All Time Top 10 Playstation 2 Games

The Sony Playstation 2 is held dear in the hearts of many, with one of the most expansive and high-quality libraries in the history of the medium. As the market leader of its generation, it holds many of what some call the greatest games ever made. No ten-game list could hope to take note of every exemplary title in this system’s library, but our staff has put their heads together to try to pick ten games that stand above the rest.

10. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

Persona 4 is often hailed as the “last hurrah” of the Playstation 2, released two years into the life cycle of the system’s successor. It says a lot, then, that it’s still heralded as the best game of its genre to be released in several years. Coupling traditional Japanese RPG gameplay with dating simulation elements and thrust into a bizarre contemporary suburban setting, Persona 4 stands apart from the rest of the crowd by virtue of its uniqueness and the quality of its writing.

9. Gran Turismo 4

There is a lot that you could say about Gran Turismo, because there is a lot of content here. Actually, “a lot” doesn’t really do it justice: the game features over 700 licensed vehicles from over 80 manufacturers, meaning that there are people who have owned this game for four years and probably still haven’t raced in all of the vehicles yet. The appeal of the game’s adherence to reality (damage or no damage) is obvious and long-standing, with people buying the game to this day for its models, its physics, and its attempt to simulate the experience of driving more vehicles than the player will ever, ever get behind the wheel of. We’re still waiting for a full sequel!

8. Kingdom Hearts II

What do you get when you take one part original Square-Enix storytelling, one part Final Fantasy, and two parts classic Disney lore? Apparently, you get magic. Kingdom Hearts, as a formula and a game, was so successful that a sequel was almost a given. When Kingdom Hearts II hit it brought many changes to the series: a greater focus on original storytelling, more action-packed combat, cinematic Reaction Commands, and a greatly expanded cast built on what many people loved from the original game. Exploring new worlds based on Disney movies combined with the thrill of seeing Final Fantasy characters running around doing their own thing made for a weird but pleasant dynamic that hasn’t been replicated in any other game, up to and including other crossover titles. I mean, really, who doesn’t want to see the Beast tear apart more bad guys? I know I do.

7. ICO

ICO’s status as a “cult classic” is so solid at this point that I’m not sure the label even fits anymore. ICO is a game in which there is almost no combat and in which there are only three characters of note. These elements are place in a grand, dilapidated, and haunted castle to create one of the most memorable gaming experiences on the Playstation 2, if not of all time. The theme of and necessity for physical contact between the player character and the girl he is trying to rescue creates a bond that stays with gamers long after the credits have rolled. The game’s puzzle-solving was so seamless that many never realized they were taking part in it, and its minimalist design made every moment, every character stand out in one’s memory. It is not to every one’s taste, but ICO is a game built on an idea, a game that touches the people who play it, and for that it deserves every accolade it gets.

6. God of War

God of War is sort of the logical extreme of some schools of video game design: every button you press, every action you take, is so invested with energy and violence that there is no part of the game that does not serve to enhance the spectacle of playing it. Every moment is like living out the comic book fantasy of a teenager, ripping zombies in half, stabbing minotaurs in the face and pulling the eyes out of a cyclops. Actually, I feel like impaling a hydra just writing about it. Solid puzzle-solving combined with epic boss fights made this an experience to remember, but it would be a disservice to forget the character of Kratos and his story. Though the plot of God of War is simple (as Greek tragedies often are, at their heart), Kratos has established himself as a memorable hero whose persona is bigger than the world-shattering plot that gave birth to him.

