November 2014 | PS2 Games

Index the best Playstation 2 game ever

Posted by Mo Posted on 1:30 PM with No comments

The Best Playstation 2 Game Ever

The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling console of all-time, at over 155 million units sold worldwide. That's INSANE. No other home console has made it far beyond 100 million - heck, the GameCube barely sold 20 million units.

The point is, there's a pretty good chance you owned a PS2, or at least spent a decent portion of your life playing one. But what games truly defined the greatest console of all-time? It's up to you. Start voting. Let's figure this out.

The official voting period has ended. See the results below.

Vote

Results

100.

Rez

99.

Dead to Rights

98.

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

97.

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter

96.

Maximo: Ghosts to Glory

95.

Dead to Rights II

94.

The Getaway

93.

SpongeBob Squarepants: The Battle For Bikini Bottom

92.

Virtua Fighter 4

91.

Odin Sphere

90.

Alien Hominid

89.

Xenosaga: Episode 2

88.

NBA Street Vol. 2

87.

Xenosaga: Episode 3

86.

WWE: SmackDown! vs. RAW

85.

Suikoden 3

84.

Manhunt 2

83.

Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore

82.

Xenosaga: Episode 1

81.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

80.

Burnout 2: Point of Impact

79.

007: Agent Under Fire

78.

The Warriors

77.

Burnout Dominator

76.

Tales of the Abyss

75.

Burnout

74.

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

73.

Manhunt

72.

Black

71.

TimeSplitters

70.

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time

69.

Gran Turismo 3 A-spec

68.

SSX Tricky

67.

007: Nightfire

66.

Tales of the Symphonia

65.

Final Fantasy XI

64.

Twisted Metal Black

63.

The Simpsons: Road Rage

62.

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier

61.

Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII

60.

Gran Turismo 4

59.

Medal of Honor: Frontline

58.

Beyond Good & Evil

57.

TimeSplitters 2

56.

Tekken Tag Tournament

55.

Monster Hunter

54.

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves

53.

Persona 3

52.

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

51.

Katamari Damacy

50.

Need For Speed: Underground

49.

Devil May Cry 2

48.

Burnout 3: Takedown

47.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

46.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

45.

Sly 2: Band of Thieves

44.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

43.

Final Fantasy X-2

42.

Need For Speed: Most Wanted

41.

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus

40.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

39.

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

38.

Max Payne

37.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3

36.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3

35.

Guitar Hero II

34.

Spider-Man 2

33.

Psychonauts

32.

Tony Hawk's Underground

31.

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

30.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run

29.

Persona 4

28.

Ico

27.

Jak II

26.

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

25.

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

24.

SoulCalibur 2

23.

Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal

22.

Bully

21.

Final Fantasy XII

20.

Jak 3

19.

Devil May Cry

18.

Ratchet & Clank

17.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

16.

Silent Hill 2

15.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening

14.

Okami

13.

Grand Theft Auto III

12.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

11.

God of War II

10.

God of War

Resident Evil 4

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Final Fantasy X

Star Wars Battlefront II

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Kingdom Hearts

Shadow of the Colossus

Kingdom Hearts II

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Silent Hill 2 ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 4:14 AM with No comments

Silent Hill 2

Developed by: Konami TYO

Published by: Konami

Released: September 25, 2001

The first game scared the holy living piss out of anyone who actually played through it, but much of the debut's fear-inducing moments were born out of technological deficiencies. The sequel, on the other hand, was running on the PlayStation 2, and with a few years of R&D under its belt Konami managed to craft one hell of a fright-fest. It preserved most of the original game's what-might-be-out-there fear, but with major advances to the graphics and sound, the game was able to deliver a far more immersive, frightful and compelling storyline.

Leading man James had more at stake, more involvement with the town and far more demonic, powerful and, uh, pyramid-shaped skeletons in his closet. The soundtrack was incredible too, showcasing why some of Akira Yamaoka's songs are played at those fancy-pants new video game concerts out there. There are few iconic moments as strong and utterly terrifying as the sound of Pyramid Head dragging his massive sword around the dilapidated hospital -- and it's only made worse when you actually see him from afar just a bit later. When it comes to horror games, there's creepy, there's boo-I-just-scared-you and then there's the sinking, persistent, endless dread that comes over you as you try to make you way out of Silent Hill, and the second game absolutely nailed that kind of terror.

