Best PS2 Hidden Gems

Key Takeaways

• The PlayStation 2 has one of the best libraries of video games, rivaling the Super Nintendo.
• Many great PS2 games have been forgotten over time, but some hidden gems are still worth revisiting today.
• Games like
  Black
  ,
  Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
  ,
  
  and
  Dark Cloud
  are examples of underrated PS2 titles that deserve more recognition.

The PlayStation 2 is rivaled only by the likes of the Super Nintendo when it comes to the quality of its library. Both consoles are home to some of the greatest video games of all time. To this day, they still offer gamers the best bang for their buck, eclipsing virtually every single modern home console when it comes to both quality and quantity.

Of course, enough time has passed since the PS2’s time in the sun where most of its games have become obscured with time. What were once considered classics or rising stars are now hidden gems and what were once hidden gems are now forgotten. Fortunately, not every game has slipped through the cracks of time, and some are worth revisiting even today.

Updated on November 3rd, 2024, by David Heath: As of this writing, the PlayStation 2 is still the best-selling console of all time with 155 million units sold, with the Nintendo Switch nipping at its heels at 143.4 million units and counting. Despite not being as powerful as the Nintendo Gamecube or Microsoft’s Xbox, it has an unparalleled library of games ranging from the most basic shovelware to some of the greatest video games ever made.

However, this also means it’s easy for some games to slip through the cracks. Even games that were appreciated at the time can leave the public consciousness, held up only by their keen fans or people seeking something new. If the highly polished games of today feel all same-y, people can go back a few generations to the unsung heroes on this list, now updated with more hidden gems, and rearranged by genre.

30 Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil

Simple And Fun Platforming That’s A Blast To Master

Given how complex and irritating modern gaming has become, players will love the idea of a simple platformer that keeps players engrossed with tight and engaging mechanics until the end. In other words, letting the gameplay speak for itself instead of trying to be some epic, cinematic experience. Such is the case with Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil, an underrated PS2 sequel to an underrated PS1 game, Klonoa: Door to Phantomisle.

This time, the ‘Dream Traveler’ has to help save Lunatea by traveling across its land and ringing its Spirit Bells. Like the original Klonoa, it’s a 2.5D experience, as they hop along 3D environments on a 2D plane, traveling and chucking things (usually enemies caught with Klonoa’s Wind Bullet) between the background and foreground to solve puzzles. There are even snowboarding challenges! It received universal acclaim from critics and players, but its cutesy mascot antics couldn’t help it against moodier, more mature experiences like Grand Theft Auto 3.

29 Ico

The Best Argument For Escort Missions

It’s a shame that JapanStudio closed its doors since the studio was responsible for some excellent games that players love to this day. While Shadow of the Colossus is their most notable effort by a country mile, people shouldn’t write off its predecessor, Ico, either. This beautiful video game focuses on the traditional boy-meets-girl story with some unique twists of its own.

Players control the titular Ico, a horned boy who finds Princess Yorda trapped in a castle. Together, they must find a way to escape, with Ico fighting off monsters to protect Yorda, Yorda helping Ico solve puzzles with her power, and both sneaking past guards to avoid danger. Like SotC, the story gets deeper and more heart-rending as it goes on, being as eerily beautiful as its stunning art style. It induces a sense of wonder into everything that transpires in a game that more people need to check out.

28 The Bouncer

An Action-Packed Title That’s More Popular Today Than At Launch

There’s a reason The Bouncer passed by without much notice. Beat-’em-up games need to strike a balance between responsible combat and flamboyant animations to make for an interesting combat system. Unfortunately for DreamFactory’s PS2 launch title, the game ended up focusing a bit too much on the latter and suffers as a result. It doesn’t help that the game is extremely short and can be completed in a sitting or two.

The other characters can be fun to control in their own way, but players will struggle with the combat system the longer they go on. Different buttons control high, mid, and low attacks, alongside separate buttons for jumping and blocking. Some of the boss fights can become a nightmare to complete as a result. But it caught on with some players, partly because of its ironic anti-fame, and partly down to its genuine positives, like its fun character interactions and great visual design for the time. It’s a testing but unique experience.

