Summary
- Many PS2 classics like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas have aged well thanks to their engaging gameplay and vast content.
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time still stands out due to its unique time-rewinding mechanics and timeless story.
- Shadow of the Colossus remains a work of art with minimalistic, boss-focused gameplay that has aged perfectly.
It’s mind-blowing to think that the PlayStation 2 is already over 25 years old, and yet it is still considered one of the best video game consoles ever made, in part due to its extensive and diverse catalog of high-quality titles. Of course, many of these games have aged quite poorly, and many others have aged just fine, but a fair share of them have aged masterfully.
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From RPGs to platformers, these PS2 games have unique concepts that deserve to be experienced by more players.
Some of the best and most popular games on this sixth-generation system have stood the test of time and, even though they were released over two decades ago, can still be perfectly enjoyed to this day with little to no additions or changes. The following PS2 video games have aged like fine wine, and gamers who haven’t tried them out yet should go out of their way to do so.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
An Expansive Open-World Game With A Lot Of Content
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Released
- October 26, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
Thanks to the release of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 3, open-world sandbox games became extremely popular during the early 2000s. However, while that original title and its follow-up, GTA: Vice City, are undeniable classics of the genre, they haven’t aged particularly well in terms of story, scope, and content. Nevertheless, the same can’t be said about the third and final game in the franchise that was released on the PS2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
In a way, it feels like San Andreas has paved the way for the HD GTA games that came after it, because it tells a cinematic and engaging story set in a vibrant city called Los Santos that’s filled to the brim with stuff for the player to do, whether they decide to follow the narrative or just want to roam around freely to their hearts’ content. San Andreas even has a hidden local co-op mode, nine years before GTA Online was even a thing. This game was definitely ahead of its time, which is why it can still be enjoyed by fans of the open-world genre today.
Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
Its Time-Rewinding Mechanic Is Still Unmatched
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- Released
- October 28, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
In the early 2000s, Ubisoft completely revitalized its Prince of Persia IP with the release of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, an incredible action-adventure title with a time-rewinding mechanic that felt extremely unique and innovative at the time: by using the titular Sands of Time, the player can rewind time for a few seconds, which is cleverly implemented in both the combat and the platforming.
But that’s not all, because Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time also tells a simple but fascinating, timeless story filled with witty comedic dialogue that still holds up surprisingly well. Furthermore, the climbing mechanics of this game are particularly entertaining, and they directly inspired the climbing in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Ubisoft has been struggling to remake The Sands of Time since 2020, most likely because it’s almost impossible to change and/or fix a project that was already perfect from the get-go.
Shadow Of The Colossus
A Work Of Art That Was Ahead Of Its Time
Shadow of the Colossus
- Released
- October 18, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
Shadow of the Colossus is considered one of the best video games ever made, and one of the most solid examples of gaming as an art form. While Team ICO’s magnum opus has always been praised for its incredible graphics, beautiful soundtrack, and awe-inspiring boss fights, it was also criticized for its empty and barren open world.
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Back in the day, a minimalistic home console action-adventure title that focused solely on bosses, with little to no content in between, was seen as weird and boring. But this is the one aspect of Shadow of the Colossus that has aged the best, seeing as there are so many minimalistic and artistic modern games on the market nowadays, both from AAA and indie studios. Needless to say, Shadow of the Colossus has aged so perfectly that both its PS3 remaster and PS4 remake have changed almost nothing about it.
Persona 4
The Best Turn-Based JRPG On The Console
Persona 4
- Released
- July 10, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Way before Persona 5 took the entire world by storm in 2017, Atlus had already proved that it could single-handedly revitalize the turn-based JRPG genre (which was seeing a decline in popularity during the mid-to-late 2000s) with the release of Persona 4. It shouldn’t be a surprise that this PS2 game was so ahead of its time, seeing as it came out in 2008, almost two years after the PS3 had already launched.
Persona 4 stood out at the time because of its stylish presentation, its fast-paced turn-based combat, and its unique story with memorable characters, not to mention that it felt more accessible than previous entries in the series. The Persona IP wouldn’t be what it is today if it weren’t for its legendary fourth entry, and while Atlus has already confirmed that a remake (titled Persona 4 Revival) is in production, the original PS2 version can still be enjoyed today with no problems.
