallbiggrin: woo!

((One final note on Ratchet and Clank: three cheers for the plumber! yeah!))

let's see, other than that...Shadow of the Colossus is ok, but kind of weak. I played halfway through it and just stopped.

Kingdom Hearts is definitely excellent. Get them both.

Devil May Cry 3 is an excellent game, but be sure to buy the special edition...normal is, to my knowledge, pretty much impossible.
(Differences: in special edition, each difficulty setting is reduced by one. What is 'normal' in SE is 'easy' in original, 'hard' in SE is 'normal' in original, etc.
Secondly, in the original there are no continues. Die on the boss at the end, restart at the beginning of the level...in SE you can set it to infinite continues with buying instant on-the-spot rezzes, or bought continues)

Also DMC3 wins the ridiculously awesome and excessive cutscene fighting award.

[Raroy]

It felt like Deadlock had lost some charm. Still good enough on its own though I guess.

[Necromas]

Get...

FFX
God of War II (or I if cheapskate)
We Love Katamari (or the first one if cheapskate)
The latest Samurai Warriors or Dynasty Warriors game for PS2 (or an older one, again if you want cheaper)

And you ought to be set.