Summary
- Unbalanced but fun multiplayer in The Bouncer with overpowered moves and small arenas.
- TimeSplitters 3 offers precision aiming, tag games, and 100+ characters for multiplayer.
- Cold Winter’s violent multiplayer can be intense and jolly, with limbs torn apart.
The PlayStation 2 had online capabilities, but online connectivity still was not ubiquitous like it is today. Console owners still had to rely on good old-fashioned local multiplayer if they wanted to have fun with their friends. Those who owned a PS2 back in the day most likely have fond memories of playing several of the games below with friends and family.
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Even committed JRPG enthusiasts may have missed the following games back in the heyday of the PS2.
Competitive multiplayer can be tricky if two people are at a different skill level. However, even if one player is dominating the other, two people can still have a good time playing together. True friends do not get mad at losing to each other.
8
The Bouncer
An Unbalanced Brawler With Ragdoll Physics
The Bouncer
- Released
-
March 5, 2001
- Publisher(s)
-
Square
, Sony Computer Entertainment
Square’s RPG and brawler hybrid had a short story starring three characters players are meant to beat several times over. Its graphics and physics were an impressive technical showpiece early in the console’s life. The multiplayer blew the doors open and let players control a variety of characters.
It was hilariously unbalanced since some characters had absurdly overpowered moves, but tight systems matter less when everyone is in the same room. Some arenas were small, leading to hectic brawls where players could barely tell what was going on. Other levels were large spaces where people could chase each other around.
The Bouncer’s fighting relies heavily on the PS2’s pressure-sensitive buttons, something modern consoles lack. This would make a remaster very difficult.
7
TimeSplitters 3
Too Many Playable Characters To Count
TimeSplitters and its sequel serve as the spiritual successor to GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. TimeSplitters 3 still has this DNA, but the aiming is updated to utilize dual-analog controls and encourages precision over-relying on the auto-aim. The multiplayer offers a variety of game modes.
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Best PS2 FPS Games From Each Year Of The Console’s Life
The PlayStation 2 did not compete with the FPS titles that Xbox was producing at the time, but the console still featured some great shooters.
The classics are here as well as more creative ones like Virus, which serves as a tag game of sorts (kind of like Infected from Call of Duty). There are more than one hundred characters to choose from, and each has a unique animation when selecting them.
6
Tony Hawk’s Underground 2
May The Best Skater Win
- Release: October 4, 2004
- Developer: Neversoft
- Publisher: Activision
This series came out of the gate swinging with a fantastic debut entry on the original PlayStation. The gameplay only expanded as annual entries were released. By the time Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 came out, players could further extend their combos by getting off their skateboard and walking around to set up a new line while maintaining the same multiplier.
Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 makes the list over some of the games because of the number of classic maps on top of the already expansive levels from the single-player.
5
Red Faction
Destroy Parts Of The Environment Even In Multiplayer
When it first came out, Red Faction wowed gamers with its heavily destructible environments. This system was pretty much unparalleled until Red Faction: Guerrilla came out. The multiplayer heavily benefits from this system as well, since it is in full effect during competitive matches.
Players can use explosives to carve out hiding places and get the drop on opponents. The Warlords map is particularly fun. It is two structures opposite each other separated by an open plane. It makes it perfect for sniper battles and for players to destroy each other’s cover with rockets before taking the kill shot.
For a modern multiplayer game that similarly focuses on destructible environments, check out The Finals.
4
Tekken Tag Tournament
Tekken With A New Twist
- Released
-
1999-00-00
- Developer(s)
-
Namco
Tekken is always great for some multiplayer fun. Tekken Tag Tournament takes it up a notch by introducing the two-versus-two mechanic. Players can tag in a second fighter for a more dynamic fight. This allows four players to take part in a fight. Match-ups like this add a party atmosphere to what is otherwise a very competitive genre.
Players can strategically tag in and out to let fighters recover some of their health during a match. In a rare turn of events, the PS2 version of this game looks significantly better than the arcade cabinet.
3
Burnout Revenge
Spectacular Crashes With Friends
- Released
-
September 13, 2005
- Publisher(s)
-
Electronic Arts
The Burnout games lend themselves well to arcadey multiplayer goodness. Getting in first place means knowing how to take down the other player in addition to being a skillful driver. Not only can friends race against each other, but they can also put their skills to the test with Crash Mode.
6:12
Related
With the technology of the PlayStation 2, some incredible racing games were released during the lifespan of this console.
The options here include taking turns racking up the most damage or doing a map at the same time. The latter in particular adds a more dynamic element to the puzzle-game nature of crash mode as racers now have to contend with whatever the other player might do.
2
Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun
Welrod Battles Are Uniquely Fun
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
- Released
-
November 11, 2003
The debut PS2 entry of this legendary series, Frontline, lacked local multiplayer support. Fans welcomed the return of local competitive multiplayer with open arms in Risin Sun. The game takes place in World War 2 so players would not expect unique weaponry. However, Rising Sun still has some features some standout features.
The Welrod is an odd weapon that is a one-hit kill but has to reload after every shot. If players agree to only use the Welrod against each other, it makes for a fun take on the multiplayer mode as players both miss and anxiously wait for the reload animation to finish before taking another shot.
1
Cold Winter
Dismember Each Other In Intense Combat
Cold Winter
Cold Winter’s single-player is a violent and oppressive spy story about a potential nuclear winter. The multiplayer is still violent, but its atmosphere is anything but oppressive. The wince-inducing violence of tearing enemies apart limb-by-limb with a machine gun becomes a lot more jolly when it is an enemy player who is sitting right next to you in real life.
When compared to a lot of other shooters on the console like TimeSplitters and the first-person James Bond games, Cold Winter is a lot heavier and slower. It can feel sluggish but this also lends to its unique feel.
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