27 Urban Reign

An Underrated Beat ‘Em Up That Can Be Enjoyed With Friends

• Platform: PlayStation 2
• Released: 13th September 2005
• Developer: Namco
• Genre: Beat ’em up

Beat ’em up games are a blast to play through, with the allure of this genre being prevalent from the days of the SNES. Teaming up with friends and pummeling enemies across a series of curated levels is a gameplay loop that is still going strong to this day, so it’s quite puzzling that a game like Urban Reign didn’t enjoy its time in the spotlight. It even had Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law from Tekken as selectable characters.

While the game’s story is barebones, and the player’s partners suffer from poor AI, it was a unique beat ’em up where players could mix up their grapples, pull off strong combos, and build up their meter to pull off a ‘special art’ years before Tekken would do the same with its Rage Arts. In terms of pure gameplay, Urban Reign is an excellent title that deserves more love than it got at the time of release.

26 The Warriors

Rockstar Games Bring Back The Classic 1970s Movie In Playable Form

Given Rockstar’s impressive pedigree as a developer, most people would assume that they’ve already checked out the studio’s best games. The open-world goodness and fun, chaotic gameplay of the GTA games and the racing action of the Midnight Club series are still spoken about fondly to this day, so it’s odd that no one talks about The Warriors as often in high regard.

Adapted from the original 1979 movie, the game goes through the events of the film, where players can beat up rival gangs as they try to head back to their home territory of Coney Island. But it also has some original elements, with unique missions for its different playable characters, ranging from tagging neighborhoods with graffiti to flashback missions to show how key characters joined the Warriors. It was a fun, unique brawler that was really popular on release. Now it’s a cult classic that deserves more love.

25 Red Faction

A First-Person Shooter That Takes Place On Mars

Players who love FPS games in unique settings will love what Red Faction has to offer. The split-screen multiplayer mode was a couch co-op compromise to make up for the lack of online play, but this game is perfect for players who want to enjoy a tight single-player-driven experience. In terms of pure action, there aren’t many games on the console that will get the blood pumping much like this. Particularly with its GeoMod tech.

These destruction mechanics were unique for the time, letting players blast their way through terrain and buildings to find unique ways to circumvent obstacles. Firefights become more dynamic as a result and let players turn a combat arena into something unrecognizable after they’re done mowing down their enemies. With Volition closing shop after the poor performance of the Saints Row reboot, players who want to experience one of their best games can check out Red Faction to enjoy all its strengths firsthand.

24 XIII

Belgian Comic FPS Develops A Cult Following And A Bad Remaster

• Platform: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Gamecube, PC, macOS
• Release: 18th-28th November 2003, 11th June 2004 (macOS)
• Developer: Ubisoft Paris
• Genre: First-person shooter

People might remember XIII for its infamous remaster by PlayMagic, where its messy development resulted in a messy game that had to be salvaged by Microids through a massive overhaul. After all that effort, it might’ve been easier for players to hunt down the old PC port or grab its console versions. It’s an FPS based on a popular Belgian comic series where an amnesiac known only as XIII (‘thirteen’) tries to regain his memories while being hunted by the FBI and a hitman called Mongoose.

It was considered a bit of a mixed bag on release, as the enemies and NPCs didn’t have the best AI, and the weapons were unbalanced. Yet its bold cel-shaded graphics were a joy to watch in action, with comic book-style panels and sound balloons. It was like a bold counterpart to the gritty but similarly comicbook-like Max Payne games. Though it didn’t sell well, it developed a keen fanbase who wished it got more attention. Whether it’s on console, PC, or the salvaged remake, XIII is worth a look for any curious FPS fans.

23 Black

A Cinematic Action-Packed First-Person Shooter

It’s hard to believe that the developer of many Need for Speed games made a first-person shooter, and what makes Black an even greater achievement is that it was a fun title in its own right, albeit a slightly generic one. Anyone who’s played a first-person shooter knows what to expect here: pick the two firearms they want to carry at once, lob grenades to blow foes up, and shoot out mines and enemy grenades to clear the way.

