OK guys, here is part two of my look back at my favourite games of the Playstations.
This time we look at the PS2.
10 ? Haven: Call of the King:
This is a game I doubt many of you will remember. It was hyped as hell before it?s release as being ?a game that is all games?. Admittedly the result was somewhat disappointing after a description like that. Despite that though, I really enjoy playing this game. It really did offer many different styles of gameplay and was colourful and enjoyable. The reason it?s so low on the list is that it?s dwarfed by other games that do the same thing much better. Plus, it?s a very linear game with very little to do except go forward, which is a big drawback to someone like me who loves open-ended games.
9 ? Spiderman 2:
One of the things I can give praise to the PS2 for is creating a movie video game I actually like. If I had to describe this game in one sentence, it would be ?GTA if it had superheroes?. That?s very much what it feels like. It?s incredibly open-ended. So much so that the plot from the movie only makes up a relatively small part of the overall game. Not only that but the game packs in all of these interesting characters that were never in the movie, yet manage to make the whole experience feel far more like a Spiderman story than the films did. It?s open-ended, there?s tons of storylines, a massive free-for-all environment to explore and tons of side-missions to keep you occupied. A very good game.
8 ? Devil May Cry:
For me, this is THE action game for the PS2. The gothic and occult atmosphere, the relatively simple plot and the enjoyable fight sequences make this overall just a fun action game. The enemies are creative and challenging, the environment is beautiful to look at and while the story can be a bit weak at times, this never bothered me. It?s just a fun game.
7 ? Beyond good and evil:
This was very much an under-rated gem for this console. It provided a good example of a female lead for a video game. Gave you a nice blend of stealth and action. It created an interesting world with a detailed story to go with it and characters that you could really enjoy. While it wasn?t a spectacular game it certainly deserved more success than it got.
6 ? Metal Gear Solid 2:
While it?s predecessor was easily (in my view) the best game of it?s console, sadly the same could not be said for it?s sequel. That doesn?t mean it?s a bad game. Not by a long shot. The gameplay was a huge improvement over it?s predecessor, as was the AI of the enemies, who acted more like real soldiers and gave you a legitimate challenge when trying to hide from them. The story could get a little confusing at times but it never bothered me. While I admit that the cutscenes were longer than I would like I was willing to put up with it because I knew the stuff in-between was worth going through them. A worthy sequel to one of the greatest video games ever.
5 ? Final Fantasy XII:
For me, the is the absolute refinement of what makes a Final Fantasy game great. The characters and story were easily the most detailed and interesting of any Final Fantasy game. The battle system was great, doing away with the random encounter system of previous games and going for a more real-time experience. The dialogue is some of the best you will ever hear in a video game, sounding like it came from the pages of a lost Shakespeare play. The only real complain I have with this game is it?s ultimate ?secret boss?. A creature so ridiculously powerful and difficult to beat that you honestly think it was only put in here as a parody of super-powerful bonus bosses. But still, it?s easily one of the best Final Fantasy?s I?ve ever played and a more than worthy contender for this list.
4&3 ? Ratchet and Clank 3/Jak3:
Ever since these two franchises appeared on the PS2, it seems as though they?ve been in some sort of arms race with each other. Both have a main trilogy of games for this one console. Both have kid-friendly characters and animation. Both upped the ante with each game. Both had good stories. Both had fun gameplay. And both ended their trilogies on the best of the three. The last games in their respective trilogies are easily the best they had to offer, taking what made their past entries good and refining it to a point where it really does seem like they couldn?t have done better. The only real difference between them is that the Ratchet and Clank game has the more fun gameplay while the Jak game has the deeper and more interesting story. But despite that they are easily just as good as one another. So much so that I could not bring myself to put one above the other. Instead, you?re just going to have to accept the face that they share the 4 and 3 positions.
2 ? Silent Hill 2:
Of all the games I have ever played, this one has both the deepest story and the most interesting characters. While I fully admit that this game was not scary per se, it was disturbing and intimidating. Creating themes and ideas that really make the player think. There?s symbolism in almost every frame here, and people to this day still spend their time trying to analyse it. The characters are nuanced and deep and every one of them makes you wonder about the division between good and evil and how that line can be blurred more often than you think. A depressing and morose game that manages to make a story that no game I have played since has managed to match.
1 ? Shadow of the Colossus:
I knew for a fact that the final two entries on this list would be difficult for me. I wanted to put Silent Hill 2 at the number one spot so badly. But I knew that if I did that, it would be a lie. Shadow of the Colossus is a better game, but only by the skin of it?s teeth. The story, while nowhere near as deep and thought-provoking as Silent Hill 2, was still a tragic and moving one. There?s no ages and pages of scripts here, instead the story emerges through the gameplay and the visuals for the most part, which is always a plus. The 16 boss battles are easily the most challenging fights I?ve ever had in a video game. The scenery and travelling parts of the game were so well-made and breathtaking I actually had to do a double-take to make sure it was computer generated. This is the ultimate example of telling a story through gameplay. The challenges you and your character goes through and the bitter ending makes this easily the greatest game for the PS2 I have ever played.