5. Resident Evil 4

Say hello to one of the most breakaway successful games of all time – by which I mean that Resident Evil 4 broke away considerably from the formula of its predecessors, and succeeded because of this rather than in spite of it. With only the most tenuous connections to its forebears in terms of plot, Resident Evil 4 does its level best to establish itself as its own creature, and succeeds marvelously. From its setting, to its particular cast of characters, to its fantastic enemy design, Resident Evil 4 stands head and shoulders above its competition. This is a game that takes itself very seriously with its horror elements and its stop-and-pop shooter gameplay, using control limitations to shape how a player can interact with the environment that few people notice but most appreciate anyway. The plot is silly, but the game’s designers seemed very aware of this, making constant campy jokes that come across as a wink to the audience. “Sit back and enjoy the ride,” it seems to say. Then they kill you during a cutscene! Oh, Capcom, you so crazy.

4. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Welcome to San Andreas, the apotheosis of all Grand Theft Autos on the Playstation 2. This series is built on two principles: awareness of popular culture from the period being depicted, and the ability to do whatever you want. San Andreas is the highest-selling entry in the series exactly because it succeeds so well at both of these, providing a lot of material for those of us who grew up in the nineties and those of us who want to do everything from walk around parks to driving around, knocking over mailboxes with baseball bats. The story is good, and the gameplay is improved over its predecessors, but the real power of Grand Theft Auto comes in doing whatever you please within the system presented to you. The first time you wreck your car so badly it explodes, then steal a motorcycle and go flying off of a ramp (or a freeway, if your judgment is bad), you’ll know you’re in the right place. There’s a lot to be said for the adventures of Carl Johnson, but San Andreas is about your adventures, and that’s what makes it great.

3. Final Fantasy X

Final Fantasy X still stands prominently in the memories of many as the height of the series on the Playstation 2, and for good reason. Final Fantasy X thrust the player into the world of Spira, where the motivations of the main character, while clear, are brought into question. Often cited as having the most genuine cast of characters in a Final Fantasy, this game’s primary strength is unquestionably in its plot and its characterizations, but it also stands as a pioneer for the series in terms of gameplay. The Sphere Grid system is still cited as one of the best character-building systems in the genre, and the game’s particular take on turn-based battles remains unique and memorable. This is to say nothing of the game’s soundtrack, which is for many people the entire reason to play the game, and often cited as one of Nobuo Uematsu’s most exemplary works.

2. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is the story of Naked Snake, the man who would come to be known as Big Boss. It’s the last entry in its series to appear on the Playstation 2, and it builds on the legacy of its predecessors considerably. Hideo Kojima has in this game crafted a work of art that does what it does very well, assuming you are the kind of gamer who can get into it. The camouflage system is one of the most immersive stealth gameplay mechanics to come out of the series, and the CQC system finally gave our man Snake the ability to fight as well as a super soldier should. When people talk about Metal Gear Solid they often expand on its story, its cinematic qualities, and the strength of its characters, but the real power of Snake Eater comes in how it functions as a game, an interactive experience. The game’s strength lies in moments, when you must sneak past an enemy that can easily kill you, when you must do battle with legends, when you take ownership of your own actions, unable to rationalize that Naked Snake is doing what he has to. In this game more than any other in the series, you are made to feel responsible. For a video game, that is power.

1. Shadow of the Colossus

There is a lot that could be written about Shadow of the Colossus – in certain disciplines, you could probably pull one Hell of a doctoral thesis out of it. Shadow of the Colossus is a game with all the extraneous parts cut away, honed to a razor’s edge and thrust into the minds of the people who play it. Sixteen battles with sixteen monsters is the entire game, or at least the entire game when you speak of it in terms of objectives. There is no doubt that Shadow of the Colossus is a game about objectives, either: Wander, the hero of the story, is easily the most driven and terrifying hero in video games, who will scale mountains and kill them for a purpose which is made clear in the beginning but is never revealed in its entirety. But like its older brother, ICO, the experience of Shadow of the Colossus is about more than just the objective: it is in the journey, in long treks across a shattered world, in stopping by rivers and watching your horse drink. Shadow of the Colossus is a game that is full of magic, as few games are, and though it is not for everyone it will stick forever in the minds of those to whom it appeals. There is no other game quite like it, and when talking about the library of the Playstation 2, that is really saying something.