We all know that bad video games are an unfortunate part of being a fan of gaming. Not every game can be the next great masterpiece, after all. However, there have been plenty of games over the years that have been poorly reviewed at the time, only to receive a more positive reassessment from fans and/or critics either at the time or when looking back, and the PlayStation 2 is no different.
1. 24: The Game
Metacritic: 62
Did you know that there were a lot of games based on American TV shows that were released for the PS2? Did you know that most of them were pretty naff? Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Alias, The Sopranos and The Shield are just some examples that were maligned by critics upon release, but one that was received a bit too harshly was 24: The Game. Granted, a decent amount of 24: The Game’s negative reception might have been due to the fact that British Radio DJ Chris Moyles’ likeness was used for one of the game’s minor antagonists, but other than that heinous transgression, 24: The Game is a pretty decent action game. If nothing else, it’s a perfect accompaniment to the non-stop pursuit of cliffhangers that is the 24 TV show.
Set between the events of Season 2 and Season 3, 24: The Game follows Jack Bauer as he begins what’s about to be another stressful day as a counter terrorism officer in Los Angeles. The gameplay matches the aesthetic and tone of the series, in that levels are more like bitesize chunks reminiscent of scenes from the show, while the action itself blends competent gunplay with thrilling driving sections.
It’s not the most complicated game ever released on the PS2, but for fans of the TV show, or anyone looking for a couple of hours of underrated “shooting first and asking questions later”, 24: The Game is well worth checking out.
2. Heatseeker
Metacritic: 60
Some games earn terrible reviews based purely on the fact that they’re a one trick pony, or because other games already occupy the same genre. Heatseeker definitely fell into that category, as being an aerial combat “sim” put it in direct competition with the Ace Combat series, while reviews at the time bemoaned the fact that Heatseeker never really offered more than just “blow things up”. It’s a very one note game, which makes the negative reviews of Heatseeker fairly understandable, but if you look back on this dogfighting game and you’re willing to forgive the game’s more repetitive nature, you’ll find a genuinely underappreciated banger right here.
While the game’s plot feels like a b-movie rip-off of Top Gun, complete with a main character that has the codename “Downtown” (along with his wingman “Divot”), the main attraction of Heatseeker is the gameplay, which offers a more fast-paced and arcadey take on a bunch of planes trying to shoot each other down. The full game included 17 jets, nearly 40 weapons and the inclusion of an ImpactCam, which allowed the player to follow the missile as it tracks its target.
Admittedly, Heatseeker is a lot more simplistic and barebones compared to the Ace Combat series, but its high-octane missions and fun combat make it a worthwhile alternative.
3. Urban Reign
Metacritic: 60
Okay, do we talk about Urban Reign a lot? Yes, and it’s probably not going to stop anytime soon, but when it comes to badly reviewed PS2 games that were actually incredible, you can’t argue with Urban Reign’s placement on this list. Reviewers at the time were massively critical of Urban Reign’s single player content, which essentially amounts to 100 beat ‘em up missions of steadily escalating difficulty, until you reach mission 86 and a guy named Golem dog-walks you for the next six hours. Finish all that and you unlock the Challenge Mode, which is just the same 100 missions, only now you can play as any character. Woo. From that perspective alone, it’s easy to see why Urban Reign didn’t review well, but a lot of reviewers overlooked its best feature: the multiplayer.
Urban Reign operates on the idea of allowing the player to do the coolest things possible in the fewest button presses. They might not have access to a wide variety of moves, but all the moves that players do have access to are easily performed. Sure, parrying might require some precise timing, but aside from that, Urban Reign is a beat ‘em up that players of all skill levels can enjoy, so when you put four players together in a free-for-all, some truly bizarre and amazing sights occur.
If the idea of one player launching someone across the map, only for you to catch that player in mid-air and powerbomb them sounds like a blast, do not overlook Urban Reign.
4. Drakengard 2
Metacritic: 58
Despite being widely beloved by fans of Yoko Taro’s work, especially after his name value skyrocketed with the Nier series, the Drakengard series has never been a critical darling. The original game only managed to reach a 63 on Metacritic, after all, so the sequel scoring five points less with a 58 isn’t all that surprising. However, what hasn’t helped Drakengard 2’s reputation over the years is the fact that Yoko Taro wasn’t actually involved in the game’s story or development (he was only brought on later to help edit some of the CGI movies and cutscenes), meaning both fans and reviewers had plenty of complaints about the generic narrative. Well, generic in comparison to other action RPGs anyway. Drakengard 2 is still a bit bonkers, after all.
