5. Resident Evil Outbreak
When you consider the absurd amount of sequels, prequels, spin-offs and reboots in the Resident Evil universe, you could be forgiven for letting 2003’s Resident Evil Outbreak slip from your memory. Set during the initial outbreak (funnily enough) in Raccoon City of the T-Virus, it differed from typical Resi games in that you could buddy up online, but only in non-PAL regions – that did arrive with its sequel, however. It loosened up some of the infamous rigidity in controls found in Resi games up to that point and created a community that still played it online until the Japanese servers were closed in 2011.
4. Amplitude
Before you go out and splash £13884 on the new Rock Band or Guitar Hero, take a minute to search on eBay for Amplitude on the PS2. Those modern releases owe a lot to this innovative rhythm game with the developers of the former (Harmonix) responsible for this addictive madness. Featuring a killer soundtrack and that “just one more try” appeal that so many modern games fail to accomplish, Amplitude unfortunately never reached the sales targets that it deserved. However, it might not be that forgotten after all as Harmonix have launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to make a sequel.
3. Primal
Picking up exactly where Legacy of Kain left off with its gothic design and dark narrative, Primal is very much a forgotten gem of the PS2 era. As protagonist Jen, you are tasked with uncovering what happened to your boyfriend across demonic worlds with a surly gargoyle named Scree as your only companion. As is always the way, you can transform into one of four demons to give yourself an advantage in battle with your companion giving you banter throughout. Another title which might have benefitted from coming out later in the life of the console with a bigger audience to attract, but it still holds up quite well after twelve years.
2. Haven: Call of the King
Even at an early age, it was easy for me to see the scale and ambition of this criminally overlooked platformer. Perhaps it was poor timing or just that it wasn’t marketed right at all, but this multi-genre piece of magic deserved a lot more than the small fanfare it received. By mixing elements of platforming, shooting, and flying a goddamn airship, Haven should have cemented itself as a classic rather than the afterthought it has sadly become. A spiritual successor would be very welcome in an age where large-scale, open platformers are a rarity. It was just too ahead of its time.
1. EyeToy series
Is it a cheat to include a whole series of games centred around a peripheral on this list? Almost definitely. But when you consider what similar fare more advanced consoles would bring to the table in later years, its legacy is certainly cemented in gaming, although unfortunately not in the commercial sense. After getting my greasy, Nik Nak powder covered hands on it, I was hooked with the amount of minigames found in the first game designed for it, EyeToy: Play. The likes of the Wii have a lot to owe to it and, if I remember correctly, its motion detection was even better than more advanced peripherals. Looking at you here, Kinect and Move.
Disagree with this list? Any games you would add? Leave a comment below and join in the fuzzy feelings of nostalgia.
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