So, i've finally joined the console generation!
2 generations late! ;)
Anyway, i've got a PS 2 on the way. It's bundled with an old FIFA game, a 007 jobby and The Thing.
What old gems would you recommend i take a look at?
I'd prefer some games that provide longevity, but if you think something must be tried, give it a shot.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is fucking awesome
ICO is one of the most gorgeous and fun VG's I ever played. It's based on surrealist paintings and is more in the style of Myst than an action adventure game but does have action elements and can even be a bit scary. The plot is a young boy is born with horns and his family/clan leave him inside of a giant abandoned "castle" as a sacrifice. Exploring, he meets a girl dressed in white. Together they look for a way out, which mainly involves puzzle solving. Periodically however, the shadows in the castle come to life and try to grab the girl. It's beautiful, haunting and weird. Sort of Gormenghast meets David Lynch.
(http://retrogamesdojo.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/hg.jpg)
(http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2001/ps2/ico/ico_070201_screen019.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6121/6036371325_4e1ff91528.jpg)
It's been a while but these stand out:
Disgaea 2 - turn-based fantasy rpg with infinite character levels, exploding penguins.
Resident Evil 2 - classic zombie/mutant mayhem, creepy.
Shadow of Colossus - kill giant monsters. By the same crew as Ico if I remember right.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for 80's Miami Vice/Scarface hijinks
If you like mascot-based platformers, the Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Dexter, and Sly Cooper series are all excellent.
Don't let Sly Cooper's cell-shaded rendering style fool you; that game is hard.
The Prince of Persia series is good, although it gets a little grimdark later on.
If you can find copies, the X-Men Legends series is some of the best four-player couch co-op out there.
If you like giant robot games, try Armored Core 2. (AC 1 is a PS 1 game and its graphics are very dated and pixelly, but AC 2 was nice..)
My brother recommends Summoner, Final Fantasy 10, and Kingdom Hearts. Shin Megami Tensei Nocturn, if you don't mind mature titles.
If you like Zelda, Okami is similar in gameplay, but focuses on a world based on Japanese folklore, amd you play a wolf! Heck, a wolf with flames coming out of a manhole cover strapped to his back! The cell animation is gorgeous.
(http://www.consumertop10.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/okami-scrn1.jpg)
(http://images.psxextreme.com/screenshots/ps2_okami/ps2_okami_04.jpg)
Quote from: Sean !;715880Shadow of Colossus - kill giant monsters. By the same crew as Ico if I remember right.
Indeed it was. I was thinking it was PS3 for some reason, but yeah, highly second that recommendation.
Okami looks interesting.
Anyone played the ultimate marvel game? Looks like it could have replay value.
13 also looks cool.
Quote from: Silverlion;715919If you like giant robot games, try Armored Core 2. (AC 1 is a PS 1 game and its graphics are very dated and pixelly, but AC 2 was nice..)
Second this. AC is really involving.
Ace Combat 4 is fun.
I enjoyed the Hyperdimension Fortress Macross game (note: the Japanese import, not the Robotech game which was kinda clunky) but you'll need to mod your console to play it.
Katamari Damacy is quirky and has excellent gameplay.
The two Hack/Sign games for the PS2.
Hack - Infection: Good story and interesting characters. Pretty straightforward.
and
Hack - GU: Convoluted story and some odd mini-games in it.
The great thing about these two is that each set comprises one big game. Same mechanics from one episode to the next and you carry forward all you did in one into the following. No having to relearn gameplay within a set. Though Infection and GU are different from eachother.
I loved the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series. Almost a car JRPG. You'd drive around the city challenging cars to races, then eventually a boss would come out and you'd have to defeat it.
And Gladius is one of the most underrated games. It was a tactical RPG from Lucasarts, set in a fantasy version of Rome.
Quote from: JeremyR;716185And Gladius is one of the most underrated games. It was a tactical RPG from Lucasarts, set in a fantasy version of Rome.
Brilliant story, art design and voice acting, wrapped around a thoroughly unsatisfying combat system. There's a couple of killer combos of equipment and fighters that are very easy to get that amount to the Double Dragon elbow smash. Well worth playing through twice (once for each protagonist) just for the story though. Be warned that the ending is anticlimactic, since it sets up for a sequel that never got made.
TristramEvans: there's a PS3 HD remake of Ico and Colossus; that might be what you're thinking of.
If you like racing sims, the Gran Turiso series can keep you occupied for weeks. If you want something more arcade-y, NFS: Underground is the ticket.
While Ico sounds interesting, i've read it only gives about 10 hours of gameplay.
How could i forget Deus Ex? In the shopping basket now.
I second Ico and Okami -- fantastic games (played the latter on the Wii).
Psychonauts is brilliant also.
The Persona series (I have Persona 3 FES) is a very strange JRPG. School by day, battle monsters by night.
We Love Katamari, no really. If you want longevity and gameplay, it rocks.
Primal. Game is so-so but ambience, world and mythology is great. Gargoyle is voiced by G'kar / Andreas Katsulas.
