best ps2 game?
- Thread starter Dom Scarff
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Based purely on what I played the most it would be the Dynasty Warriors series I can't pick one as they're all the same really.
But what I the most fun with and replayed the most would be either Shadow of the Colossus or the Ratchet and Clank games, I've come very close to buying a PS3 just to play the new Ratchet and Clank.
But what I the most fun with and replayed the most would be either Shadow of the Colossus or the Ratchet and Clank games, I've come very close to buying a PS3 just to play the new Ratchet and Clank.
I've got to go with Persona 4. Awesome soundtrack, Voice actors, storyline, everything. I have only played persona 3 for 16 hours so I don't know how much better it gets.
SH 2 is so awesome it doesn't really need mentioning. There are a lot of games on the PS2 that I loved so I kinda had a hard time picking, I tried not to pick the obvious ones.Horny Ico said:
That's right, I remember now! This is me getting back to you on that, then:Defense said:
Yeah, they're great.
The plot starts off a little slow in the first game, putting you in the very bleak setting of the Junkyard. It gets a lot more interesting further into the game, when more and more is hinted at and revealed. The characters are the same, starting off cold and gray before growing more interesting over the course of the game.
On that note, I would have liked more Persona-style character interaction. The characters are nowhere near as closely-knit as your party in those games, which in my opinion could only make their interactions more interesting. And it is quite interesting when it's there, it's just that I was left wanting more.
Naturally, everything that isn't plot or character interaction will be left to dungeons. The good news is that the dungeon crawling isn't bad either. Combat is brisk and tactical, using the "press turn" system from Nocturne made a little more forgiving. There are also random encounters, with a somewhat confusing encounter rate. Sometimes you'll go through a long hallway without anything hitting you. Other times, you'll get attacked after taking a single step. It's kind of weird, so remember to heal after every fight.
In most other ways, it uses the same central combat mechanics as most of Atlus's RPGs (elemental weaknesses, resistances, etc). Oh, and Hama doesn't kill you in these games. It just halves your life (or takes 75% if it's Hamaon).
A major difference between this and Nocturne (and Persona, really) is that you get to keep all the skills you learn, so messing around with the Mantras (skill trees) is encouraged. The effect of this is that you can make practically any build for any of your characters, which I found to be a very rewarding mechanic. You can completely spec your healer character to do physical combat or set up your physical attack character to throw mabufudynes.
Graphically it has held up very well too. Like Nocturne again, it uses a cel-shaded visual style. This makes the characters look very much like how Kaneko drew them, which is a nice plus. I had a hard time getting into his style when I saw his designs for the first time, but they've grown on me. Not sure what it is, maybe it's because they're so damn classy.
Unfortunately, a lot of the early stages are still kind of gray. It fits the tone and setting, but some of the dungeons will get repetitive. I don't think they were anywhere near being as bad as Tartarus from P3, though. There are occasionally some puzzles and mazes too, albeit nothing particularly difficult (probably for the best).
Then there's the second game.
Without revealing too much (and believe me, pretty much everything in the second game is a spoiler), they solved nearly every problem I had with the first game. There's more dialogue, more intrigue, more variation, some great characters and some moments that will stay with me for a while. The sequel changes everything, too. I won't explain what I mean, because that would also be a spoiler. It is one of the most interesting stories I've ever seen in a game, though. Some of it gets quite dark (even compared to the first game's fun with cannibalism), but overall it's a very worthwhile experience.
As for the gameplay changes: The Mantra system gets more complicated and it's a little hard to get used to the new system at first. Once you get into it, however, it works. Higher ranks get exponentially more expensive, so you have to be a little more economical and specific about what you buy. Fortunately, there aren't really any "useless" branches. Everything has a purpose in combat, except maybe the trees that are designed for grinding.
And there is grind. You may not *need* it unless you want to take out the soul-crushingly difficult bonus bosses, but odds are that at one point you will grind rather than get killed by a boss again. I mean, unless you're gifted at these games, which may be the case for all I know.
Oh, and about the music: Shoji Meguro is a genius! That is all.
The plot starts off a little slow in the first game, putting you in the very bleak setting of the Junkyard. It gets a lot more interesting further into the game, when more and more is hinted at and revealed. The characters are the same, starting off cold and gray before growing more interesting over the course of the game.
On that note, I would have liked more Persona-style character interaction. The characters are nowhere near as closely-knit as your party in those games, which in my opinion could only make their interactions more interesting. And it is quite interesting when it's there, it's just that I was left wanting more.
