10 PS2 Games That Have Aged Incredibly Well

You won’t get any arguments around here about the PS2 being the greatest video game console of all time. Released in most major markets in the year 2000, the PlayStation 2 accomplished several amazing feats. It extended Sony’s console dominance by another decade, gave people the cheapest DVD player they were going to get in the early 2000s, and became the best-selling video game system ever. Not too shabby.

The PS2 also introduced players to literally dozens and dozens of good-or-better games. The list of truly exceptional PlayStation 2 titles stretches deep into the system’s library of 4,000+ games, which is quite frankly stunning. But how many of those great PS2 games are still fun to play in the 2020s?

As it turns out, there’s quite a few PlayStation 2 titles that are well worth revisiting and enjoying in a modern context. We’ve rounded up the most well-aged PS2 games out there, just in case you’ve been meaning to revisit some childhood memories, or even if you’re checking out the PlayStation 2 for the very first time.

 

10. Final Fantasy X

Developer: Square
Publisher: Square

Square had a lot of anticipation to meet with the release of their first PS2 Final Fantasy game. And as far as most seem to be concerned, Final Fantasy X met those expectations in fantastic fashion. The game took full advantage of the more powerful PlayStation 2 to offer characters and backdrops more vivid than any previous chapter. The soundtrack by legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu, along with Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano, is rich, full, and movingly varied. Final Fantasy X was also the first game in the series to feature voice acting, and while that isn’t perfect by any means, it’s really not bad either.

Even if you don’t like Final Fantasy X and its story of a group of heroes going up against a monster named Sin, you can’t deny that Square made a game that represented what the PS2 was capable of right out of the gate.

 

9. SSX Tricky

Developer: EA
Publisher: EA

If you don’t think a snowboarding game belongs in any conversation about PS2 games that still hold up, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. SSX Tricky is the sort of game where you don’t have to be a fan of the sport in question to enjoy yourself. The game being an absolute joy to control is something you’ll still notice today when picking this up, and pulling off huge, ridiculous tricks is always just a joy.

The game’s aesthetics and music might be a bit of a time capsule for 2001, but this game has legs where it really counts. The characters are fun and memorable without ever trying too hard, and it also somehow made ginger afros cool.

SSX Tricky is as much fun to play now as it was when the game came out over nearly a quarter of a century ago. Again, you should surprise yourself by checking this game out if you never have.

 

8. Auto Modellista

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

While Auto Modellista wasn’t going to replace Gran Turismo in serious racing fans’ hearts, we’re still talking about an extremely enjoyable racing sim with cel-shaded visual flair, some of the most beautiful and difficult tracks to be found anywhere, and enough customization potential to keep you busy for a very, very long time. Upgrades and a plethora of secrets are to be expected with a game such as this, and Auto Modellista delivers that element of the experience in no uncertain terms.

However, what really takes us aback with Auto Modellista is its graphical punch. The game plays just fine, but it’s the fact that this game is well over 20 years old and looks as though it came out just a couple of generations ago that really impresses. This is a bright, pop art racing simulation, and we wish Capcom had made a couple more.

 

7. Dragon Quest VIII

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix

Packed with a demo of Final Fantasy XII, it’s a little surprising to realize Dragon Quest VIII was released nearly four years after FFX came out. Coming out a little later in the lifespan of the PlayStation 2 benefitted the eighth entry in Japan’s iconic Dragon Quest series significantly, as Dragon Quest VIII is even more visually striking and expansive than Final Fantasy X. Dragon Quest VIII also benefits from new character designs by the late, great Akira Toriyama.

Dragon Quest VIII was notable for offering players a continuous world, a massive landscape that seamlessly connects you to the towns and kingdoms that make up for your adventure. It’s a traditional JRPG in its gameplay and other areas, but it’s also one of the most beautiful, deep JRPGs to come out of the PS2’s storied run.

 

6. Kingdom Hearts II

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix

The first Kingdom Hearts was a mostly critical success and huge bestseller, combining Disney and Square Enix properties with original characters. Kingdom Hearts and its brilliant sequel Kingdom Hearts II also featured one of the most complex stories ever conceived for a video game, with various spinoffs adding to the story of Sora, Roxas, and the others, but only if you have a variety of different consoles, including the Game Boy Advance and 3DS. It’s a bit of a mess at this point.

