Summary
- The PS2 had great games due to strong protagonists like child characters in RPGs and survival horror.
- Clock Tower 3 offered a unique horror experience with a non-combat protagonist.
- Tales of Symphonia introduced the compelling hero Lloyd, surrounded by young child protagonists in a top JRPG.
Thanks to its massive library of incredible software, the PlayStation 2 has remained the best-selling video game console of all time. Perhaps one of the key reasons that the software was so good was thanks to its protagonists, as its impressive roster of RPGs, survival horror adventures, racing titles, and action-adventure games is packed with outstanding lead characters.
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Among some of its finest was an assortment of child characters, as the PS2 boasted some remarkable protagonists in that regard. Whether they were fending for their young lives in the console’s numerous survival horror games or going on a grand JRPG adventure, the kids of the PS2 easily ranked up there with some of the best protagonists on the console. They were a brilliant mix of plucky young heroes and survivors, starring in what many still consider to be some of the PS2’s best games.
7
Clock Tower 3
Spine-Chilling Survival Horror Game Focuses On Avoiding Combat
Clock Tower 3
If there’s any style of game that thrived on the PS2, it was survival horror, as the console was home to some of the genre’s best. One of the most overlooked survival horror games on the PS2 was Clock Tower 3, which placed players in control of Alyssa Hamilton, a schoolgirl on the run from both her murky past and horrific monsters.
Clock Tower 3 is largely different from the original games in the franchise, but it’s ultimately for the best, as it makes great use of the PS2’s hardware. It plays more like Capcom’s Haunting Ground, mainly focused on escaping conflict, with a protagonist who is unfit for combat. The 3D environments are excellent, and Alyssa’s journey to find the truth about her lineage makes Clock Tower 3 feel like an old-school horror film in video game form.
6
Tales Of Symphonia
One Of The Greatest JRPGs Ever Made
- Released
-
February 17, 2023
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Weak
The Tales franchise was three games deep by the time the PS2 came around, and Bandai Namco was keen to take advantage of the new hardware to power the next generation of the series. With Tales of Symphonia, the second in the franchise released on PS2 following Tales of Destiny 2, they cast Lloyd Irving as its main protagonist. The end result was one of the genre’s most compelling heroes, and one of the greatest JRPGs ever made.
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Tales of Symphonia is set in the world of Sylvarant, where magic is slowly dying out, sending Lloyd on an adventure to escort his friend Colette on a pilgrimage. Lloyd is a delightful lead, and he is also surrounded by other young child protagonists, making up one of the best JRPG parties the genre has ever seen. Tales of Symphonia is readily available on modern hardware thanks to an excellent remaster that launched in 2023.
5
Jak And Daxter
Excellent 3D Platformer Is One Of The Console’s Best Games
Platformer
Action
Adventure
- Released
-
December 4, 2001
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Computer Entertainment
Before creating the cinematic worlds of The Last of Us and Uncharted, developer Naughty Dog was deep in the world of 3D platformers. Using what they learned from three Crash Bandicoot games on the PS1, Naughty Dog crafted a new IP for the PS2, resulting in Jak and Daxter, a masterful 3D platformer with an imaginative, colorful world.
Starring a young boy named Jak and his pal Daxter, this excellent game features a fabulously designed world and pitch-perfect platforming. The relationship between the title characters is a joy to watch, as the silent, moody Jak plays the perfect straight man to Daxter’s charming, altogether frantic personality. Despite being abandoned by both Sony and Naughty Dog in recent years, the original Jak and Daxter is still one of the PS2’s best games and is readily available on PS5 today.
4
Bully
Controversial Rockstar Game Casts Players As A Bullworth Academy Student
- Released
-
October 17, 2006
- Developer(s)
-
Rockstar Vancouver
Continuing their desire to explore controversial topics and themes, Rockstar decided to create something new with their first game after GTA: San Andreas. Set in the fictional Bullworth Academy, Bully puts players in control of Jimmy Hopkins, a new arrival who immediately ruffles the feathers of the school’s most ill-mannered students, but in typical Rockstar fashion, the devil is in the details.