If you absolutely must play Final Fantasy, FFXII is good with interesting character advancement.
Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are two of my favorites.
I like race-battle games so the Wipeout series got a lot of play.
Psi-Ops and Ghosthunter were fun.
What else have I got that's fun on PS1 that hasn't been mentioned:
- Disgaea 1
- Dark Cloud 2
- lots of fighting games but particularly Soul Calibur 2 and Tekken Tag Tournament
- also some PS1 games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Legend of Mana, Tactics Ogre
pirates: the legend of black kat (http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/25/pirates-the-legend-of-black-kat-2) is one of my favorites. also, burnout 3 (http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/02/burnout-3-takedown-3).
There's always the Silent Hill games too. I think starting with 2 they were on PS2 and that was when they were at the top of thier game, so to speak.
Picked up Half-Life for a fiver.
Long time PS2 collector here. Lot of great suggestions in this thread. I'll go "outside the box" with my suggestions:
Fatal Frame -- A "survival horror" game that is truly unnerving.
Disaster Report -- Try to escape from a city being torn apart by natural disasters. (Plus there's a bit of conspiracy investigation going on as well.)
Darkwatch -- I like to call it "Deadlands: The FPS"
Beyond Good and Evil -- I think it was mentioned before, but this is a grand game to pick up.
Sky Odyssey -- A very early game (released in 2000) that I describe as an "adventure flight sim".
Also add in the D&D game - Demon Stone I believe. Though felt a little short and one-dimensional.
Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 are fun, and fairly long too. Though think I liked 1 more than 2.
Also fun when you have friends to help is Gauntlet: Dark Legacy.
It arrived today!
"Complete with all cables..."
No!!! I still fucking need a PS 2 scart cable. Arseholes.
Edit: Never mind, just bought an adapter at my local supermarket for a quid. Give it a run-out tomorrow night i reckon.
Quote from: One Horse Town;716204While Ico sounds interesting, i've read it only gives about 10 hours of gameplay.
How could i forget Deus Ex? In the shopping basket now.
I'd skip Deus Ex if you have a computer that can run it (and as an early unreal engine game, it would be hard to have a computer that couldn't run it); the PS2 port was awful. Horrible loading times, and the game required mouse accuracy with a thumb stick controller (it was before console developers learned how to make that work). If you want an FPS, get TimeSplitters 2 or 3... Or both.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance is good, didn't play the second. X-Men Legends is also worth picking up, too; 2 is much better than 1. But for replayable PS2 hack and slash action, Champions of Norrath is the game to get.
R-Type Final was a very good SHMUP, and provides a good ending to the series.
Quote from: One Horse Town;717098It arrived today!
"Complete with all cables..."
No!!! I still fucking need a PS 2 scart cable. Arseholes.
Edit: Never mind, just bought an adapter at my local supermarket for a quid. Give it a run-out tomorrow night i reckon.
Good on you, I was going to say "well, after 13 years of waiting, surely a few days this or that way won't make a difference."
Silent Hill 2 and 3.
I've just realised that i've got 3 FPS and historically i suck at those types of games. Oh well, let's fire it up...
By all means, Dan, try Second Sight. It is an amazing adventure about a guy who discovers it has acquired psychic powers. Amazing game.
I retired after the Dreamcast, and never reached that threshold of "my must have 5" that compels me to buy a system. But I played more than my share of everything as it came out. Here's what I find with good repeat play:
Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII (8) - in my top 5 must haves. hard to find elsewhere. RTK 7 is good too, but 8 is where its at, 9 goes to RTS and thus shit to me.
Rez - available elsewhere, but still just as magical. a beautiful mix of sound, polygonal TRON-esque world, shoot 'em up, and player development/interaction with the background music.
Odin Sphere - an entertaining action RPG reminiscent of Princess Crown on Sega Saturn. definitely worth a look.
But it helps to know what genres you like. For example, I don't do FPS (motion sickness), RTS (perpetually underwhelming controls), and most Sports games (some were fun, though i am not a sports fan). I loathe most of the Square games I played post-1996, they are just awful. And I am one of the few who can say WoW bored me after one week, so I quit to never return (most MMOs are poor-on-gameplay grind-fests, IMHO. Diablo did it better,).
So what games do you like?
Let's see here-PS2 was one of my favorite old consoles. Still have one.
The two Castlevania games-Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness-were fun. They weren't up to say, SotN's or Rondo of Blood's quality, but they were quite fun action/adventure types, sort of like 3D Metroidvanias. The environments could get kinda samey(one of their big flaws) but the music was top-notch, they look decent and control well.
Have to second Shadow of the Colossus. Wonderful game.
RPG-wise, two of my favs were Shadow Hearts and Shadow Hearts: Covenant. I think I might even prefer the first of the two, even though I think the second was the better game, so to speak. The third game I'd stay away from.
