The 10 Most Overlooked PS2 Games
“Oni” (2001)
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Only a short time before Bungie would change the landscape of first person shooters on console, they released a cyberpunk inspired third person action game published by Rockstar of all companies. The story itself was textbook dystopian corruption and mega corporations trying to control it all, but it's the game’s combat here that makes it noteworthy. The game’s inspirations from anime such as Ghost in the Shell were obvious and while there was a selection of guns at the player’s disposal, gamers were encouraged to utilize the title’s deep melee combat and acrobatic grapple system. While the game wasn’t truly open world, it did feature levels that could end up being entire skyscrapers which made it stand out amongst other more linear beat-em-ups. There was a planned sequel but these plans eventually fell through.
“RAD (Robot Alchemic Drive)” (2002)
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There’s no shortage of mech games in which the pilot is always inside the cockpit, in direct control of their giant mechanized warrior facing down their opponents face to face. Robot Alchemic Drive took a bolder approach to controlling your enormous wrecking bot in that while the player is still in direct control, they are placed outside the fight and must strategically choose the best vantage point from which to control the chaos. Taking on invading alien races is only half the battle though, as the player's actions during the many fights are reported upon by the news networks of the world and will criticize Earth’s Savior if they cause unwarranted destruction. The story is undeniably pulpy sci-fi drama and will be a nostalgic trip for any fans of the old school robot anime and tv shows of decades past.
“Freedom Fighters” (2003)
Before the Homefront series was taking on the invading foreign militaries, Freedom Fighters was starting their own uprising on the PS2 and arguably did it better almost a decade earlier. Taking on the role of a pair of plumbing brothers - no not those - players lead a rebellion against an alternate history Soviet Union as they invade New York. While primarily a third person shooter, players must also issue commands to fellow squad mates during battle and maintain charisma points in order to recruit more soldiers to the fight. The game was well received but was criticized for its short length. There are far worse complaints than people wishing your game was longer so they could play it more. While there was interest in a sequel, plans never seemed to have gotten past the conceptual stage.
“The Suffering” (2004)
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The PS2 had no shortage of amazing horror games but not every title could be the next Silent Hill 2 and so many equally promising horror titles got lost or forgotten before they truly had their chance to shine a light in the darkness. The Suffering’s setting already makes it stand out by putting the players in the shoes of a death row inmate as opposed to the deluge of creepy fog-laden town horror titles. The player character Torque must survive and navigate a supernatural apocalypse in either first or third person that kills many of the other inmates by taking on the form of many of the manners of execution for those on death row. The Suffering was very well received and even earned itself a sequel but is mostly overlooked when discussing the best horror titles on Sony’s second console.
“Primal” (2003)
Some games, despite all their potential and high production values, are still doomed to get lost in the shuffle of other more high profile releases. In Primal, player character Jen travels the demonic realms in search of her boyfriend and discovers she has more history with the demons that she ever knew. Jen can switch between multiple demonic forms, each with its own set of abilities and powers that can also aid her in solving the game’s numerous puzzles. Accompanying Jen on her journey is the gargoyle Scree and he is one of the best and most underrated sidekicks ever. The many worlds of the demonic realm Oblivion are all wildly distinct and display an impressive level of art direction given the hardware limitations of the time. Unfortunately, many review outlets called out the game’s shallow combat system despite praising the game’s deep lore and stunning graphics and production design.
“Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner” (2003)
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The original Zone of the Enders was a surprise hit upon release, and while much of that may have been due to the demo of Metal Gear Solid 2 packaged with the title, it still sold well enough to warrant a far superior sequel. With upgraded visuals more akin to the anime style the original game was aiming for, lightning fast mech combat and a far less annoying protagonist, The 2nd Runner hit all the high marks. However, the game failed to reach any meaningful sales figures and even with a re-release on PS4, the game still failed to capture a new generation of fans. There was a planned 3rd entry in the series but with 2nd Runner’s disappointing sales, game producer Hideo Kojima leaving Konami and Konami’s seeming indifference to making games anymore, this is a series that sadly ended just as it took off.
“Maximo: Ghosts to Glory” (2002)
The Ghost ‘n Goblins franchise has been around since the early days of gaming and has been making players break their controllers ever since first doning Arthur’s iconic armor. While many long running franchises struggle with the move from 2D to 3D, Maximo managed to perfectly translate its gameplay from a 2D plane to the 3D world. Clad in the armor of Maximo, players make a deal with the Grim Reaper to cheat death in order stop the evil Achille’s plans and rescue Queen Sophia. The game still featured the series’ trademark gameplay style and if Maximo takes too many hits, he loses bits of his armor until all that remains is a king in his boxers fighting the hordes of the undead. The title received an equally impressive followup with Maximo vs The Army of Zin but both titles didn’t garner enough sales for these 3D adventures to continue.
“kill.switch” (2003)
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Kill Switch is a title that does not get the recognition it deserves in the history of video games. Credited as the first game to feature a cover system, here referred to as the “Offensive Cover System”, which also featured blind fire, the influence of this title cannot be understated. Cliff Bleszinski formerly of Epic Games and the creative mind behind the Gears of War franchise credits Kill Switch as their main inspiration for Gears’ innovative cover system and even hired the lead designer of Kill Switch to work on the Gears franchise. Without Kill Switch, many of your favorite action titles wouldn’t be what they are today, particularly the Uncharted series which reshaped their combat development around this core mechanic. Sadly most everything else about Kill Switch was mediocre at best and the game received mostly mixed reviews as well as disappointing sales.
“War of the Monsters” (2003)
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Why are kaiju fighting games so few and far between? With all the advancements in destructible environments and creature designs, you would think this would be a whole sub genre of fighting games by now. With almost a dozen playable monsters and multiple environments and a retro 50s aesthetic, War of the Monsters absolutely nailed its presentation of the old monster movies inspired by the likes of the original Gojira films. The game also featured a full story mode in addition to 2 player split screen which would cleverly split and merge into one depending on players distance from one another. War of the Monsters was re-released on PS4 as part of Sony’s short lived “PS2 on PS4” program and you owe it to yourselves to throw down with a bunch of beasties and cause as much chaos as possible.
“Darkwatch: Curse of the West” (2005)
Vampires just don’t seem to get the same recognition in video games as zombies, so when there’s a title featuring the fanged creatures of the night, it should absolutely be on any horror fan’s playlist. Darkwatch tells the story of Jericho who after accidentally unleashing the most powerful vampire in existence is conscripted into the order Darkwatch to stop the vampire outbreak. However, players also need to contend with the fact that Jericho is himself turning into a vampire and developing many vampiric abilities that make him an even more formidable combatant. Darkwatch not only featured good vs evil choices but due to Jericho’s ongoing condition, his powers would be unavailable to him during the daytime hours adding a strategic level to gameplay. While Darkwatch was supposed to be the beginning of a media franchise featuring sequels and a film, the series never exceeded its original release.