Naturally, everything that isn't plot or character interaction will be left to dungeons. The good news is that the dungeon crawling isn't bad either. Combat is brisk and tactical, using the "press turn" system from Nocturne made a little more forgiving. There are also random encounters, with a somewhat confusing encounter rate. Sometimes you'll go through a long hallway without anything hitting you. Other times, you'll get attacked after taking a single step. It's kind of weird, so remember to heal after every fight.
In most other ways, it uses the same central combat mechanics as most of Atlus's RPGs (elemental weaknesses, resistances, etc). Oh, and Hama doesn't kill you in these games. It just halves your life (or takes 75% if it's Hamaon).
A major difference between this and Nocturne (and Persona, really) is that you get to keep all the skills you learn, so messing around with the Mantras (skill trees) is encouraged. The effect of this is that you can make practically any build for any of your characters, which I found to be a very rewarding mechanic. You can completely spec your healer character to do physical combat or set up your physical attack character to throw mabufudynes.
Graphically it has held up very well too. Like Nocturne again, it uses a cel-shaded visual style. This makes the characters look very much like how Kaneko drew them, which is a nice plus. I had a hard time getting into his style when I saw his designs for the first time, but they've grown on me. Not sure what it is, maybe it's because they're so damn classy.
Unfortunately, a lot of the early stages are still kind of gray. It fits the tone and setting, but some of the dungeons will get repetitive. I don't think they were anywhere near being as bad as Tartarus from P3, though. There are occasionally some puzzles and mazes too, albeit nothing particularly difficult (probably for the best).
Then there's the second game.
Without revealing too much (and believe me, pretty much everything in the second game is a spoiler), they solved nearly every problem I had with the first game. There's more dialogue, more intrigue, more variation, some great characters and some moments that will stay with me for a while. The sequel changes everything, too. I won't explain what I mean, because that would also be a spoiler. It is one of the most interesting stories I've ever seen in a game, though. Some of it gets quite dark (even compared to the first game's fun with cannibalism), but overall it's a very worthwhile experience.
As for the gameplay changes: The Mantra system gets more complicated and it's a little hard to get used to the new system at first. Once you get into it, however, it works. Higher ranks get exponentially more expensive, so you have to be a little more economical and specific about what you buy. Fortunately, there aren't really any "useless" branches. Everything has a purpose in combat, except maybe the trees that are designed for grinding.
And there is grind. You may not *need* it unless you want to take out the soul-crushingly difficult bonus bosses, but odds are that at one point you will grind rather than get killed by a boss again. I mean, unless you're gifted at these games, which may be the case for all I know.
Oh, and about the music: Shoji Meguro is a genius! That is all.
Bottom line: I loved them, especially the second one.
Be warned that if you should decide to pick these games up, make sure you get both of them in one go. Not only is the second game much better than the first, but the first game ends on a gigantic cliffhanger. That's also not a spoiler.
You see, DDS2 is not a sequel in the Portal 2 or even the Baldur's Gate 2 sense. It's just part 2 of Digital Devil Saga. The first part doesn't have much of a conclusion, and not much is explained at the start of the second part. Most of the questions are in the first game, and all the answers are in the second.
Neither game is extremely long if you just go through the main story. I spent about 30 hours on the first and 35 on the second, and that's with my own unnecessary grind (hey, I like seeing numbers increase sometimes).
You know, I was GOING to say Final Fantasy X...
But then I remembered Kingdom Hearts. Except THEN I rememebered that Persona 4 actually DID come out on the PS2 (it came out so recently, I sometimes forget it's a PS2 game).
So, gonna have to go with that. Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy X take a close second, however.
But then I remembered Kingdom Hearts. Except THEN I rememebered that Persona 4 actually DID come out on the PS2 (it came out so recently, I sometimes forget it's a PS2 game).
So, gonna have to go with that. Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy X take a close second, however.
I'm going to say Silent Hill 2 is my favourite, but I also loved Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy X, Dragon Quest VIII, I've done about 105 hours on it and I still haven't completed it yet, Metal Gear Solid 3 was brilliant and Psychonauts. The ps2 had amazing games
Damn, the best PS2-game ever? Hell, I wouldn't even be able to choose the best of a genre on that platform. The PS2 stood strong in pretty much every genre, but it was especially note-worthy when it came to platformers and JRPGs.
My list of candidates:
Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call (or SMT III: Nocturne, for you US-people)
Of all the SMT-titles (including Digital Devil, Devil summoner and Persona) this one still takes the cake. The stoic feel and use of the clair-obscure technique create an amazing atmosphere. It has a distinct occult feel that oozes throughout character design and storytelling. Plus, it's really lengthy, you can persuade over 180 demons and it happens to be quite challenging.
