Index the best Playstation 2 game ever

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    Results100.RezRez99.Dead to RightsDead to Rights98.Psi-Ops: The Mi

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Silent Hill 2 ps2

Silent Hill 2Developed by: Konami TYOPublished by: KonamiReleased: September 25, 2001The 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 h

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Guitar hero 2 ps2

Guitar Hero IIDeveloped by: HarmonixPublished by: RedOctaneReleased: November 7, 2006advertisementIf 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

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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ps2

Prince of Persia: The Sands of TimeDeveloped by: Ubisoft MontrealPublished by: UbisoftReleased: November 10, 2003We'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

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Ratchet and clank ps2

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your ArsenalDeveloped by: Insomniac GamesPublished by: Sony Computer EntertainmentReleased: November 2, 2004advertisementThough 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

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Final fantasy x ps2

Final Fantasy XDeveloped by: SquarePublished by: Square Electronic ArtsReleased: December 18, 2001Wash 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

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Sly cooper ps2

Sly Cooper and the Thievius RaccoonusDeveloped by: Sucker PunchPublished by: Sony Computer EntertainmentReleased: September 24, 2002For 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 t

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Ico ps2

ICODeveloped by: SCEIPublished by: Sony Computer EntertainmentReleased: September 25, 2001advertisementOh 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 ha

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Grand theft auto 3 ps2

Grand Theft Auto IIIDeveloped by: DMA DesignPublished by: Rockstar GamesReleased: October 22, 2001It'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 cou

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God of War ps2

God of WarDeveloped by: SCE Studios Santa MonicaPublished by: Sony Computer EntertainmentReleased: March 22, 2005The 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

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Burnout 3 ps2

:Burnout 3TakedownDeveloped by: Criterion GamesPublished by: Electronic ArtsReleased: September 8, 2004There 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

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Okami ps2

OkamiDeveloped by: Clover StudioPublished by: CapcomReleased: September 19, 2006advertisementHideki 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

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Devil May Cry 3 ps2

Devil May Cry 3Developed by: Capcom Production Studio 1Published by: CapcomReleased: March 1, 2005See? 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

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Virtua Fighter 4 ps2

Virtua Fighter 4: EvolutionDeveloped by: SEGA AM-2Published by: SEGAReleased: August 12, 2003advertisementVirtua 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 woul

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Dragon Quest VIII ps2

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed KingDeveloped by: Level-5Published by: Square-EnixReleased: November 15, 2005advertisementThough 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-ba

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Hour of Darkness ps2

Disgaea: Hour of DarknessDeveloped by: Nippon Ichi SoftwarePublished by: AtlusReleased: August 25, 2003Strategy 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

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Jak 3 ps2

Jak 3Developed by: Naughty Dog SoftwarePublished by: Sony Computer EntertainmentReleased: November 9, 2004There 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

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ESPN NFL 2K5 ps2

24.) ESPN NFL 2K5Developed by: Visual ConceptsPublished by: SEGAReleased: July 20, 2004Some 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 fire

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SSX Tricky ps2

25.) SSX TrickyDeveloped by: Electronic Arts CanadaPublished by: Electronic ArtsReleased: November 6, 2001The 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 t

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