Best Games Only Available On PlayStation 2, Ranked

Summary

• Sony PlayStation 2 boasts exclusive must-play titles, like SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs and Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny.
• The Getaway is more than just a GTA clone — the cinematic game experience, driving mechanics, and London setting distinguish it as a must-play.
• EyeToy: Play showcased the technology’s potential with fun minigames using player movement, simple controls, and multiplayer options.

Over two decades after its initial launch, the PlayStation 2 is responsible for introducing some of the best games ever made to countless players. Maintaining its position as the best-selling video games console of all time, it still holds a place in the consciousness of many, leaving a legacy that is sure to last for many years to come.

Many great games were available on rival platforms at the time, but the juggernaut console had a plethora of exclusive titles. While some all-time classics such as TimeSplitters and Twisted Metal: Black have eventually made their way to later PlayStations and other consoles, these must-play titles have remained trapped on the iconic PlayStation 2.

Tactical Shooter With Voice Commands

The SOCOM series has been largely forgotten in recent years, as other shooters have taken over the market, but the debut entry, SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs, was incredibly successful in its day. Spawning a series that continued into future generations of consoles, it sold multiple millions of copies.

Playing as an operative with the codename Kahuna, and utilizing a headset to allow players to command their team with speech, the game was quite revolutionary for the time. Across twelve compelling story missions — and being judged on accuracy, stealth, and teamwork — SOCOM also featured some excellent online gameplay, but the servers have sadly since closed down.

9

The Getaway

Not Just A GTA Clone

Much like the Driver games, The Getaway was arguably unfairly labeled a ‘Grand Theft Auto clone.’ While it is not dissimilar, this entry is certainly worth checking out, receiving a great deal of retrospective praise where there was once critique aimed at the story and gameplay.

Attempting to present a more cinematic experience, the game features no HUD, being more clever with its approach, such as flashing indicators on the car showing players where to go. Controlling two characters with intersecting stories, players can freely explore the excellent London setting upon completion of the missions. Sequels, a TV series, and a graphic novel have all followed.

8

Time Crisis 3

Light-Gun Arcade Action On A Home Console

The exclusivity aspect of Time Crisis 3 is somewhat questionable, since it started out as an arcade game, and a slightly altered version called Time Crisis Strike is available as a mobile game, but the PlayStation 2 version is the only really accessible way to play nowadays. It’s also different to the arcade game, with more weapons and playable characters.

The light-gun peripheral was extremely popular around the millennium, with Time Crisis and House of the Dead leading the way, and the former long overdue a resurgence. Much like its fantastic predecessor, Time Crisis 3 also allows multiplayer, and the unique ‘hide and advance’ pedal system is present, allowing players to take cover.

7

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain

One Of The Best Wrestling Games Ever Made

The final installment in the stellar WWE SmackDown! series, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain is regarded by many as the best of them all and one of the best wrestling games in general. Featuring a strong roster of over 50 wrestlers, including legends for the first time, it was also the first game to include the incredibly brutal and chaotic ‘Elimination Chamber’ match type.

This entry also introduced the grappling system, rivaling that of the classic title WWF No Mercy on the Nintendo 64, and graphics showing bodily damage were debuted here. These, along with the updated submission system, became staples of WWE games going forward, and the extensive Season mode included many surprisingly intricate and branching plotlines.

6

Gran Turismo 4

Another Great Entry In The Car Racing Genre

The fourth installment in the behemoth series, Gran Turismo 4 ended up being one of the biggest-selling PlayStation 2 games ever. Building on the solid gameplay of earlier Gran Turismo titles, it featured over 700 vehicles and more than 50 tracks based on real world courses and modified versions of tracks from previous games.

There are vast improvements on the previous game, such as better graphics and physics, and the addition of a ‘Photo Mode’ for players to take screenshots and download them to a USB stick. The A-spec mode is present once again, with new ‘Driving Missions,’ and this was the first game to feature B-spec mode, where players take control of a race crew chief.