This time we look at the PS2.
10 ? Haven: Call of the King:
This is a game I doubt many of you will remember. It was hyped as hell before it?s release as being ?a game that is all games?. Admittedly the result was somewhat disappointing after a description like that. Despite that though, I really enjoy playing this game. It really did offer many different styles of gameplay and was colourful and enjoyable. The reason it?s so low on the list is that it?s dwarfed by other games that do the same thing much better. Plus, it?s a very linear game with very little to do except go forward, which is a big drawback to someone like me who loves open-ended games.
9 ? Spiderman 2:
One of the things I can give praise to the PS2 for is creating a movie video game I actually like. If I had to describe this game in one sentence, it would be ?GTA if it had superheroes?. That?s very much what it feels like. It?s incredibly open-ended. So much so that the plot from the movie only makes up a relatively small part of the overall game. Not only that but the game packs in all of these interesting characters that were never in the movie, yet manage to make the whole experience feel far more like a Spiderman story than the films did. It?s open-ended, there?s tons of storylines, a massive free-for-all environment to explore and tons of side-missions to keep you occupied. A very good game.
8 ? Devil May Cry:
For me, this is THE action game for the PS2. The gothic and occult atmosphere, the relatively simple plot and the enjoyable fight sequences make this overall just a fun action game. The enemies are creative and challenging, the environment is beautiful to look at and while the story can be a bit weak at times, this never bothered me. It?s just a fun game.
7 ? Beyond good and evil:
This was very much an under-rated gem for this console. It provided a good example of a female lead for a video game. Gave you a nice blend of stealth and action. It created an interesting world with a detailed story to go with it and characters that you could really enjoy. While it wasn?t a spectacular game it certainly deserved more success than it got.
6 ? Metal Gear Solid 2:
While it?s predecessor was easily (in my view) the best game of it?s console, sadly the same could not be said for it?s sequel. That doesn?t mean it?s a bad game. Not by a long shot. The gameplay was a huge improvement over it?s predecessor, as was the AI of the enemies, who acted more like real soldiers and gave you a legitimate challenge when trying to hide from them. The story could get a little confusing at times but it never bothered me. While I admit that the cutscenes were longer than I would like I was willing to put up with it because I knew the stuff in-between was worth going through them. A worthy sequel to one of the greatest video games ever.
5 ? Final Fantasy XII:
For me, the is the absolute refinement of what makes a Final Fantasy game great. The characters and story were easily the most detailed and interesting of any Final Fantasy game. The battle system was great, doing away with the random encounter system of previous games and going for a more real-time experience. The dialogue is some of the best you will ever hear in a video game, sounding like it came from the pages of a lost Shakespeare play. The only real complain I have with this game is it?s ultimate ?secret boss?. A creature so ridiculously powerful and difficult to beat that you honestly think it was only put in here as a parody of super-powerful bonus bosses. But still, it?s easily one of the best Final Fantasy?s I?ve ever played and a more than worthy contender for this list.
4&3 ? Ratchet and Clank 3/Jak3:
Ever since these two franchises appeared on the PS2, it seems as though they?ve been in some sort of arms race with each other. Both have a main trilogy of games for this one console. Both have kid-friendly characters and animation. Both upped the ante with each game. Both had good stories. Both had fun gameplay. And both ended their trilogies on the best of the three. The last games in their respective trilogies are easily the best they had to offer, taking what made their past entries good and refining it to a point where it really does seem like they couldn?t have done better. The only real difference between them is that the Ratchet and Clank game has the more fun gameplay while the Jak game has the deeper and more interesting story. But despite that they are easily just as good as one another. So much so that I could not bring myself to put one above the other. Instead, you?re just going to have to accept the face that they share the 4 and 3 positions.
2 ? Silent Hill 2:
Of all the games I have ever played, this one has both the deepest story and the most interesting characters. While I fully admit that this game was not scary per se, it was disturbing and intimidating. Creating themes and ideas that really make the player think. There?s symbolism in almost every frame here, and people to this day still spend their time trying to analyse it. The characters are nuanced and deep and every one of them makes you wonder about the division between good and evil and how that line can be blurred more often than you think. A depressing and morose game that manages to make a story that no game I have played since has managed to match.
1 ? Shadow of the Colossus:
I knew for a fact that the final two entries on this list would be difficult for me. I wanted to put Silent Hill 2 at the number one spot so badly. But I knew that if I did that, it would be a lie. Shadow of the Colossus is a better game, but only by the skin of it?s teeth. The story, while nowhere near as deep and thought-provoking as Silent Hill 2, was still a tragic and moving one. There?s no ages and pages of scripts here, instead the story emerges through the gameplay and the visuals for the most part, which is always a plus. The 16 boss battles are easily the most challenging fights I?ve ever had in a video game. The scenery and travelling parts of the game were so well-made and breathtaking I actually had to do a double-take to make sure it was computer generated. This is the ultimate example of telling a story through gameplay. The challenges you and your character goes through and the bitter ending makes this easily the greatest game for the PS2 I have ever played.
