Seeing that we are all heading towards next generation in console gaming, it’s time to look back on what made Playstation 2 so popular among the three consoles. This list isn’t compiled from statistics nor from any game websites. It is based on what I have played and experience throughout the lifespan of Playstation 2. Without further delay, here are the top 10 games from my Playstation 2 list.

No. 10 – Soul Calibur 3

Started off as Soul Edge for the original Playstation, the game has since gone up to part 3 for the Playstation 2. Namco Bandai manage to cram in a hell lot of characters and not to mention different types of weapons to be unlocked for each of them. What made this game so great is the graphical presentation along with tight gameplay. Button mashing wouldn’t get you any where towards the few final battles.

No. 9 – Tekken 5

The king of iron fist tournament has been around ever since the birth of the original playstation. In fact it was one of the first games available for it and after more than a decade, the game is still on a roll. If only they bring back the good ol’ cheating Devil and Angel from Tekken 2.

No. 8 – Viewtiful Joe 1 & 2

Viewtiful Joe series is one of the few great examples on why 2D type platform game will still live no matter what. Originally released for the Nintendo Gamecube, the first Viewtiful Joe made its way to the Playstation 2 around mid 2004. Comical cel-shaded look, excellent voice acting (especially Joe), innovative gameplay and funny storyline makes it a must-play game for any playstation 2 owners

No. 7 – Star Ocean : Till The End of Time

If you look at Star Ocean now (assuming you never play it before), you will see nothing great about it, from both graphical and gameplay viewpoint. I was once the same, until I played through few hours into the game. Somehow I just can’t seem to put down the controller. Even when I did, I get the urge to continue the game as soon as possible. You just have to play it to understand that feeling.

No. 6 – Shadow Hearts : From A New World

I’m pretty sure that not many people played this game before especially with Final Fantasy roaming around dominating the RPG genre, but this is one game that no RPG fans should ever miss. In fact, I actually prefer this game compared to Final Fantasy 12. The area of gameplay might not be as big as final fantasy universe but there is a lot of depth in it. I mean which game developer would ever make a cat as a mafia leader?

No. 5 – God of War

What do you get when you combine massive hack & slash with half naked babes? Yeap you guess right … God of War. Upon release, God of War was instantly considered one of the greatest games of all times for the playstation 2. The graphical presentation was so incredible that I couldn’t believe it could be done on the playstation 2 hardware. Huge boss fights, massive killing, interesting game mechanics and fantastic music score are the key points of God of War. Oh yes, that includes the babes too of course.

No. 4 – Ace Combat 5 : The Unsung War

I have to say that Ace Combat games is definitely one of the best arcade-style flight simulator ever created. The series takes away the stressful real-life mechanics of a real aircraft flying and replaces it with fantastic gameplay that is easy to pick up along with a great storyline. Among all the Ace Combat installments, Unsung War takes the cake as my favourite and is currently sitting at number 4 of my top 10 list.

Righto! We are almost done, just three more to go!

No. 3 – Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2

Kingdom Hearts series are a no stranger to anyone who plays Final Fantasy or fans of RPG genre. This is the first game in history to combine forces with Disney characters. The end result? No it’s definitely not a kiddie game which is what many people thought. It is a game that I will give a 9 for storyline, 8 for gameplay, 8 for visuals, 9 for voice acting and definitely a 9 for music score. Give me Sora anytime over Tidus!

No. 2 – Fatal Frame 1, 2 & 3

Among all the horror games I played, Fatal Frame is only game that gave me an after-effect. I didn’t dare to drive alone at night, I couldn’t sleep without the lights off, I keep imaging ‘Long-Arms’ crawling out of under my bed and huge mirrors are the last thing I would want in my bed room. Yes, to me, it is THAT scary. But still, I love the game and I have replayed all 3 games at least 5 times to archive 100% completion.

And finally .. the number 1 game on my top 10 list is none other than ….

No. 1 – Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3

This is a no brainer. I absolutely love to Metal Gear games. It all started when I first got my first experience on Metal Gear Solid back in 1997 for the original playstation. What really attracts me is the story presentation and cutscenes that can practically last forever. I mean you can literally grab a popcorn to go along with it! The story usually starts off slow with Snake infiltrating a base just to complete a simple mission. Along the way, a turn of events causes Snake to be off track and that’s where the good part starts. The deeper you go into the game, the deeper the story goes, revealing answers and secrets to what would have been questions earlier on.

The legacy was carried on from MGS1 to 2 and 3. You still get the great in-depth storyline, the lengthy cutscenes but with improved visuals and game mechanics. Kojima made the right choice to make a Metal Gear Solid 3 a game that shows how Big Boss (Naked Snake) came into the picture but he made a wrong choice to bring an idiot in along the way. Who is that idiot? Raiden of course!

I would love to give a 15 out of 10 but … that’s unfair. So yea, a 10 out of 10 is what I would give for the Metal Gear series. Kudos to Kojima for his great work!

That’s about it for my favourite top 10 games for the Playstation 2. Below are the few that didn’t make the cut but worth mentioning :

Final Fantasy 12 – Great game but the series gets kinda stale after a while.
Devil May Cry 3 – Dante definitely puts a lot of sarcastic emotion in this hack and slash game
Ace Combat Zero : The Belkan War – Storyline isn’t as interesting compared to Unsung War

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