However, thankfully, Kingdom Hearts II is relatively straightforward, with only one game released between this sequel and the first entry. Sora’s back, along with Goofy, Donald, and the others. The sequel has an incredible array of Disney and Square-Enix characters, integrating them pretty seamlessly with a sprawling action RPG that still plays quite beautifully. The game holds up exceptionally well after nearly 20 years.

 

5. Metal Gear Solid 2

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami

They don’t get much more controversial than Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and what happens with protagonist Solid Snake. Time has been kind to the espionage classic though, with the expanded and revised Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance retaining the game’s powerful and ever-relevant story, but adding VR missions, some solo missions for Snake, and a few other surprises.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance looks and plays just fine in the current gaming landscape. Where it really feels timeless, albeit unfortunately, is in its story and themes of artificial intelligence and vast political conspiracy in an ever-dangerous new chapter of the Information Age. MGS 2 was heady stuff in 2001, as well as 2002 when Substance was released to Xbox and later ported to Windows and the PS2. It’s hard to shake the similarities this game holds to our chaotic, real-life present day.

 

4. Silent Hill 3

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami

Silent Hill 2 might be the more famous sequel at this point, with a hopefully-doesn’t-shit-the-bed-completely remake slated for, well, supposedly this decade. However, Silent Hill 3 is an overwhelming force of story, atmosphere, and character that makes it just a little more timeless in our eyes. It’s another deeply disturbing chapter in this series for sure, but Silent Hill 3 stands on its own as one of the most brutal and compelling survival horror games of all time.

Players control a young girl named Heather who finds herself in Silent Hill without any clear idea of why. That’s for you to find out, and across some brain-scratching puzzles and visceral combat, you’re going to get some pretty grim answers. Also, giant bunnies.

Nothing about what worked so well for Silent Hill 3 has changed between its 2003 release and the present. If Wind Waker is timeless for its cel-shaded whimsy, Silent Hill 3 is the opposite side of the coin — it is a gritty, grimy technical marvel with animations that still hold up remarkably well today./

 

3. Sly 2: Band of Thieves

Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony

Sly 2: Band of Thieves is the sort of pitch perfect PS2 experience that we wish more people would talk about. Not only are the graphics, music, and even the voice acting (just keep in mind this is 2004 we’re talking about) still an absolute pleasure, but the stealth-focused gameplay is still some of the most enjoyable to be found on any current or past console generation. Seriously, this follow-up in the adventures of thief and racoon Sly Cooper is really, really good.

Improving upon the first Sly game in every possible way, Band of Thieves is a colorful, endlessly amusing platformer. It hits all of the notes you’re expecting from a game like this, and that feeling is not limited to any one particular decade.

 

2. God of War II

Developer: SCE Studio
Publisher: Sony

God of War II is a textbook definition of how to make the perfect sequel. One which we would argue is superior to the absolutely awesome original in every possible way. Picking up after the events of the first game, God of War II once again has players as the brutal, powerful Kratos. As the new God of War, you’ve got vengeance on your mind, and this is what takes up most of the gameplay and plot of this 2007 title, released near the end of the PS2’s life cycle.

That’s fine, since it’s obviously going to be very satisfying indeed to slaughter your enemies with straightforward hack and slash brutality, as well as the numerous powerful spells now at your disposal. All of this was good, considering the sequel had ramped up its difficulty in every way. Those boss fights in particular are as brutal as they are fun, with the Rhodes Colossus specifically featuring one of the wildest deaths ever put in a video game. Your encounter with Prometheus is also something you aren’t likely to forget anytime soon.

God of War II has steep difficulty, addictive gameplay, and puzzles that never veer you all the way into complete insanity. It’s also still one of the best-looking games the console ever got.

 

1. Okami

Developer: Clover Studio
Publisher: Capcom

Okami has been released in a variety of formats and on several different consoles, but the 2006 PS2 original is still a wonder to behold. It’s still impressive to us that the PS2 was able to not only handle this game’s truly unique graphical style and aesthetics, but the gameplay inherent in a fast-paced action title with shades of Metroidvania to join the shades of 3D cell animation. Okami is still one of the most compelling games of its time, and we all know that truly great games have the potential to reach players at any point in history.

Okami tasks you as Amaterasu with defeating a host of monsters, restoring color to the feudal Japan landscape, and bringing the natural order of life back to its proper and essential balance. It’s enough to pull you in, and we promise you that Okami is going to keep you playing for a long time.