A cheap action/adventure you can probably find is Rygar: The Legendary Adventure. Yeah, the 8 bit Rygar. Though it's less a mishmash of mythology and more flat-out based on Greek Mythology, and isn't really linked to the old 8 bit game, but your guy does have the Diskarmor weapon(a shield on a chain.) I really enjoyed this game.
If you want a balls-hard goofy beat em up romp, God Hand has to be suggested for that. :D
Also going to second Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, one of my favorite co-op games of that time. Wow we put a shitload of time into that one. I still get kicks from it now and again. Add in another 'second' for MGS2: Sons of Liberty.
Flat-out action? Devil May Cry, the first and 3rd games. I mean these were essentially some of the original stylish action games. The first and third I think remain two of the best games in the series. If you know what's good for you-steer clear of the game that has Devil May Cry 2 written on the box.
Are there any turn-based strategy or wargames? I'm too feeble for real-time strategy.
I know a lot of the Japanese RPGs are turn-based, but i wondered whether there were any non-RPG titles that are.
KOEI does quite a few.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is technically not a JRPG as there is no fixed story, let alone fixed hero or fixed hero continuity.
Nobunaga's Ambition
Daisenryaku series (WWII) is another military TBS.
PTO is a Pacific Theatre naval WWII TBS.
And then there are more traditional JRPG-esque TBS, like Suikoden, Disgaea, Sakura Wars, etc.
Quote from: Opaopajr;718387Rez - available elsewhere, but still just as magical. a beautiful mix of sound, polygonal TRON-esque world, shoot 'em up, and player development/interaction with the background music.
Protip: The non-Dreamcast versions are significantly easier than the DC version, for some reason.
QuoteOdin Sphere - an entertaining action RPG
I'm surprised no one has recommended the Baldur's Gate or Bard's Tale games yet.
I'll put in a good word for Nobunaga's Ambition. I played a version for the Mac a long time ago, and if the PS2 version is similar then it'll be fun for a few games at least.
Quote from: daniel_ream;719559Protip: The non-Dreamcast versions are significantly easier than the DC version, for some reason.
... and therefore suck more. ;)
Easy is for the casual who wants to toke up, bust out the strategy guide, watch Hideo Kojima cut scenes for hours like some rehash of the Matrix, then slip back to Roster Update "Insert Year Here."
:p
fuck easy.
Nobunaga's Ambition is a series that has been out as long as the NES and original Gameboy (and technically earlier). I always found it personally to be a limited version of RoTK series, but I did here that in the DC/PS2/Xbox generation one of the most definitive and flexible versions came out. So I would give it a spin.
Now what I wish they'd port over from Japan servers was that modern MMO-version of Uncharted Waters (if you remember that old Genesis-Mega Drive/SNES Age of Exploration sailing/trade/piracy game). But it never happened. :(
Ha. Just realised that i've played for about 1 hour on the PS2 since i've had it.
All the Grand Theft Auto games are awesome.
Manhunt 1 and Manhunt 2.
Canis Canem Edit.
The LEGO Star Wars games are good fun.
Quote from: Ladybird;717120I'd skip Deus Ex if you have a computer that can run it (and as an early unreal engine game, it would be hard to have a computer that couldn't run it); the PS2 port was awful. Horrible loading times, and the game required mouse accuracy with a thumb stick controller (it was before console developers learned how to make that work). If you want an FPS, get TimeSplitters 2 or 3... Or both.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance is good, didn't play the second. X-Men Legends is also worth picking up, too; 2 is much better than 1. But for replayable PS2 hack and slash action, Champions of Norrath is the game to get.
R-Type Final was a very good SHMUP, and provides a good ending to the series.
Deus Ex is a bit fiddly but it is an extremely good game , it's worth perservering with because of the depth of the gameplay and the storyline.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 covered the Civil War storyline IIRC , it was ok but the first one was better. Spider-man 1 is terrible , Spider-man 2 is excellent , Spider-man 3 wasn't bad but not as good as 2 , Ultimate Spider-man is pretty good.
Quote from: Simon Owen;750254Deus Ex is a bit fiddly but it is an extremely good game , it's worth perservering with because of the depth of the gameplay and the storyline.
I agree, but it's a game that pretty much any PC of an even vaguely modern vintage - like, produced within the last ten years - should be able to run, and will give you a better experience than the PS2 version.
Quote from: Ladybird;750331I agree, but it's a game that pretty much any PC of an even vaguely modern vintage - like, produced within the last ten years - should be able to run, and will give you a better experience than the PS2 version.
It depends , some modern graphics cards won't run old PC games. My laptop runs Vista and there were quite a few games that didn't work properly on it because it has a newish graphics card.
13 was indeed cool! Forgot about that one.
I have played and enjoyed:
- X-Men Legends (1 and 2)
- Kingdom Hearts (1 and 2)
- Persona 3
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance
- Final Fantasy X
Any of the God Of War which is quite engaging.
Tekken for fighting, and if you don't mind cartoony I really liked the Ratchett and Clank series, all of which you should be able to find easily for a song.
If you can get it, get Shadow of the Colossus. I haven't felt sad for killing enemies since this game.