Best PlayStation games turning 20 in 2025

summation

• After an ongoing reign, the PlayStation 2 was dethroned by the Switch in 2024. North America received the PSP in 2005.

• 2025 marks the third anniversary of PlayStation and the potential for sequels to PS2 games.

• god of war remains cruel, guitar hero Still a party hit, yakuza and time divider Even 20 years later, it's still a must-see game.

The PS2 followed Sony's debut console, the PS1, to unprecedented success. Although it enjoyed the top spot for decades, it was recently pushed out of Switch sales in 2024. 2005 was near the end of the PS2's peak, but along with it, North America got the PSP, which debuted in the West a year after Japan.

between the two consoles playstation Fans will have many anniversaries to celebrate in 2025. Are there more PS2 games than PSP games celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2025? And what is the quality like? Let’s take a look at some of them. The best PlayStation games to celebrate the service's 20th anniversary in 2025 Predict whether something big will happen.

8

cold fear

Masterpiece's watery rival

cold fear suffered the unfortunate fate of following resident evil 4 It debuted on the GameCube just a few months later. Horror games that follow that classic have had a hard time getting off the ground, regardless of their quality. cold fear It's definitely more of a goofy horror game with cliched dialogue and gameplay that can be a bit tricky. But the setting is unique for a boating horror game, and it's one of the few horror games Ubisoft has released.

It can't be emulated on newer Xbox systems, but it runs well on Steam Deck for anyone who wants to give this forgotten horror game a chance on its 20th anniversary. Unfortunately, PlayStation owners are currently out of luck unless they have an older console that they can link to a physical copy.

7

Front Mission 5: Scars of War

three lost anniversaries

Front Mission 5: Scars of War was the franchise's mainline release in 2005, but there were two other games as well. Front Mission: Online It was also a PS2 game that expanded the futuristic machine warfare into the multiplayer realm. front mission 2089 It was the standard tactical RPG for the DS. What's really important is that none of these games were released outside of Japan.

Square Enix has done a good job revitalizing the franchise, including releasing remakes such as: front mission 2 2023, 26 years after it was not released in North America. Could 2025 be the year Western fans will be able to play these titles, which are now celebrating their 20th anniversary? With both franchises approaching their 30th anniversary, it would be a good time to announce or announce something about the future.

6

god of war

Another bloody story from the ancient Greeks

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of its founding. god of war The series all started on PS2. The game was a late entry point into the console's life cycle and was one of the most brutal games on the system as well. Kratos was an angry man, betrayed by the gods, who tricked him into killing his family and smearing their ashes on his skin.

It's pretty messed up, but it fits the Greek mythology angle of the series, since most creation stories are also messed up. god of war It quickly became one of the best-selling PS2 games, leading to continued sequels and remasters into the modern console generation.

5

guitar hero

Become a living room rock legend

In 2005, the music genre wasn't new. dance dance revolution It was popular on both consoles and arcades. guitar hero But the game changed when players could feel like rock gods from the comfort of their own home. This first game sold quickly, and by the time the sequel came out I had a closet full of plastic guitars and other musical instruments.

Perhaps the series grew too fast, which ultimately led to its downfall. No new games have come out since then guitar hero live 2015 and original guitar hero It has never been remastered. Still, you can thank its 20th anniversary for giving 2005's PS2 another reason to throw a party in your college dorm.

A fusion of deck-building RPG and stealth gameplay.

• developer: Konami
• publisher: Konami
• released: December 8, 2005 (Japan)
• platform: PSP, mobile devices (Japan only)

Metal Gear Acid 2 is the biggest PSP game of note, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2005. Although it wasn't released in North America until 2006, the first game was released in the West shortly after the PSP's launch. metal gear acid 2 This will be the final and only sequel in the spin-off series, featuring an alternative Solid Snake working with a female agent named Venus.

It's a huge improvement over the original thanks to a new cel-shaded art style, story, bosses, card integration into gameplay, and more. Plus, it came with cardboard VR goggles that worked internally, though not as well as future PlayStation VR efforts.

3

shadow of the colossus

Titan Rises to Stardom

shadow of the colossus It boasts a surprising scale compared to many PS2 games released domestically and internationally in 2005. It can be summarized as a boss rush game, but it's set in a world with a creepy atmosphere. Why does this boy kill these giants? Where are all the people? Who is the voice that guides the boy's hand?

Will defeating them help the girl wake up? It was all a mystery, but die-hard fans have dug up more context clues over the years. The game was remastered in 2011 and fully remade in 2018. This is the best way to play today thanks to improved controls and visuals, but the PS2 original still looks amazing.

2

TimeSplitters: Future Perfection

high ending

In 2024, fans will time divider The franchise received an early giveaway on PS5 as all three games were released online. Premium PS+ members can play the entire trilogy from start to finish and relive the time-traveling shooters of old. Also available on Xbox for backward compatibility.

TimeSplitters: Future Perfection The last game in the series was released and there were plans for a fourth title, but it was cancelled. This is another example of a series that started out in 2000 and was extremely popular, then quickly faded away. At least fans can rest assured knowing that all three games are still must-plays, and that this finale ends with a bang rather than a whimper.

1

yakuza

The dragon of Dojima awakens

2025 is an important year. yakuza The franchise started 20 years ago in Japan in 2005 and North America in 2006. Although there are similarities between the two early PS2 games, the series has evolved dramatically over time. There were RPG elements and the open world nature was better integrated into city life.

During its 20-year run, Sega helped produce eight mainline games, a prequel, and several spinoffs in the series. It's one of the most stacked Sega franchises in recent history, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down yet with new spinoffs. Like a Dragon: Yakuza Pirates of HawaiiScheduled for release in 2025. Moreover, this first game was remade on PS3 and PS4 in 2016. Yakuza Kiwami Although it didn't leave Japan until 2017, only the PS4 version was released overseas.