Regardless, most people didn’t care when they booted up the game and were greeted with unending set-pieces, thrilling missions, and engaging firefights that were as cinematic as they could be on the PS2. The fact that this title didn’t get a sequel was a huge shame, and Black‘s console exclusivity on the PS2 and Xbox meant that many people didn’t get the chance to play it once their generation passed. Playing this game now is a challenge, but it’s still worthwhile for fans of classic FPS titles.

22 Batman Begins

A Solid Recapturing Of Batman’s Beginning

Batman Begins brought the caped crusader back to the cinemas and back in vogue, leading to classics like The Dark Knight and inspiring the direction of The Batman. It also received a video game tie-in that is criminally underappreciated, as it also captures Batman’s gameplay quite well. He can sneak past guards with stealth mechanics, use batarangs and other gadgets to take down enemies, including unique ones like the HF Transponder to attract bats (as per the movie), and use fear against his foes.

Though it’s probably for the best that it didn’t catch on. It would have received a sequel in the form of a game based on The Dark Knight if it hadn’t been canceled. The developers, Pandemic Brisbane, didn’t deserve to be shut down, but the project’s shutdown opened the doors for Rocksteady Studios to make Batman: Arkham Asylum, where it and the subsequent Arkham games perfected what the Batman Begins game offered.

21 Berserk Millennium Empire Arc: Chapter Of The Holy Demon War

A Surprisingly Great Action Game Based On Berserk

• Platform: PlayStation 2
• Released: 7th October 2004 (Japan)
• Developer: Yuke’s
• Genre: Action-adventure

There’s a pretty solid reason why most people don’t know about this Berserk game—it was never released in the West. It’s a shame since Berserk Millennium Empire Arc: Chapter of the Holy Demon War had the potential to be a great game in its own right. Serving as a sequel to the Dreamcast title, Sword of the Berserk: Guts’ Rage (which did reach the West), the game improved on its predecessor in many ways. It offers larger maps for Guts to explore, better graphics, and better animation via motion capture.

It helped that the content covered in the game was stellar, as it follows Guts’ trip to Elfheim in order to find a way to restore Casca’s sanity. Alongside the game’s events, it has an original villain, the Apostle Charles, who actually adds to the seinen manga’s story by having him taunt Guts with hallucinations based on his past. They’re nice additions for fans of the strip, though unless they have a translation patch or are fluent in Japanese, anyone outside Japan won’t get to experience it.

20 The Mark Of Kri

Polynesian Powerhouse Fulfills His Destiny In An Overlooked Action Adventure Title

• Platform: PlayStation 2
• Released: 30th July 2002
• Developer: San Diego Studio
• Genre: Action-adventure

Some themes and settings get used constantly in games. Medieval fantasy lands, feudal Japan, the distant reaches of outer space, etc. It can get all too familiar for some. However, some games have tried to provide more diverse locations, including The Mark of Kri. Made over 22 years ago, it’s about Rau Utu, one of the Protectors of the Rakus, warriors who bear the titular mark. With the aid of his scout, a raven named Kuzo, he aims to help those in need against bandits, robbers, the evil Kasai, and ‘The Dark One’.

Inspired by Polynesian culture and Maori mythology (albeit not always accurately, as the game caused a stir in New Zealand), Rau ventures through the jungle. He can sneak up on foes, or take them head-on with his sword and axe combos, while Kuzo points out platforms and translates inscriptions for lore. It’s a fun game with some fantastic graphics for its time, thanks to most of the staff being ex-Disney animators. The game was fairly well received on release, but it didn’t have enough momentum to keep it going beyond its sequel, Rise of the Kasai.

19 Primal

Woman Goes Through Hell And High Water To Find Her Love

Primal had quite a bit of hype behind it back in the day, as its gothic action themes and storyline were all the rage in the early 2000s. 16Volt’s industrial rock soundtrack helped too, as did the design of its protagonist, Jen. She’s a perky goth girl who gets attacked when she and her boyfriend Lewis leave a nightclub. While hospitalized, a gargoyle named Scree leads her spirit to Oblivion, where she must restore balance between the forces of Order and Chaos, and save both her life and Lewis’ by fighting through its four realms.