Shadow Hearts Covenant
An amazing JRPG that did everything its predecessor didn't. The original Shadow Hearts had a legendary soundtrack, a nice gameplay concept (the Judgement Ring) and excelled in both dialogue and story. However, the graphics were terrible and apart from the Judgement Ring (and the fusions), the gameplay was far from inventive. Enter: Shadow Hearts Covenant. The plot, the music, the graphical design, the combat... Damn, the combat: combo's, fusions, crest-based magic, the Key of Solomon, adaptable Judgement Rings and individual-bound moves. Oh, and while it didn't have the most detailed CG-movies, they did have the most cinematographically awesome ones, I kid you not!
Jak II: Renegade
A sequel that surpassed the original in every possible way. A distopian city made for free-roaming, a bunch of external areas and a great balance between combat (armed + melee) and platform elements. Not to mention the story, the cut-scenes and the humor. Oh God, the humor...
Ratchet & Clank 2 (or Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, for you US-people)
Again, the second one in a series - seems like a conspiracy, don't you think? It would seem that adding some RPG-elements to Ratchet & Clank's original gun-fest was a REALLY good decision.
TimeSplitters 2 or TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (not console exclusive)
A short but powerful solo campaign, with Challenges and an Arcade mode to expand the single player experience. A surreal multiplayer (with 4-player offline option) that never got old: tons of weapons from various time periods, lots of variation in the maps, 13 different multiplayer modes, lots and lots of characters and the freedom to adapt almost everything in a match. It even had a map-maker, with the option to make your own missions. Gentlemen, we NEED a TimeSplitters 4.
Okami (for a while, it was exclusive)
Engaging, funny, inventive and a true marvel on the audio-visual department. The Celestial Brush was one of the most incredible ideas I ever experienced in gameplay.
Team ICO titles (ICO and Shadow Of The Colossus)
Just... Beautiful, nothing more to say about these titles, really. It's an experience.
And I suppose Final Fantasy X, Persona 3, God of War and Sly Raccoon deserve an honorable mention.
My list of candidates:
Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call (or SMT III: Nocturne, for you US-people)
Of all the SMT-titles (including Digital Devil, Devil summoner and Persona) this one still takes the cake. The stoic feel and use of the clair-obscure technique create an amazing atmosphere. It has a distinct occult feel that oozes throughout character design and storytelling. Plus, it's really lengthy, you can persuade over 180 demons and it happens to be quite challenging.
Shadow Hearts Covenant
An amazing JRPG that did everything its predecessor didn't. The original Shadow Hearts had a legendary soundtrack, a nice gameplay concept (the Judgement Ring) and excelled in both dialogue and story. However, the graphics were terrible and apart from the Judgement Ring (and the fusions), the gameplay was far from inventive. Enter: Shadow Hearts Covenant. The plot, the music, the graphical design, the combat... Damn, the combat: combo's, fusions, crest-based magic, the Key of Solomon, adaptable Judgement Rings and individual-bound moves. Oh, and while it didn't have the most detailed CG-movies, they did have the most cinematographically awesome ones, I kid you not!
Jak II: Renegade
A sequel that surpassed the original in every possible way. A distopian city made for free-roaming, a bunch of external areas and a great balance between combat (armed + melee) and platform elements. Not to mention the story, the cut-scenes and the humor. Oh God, the humor...
Ratchet & Clank 2 (or Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, for you US-people)
Again, the second one in a series - seems like a conspiracy, don't you think? It would seem that adding some RPG-elements to Ratchet & Clank's original gun-fest was a REALLY good decision.
TimeSplitters 2 or TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (not console exclusive)
A short but powerful solo campaign, with Challenges and an Arcade mode to expand the single player experience. A surreal multiplayer (with 4-player offline option) that never got old: tons of weapons from various time periods, lots of variation in the maps, 13 different multiplayer modes, lots and lots of characters and the freedom to adapt almost everything in a match. It even had a map-maker, with the option to make your own missions. Gentlemen, we NEED a TimeSplitters 4.
Okami (for a while, it was exclusive)
Engaging, funny, inventive and a true marvel on the audio-visual department. The Celestial Brush was one of the most incredible ideas I ever experienced in gameplay.
Team ICO titles (ICO and Shadow Of The Colossus)
Just... Beautiful, nothing more to say about these titles, really. It's an experience.
And I suppose Final Fantasy X, Persona 3, God of War and Sly Raccoon deserve an honorable mention.