Guitar hero 2 ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 4:11 AM with No comments

Guitar Hero II

Developed by: Harmonix

Published by: RedOctane

Released: November 7, 2006

If Frequency and Amplitude were Harmonix's idea of rhythm action games in germination, Guitar Hero was the culmination of those ideas into something that resoundingly clinched the developer's spot as the new kings of the genre, dethroning the mighty Konami in the process. The first Guitar Hero was addictive, sure, but the second added bass lines, true multiplayer battles and a track list that some feel may never be beaten.

In a word it ruled, and became nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. In dorm rooms and bars (to say nothing of inter-office throw-downs), it became the de facto standard for substance-fueled, clicky plastic instrument war, catalyzed by a generation of YouTubers throwing their accomplishments up onto the web for all to see. Future games may have improved on the ability to play against others and have certainly widened the track list, but Guitar Hero II was the perfect sequel at the perfect time; it capitalized on the success of the craze while adding a few new things here and there. It was and still is the prime example of instrument-driven videogames at the height of their boom. Sure, future games have enhanced the formula, but none of them will have the same kind of charm and freshness that Guitar Hero II had back in the day.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 4:07 AM with No comments

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Developed by: Ubisoft Montreal

Published by: Ubisoft

Released: November 10, 2003

We've praised multiple games on our list as being revolutionary for updating a classic for a new format, but all of them pale in comparison to what Ubisoft Montreal did with the Prince of Persia franchise. Leave it to the French to infuse Parkour into Jordan Mechner's original idea of a princess trapped in a castle. Oh, the idea was shifted around, that's for sure, but the core idea was the same.

Luckily, all that meant was a time-bending trek through a myriad of Persian castle locales. The idea of beings (and indeed animals) infused with the Sands of Time gave the game a base to jump off of... or cartwheel... or pirouette... or to vault over and slash down the back of a creature created by the Sands escaping from an eternal Hourglass. It made for a unique kind of experimental platforming experience; if you messed up, you simply rewound time and tried it again differently. It removed the penalty of experimentation and though the series started to fall back a bit too much on that core ideal, the third game returned things to the original.

Even with all the additions and storyline advancements the franchise made, the fact that it all wrapped back around to the original just shows how powerful and important that first game was in giving the Prince a whole new set of moves to escape from his captors.

Ratchet and clank ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 4:03 AM with No comments

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Developed by: Insomniac Games

Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment

Released: November 2, 2004

Though Insomniac Games hit pay dirt instantly with the first Ratchet & Clank game, it wasn't until all the concepts of a platformer, a weapons-based shooter and the lightest of RPG elements that let all those weapons and health level-ups come to a head that the series really became a must-have. Make no mistake; if you own only one of the Ratchet games on the PS2, make sure it's Up Your Arsenal. The sequel, Deadlocked, lost much of the charm of the first three games, and earlier efforts just didn't gel as completely as Up Your Arsenal, nor did they sport its online modes.

The game's length, storyline, weapon variety, different modes and ability to re-play the story through a second time, were all a hoot. As if that weren't enough, you could unlock a neat little peak behind the scenes of the game's underlying tech in the Insomniac Museum (a returning feature from the previous game).

Final fantasy x ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 4:01 AM with No comments

Final Fantasy X

Developed by: Square

Published by: Square Electronic Arts

Released: December 18, 2001

Wash away all the bile and pain of that laughing scene in Final Fantasy X. Go ahead, just do it. Let it all go. Better now, isn't it? Oh, sure, the scene was borderline offensive to some crowds and the storyline wasn't terribly amazing either. But you forget, silly little boy/girl/whatever you are, that the battle system in Final Fantasy X has yet to be bested in terms of delivering the core turn-based Active Time Battle stuff we're looking for, while allowing you the freedom to finally swap out units and tackle enemies with the obvious weaknesses.

No more shuffling the party around outside of battle, you just swap in whoever needs to go to work and let the magic happen. It was surprisingly efficient for Square-Enix and we're a little puzzled as to why more games couldn't do something similar, but we'll take what we can get. In this case, it's a cute story with some epic consequences at stake and a cast of characters that, while good enough to get the first proper sequel in the series' history, took a back stage to the fact that Final Fantasy X made random encounters fun again.

Sly cooper ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 3:57 AM with No comments

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus

Developed by: Sucker Punch

Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment

Released: September 24, 2002

For developer Sucker Punch, the second time was the charm. Its first game, Rocket: Robot on Wheels was an underappreciated gem on the N64, but their follow-up caught the attention of Sony Computer Entertainment America and with a little first-party backing, more people finally got to see what the Bellevue, WA-based development house was capable of.