5

EyeToy: Play

Fun Minigames Caught On Camera

Another of the PlayStation 2’s highest-selling games, EyeToy: Play was the first to incorporate the EyeToy video camera, which detected player movement to interact with objects on the screen, as opposed to using a controller. Clearly, it was a very popular idea at the time and spawned many sequels, though none were as good as the first game.

There are 12 easy-to-play minigames with a great general appeal for all ages and abilities. Multiplayer is where EyeToy is strongest, either pitting players against one another or working in teams, and there is a Playroom tech demo where players can mess around with different effects or record short videos thanks to the camera’s built-in microphone.

The 12 minigames are:

• Beat Freak: rhythm game where one must tap discs at the right moment in time with the music for a higher score.
• Boogie Down/Disco Stars: a rhythm game where players must match the moves of an on-screen dancer in time with the music.
• Boxing Chump: defeat a robot opponent in a boxing match.
• Ghost Catcher/Ghost Elimination: defend a graveyard from ghosts and bats.
• Keep Ups/Soccer craze: keep a ball in the air while also hitting enemies on the side of the screen with the ball.
• Kung Fu: battle waves of ninjas as they jump toward the middle of the screen.
• Mirror Time: the screen flips and reverses to disorientate the player, then the player must hit the friendly green symbols for points — and avoid the evil red robot symbols.
• Plate Spinner: try to spin up to four plates for as long as possible.
• Rocket Rumble: highlight rockets of the same color and detonate them simultaneously for more points.
• Slap Stream: attack enemy rats, but avoid hitting the friendly rabbits.
• UFO Juggler: spin UFOs while battling enemy spaceships.
• Wishi Washi: players clean many soapy and otherwise dirty windows.

4

Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille Zur Macht

The Beginning Of The Xenosaga Series

Never released in Europe, Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille Zur Macht acts mostly as an introduction to the wider Xenosaga series. The German title is a reference to philosopher Nietzsche, translated as “The Will to Power,” perhaps due to the fact that free will is such a driving force in the narrative.

Set in the far future as humans face an existential threat, players take the role of scientist Shion Uzuki and her AI companion KOS-MOS, who battle hostile aliens known as the Gnosis. The game was generally beloved at the time, though be prepared for long cutscenes, with some even as long as 40 minutes!

3

Wipeout Fusion

High Octane Futuristic Racing

• Platform: PlayStation 2
• Released: February 8, 2002
• Developer: Studio Liverpool
• Genre: Racing

Taking to the tracks once again in the F9000 antigravity racing league, Wipeout Fusion is often overlooked in the Wipeout series. The controls are somewhat stiffer than in its series counterparts, and weapons are more plentiful, meaning the AI opponents are much more aggressive.

This is the only game in the series to feature vehicle upgrades, and more powerful weapons must be unlocked later in the game. Even some game modes are locked until players reach a certain point, which is unique for the series. As has come to be expected with Wipeout games, the soundtrack is universally regarded as superb.

2

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies

Simulated Flight Combat

Known as Ace Combat: Distant Thunder in Europe, Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies is the fourth entry in the series, and a huge leap forward from its somewhat underwhelming predecessor. Controlling legendary pilot Mobius-1, players participate in the Continental War between the fictional continent of Usea and the aggressors from Erusea.

Combining realism and fantasy, the game features 21 aircraft, both real and fictional, and players can install special weaponry on their crafts. To this day, this entry remains the most acclaimed in the series — and it was the highest selling for over a decade until Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown came along.

1

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny

Hacking And Slashing Demons In This Epic Sequel

Featuring a new protagonist in Jubei Yagyu, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is one of three PlayStation 2 exclusive titles in the Onimusha series, alongside Onimusha: Blade Warriors and Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams. Beside the new player character, there are four other playable characters who are all part of the interconnected and branching plot, though they have more limited weaponry.

Controls are similar to other Capcom titles, most notably Resident Evil, with another similarity being the fixed camera angles. Players are rewarded for performing combos on enemies, rather than simply button-mashing, and Jubei is also able to absorb the souls of defeated Genma, using them for upgrades.