During her quest, Jen discovers she’s more than an ordinary girl, as she gains the ability to transform into different demonic forms to take out foes, increasing her speed and damage. Players can also control Scree, who can siphon energy from defeated enemies to give Jen extra help in combat, or scout ahead in dangerous situations because, unlike Jen, he’s completely invulnerable. The combat was so-so, and it had some rough backtracking for save points, but it offered an inspired look and lore that sadly didn’t get a follow-up.

18 Red Dead Revolver

The Series’ Origin Deserves Redemption

Poor Red Dead Revolver never stood a chance. Originally made for Capcom, the game’s production was picked up by Rockstar Games, who turned developers Angel Studios into Rockstar San Diego. It was an arcade-esque third-person shooter that emphasized the wackier elements of the Western genre, as Red Harlow seeks the gunslinger who killed his parents for revenge. It received a fair reception, though it passed by without much notice.

Then it got a sequel. Red Dead Redemption made it a serious, open-world epic that’s since become the definitive Wild West experience in video games. Though it has a few mechanical similarities to its predecessor, it might as well be a completely different game to Revolver. But it’s exactly this distinction that makes Revolver still worth playing today. It’s very much its own game that offers its own fun highlights, and serves as a contrast to what it would become later.

17 Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams

The Last Entry In The Samurai Hack N’ Slasher (For Now)

Onimusha is a series of hack-and-slash games that are all pretty iconic in their own right, where they use classic Resident Evil-style fixed camera angles to help its leads solve puzzles and fight off enemies in feudal Japan. Of course, the games wouldn’t be treasured if they didn’t have something extra to add to this tale. Instead of fighting off any ordinary samurai, players had to fight off demons like the Genma and other supernatural elements.

The last game in the series, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, felt like a downturn as the heroes from the previous games, like Samanosuke and Jubei, were replaced with the original character Soki. Nonetheless, he had the same demon-sealing abilities, and an entourage of partners he could take into stages to find new paths and items. For a while, Capcom considered it one of its big hitters. But they soon consigned the series to their vaults, releasing only a remaster of the original game in 2018, 12 years after O: DoD. It really deserves better than that.

16 Yakuza 2

The Best Yakuza Game Released For The PS2

While the first Yakuza’s English dub is anything but appropriate, the first two Yakuza games are one of a kind. They’re well-told crime dramas with great beat ’em up action that started off a great series. Even after its remake in Yakuza Kiwami 2, the original Yakuza 2 is still one of the better games in the franchise. While combat can feel stiff at times, it gets more rewarding as it goes on, particularly with Kiryu’s improved tracking that makes it feel more like its follow-ups.

The story itself is the real driving force behind the game, as Kiryu has to work with Osakan cop Sayama to stop the Go-Ryu clan and Jingweon faction from overrunning Kamurocho and the Tojo clan. It’s arguably better than its remake thanks to its unique soundtrack, beautiful, less-filtered presentation, and additions that didn’t get carried over to Kiwami 2, like the Adam Host Club minigame, and Shinseicho, a new area the player could explore.

15 God Hand

A Unique And Engaging Action Game Unfairly Lambasted By Critics At The Time

Despite being infamously poorly reviewed by some big-name publications, God Hand is considered by many to be one of the greatest character action games of all time. It’s a third-person brawler where players customize Gene’s moves to take on hordes of foes in a post-apocalyptic Wild West-ish setting, and use the power of the God Hand to save the world from demons. It’s mechanically complex and rewarding with addictive gameplay and killer boss fights.

It’s also incredibly tongue-in-cheek, making fun of both video game and movie tropes with its surreal set pieces (yes, the Mad Max-inspired enemies are quoting Mike Tyson). Its wacky stage design also pairs well with a genuinely great soundtrack. Higher difficulties just make the game more engaging, as enraging the enemies (from Level 1 to ‘Die’) can earn the player more points to spend on moves. There’s never a dull moment when it comes to God Hand. It may not be Devil May Cry, but it’s not trying to be.