Turns out, it was a rather magical traditional platformer that mixed a stunning amount of detail on animation and character design with gorgeous art direction and gameplay that was almost constantly being changed up. There were mini-game-like boss battles, time trial runs on all the levels and, if you beat said time trials, you were taken on a little audio tour by the developers for each of the levels, detailing how the flow and layout changed over the course of development. Rarely does a game offer such pristine controls, gorgeous visuals and enjoyable characters right out of the gate, but Sly Cooper most certainly did it.

Ico ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 3:31 AM with No comments

ICO

Developed by: SCEI

Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment

Released: September 25, 2001

Oh you knew it was coming, didn't you? Yes, we all love us some adventures about a mute girl and a horned boy just trying to get the hell out of a castle clearly meant to keep them there. But what starts with a boy bucking his destiny quickly turns into an escape act for two of the most intrinsically endearing people in the history of gaming. ICO did some very amazing things; it introduced puzzles on a scale that hadn't really been seen before, offered a constant reminder of the wooded safety that awaited you just across a bridge that you only had to get to, and gave us Yorda and Ico, two characters that seemed to move through a dream world of immaculate lighting and level design with no care to just how impressive it all was.

And when Yorda took a leap across a gorge, reaching out for Ico's hand and just making it, you felt it -- you felt it every time she leapt, almost missed and was dragged up to the next puzzle. You did it because she felt real; just as everything in this world did. You did it even more once you learned the identity of the person who'd put you there. ICO is often held up as art and it absolutely is. It provokes emotion (despite not actually having a true narrative or character development), it provides breathtaking vistas and it makes for some of the best puzzles ever found on any game. That's how good ICO is.

Grand theft auto 3 ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 3:28 AM with No comments

Grand Theft Auto III

Developed by: DMA Design

Published by: Rockstar Games

Released: October 22, 2001

It's quite impossible to overstate the impact of Rockstar North (then DMA Design) and Rockstar Games' first fully 3D debut of their traditionally top-down gangster sandbox epic. The first time one actually got deposited into the middle of Liberty City -- saw it teeming with activity, with people having conversations, saw the seemingly limitless amount of stuff to do, streets to explore, missions to run, storyline threads to chase down, taxis to commandeer, ambulances to pilfer, cop cars to jack and the idea that quite literally any car on the road could be yours with the press of a button -- was a revelation as much as it was a revolution.

Grand Theft Auto III was the tipping point, when games went from being mostly linear, fairly confined experiences to existing inside a virtual world. DMA's carefully guided hand made for a shockingly enjoyable experience no matter what you did. You could get just as much satisfaction heading up on to the roof of a building and lobbing grenades or shooting rockets or sniping with a rifle as you could running around down on street level just punching people until the cops came after you. The radio stations were phenomenal (RISE FM and Chatterbox are still unbeaten as far as some of us are concerned), the Mafioso-heavy dialogue a treat to listen to, and the missions completely open to being tackled just about any way you could see.

The fact that we talk about the game so fondly -- and at such length should show just how much of an impression the first 3D GTA had on all of us. For the first time, we were talking to each other about the random stuff that we did in this world, not in how it made us go from one on-rails objective to the next. Though future games may have surpassed it in scale and scope, it's likely that no game will be the quantum leap that Grand Theft Auto III was, and that's precisely why it's our number one pick for the greatest games on the PS2.

God of War ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 3:21 AM with No comments

God of War

Developed by: SCE Studios Santa Monica

Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment

Released: March 22, 2005

The original God of War was surpassed in scale, options and combat by God of War II. So why did we give the nod to the original? Simple: it did it first. We are by no means dismissing what the second game did to expand the scope and the insanity of taking on mythological creatures in their very domains (ultimately besting them in the most ridiculous and awesome ways they can actually be ousted), but where the second game made it all better, the first game made it great... first.

The original God of War might not have enjoyed the sales of the second game (though it did quite nicely in its own right), but it laid the groundwork for all future iterations to come and few series actually offer that level of solid bedrock to build off of. Angsty hero who slaughtered his own? Check. Progressive system for unlocking new stuff and becoming even more powerful? Check. Confronting enemies in their own domains and squaring off against them when they're a good 10 times your size? Check. Yeah, God of War is pretty much awesomeness incarnate.

Burnout 3 ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 3:17 AM with No comments

:Burnout 3Takedown

Developed by: Criterion Games

Published by: Electronic Arts

Released: September 8, 2004

There are those of us among the IGN offices who would see Burnout 3 occupying a higher slot. That it can't do so, because of the sheer strength of other titles, is a testament to the PS2's incredible lineup. Burnout 3 rocks and is for some the epitome of arcade racing, blending an infectious Crash mode with racing that's so balls-out fast that if you blink... well, you're a heap o' metal lying on the side of the road.

