Summary
- PlayStation 2 had hidden gem games worth playing for their unique gameplay and stories.
- Games like "Shadow of Rome" and "Trapt" provide innovative gameplay mechanics and memorable experiences.
- Titles like "Magna Carta: Tears of Blood" and "Total Overdose" offer diverse gameplay styles and engaging narratives.
The PlayStation 2 was one of the most successful consoles of all time. With countless games released in every genre and a new generation of gamers discovering the hidden gems that were out there to find in their dozens, it was a high point for gaming. There are plenty of games that got their start on the console with the improved graphics and technical specifications.
Among the nearly five thousand games that were released for the console, it can be hard to know what is worth seeking out today and what to ignore. While some games have been remembered for their quirks, systems or stories, many others have been forgotten and are just waiting to develop a cult following, a re-release, or even a sequel.
11 Best 2D Platformers Of All Time, Ranked
2D platforming games have been around for decades, and in that time there have been several shining stars in the genre.
Shadow Of Rome
Capcom's Retelling Of The Assassination Of Julius Caesar
Shadow of Rome
- Released
- February 2, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
After Caesar is killed, a man called Vipsanius is accused of the assassination. Players take on the role of Agrippa, his son, who fights in a gladiator arena for his father's freedom while uncovering more of the secrets about what actually happened.
The story is nothing groundbreaking, but this game deserves renown for the gameplay itself. A massive selection of different weapon types are available for players to wield or throw at waves of enemies. Players fight not only to survive, but to entertain the crowd, and can call on the audience to throw better weapons into the arena. Weapons have durability, and players will have to learn to adapt and improvise. Alongside this are chariot races with destructible enemy racers and stealth sections that make gameplay varied and influential.
Blood Omen 2
Vampire Action With Brutal Abilities And Boss Fights
Blood Omen 2
- Released
- March 20, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Crystal Dynamics
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Taking on the overwhelming power of Kain, players of Blood Omen 2 slowly grow in strength as they face off against the supernatural forces that have rebelled against Kain in the past. Set in a fantasy world that Kain was set to conquer before an ambush and betrayal, Kain wakes to find the world is a place of industrial revolution and that the vampire hunters have taken control of this capital city.
Best Anime About Vampires
Vampires are a timeless trope in any media, but in anime, the following shows take the cake as the best vampire anime series.
Players use a flashy combat system that is based around blocking and striking. Building rage triggers massive abilities that can make Kain invisible, unblockable, or a burning deadly mass. These combats are broken up with simple puzzle sections and an emphasis on character growth and story, which is impressive for the console. This supernatural power fantasy seems ripe for a cult following.
Trapt
Strategic Action With Traps Serving As Player Weapons
Trapt
- Released
- November 1, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3
A somewhat overdone story is made fresh and exciting thanks to the strange gameplay found in Trapt, a game that is loosely connected to the Deception series. The hero, Allura, is framed for the assassination of her father, the king. After escaping capture, Allura gains powers from an entity called Malphas and becomes able to wield vicious traps to defeat her attackers.
Placing traps on the walls, ceilings and floors of a variety of maps, Allura must flee from her pursuers while taking time to rig each room with a strange selection of arrow slits, explosive flooring, bear traps, dropped rocks and plenty of other traps. While the game has a series of endings exploring the villain that is the source of her powers, the much more interesting aspect of Trapt is its gameplay. Players will spend most of their time running away and trying to lead enemies to their deaths.
Magna Carta: Tears Of Blood
A Strange JRPG That Blends Combos With Real-Time Strategy
Magna Carta: Tears of Blood
- Released
- November 11, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
In Magna Carta: Tears of Blood, players control three characters in real time, moving them around the battlefield to get in the best position and evade enemy attacks. By doing this, players will get a chance to input three button presses to trigger powerful attacks that will wipe out the enemy fighters.
Somewhere between real-time strategy and turn-based, utilizing 3D battlefields and rewarding perfect timing of attacks with more damage and more powerful abilities, the game follows an ancient war that is being fueled by evils that must be unearthed and defeated. The plot has a massive scope and a unique battle system that infuses the whole game with a tactical, tense vibe.