14 Gitaroo Man

Saving An Alien World With The Power Of Music

• Platform: PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
• Release: 21st June 2001 (PS2), 8th June 2006 (PSP)
• Developer: iNiS
• Genre: Rhythm action

U-1, an ordinary boy overlooked by his crush and picked on by bullies, discovers he’s more than he seems when his talking dog, Puma, gives him the Last Gitaroo, a weapon that transforms him into the almighty Gitaroo Man! Through his strumming and the power of music, he has to save the planet Gitaroo and take down Prince Zowie of the Gravillian Empire.

To do that, players have to play their Gitaroo by tracing the music’s tune with the right analog stick during its different phases, pressing it in and out to time it just right. They can block attacks by pressing the correct button prompts, and regain health by hitting the right notes during the Charge phase. If they mess up, they lose health, and whoever’s bar empties first loses. Offering a stellar soundtrack and charming graphics, there aren’t any other games like it, even among other rhythm action games.

13 Mister Mosquito

The Best, And Only, Mosquito Simulation Game

If anyone has ever wanted to play as a mosquito in a video game, they’ll likely want to check out Mister Mosquito and ask themselves why they have such specific taste in games. It’s a stealth action game where players control a mosquito in the house of the Yamada family. They have to bite members of the family in specific body parts across different stages without being noticed to build up enough blood to survive the upcoming winter.

If players max out the human’s stress meter, they’ll actively try to hunt him down with a swatter, pesticides, or other means, until the player can fly away and strike a specific pressure point or 2 to calm them back down. Players can also fly around the stage to find hidden goodies or Easter Eggs. It’s a weird game that somehow managed to reach North America and Europe, complete with English voice acting, and actually became a fun little flying stealth game. It’s a shame that its sequel, Ka 2: Let’s Go to Hawaii, stayed in Japan.

12 Dark Cloud

A Woefully Underrated JRPG That Combined Dungeon Crawling With City Building

The first PlayStation was a hub for many engaging JRPGs that employed turn-based combat to great effect. Final Fantasy 7 was a huge breakout hit on this console and inspired many other titles to come out, enjoying varying degrees of success in the process. As the PS2 rolled out, gamers started leaning towards real-time combat instead, even if there were some turn-based gems that attained a ton of popularity too.

So, it’s genuinely puzzling why Dark Cloud didn’t catch on better. It was an RPG with real-time combat, survival mechanics (watch that thirst meter!), and procedurally-generated dungeons that offered something new each time. It even had city-building elements, where players could use the ‘Atla’ they collected from the dungeons to rebuild the destroyed world outside. Maybe it was a little too repetitive to catch on, leaving it as an entertaining one-off, with only its equally underrated spiritual sequel Dark Chronicle continuing its gameplay.

11 Odin Sphere

2D Action-Platforming Goodness With An Epic Narrative To Boot

• Platform: PlayStation 2 (original), PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita (remake)
• Released: 17th May 2007 (original), 14th January 2014 (remake)
• Developer: Vanillaware
• Genre: Action RPG

It’s easy to see why Odin Sphere got overlooked. It wasn’t rough around the edges like other cult classics, as it received rave reviews at the time it was released. But it was a 2D side-scrolling action RPG released on the PS2 when the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii were the new hotness, and a spiritual sequel to Princess Crown, a similar game for the Sega Saturn. Being a retro callback on a recently-outdated console without 3D bells and whistles meant it got passed up by a lot of people.

Ironically, it might be more popular now than on release, as its own spiritual sequel, Dragon’s Crown, became a big hit. Like that same, Odin Sphere lets players control up to five characters in an action RPG where they fight enemies beat ’em up-style with their own unique moves and abilities. They earn experience by collecting Phozons from the defeated enemies and infusing them with seeds to produce tasty, stat-boosting meals. Nowadays, the best way to play the game is via its remake, Odin Sphere Leifthrasir, which clears up the upgrade system with skill trees.