The PlayStation 2 is one of the best games consoles of all time. It sold incredibly well thanks to its affordable price and bundled DVD player, and it is often regarded as one of the last bastions of weird and wonderful Japanese games, with dozens of new franchises with unique control systems getting their start on PS2. Katamari Damacy, anyone? What about God Hand? Devil May Cry? Monster Hunter? You see the point.
We’ve already named four classics (or cult classic in God Hand‘s case), and the PS2 is home to dozens more. Narrowing the list down to just ten is tough, but to help we’ve limited this list to only one games per series, and have cut down on ports. Sorry Resident Evil 4, we’ll see you on the best Gamecube games list.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater defined a generation. Not just a console generation, but an actual generation of teenagers who were being introduced to punk and ska music for the first time, and a new, rebellious world of skateboarding. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 is the pinnacle of the original Pro Skater formula and is a natural choice as a PS2 essential.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Your favorite Grand Theft Auto game on PS2 might be different, but this resonated with a lot of players. Grand Theft Auto III was revolutionary but rough, and when Vice City rolled around it really felt like the 3D GTA formula was cemented for years to come. The Scarface-inspired world is still incredibly memorable, and thanks to the litany of issues plaguing the GTA remasters, you’re still best off playing this game on PS2.
Metal Gear Solid 2
Regardless of which version of Metal Gear Solid 2 you play on PS2, you’re in for an incredible ride. At the time this game was revolutionary in terms of visuals and storytelling in video games, and cemented Metal Gear Solid as a flagship franchise for video games as a medium. At the time, this is what you showed to people to illustrate how cinematic and film-like video games had the potential to be. On top of all that, the stealth and storyline were second to none. Masterpiece material.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
In 2001 Gran Turismo 3 was acclaimed as the first must-have on the PS2, and it’s easy to see why. This wasn’t just an early PS2 racer, this was the best racing game on the market at the time, on any platform. Gran Turismo 3 was the game that racing fans had been dreaming of, and all games since have attempted to live up to that lofty legacy.
Devil May Cry
When Hideki Kamiya’s attempt at Resident Evil 4 ended up being an over-the-top action game, franchise head Shinji Mikami stepped in and told Kamiya to make it a new franchise. This resulted in Devil May Cry, a game where Kamiya was allowed to do everything he wanted, so he designed a too-cool-for-school protagonist that wears a long leather coat while shooting guns and throwing swords around. Admittedly, it is very cool, and this game may well have given birth to the modern “character action” genre.
Shadow of the Colossus
What is there to say about Shadow of the Colossus that hasn’t already been said? If you missed it on PS2, and the PS3 HD remaster, and the complete remake for PS4, then it may already be too late for you. This journey across a barren land to wipe out the final remaining bits of majestic life is bittersweet, memorable, and essential.
Ico
From the same studio as Shadow of the Colossus, Ico is unlike any other game since. The protagonist, named Ico, must guide a girl through a dangerous tower, forming a deep bond over the course of the game that even the player can feel. One of the early examples of “games as art,” Ico is still considered to be a hugely influential masterpiece.
Final Fantasy XII
The Final Fantasy series is massive, but Final Fantasy XII was the first time it felt like it was taking a true departure from what we were used to. For the first time, a mainline single-player Final Fantasy game had moved away from the turn-based battle system, and was also set in a totally new fantasy universe, with some of the best visuals on the system. Final Fantasy XII was divisive, but beloved, as proven by the acclaimed XII HD Remaster.
Guitar Hero II
If you were there, then you know. It doesn’t matter if you love or hate plastic peripherals now, but when Guitar Hero II first released, it was a revelation, with nothing else like it. It was present at every single house party, and just like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, it influenced the tastes of a generation. Rhythm games were now cool and not just for DDR nerds, and rock music was catapulted into the mainstream. What a time to be alive. Glad our houses aren’t stuffed with plastic instruments anymore, though.
Persona 4
Persona 4 is the game that’s so good that it released on the PS Vita years later and became that console’s must-have game. Persona 4‘s social link system combined with deep JRPG mechanics made it feel like a true revolution, and people are still buying it on every system that it is ported to almost 14 years after its initial release. One of Atlus’ very best games ever.
Written by Dave Aubrey on behalf of GLHF.