While the story isn’t the best that the series has to offer, the gameplay of Drakengard 2 is a decent mix of on the ground hack and slash action and decimating large hordes on the back of a powerful dragon. Even those who don’t really like Drakengard 2 compared to its predecessor tend to agree that the game fixes some of the gameplay complaints made about the first game, largely due to its more open-ended levels and ridiculous boss fights. Still, its lack of proper love from the Yoko Taro faithful means that Drakengard 2 is definitely a PS2 hidden gem.
Again, it’s not like the Drakengard series has ever earned fantastic reviews anyway, so if you liked the other games, you’ll probably enjoy Drakengard 2 as well.
5. Colosseum: Road To Freedom
Metacritic: 56
Despite the Roman Empire being on the minds of men everywhere at all times, there aren’t that many games that really let players immerse themselves in that time period, especially on PS2. Capcom did knock it out of the park with Shadow of Rome, which likely took some shine away from Koei’s Colosseum: Road To Freedom, which is exactly what you think it’s about. No building Roman roads or schmoozing with the politicians here, it’s all about getting into the Colosseum and trying to earn your own freedom. However, the game’s realistic combat engine, along with some genuine flaws with the camera, animation and dialogue, drew criticism compared to the more bombastic Shadow of Rome.
Despite the comparisons though, Colosseum: Road To Freedom manages to stand on its own two feet thanks to its deep combat system, which encourages players to target limbs in order to succeed, and the RPG mechanics that allow you to customize your gladiator how you see fit. The story, while not deep or exactly game-changing, does have its own merits too, as you’re given 50 days to pay off your owner’s debt, and the choices you make along with the performances you put on inside the Colosseum determine one of several endings you unlock.
There was even a Remix version, which improved on the core game and added way more content, but was never released outside of Japan, which is a shame. Perhaps Remix would have given this game a better rep in the West.
6. Ghost Rider
Metacritic: 54
Far from the last licensed game on this list, the Ghost Rider game was developed as a tie-in to the first Nicolas Cage film. You know, the one that’s considered to be “fine at best”, especially compared to that awful sequel, Spirit of Vengeance. At the time though, reviews of the official Ghost Rider game appeared to be even more scathing than those of the film, with many decrying the Ghost Rider game as simply being a pale imitation of both the Devil May Cry and God of War games. Those criticisms definitely have some worth, as Ghost Rider’s swingable bike chains share more than just a passing resemblance to Kratos’ Blades of Chaos, but being a derivative game doesn’t mean there isn’t fun to be had with Ghost Rider.
Released in 2007 and set a year after the events of the film, Ghost Rider once again follows Johnny Blaze as he goes on another quest to murder a whole bunch of demons, this time under the command of the “definitely not evil and won’t sell you out at all” Mephisto. The story itself was penned by Garth Ennis and Jimmy Palmiotti, with that first name being familiar to anyone currently loving The Boys, and while it’s nothing to write home about, it’s still cool to see the supernatural and hellish sides of Marvel lore being explored in video games. Again, the combat itself might be a bit of a copy and paste job, but there’s a lot of brainless fun to be had here. Also, it happens to claim the award of “Best Blade Game” by default, as the vampire hunter is an unlockable character too. Okay, maybe Ghost Rider isn’t as good as Midnight Suns, but the unlockable Blade campaign is certainly better than the Blade 2 tie-in game.
7. B-Boy
Metacritic: 53
Look, it’s hard to make a video game about breakdancing sound cool, especially if you’re an overweight 30 year old with two left feet, bad knees and can barely manage a half-hearted dad dance. Reviewers at the time might have been in a similar boat, as the world of competitive breakdancing is probably the last thing on the mind of any games writer working one of the big magazines or websites back in the mid-2000s. Compared to the wave of shooters or open world crime games like GTA and its ilk that were flooding the PS2, B-Boy was something a bit different; an authentic look at a culture that hadn’t really been explored in video games. Or since, for that matter, as the bad reviews have likely turned everyone off making a breakdancing game ever again.
