Best Overlooked Fantasy Games On The PS2

With the PlayStation 2 library being so massive, featuring over 4000 titles to choose from, it’s easy to see why not every game became a smash hit, like Resident Evil 4 or Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Sometimes games just slipped through the cracks and became overlooked gems or practically forgotten.

This kind of fate fell on multiple fantasy games for the PlayStation 2. Where Final Fantasy XII exploded onto the scene, others went under the radar even though they featured well-executed gameplay in all kinds of genres, from role-playing games to 3D action-adventures, even if some borrow heavily from other famous games.

9 Champions Of Norrath: Realms Of EverQuest

Forgotten Spin-Off In The EverQuest Universe

When Diablo 2 came out, isometric RPGs exploded into fame and many games were to try capitalizing on the fad, such as Champions Of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest. It does not reinvent the genre, but it did present male and female versions of classes before Diablo 3 did, allowing for more customization.

Set in the EverQuest universe, Champions Of Norrath is rather simple, with the player slaying monsters across realms as a Barbarian, Ranger, Cleric, Wizard, or Shadowknight. In terms of being a Diablo clone, it is stronger than others and manages to translate to a controller scheme, with gameplay that is fun and addictive.

8 Darkwatch

Dark Fantasy And Steampunk Result In A Memorable Shooter

Not only does Darkwatch present strong first-person shooter gameplay set in the Old West, but it also mixes shooting with vampiric superpowers. It tells the story of rogue gunslinger Jericho Cross joining the Darkwatch organization to fight an undead scourge across the American frontier, with the player able to choose between light and dark outcomes.

Over the years, Darkwatch has gained a following as a gem from the 2000s, but at first, it was not a successful game as it mixed the niche of steampunk with action and gothic fantasy horror. It also came out in 2005, when other games such as Resident Evil 4, Call Of Duty 2, and F.E.A.R. came out, leading to it remaining a cult game for people to rediscover over the years.

7 Gauntlet: Dark Legacy

Four Players Can Slay Monsters With Classic Dungeon Crawling

The Gauntlet series has always been a pioneer of the dungeon crawler subgenre, inspiring future games such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Darkest Dungeon. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy brought the franchise to the PS2 era and remained true to the formula, with one to four players traversing from level to level taking on hordes of enemies.

There is not much depth to Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, but it did continue to advance the long-running series, as it was the seventh game. It added the mechanic of turbo attacks, in which two players can unleash a combo for devastating damage. Like other Gauntlet games, it is often considered an ideal game for friends to play together.

6 Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within

The Sequel Went Even Darker Than The Sands Of Time

Of the many Prince Of Persia games out there, most gamers think of Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, hence why it is receiving a remake. However, Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within is often forgotten, despite it being of the same quality, but with a far darker story that mixes parkour and mystics together.

It not only continues the story from The Sands Of Time, but adds more lore to the time-based magic by featuring the Island Of Time as well as a powerful entity known as Dahaka. With a mix of parkour and the new dual melee combat, Warrior Within was still praised for its 3D exploration and action with a darker tone while also laying the foundation for the third game.

5 Castlevania: Lament Of Innocence

Allows Fans To See Why Belmonts Hate Dracula So Much

Still the earliest point in the convoluted Castlevania timeline, Castlevania: Lament Of Innocence impressed longtime fans by showing the origins of not only the Belmont family but their immortal enemy: Dracula. It stepped away from the 2D Metroidvania style and embraced a 3D action style, but not to its detriment.

Lament Of Innocence is an example of how a franchise can change styles drastically while maintaining its identity, but sadly, is not as well-known as other Castlevania games. Fans praised the story for its dark and tragic origins of the Belmont family, as well as the addictive gameplay that felt like a middle-ground between the old Castlevania games and the Metroidvania style.

4 Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows

An Updated Take On Dungeon Crawling With A Hack-And-Slash Twist

• Developer: Midway Games, Midway Studios San Diego
• Release Date: December 12, 2005
• Genre: Action RPG
• System: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360

After the rise in popularity of hack-and-slash games, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows adopted that kind of melee combat while maintaining the dungeon-crawler RPG elements that make the Gauntlet franchise. It also featured an impressive leap in quality to the visuals from Gauntlet: Dark Legacy.

On top of the new gameplay style, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows swapped the bright colors and exaggerated designs for a grittier aesthetic and more ominous atmosphere, which was a common trend in the 2000s. It resulted in mixed reviews at the time, but over the years, Seven Sorrows has gained a reputation for being an underrated game in the franchise.

3 Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks

Liu Kang And Kung Lao On An Interdimensional Adventure

There had been a couple of Mortal Kombat spin-offs before Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, but they were lackluster at best among fans. This led to the unfortunate result of Shaolin Monks falling short in sales, but it was considered leagues above the others as a beat ’em up version of games like the original God Of War rather than a traditional fighting game.

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks remains an underrated entry in the Mortal Kombat franchise, taking place between the original Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat 2. Aside from the voice-acting, Shaolin Monks is often praised for thrilling and evolving gameplay, as Liu Kang and Kung Lao travel between Earthrealm, Outworld, and Netherrealm, meeting many iconic characters along the way.

2 The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age

More Middle-Earth Games Need To Focus On New Characters

The PS2 was home to the Electronic Arts games based on The Two Towers and The Return Of The King, with both ending up being some of the most famous Middle-Earth games. As a result, The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age was overshadowed, with reviews harshly calling it a boring clone of other games.

Taking a page from turn-based RPGs like Final Fantasy, The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age tells a story concurrent to the story of The One Ring in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. It features original characters on their journey that are affected by the Fellowship’s story and even features familiar characters such as Gandalf and Saruman.

1 Okami

A Shameless Zelda Clone But In The Best Way

Not all rip-offs are inherently bad, as shown with Okami, which does not even try to hide that it is a blatant clone of The Legend Of Zelda. There are dungeons to conquer, breaking pots for currency, and even the wolf protagonist’s controls are uncannily similar to Wolf Link from The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but that never stops Okami from being a beautiful and fun game for the PS2.

The cel-shaded art style of Okami allowed the visuals to age like wine and the game was praised by gamers and critics alike for executing The Legend Of Zelda format well, but it didn’t sell as well as Clover Studio hoped, leading to their shutdown. With the fantastical lore based on Japanese mythology, Okami won over everyone who played it, and it slowly generated a strong cult following.