The Takedown revolutionized the Burnout franchise, turning it from a defensive gamble that wagered your ability to handle oncoming traffic and some light stunts at impossible speeds against the desire to just slam into that dude that's been rubbing against you for half a lap. Burnout 3 was a massive game, both in terms of the number of cars, tracks and songs it offered, and in the time it actually took to chew through that big old wheel of racing cheese. It looked next to impossibly good on the PS2 at the time and of course stands as one of the most impressive technical feats on the system today.

Okami ps2

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Okami

Developed by: Clover Studio

Published by: Capcom

Released: September 19, 2006

Hideki Kamiya will come up a few times in our run to the top, and it's for good reason: he makes awesome games. Case in point: Okami, a game that owes plenty to the Zelda series in terms of how it progresses and the kind of ways it pushes players through an ever-increasing world. The thing is, Okami is most certainly its own beast. It stands on its own as one of Capcom's most innovative and enthralling games ever made.

Yes, that's right; we're throwing down the "ever" card. Okami's that good; it blends a perfect mix of find-item-to-progress with enough side quests and random encounters to make you think it's almost an RPG. Almost. Instead, it's that fantastic blend of action and RPG genres that makes for a compelling reason to move on -- as if the idea of being able to pause the game at any time and draw on the surface of the screen with a brush isn't enough to get you all hot and bothered. Oh, we know it is, we know. That's precisely why it's occupied a rather cushy spot on the Top 25.

Devil May Cry 3 ps2

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Devil May Cry 3

Developed by: Capcom Production Studio 1

Published by: Capcom

Released: March 1, 2005

See? See how bugs can actually make for some cool stuff? Had there never been an Onimusha and all the funky enemy-juggling bugs therein, Hideki Kamiya would have never thought to turn said bug into the enemy juggling, guns-and-swords deliciousness of Devil May Cry. The first game was awesome, no doubt, introducing Dante and his blasé attitude toward seemingly overwhelming numbers of enemies, but the sequel was... "disappointing."

Most, however, will speak longingly about Devil May Cry 3, which was easily the most hardcore and finesse-based of the games on the PS2. Fittingly, it was the last of the PS-exclusive games, widening to a more general multi-platform audience when the series hit current-gen systems. This Devil May Cry, however, was infinitely more technical, requiring something that felt, to a degree, like a Ninja Gaiden game in that you had to perfect your moves, upgrade combos and even grind a little, RPG-style, to upgrade abilities. It still stands as the most intricate and merciless of the games.

Luckily for some of us, the game's difficulty was tweaked a bit and a few more concessions taken with the continue system to allow less insane players to dive into Dante's world with the Special Edition, complete with plenty of tweaks and additions. Both are worthy additions to any library, though we'll go with the fancy new one because of the extra goodies and toned done challenge.

Virtua Fighter 4 ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 3:03 AM with No comments

Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution

Developed by: SEGA AM-2

Published by: SEGA

Released: August 12, 2003

Virtua Fighter 4 surprised the hell out of everyone. It wasn't that VF3 on the Dreamcast (or, if you're a purist, the arcade) was a bad game -- far from it. It was just that few expected SEGA to continue one of its most innovative and technical (both in terms of visuals and gameplay) fighters. Both Virtua Fighter 4 and VF4: Evolution didn't exactly blow up the sales charts, but they represented something sorely missing from the raft of fighters on the PlayStation 2 at the time: a tight, balanced, technical fighter that favored gamers that would practice and learn a character's moves and timings more than just a simple button masher.

If Virtua Fighter 4 was solid, Evolution elevated things even more. Yes, there were the requisite rebalances of characters due to feedback and how they did in tournaments, but there were also two new players added, which necessitated that everything be leveled again. It made an already great game even more compelling -- at least for those who were freaks about learning timing and damage -- and introduced a deeper single-player mode that made decking out your characters in ridiculously stupid outfits and throwing their AI ghosts (which you trained, of course) online that much more entertaining.

Dragon Quest VIII ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 3:00 AM with No comments

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

Developed by: Level-5

Published by: Square-Enix

Released: November 15, 2005

Though Enix had taken a couple of stabs at updating its classic RPG formula to be properly digested in 3D, it wasn't until developer Level-5 stepped in to take a stab at it that everything just clicked. This was old-school Dragon Quest, but done up with Level-5's trademark cel-shading. Upon being dropped into this world, old-school fans of the series got an overwhelming (and entirely welcome) sense of déjà vu. This was Dragon Quest in fine form, aided by a lengthy quest, all the classic trappings of the series (turn-based battles, series favorites like slimes and imps, familiar spells) and presented beautifully.

