The PS2 is one of those consoles where they nailed everything right. It was a successful console that boosted the power of its predecessor with cutting-edge graphics. It still played CDs along with PS1 games via backwards compatibility, and it even served as a cheap DVD player for a long time.
Best of all, the games for it were excellent, as the PS2 had one of the greatest libraries of all time. Most of the best games are so top-notch that they even play great today on native hardware. They may play better with ports, remasters, and remakes, but the sign of a quality game is being able to enjoy it on the original hardware untouched. The range of the console’s best games will include a broad list of genres to avoid having one dominate the list.
Final Fantasy 10
A Pilgrimage With No End
Final Fantasy 10 is an impeccable turn-based RPG that has been ported numerous times thanks to HD collections. That said, it’s still enjoyable on the PS2, and some even prefer it over ports as it avoids new content like the Dark Aeons.
The turn-based gameplay was innovative as it allowed players to swap out characters in the midst of battle. Summons could be controlled for the first time, and the story was brutally sad, but heartfelt. Best of all, its mini-game, Blitzball, may be the best in the series.
God Of War
For Sparta!
God of War was something the PS2 had not seen before: a mature game that did not skip out on the gore or spectacle of action. It also had a repugnant main character, Kratos, who was on an understandable journey of revenge. That said, it still didn’t justify some of his actions.
Love him or hate him, Kratos became a PlayStation icon for years to come, and his character eventually had a redeeming arc in the 2018 reboot. There’s also an HD collection that made it as far as the PS3.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Taking Back The Streets
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the third and final main game in the series on the PS2, and it was the biggest one yet. Set in a new location, San Andreas, which is somewhere vaguely in California, players could roam the streets or countryside, which was also a new feature. They could level up their character’s skills, like to run faster, and take over territories in gang wars. There was also an HD version, which some fans didn’t like as much as this pure original flavor, which still feels great to play today.
Kingdom Hearts 2
A Slow Start, But A Strong Finish
Kingdom Hearts 2 is technically the third game in the series, but it’s the main one that pushed the franchise forward. The original and this sequel are some of the best-looking PS2 action RPGs to this day, which is why they cleaned up so nicely in the various HD ports.
The hero, Sora, gained new powers, like the ability to go into various forms. The game’s Disney worlds were fresh, and the addition of Organization 13 gave the series an overarching villain to fight against. The one thing some players had a problem with was the beginning, which was slow, but it helped set the tone.
Pixel Perfecting Fighting
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes started in arcades, but the ports to consoles, like the PS2, are legendary. The game is widely available on modern consoles via various ports and collections, but the physical PS2 copy still sells for a high price.
It’s simply the best fighting game on the PS2 thanks to its roster of villains and heroes from the Marvel and Capcom universes. When it comes to visuals, sprites will always stand the test of time next to polygonal models.
Jungle-Based Stealth
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater just got a proper remake, and has received various ports over the years, but the PS2 original is still legendary. No one will ever forget hearing “Snake Eater” blast out after the Virtuous Mission, or the first time they pulled off a great fake-out with camouflage.
There are a lot of mechanics that made it special for a stealth game on PS2, but perhaps its greatest legacy is being known as one of the best prequels of all time. Big Boss certainly had a troubled past.
NBA Street Vol. 2
Three-On-Three Perfection
NBA Street Vol. 2 is one of the best sports games on the PS2, and it is still fun to play alone or with friends thanks to a solid foundation of mechanics. It simplified basketball just like NBA Jam did for consoles and arcades in the 90s. Three-on-three basketball in small street courts made it less of a spectacle. It also added a nice root to the sport with a sizzling style, but unfortunately, none of this original trilogy ever made it off the console.
Okami
The Legend Of Wolf
Okami was made to stand the test of time thanks to its cel-shaded art style mixed with a watercolor aesthetic. It certainly looks better with its HD ports, but there’s no reason the PS2 game is inferior.
Set up like a Zelda adventure, players will explore a blighted fantasy land of Japan as a wolf god who has to reclaim land and make it blossom again. Funny, action-packed, and full of cool puzzle dungeons, some would even call it one of the best Zelda games that Nintendo never made.
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
Leveling Up Platformers
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando is the second game in the series, and it took the franchise to new heights. What started as a good platformer with inventive weapons turned into an RPG as Ratchet could now level up his health, and the weapon evolved with EXP. It was that little extra spice that made everything nice, and the series has never gone back.
3D platformers can be hard to keep timeless, but Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando nailed everything the first time. Unfortunately, it only got an HD upgrade as far as the PS3 and PS Vita.
Resident Evil 4
Evil Knows No Bounds
Resident Evil 4 may have started in 2005 as a GameCube game, but by the end of the year, it was made better via the PS2 port. It reinvented the Resident Evil formula with a new camera angle, a shop system, a different type of virus, and Leon S. Kennedy getting a big makeover. The native Spanish-speaking infected brought an extra edge to the horror, and fans will never be able to sleep again without thinking of their groaned words. It can be enjoyed on most modern hardware between the HD remaster and the remake.
