Wildcat’s Fifteen Favorite PS2 Games

While I have more PS2 discs than anything else, the majority of them seem to be retro compilations, which I don’t want to include in this list.  So, I discovered that I have several games I need to sit down and play, but I’ve experienced enough to pick what fifteen games from the system I love the most.  This list will most certainly change over time.

Shin Megami Tenshi: Persona 4 (Atlus)

I love Persona 4.  It’s on my Absolute list, so I’ll keep myself short here to avoid repeating myself.

Sly 2: Band of Thieves (Sony/Sucker Punch)

Sly 2 is a wonderful stealth/platformer/action game, with each piece of its genre puzzle shining.  Top-notch voice work makes the characters pop, and it’s a bunch of fun riding along with Sly, Bentley and Murray as they progress in the plot.  It’s a game that I argue putting into my Alternate list all of the time.

Okami (Capcom/Clover Studio)

Okami does so many things right – beautiful visuals, incredible music, and an enchanting environment make wandering the Japanese countryside as Amaterasu a treat.  It’s a little long in the tooth, but it’s quite wonderful despite that.  Further thoughts in my Opinion piece.

Half Life (Sierra/Valve/Gearbox)

One of my favorite FPS shooters (and I’m picky about the genre).  Gordon’s quest to escape Black Mesa is well-paced, full of creative aliens and situations, and is fun, fun, fun. The final section of the game in the alien’s homeworld is a little convoluted, but other than that it’s nigh-perfect.

Psychonauts (Majesco/Double Fine)

Double Fine’s attempt at a 3D action/platformer is very unique in the genre.  It throws in a lot of crazy ideas, characters and worlds to explore, and Raz’s psychic talents are well-implimented and great to play around with.  The controls are a tad rough and the game lacks fine tuning, but its zeal and wildness makes up for its downsides.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of a Cursed King (Square-Enix/Level-5)

Charming as hell with some of the best voice acting in any game, Dragon Quest VIII is a gem and a half that I truly need to finish.  Awesome characters (with, as I said, AMAZING voice work), beautiful music, quirkiness up to wazoo, and a solid battle engine makes for a lovely, lovely JRPG.

Burnout Revenge (EA/Criterion)

This is my favorite racing game.  It’s chaotic, it’s fast, and it’s responsive – everything I need to be intrigued at all by a racer.  A marvelous game Grace and I love very much.

Silent Hill 3 (Konami)

Creepy, atmospheric, and disgusting – Silent Hill games (at least the ones by Team Silent) have a special unnerving quality about them that repels yet attracts.  In my opinion, SH3 is the best in the PS2 entries.  I like Heather as a character far more than James, and the story is a clusterfuck of a ride.  It controls stiffly, but beyond that SH3 is my pick for the most terrifying PS2 game I’ve played.

King of Fighters XI (SNK Playmore)

Fighting games are not in short supply on the PS2, but I’ve spent the most time with SNK Playmore’s eleventh chapter in the long-running King of Fighters line.  It’s got a robust cast, the best play system the series has had, and despite a cheap-ass boss, it is a lot of fun to battle opponents.

SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy Seals (Sony/Zipper Interactive)

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed SOCOM.  I didn’t expect much from it, but it is a great squad-based shooter that has some awesome moments wrapped up in its levels.  The AI isn’t perfect and Jester is obnoxious, but on the whole I am glad I had a chance to give it a try.  More here.

God of War II (Sony)

I once had Kratos’ hate-fueled rampages in my Favorite list, but despite being well-made action games with neat setpieces to explore, the appeal loses some of its luster.  I like Kratos as a character (however flawed he may be), and this has some great moments, but I think the overall zest I was had for the game has dissipated over the years.

Neo Geo Battle Coliseum (SNK Playmore)

For a first crossover effort from their own games, this is a great start.  The gameplay is tight, the characters chosen are mostly good ones, and the battle engine is pretty solid.  There’s the unfortunate effect of missing some characters that I adore from the SNK canon (Blue Mary, Setsuna, King), and it doesn’t quite resonate with me as well as KOF 11, but it’s still a good fighter.

Silent Hill 2 (Konami)

I think James’ story is more compelling than Heather’s, and his demons are much more insane in scope, but it lacks the gameplay polish its sequel has, and the voice acting isn’t up to the same level.  It’s also much murkier, which adds to the ambiance of Silent Hill’s chill, but it can sap some of its shock value, too.  Worth a play, though, if you want something more adult for your PS2.

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (Sony/Sucker Punch)

Sly 3 has a major issue with packing too much into its core.  It doesn’t need seven playable characters, or an abundance of secondary modes (Sly 2 managed to not abuse this feature of its gameplay), or a fluff multiplayer mode.  When it’s focused on the main heroes, it’s as good if not better than Sly 2, but it loses that focus way too much.

Devil May Cry (Capcom)

As a pure action game, Dante’s first trek into gaming history is insanity controlled.  Comboing demons is a lot of fun, and it has a dynamic enough gameplay engine to keep it entertaining through the end.  It has some dull points – repeating bosses, swimming, some braindead dialogue…but on the whole this is Dante’s finest moment even after all this time,

Contenders:

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (UBI Soft)

Shinobi (Sega/Overworks)

God of War (Sony)