Your Favorite Game for the PS2

[theLadyBugg]

I just got the best anniversary gift ever -- a used PS2! But since it's been a while since I've had access to one, and shops are a bit...iffy with what's available for older consoles, factor in our limited budget...basically I'm looking for recommendations to build a decent game library.

So, Playstation gamers -- what is/was your FAVORITE PS2 game, and why?

Seriously, at this point, we have a console in a box because there are no games for it. Variety is the spice of life, so a bunch of different genres would be great.

 

[Sacred_Flame]

It's a tie between Dragon Quest 8 and Metal Gear Solid 3.

Dragon Quest had so much to do and is a perfect example that the turn based battle system can still be fun. Metal Gear Solid 3 had an impressive story (much better than MGS2) and the boss battles were memorable.

 

[ZehMadScientist]

Persona 4 all the way.

If you are into rpg's (or jrpg's specifically) then try it out, you won't be disappointed.

Eeh, other games are the earlier God of War games for your Hack n Slash needs and even though I've never played them myself there are also the Metal Gear games.

But seriously play Persona 4. Seriously serious. Like for real.

 

[kordan11]

I.. don't.. wow... Erm... Hmmm..

Final Fantasy X? No, no... Kingdom Hearts 2! No... Erm... MGS3? Devil May Cry 3? God of War 2! No.... Erm.... Dark Cloud 2 maybe. Or Persona 3, or 4, or... erm...

I don't know!! I can't...

 

[theresay]

Kingdom Hearts series and Xenosaga series. KH is THE game that got me into video gaming, and will always hold a special place in my heart. I love Xenosaga's story, and the game play was fun, too. I even liked the second one, which received the most criticism in the series.

 

[shrekfan246]

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence - The re-released edition gave the game an actual third-person camera, which is a godsend. It's a stealth game, and pretty much the entire reason I enjoy stealth games now. Plus, 3 has a fairly self-contained story, so you won't be missing anything by not having played 1 or 2.

Persona 4 - I only played the Vita re-release, but it didn't change that much around, mostly just adding new stuff, and it's tied with Final Fantasy IX for my favorite JRPG ever.

Okami - It's a better Legend of Zelda than The Legend of Zelda. It has a crazy slow opening, though, because the dialogue boxes during the prologue crawl along at the speed of a snail and there's no way to skip or speed them up. Takes something like ten or fifteen minutes from starting up until you're actually doing something.

Shadow of the Colossus - It's a very unique game, in that it's pretty much entirely boss-fights and has a massive, empty world leading to them. The control scheme takes a lot of getting used to, but each of the Colossi are a unique blend of puzzle-platforming and action gaming.

Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition - The special edition adds Vergil as a playable character and a few more boss fights, among some other smaller things. It's got the best camera angles and hack&slash combat of the PS2 trilogy, and is also conveniently a prequel to the franchise.

Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II - Who ever thought mixing Disney and Final Fantasy into an action-RPG could work so well?

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

I love all of my PS2 games, but my absolute favorites are (in no particular order):

Final Fantasy X
Disgaea 2
Odin Sphere
Jak and Daxter series
Ratchet and Clank series

 

[TheLycanKing144]

Final Fantasy X, GTA Vice City and San Andreas, and Jak and Daxter series.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Persona 4 definitely. It's still my favourite game of all time, although Katawa Shoujo actually beat it in the soundtrack department recently which I cannot believe. A game with a better soundtrack than Persona 4? What the actual fuck?

Smooth jazz never lies.

Spoiler

Anyway, Persona 4 is a must play if you have a PS2. Even if you have no interest in JRPGs usually, it's just that good. Literally transcends genres.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and, now that I've finally played it, Persona 4. Have Okami, which may be another popular choice, sitting on the PS3, although I haven't really gotten into that yet.

 

[wintercoat]

The first Kingdom Hearts is my favorite PS2 game. The story, the gameplay, the aesthetic, all combine to make an amazing game. Kingdom Hearts improves on the combat and gives the supporting cast more depth, but I feel that it's story is weaker, and the levels feel shallow sometimes. Speaking of which, Kingdom Hearts 2 just arrived in the mail yesterday. I think I'll take a break from Tales of the Abyss and play it.

 

[Erttheking]

Persona 4. Although I own a grand total of four games for the system, so take that with a grain of salt.

 

[IllumInaTIma]

Everyone keeps mentioning Persona 4, and I'm totally agree with them, but you should also try Persona 3:FES.

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

If you want just one name, Shadow Hearts: Covenant is definitely my favorite PS2 title.

Others include (in no order):
Devil May Cry series
Resident Evil 4
Odin Sphere
Ratchet & Clank series
Final Fantasy XII

 

[Al-Bundy-da-G]

Favorite? I don't understand the question.

Also inb4 Daystar: Okami

 

[Elfgore]

War of the Monsters. Greatest game ever on the PS2. It was my first rated T game and my first fighting game as well. When my friend told me that they were selling it PSN I ended up buying that same day.

 

[NinjaSniperAssassin]

-Resident Evil 4 (Spooky, tense, challenging, visceral, exciting, pretty much everything you could want from a 3rd person horror-shooter.)

-Persona 3 and 4 (Maybe already beaten to death, but seriously, play it. Unless you have some sort of crippling hatred of turn-based battle systems... wait no, scratch that, EVEN IF you have a crippling aversion to turn-based systems. Seriously, incredibly, amazingly fantastic in every way.)

-Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando (The whole series is great, but if you only play one it has to be this one. It's platformy, shooty, space battley, galaxy-saving fun for the whole family!)

-God of War 1 and 2 (The premier hack-and-slash series on the PS2. Gory, graphic, brutal fun.)

-Devil May Cry 3 (Tough as balls, but once you get the combat system down it's the closest you can get to Ninja Gaiden on the PS2. I haven't played the special edition but it seems to be the consensus definitive version.)

-Final Fantasy XII (Lots of people don't like it, but I felt like it had the best story in the series bar none, as well as a combat system that allows you to flow from exploring to fighting back to exploring much more fluidly than in any other JRPG I've ever played.)

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (Satan's Pokemon. A dark, depressing, mature story, interesting characters, a fun battle system, the ability to recruit enemy demons, a ballin' soundtrack, and to cap it off it's HARD AS A MOFO.)

 

[The White Hunter]

Resident Evil 4.

This also covers the gamecube and Wii btw. Not played the HD re-release on PS3 or 360 but odds are it's my favourite there too.

 

[Xdeser2]

Shadow of the Colossus

Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando

GTA: San Andreas

Kingdom Hearts

Star Wars Battlefront 2
___________________________

Ah the early 2000's.....