Kingdom Hearts 2
A Colorful Disney Adventure With Fast-Paced Combat
Kingdom Hearts 2
- Released
- March 28, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Mild Blood, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
2002’s Kingdom Hearts made a huge impact on the entire gaming industry, as nobody expected this action RPG collaboration between Disney and Square Enix to be so good. But, while that original game is still considered a masterpiece, it also feels more like a product of its time, with slow combat, clunky platforming, small levels, and a restrictive camera angle. Nevertheless, three years later, Square Enix released Kingdom Hearts 2, which is a much more timeless experience.
This game has one of the best combat systems of any action RPG, as it feels fun and simple at the beginning, but it ends up becoming surprisingly deep and complex by the end, especially when facing its incredible and challenging late-game bosses. Not even the combat in subsequent games in the same series, like Birth by Sleep or Kingdom Hearts 3, could compete with this one. Another noteworthy aspect of Kingdom Hearts 2 that has aged extremely well is its presentation, as it has a colorful and cartoony art style with 3D models of both original anime-like characters and classic Disney icons that still look wonderful to this day.
Okami
A Painting Brought To Life, With A Unique Gameplay Hook
Okami
- Released
- September 19, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
It’s evident that PS2 games with colorful presentations have aged significantly better than titles that tried to be as hyperrealistic as possible, and Okami is a perfect example of this occurrence. Curiously enough, Clover Studio was originally going to implement a more realistic art style for this game, but it eventually ditched it in favor of the beautiful and colorful art style based on traditional Japanese ink-based paintings that helped this game become the cult classic it is today.
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Of course, Okami looks and sounds incredible, but its timeless presentation is not the only reason this action-adventure title has aged so particularly well. Its core gameplay, which is heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda series, is incredibly engaging and entertaining, not to mention that its iconic Celestial Brush mechanic – which allows players to summon items and special powers by drawing shapes with Amaterasu’s ink – still feels like a breath of fresh air to this day, and no other AAA game has been able to replicate it.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Subsistence)
Still One Of The Best Video Games Ever Made
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
- Released
- November 17, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid series was doing extremely well during the late 90s and early 2000s, and it ultimately reached its highest peak in 2005, with the release of its third entry, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. For starters, since this game is technically a prequel, it’s incredibly accessible for newcomers to the series, although it rewards longtime fans who are familiar with its rich and complex lore.
Metal Gear Solid 3 has what’s possibly the deepest and most brilliant core gameplay in the entire stealth genre, as it’s filled with innovative mechanics that enhance the experience, multiple mind-blowing sequences that only Kojima could come up with, and some of the most creative boss battles ever created. The only aspect of Metal Gear Solid 3 that hasn’t aged particularly well is its fixed camera angles, which is why its revised version, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, completely ditched them in favor of a free third-person camera system that Kojima would reuse later in Metal Gear Solid 4. Konami’s upcoming 2025 remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, will try to change as few things from the original version as possible, which is solid proof of how timeless Snake Eater still is to this day.
Resident Evil 4
A Revolutionary Third-Person Shooter That Didn’t Even Need A Remake
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- January 11, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
When rumors of a hypothetical Resident Evil 4 remake hit the internet many years ago, fans naturally began questioning Capcom’s decision since, after all, this legendary third-person shooter from 2005 has aged like fine wine and can still be experienced on most modern systems. Fortunately, Resident Evil 4 Remake ended up absolutely amazing in every way, but it couldn’t even surpass the original, which is still being played by countless fans today.
Resident Evil 4 pretty much revitalized the third-person shooter genre and established mechanics that many other popular games, like Gears of War, Uncharted, or Dead Space, would go on to use many years later. While some people may dismiss the fact that Leon Kennedy can’t move while shooting as something that hasn’t aged well, this couldn’t be further from the truth, since this game was built entirely around that restriction. The shooting still feels incredibly satisfying, the enemies are still intimidating and ruthless, the disturbing atmosphere is still impeccable, the bleak environments and detailed character models still look amazing, and it’s filled to the brim with additional content that encourages multiple playthroughs. Resident Evil 4 is a masterpiece that is still worth checking out, regardless of its modern-day remake.
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