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While it carries an ominous name on the tin, the role of Jimmy and the player in this PS2 classic isn’t to be a bully, but rather to punish the students who are. Bully is all about getting revenge on the preppies, the jocks, and all of Bullworth Academy’s most nefarious characters, including the staff. Jimmy is a classic Rockstar protagonist, dumped into a dangerous situation, but it abandons organized crime for something a bit more down to Earth. Bully is readily available on modern hardware, and Jimmy’s journey is one well worth playing today.
3
Dark Cloud 2
Innovative JRPG Set In A Steampunk Fantasy World
Dark Cloud 2
- Released
-
February 17, 2003
- Developer(s)
-
Level-5
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Computer Entertainment
Dark Cloud was one of the first JRPGs to hit the PS2 in 2001, and developers Level-5 created a unique town-building mechanic known as Georama. Just two years later, they would follow up with Dark Cloud 2, set in an entirely new world and with Maximillian and Monica as its lead characters, with each of their stories taking place one hundred years apart from each other. They are brought together via a fun time travel story, as Dark Cloud 2’s narrative is filled with all sorts of fun fantasy gimmicks and uses them expertly, with the trademark Level-5 charm.
The Georama system from the first game returns, and is better than ever. By exploring dungeons, players gather Geostones which are used in Georama mode to populate towns with buildings and living spaces. It is a fantastic mechanic, one that would be exciting to revisit with modern technology. This absolutely lovely JRPG is still one of the best available on the console, and is playable on modern hardware, making it easier than ever to revisit this fabulous experience.
2
Zone Of The Enders
Mech-Combat Game By Metal Gear Creator Hideo Kojima
Zone of the Enders
Third-Person Shooter
Hack and Slash
Despite being best known for including a demo for Hideo Kojima’s highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Zone of the Enders is one of the best mech combat games ever made, and one of the PS2’s most ambitious projects. Casting players in the role of Leo Stenbuck, Zone of the Enders explores humanity’s expansion into the stars and follows a brewing war between the militaristic forces of Bahram and the mechs, known as Orbital Frames, piloted by civilians.
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Leo’s dramatic journey in Zone of the Enders is filled with action, trauma, and adventure, as this epic tale of war and betrayal remains one of the PS2’s most innovative and enjoyable experiences. Today the mech combat feels as sharp as ever, as flying around in an Orbital Frame has a sense of precise speed that is unmatched even by most contemporary games in the genre. Zone of the Enders is a deeply fascinating experience, and was also remastered for the PS3 in 2012.
1
Ico
Atmospheric Adventure Game That Features A Boy Meets Girl Story
- Released
-
September 24, 2001
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Computer Entertainment
Armed with a bold vision and incredible artistic integrity, Fumito Ueda conceived of what would become Ico in 1997, taking influence from cinematic platformers like Prince of Persia and Another World. This landmark release is still one of the PS2’s most impressive games, focusing on a young boy named Ico as he attempts to rescue a wayward princess named Yorda. Their immediate bond feels natural and organic, as their harrowing adventure to escape a mob of frightening shadow creatures forms the crux of this outstanding game.
Ico puts a strong focus on its atmosphere, vibes, and exploration, as well as the importance of bonds. Holding Yorda’s hand feels tangible, and the threat of losing her feels all too real when the sinister shadow creatures emerge to take her. With its stellar animation, unique world design, and absolutely beautiful art direction, Ico is still one of the most impressive titles to come out during the sixth-generation of consoles. Although Team ICO’s second game, Shadow of the Colossus, was given a full remake by Bluepoint in 2020, this masterful title remains sadly stuck on the PS2. It’s not easy to play today, but it is absolutely worth it to experience Ico and Yorda’s epic journey.
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