When it comes to genre, B-Boy is a difficult one to nail down, with the most accurate yet confusing title being a “turn-based, rhythm-focused fighting game”. Wrap your head around that one for a second. Basically, players take it in turns to chain dance moves together with the beat of the music, with B-Boy of course boasting a decent hip-hop and dance soundtrack. The dance moves start out simple, but as you start making your way up through the world of competitive breakdancing, the amount of moves you learn increases massively, making for quite an intricate and complicated system.
It’s not for everyone, but when you consider that the developers, FreeStyle Games, went on to create DJ Hero, it’s clear that the team had a knack for taking the less trodden path.
8. Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs Death
Metacritic: 52
Despite being one of the most recognizable comic book characters ever made, Judge Dredd hasn’t had the best of success in non-print media. The closest we ever got was the Karl Urban Dredd movie, but even then, that was considered a financial failure, so you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the first person shooter Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs Death was also quite the critical flop. For some reason, the Xbox version of the game did manage to score five points higher, but that PS2 rating of 52 doesn’t exactly suggest a stellar game. Despite those harsh scores though, Dredd Vs Death is still a fun and engaging dive into the world of Mega City One, and all the weird shenanigans that occur within.
An FPS game, Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs Death sees the big jawed personification of “judge, jury and executioner” dealing with Mega City One’s usual cabal of criminals, zombies and vampires when the evil Dark Judges, a bunch of undead Judges from a parallel Earth where they exterminated all human life, break containment and start running amok. Just another day in Mega City One honestly, but as Dredd, you’ll fight your way through the city, making sure to uphold the law as you do. You can arrest people for no reason too, so in a certain sense, it’s a pretty accurate cop simulator. Failure to uphold the law, even if it seems like the entire city is crumbling, will lead to a special execution squad coming to take out Dredd. It’s all daft, but we love daft here, and we also love Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs Death.
9. Predator: Concrete Jungle
Metacritic: 47
Predator is arguably the coolest franchise in the world that still doesn’t receive consistent, quality content. You’d think it’d be easy to make films about a badass alien hunting people, only for people to turn the tables on it, but apparently you can only make two (possibly three) good ones. Predator hasn’t had much luck in the video game department either, as the Alien Vs Predator games have never been great, while the most recent Predator game was Hunting Grounds, an asymmetrical multiplayer game. Perhaps the worst reviewed Predator game of them all was Predator: Concrete Jungle, which was lambasted by critics for its controls, graphics and camera.
A lot of that criticism is valid, especially regarding the graphics and camera, but the gameplay of Predator: Concrete Jungle gives players a lot of freedom in terms of weapons and abilities to really feel like you’re controlling the perfect hunter. The premise is fantastic too, opening with a Predator rampage through a 1930s metropolis as you take on the mob itself, before skipping ahead 100 years as you return to Earth to reclaim your honor and the host of stolen Predator tech. The city’s now a dystopian hellscape, and all the gangs are using some kind of Predator technology to get the upper hand on their rivals, so naturally it’s up to you to separate some skulls from some bodies.
10. Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes The Neighborhood
Metacritic: 46
Look, is Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes The Neighborhood a piece of high art that elevates the gaming medium in new and exciting ways? No, of course not. At its most basic level, it’s a game where Andrew WK can fight some — well, let’s say “adult entertainment stars”, during a family BBQ. Oh, Insane Clown Posse and some indie wrestlers are also here, so any Botchamania fans will get a kick out of seeing CZW alumni like John Zandig as playable characters. The licensed soundtrack was also pretty decent, including the previously mentioned ICP and Andrew WK along with the likes of Fall Out Boy, Bad Brains, Body Count, Saliva and Hoobastank. This is about as mid-2000s as games get, folks.
Reviews slammed Backyard Wrestling for its janky movement, weird hit detection, poor graphics and bad AI, and all of those things are present and accounted for in Backyard Wrestling 2, but that’s just part of the fun, honestly. People didn’t watch backyard wrestling, or hardcore style wrestling shown in promotions like CZW, for its quality presentation and technical showmanship. They were there to watch people beat the piss out of each other and put their bodies on the line for $50 and a car ride to and from the venue. In that sense, Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes The Neighborhood perfectly embodies the very thing it’s emulating.
Or, I’ve put too much thought into it, and I should just go with “it’s funny to make the juggalos fight each other on a mini golf course”.
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