Total Overdose
Mexican Gunslingers Play Out A Mixture Between Just Cause And GTA
Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico
- Released
- September 16, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original)
- Genre(s)
- Action
Explosions, weaponry and vehicles are plentiful in Total Overdose. The game stars Ramiro Cruz, a criminal who works to save his DEA Agent family members by taking down a heavily armed militia. The story is over the top and rarely takes itself seriously, while the gameplay is intense and exciting.
7 Best Tower Defense Games Of All Time
Once the king of the mobile gaming market, tower defense games are an underrated staple of gaming. These are the best tower defense games of all time.
Players wield dual pistols, rifles, explosives, or shotguns, and drive vehicles into each other to take down the evil militia. The scale of the explosive action is impressive, considering it was pulled off on the PlayStation 2, and the slow-motion diving mechanic makes for moments that feel like the Matrix or Max Payne. For fans of the GTA series, this forgotten gem is well worth a try.
Tom and Jerry in War Of The Whiskers
Local Versus With Cartoon Violence
Tom and Jerry in War of the Whiskers
- Released
- October 22, 2002
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Comic Mischief, Mild Violence
- Developer(s)
- VIS Interactive
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox 360
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
A simple cartoon fighting game that pits players against each other in a wide arena to brawl in, War of the Whiskers features the famous Tom and Jerry using all kinds of props to beat each other up in stylish ways. Any fan of the cartoons will find all the characters they know and love here, including Butch the cat and Spike the dog, as well as boss characters that can be unlocked by playing through the single-player battles that play out like a fighting game's arcade mode.
The multiplayer is where the game comes to life, though. Players will face off in familiar feeling stages that each have their own stage hazards and unique weapons that players can use against each other. This can involve throwing eggs and tomatoes, setting each other on fire with a familiar yelp or laying mousetraps to catch the other player out.
Dodgeball
Super-Powered Dodgeball With Flashy Finishers
- Release: 2005
- Platforms: PlayStation 2
- Developer: Access
At first glance, Dodgeball does what it says on the tin. It's a sports game that sees teams of players hurling the ball at each other to get someone out until there is a winner. In reality, this fast-paced action game lets gamers take control of a team from different countries where they will play as some famous historical figures with unique powers suited to their nationalities.
Best Sports Anime Of All Time
Be it baseball, basketball, or boxing, the best sports anime deliver suspense, drama, action, and comedy.
The English will control King Arthur, the Greeks have Pythagoras, and each character can put their own special effect on the ball to make it as hard as possible to dodge. This flashy action is silly and fun, and was unfortunately never continued or widely acknowledged for being a fresh spin on an old classic.
Peter Jackson's King Kong
Innovative Immersive FPS
Peter Jackson's King Kong
- Released
- November 17, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Platform(s)
- PS2, Microsoft Windows, Linux, PSP, Xbox (Original), Xbox 360, Nintendo Game Boy Advance
A rediscovered gem that might eventually make it to cult status, Peter Jackson's King Kong is a narrative FPS that puts immersion and reactive environments to the forefront. Certain sections allow the player to become Kong himself, but the FPS sections that follow the plot of Jackson's film are the best parts of this adventure.
Players are given virtually no HUD and have to react to their gameplay to know how much ammo they have left. Computer-controlled allies act naturally and quickly and make the whole thing pop in a way that few licensed games do, and even fewer on the PlayStation 2. Even the graphics are impressive for the time.
Stuntman
Dangerous Driving For The Big Screen
- Release: 2002
- Developer: Reflections Interactive
- Platforms: PlayStation 2
A difficult driving game that is remembered fondly by those who played it on release, Stuntman tasks players with performing the stunts on a movie set as required. Players often had to retry levels to fill the quota that directors wanted from them, playing through the stunt driver's career in a whole slate of different movies that each parodies a type of real blockbuster.
A time limit and some set stunts that have to be perfectly pulled off will reward players with a trailer for the film that features the stunts they pulled off in a produced video. Doing their own spin on Guy Ritchie films, John Woo films, Indiana Jones, and Bond, the Stuntman is like fan service for movie lovers and reckless drivers alike.
The Most Punk Rock Games Ever, Ranked
Looking to fight the establishment and question authority in a video game? Check out these titles for some punk rock attitude.