Everything about Dragon Quest VIII played like a tribute to the original games, a labor of love that was plain to see from the moment players fired up the game and were greeted by the bombastic symphonic intro (and if they were American gamers, they got a completely re-recorded score with a live symphony too). Any and all fans of the original Dragon Quest games would be well served by picking up this meaty little epic.

Hour of Darkness ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 2:56 AM with No comments

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

Developed by: Nippon Ichi Software

Published by: Atlus

Released: August 25, 2003

Strategy role-playing games have been around for decades now, but it was Nippon Ichi Software's tongue-in-cheek approach to the macabre land of demons and angels that truly perfected the grid-based setup of classics like Ogre Battle and Final Fantasy Tactics. Plus, let's face it Disgaea superfans, the first game still has the best characters (and Prinny voice actors, d00d!); no offense to Adell and Mao, but Laharl, Flonne and Etna are where it's at.

It wasn't just the cute, dark world that NIS created though, it was the ease in which players could move their units around and make tag-team attacks. That you could cancel out of moves or stack multiple actions in quick succession lent itself far more to setting up ridiculous tag team strikes. The first game's then-ludicrous numbers have since been surpassed thanks to people that power-leveled through the game and influenced NIS to make its own adjustments to things, but for sheer amounts of depth, grind-ability, story and relatively newbie-friendly approach to executing actions within turns, nothing beats the original.

Jak 3 ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 2:53 AM with No comments

Jak 3

Developed by: Naughty Dog Software

Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment

Released: November 9, 2004

There can be no discussion of Ratchet & Clank without also mentioning the Jak and Daxter series. The twin developers of the games, Insomniac and Naughty Dog, respectively, had long enjoyed career parallels, both rising to fame as Sony-focused development houses before Naughty Dog was eventually acquired by Sony. Naughty Dog's first Jak game was, true to form, a fantastic platformer, with tight controls, some great characters and a massive world to explore.

The sequel bit the style a bit too hard off the GTA games and tried to go open world -- perhaps too ambitious for the development timeline. Jak 3, however, mixed elements of both games; Jak talked, but he wasn't a whiny, brooding emo figure like in the second game (well, not as much), but weapons were brought back to mix more with the platforming of the first game. The scale of the world and the storyline were both widened and everything was brought more or less to a close. It represents the height of Naughty Dog's considerable production values on the PS2 and like our Ratchet pick, is not to be missed.

ESPN NFL 2K5 ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 2:47 AM with No comments

24.) ESPN NFL 2K5

Developed by: Visual Concepts

Published by: SEGA

Released: July 20, 2004

Some have called it the greatest sports game ever made. We'll certainly admit that 2K5, the last of Visual Concepts' officially licensed NFL games before EA took their exclusive pigskin ball and went home, was amazing. No doubt fond nostalgia always plays a part when it comes to these games, but we're not discounting the impact of 2K5 by any stretch of the imagination.

Solid playbooks and animation, tighter integration with ESPN and a more professional, broadcast-like presentation all won plenty of people over. It also served as the first salvo that SEGA had fired at EA when the two were still competing head-to-head, debuting at under $20 new. It was a move that may have worked out, if only the NFL license hadn't gone exclusive.

SSX Tricky ps2

Posted by Mo Posted on 2:44 AM with No comments

25.) SSX Tricky

Developed by: Electronic Arts Canada

Published by: Electronic Arts

Released: November 6, 2001

The first SSX game was a revelation, while the third was a mind-blowing experience that let you take a full half-hour ride down a series of ever-rising peaks, but it was Tricky that served as the ultimate example of PS2 snowboarding goodness. It was still a race, like the first game, but it upped the focus on tricks (hence the name), provided an absolutely killer (and interactive, thanks to the work of Johnny Morgan and the EA Canada audio team) soundtrack that put Run DMC at the forefront and offered some of the most amazing and imaginative tracks ever seen in a so-called extreme sports title.

Man was it good, and though the series was fantastic all the way through, it was Tricky that holds a special place in our hearts.

PS2 Games

Index the best Playstation 2 game ever

Silent Hill 2 ps2

Guitar hero 2 ps2

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ps2

Ratchet and clank ps2

Final fantasy x ps2

Sly cooper ps2

Ico ps2

Grand theft auto 3 ps2

God of War ps2

Burnout 3 ps2

Okami ps2

Devil May Cry 3 ps2

Virtua Fighter 4 ps2

Dragon Quest VIII ps2

Hour of Darkness ps2

Jak 3 ps2

ESPN NFL 2K5 ps2

SSX Tricky ps2

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