My wife finally broke down and let me buy a Playstation 2! I promised I wouldn’t go crazy buying games – most times I buy games and get board with them fairly quickly. So I ask, what is the best of the best of Playstation 2?
(Just so you know my tastes – I think the best game on PS1 was Civilization II
It depends upon your tastes.
In my opinion, and in many others, it’s Grand Theft Auto 3. You get three islands with very detailed cityscapes (an airport, a stadium, bridges, tunnels, elevated railways, subways and the like), a whole range of weapons and vehicles, a variety of tasks and a bizarre range of passers-by. The scope is immense, the freedom to do as you please rather than follow the plot is entertaining and the potential for ludicrous acts of random, sickening violence is disturbingly fun. The general plot is that you are a hired goon progressing your way up the ranks in various gangs by committing assorted crimes, on foot or by car.
It’s not really suitable for kids or those who aren’t interested in crime-based games.
I also enjoyed Medal of Honour: Frontline, which is brilliantly animated series of missions during World War II. The opening landing scene on the Normandy beaches is superbly executed, and the general quality is high. The only disappointment is in the very linear nature of the game – there’s only one real way to do things, and little freedom to explore the various levels.
In terms of sales and critical acclaim it would have to be Grand Theft Auto 3.
Marc
If you like pure old racing fun, you can’t beat Gran Turismo 3. I keep playing that game. It’s fantastic.
Another vote for Grand Theft Auto 3. The only caveat to this is that you must actually try and play the missions. Yes, running around beating up/killing people is fun, but gets game-ruiningly dull if it’s all you do.
It really depends what games you like. Take the top 10 PS2 games (by sales)-- I could tolerate playing maybe half of them, and really enjoy only one or two.
Your best bet is to rent games that sound interesting to you and try them out before you buy them. PS magazines are a great way to find out what’s coming out and how a game is. You can also try talking to other game players, and find out what they’re playing or looking forward to.
That said, I also recommend Grand Theft Auto 3. Even though GTA4: Vice City will be out later this year, GTA3 still an excellent, entertaining game. My copy is with a friend 3000 miles away, and I miss it every day. 
I also endorse GTA3, though it’s not for the faint of stomach. Didn’t even know a GTA4 is coming out…
GTA3 is an extremely well-made game, but I have trouble recommending it just because it represents everything I hate about the videogame industry – all flash and a “mature” story that’s anything but. But like I said, it’s extremely well-made and can be pretty fun.
I don’t see what it has to do with Civ II, though. If you’re into that type of game, you might like the Kessen series. It’s a strategy series set in ancient China. You may also like Ring of Red, which is a strategy/RPG, or Dark Cloud, which is an RPG/building game.
But none of those are the best games for the system; it’s just that the PS2 doesn’t have a whole lot of options for strategy games yet. If you ask me, the best games for the PS2 are:
ICO – just beautifully done all-around. If I had to compare it to any game, it’d be Myst, if Myst had been more interactive, in full 3D, and you actually ever cared what happened.
Gitaroo Man – it’s what Parappa the Rapper 2 should’ve been. It’s a cartoony music game kind of like Parappa, but even weirder, and you play a guitar in combat with aliens & monsters.
Onimusha – basically Resident Evil set in feudal Japan. But I hate the Resident Evil games and love Onimusha, for some reason.
Final Fantasy Tactics – Okay, sure, it’s a PS1 game, but it’s The Best Game Ever Made and it’s in their specially-priced collection so you can usually get it for under $20 now. If you don’t have it, get it! Especially if you’re into strategy more than action.
Of the ones I’ve played so far GTA3 and Tony Hawkes Proskater 3 have been the most fun. The Scooby Doo night of 100 frights game is sort of cute, tough if you’re looking for something family-friendly.
You know what’s fun with GTA3? Jump up onto the roof of a car instead of hijacking it, and let the driver worry about where you’re going as you shoot people…do not use the flame thrower though, it will catch your transportation on fire for some reason, which is odd since I haven’t been able to catch cars on fire with it otherwise. I’m looking forward to the next game, the previews for it look pretty interesting.
I personally played these the most:
Dark Cloud - as mentioned it’s an RPG/Building game - and a bit of fishing too! 
Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance - a bit short, but great fun while it lastet
SSX Tricky - The ultimative snowboarding game, only sports game I ever really enjoyed.
I can’t wait for the sequel to Dark Cloud, I want it now dammit!.
I’m shocked nobody has mentioned Metal Gear: Solid 2. It convinced me to go for the console over a standard DVD player.
SSX rules.
GTA4 info:
http://www.gamesfirst.com/previews/jluther/vice_city/vice_city.htm
http://www.gta3.com/?zone=gtavice
Well, more like teasing rather than info, but it’s the best I can do.
There have been quite a few PS2 game recommendation threads in the past, so you might want to try doing a search.
Don’t forget Red Faction (fetures the ability to blow away half of many stages) and Final Fantasy X. That game is so pretty I’ve had a hard time figuring out whther I was watching a FMV or a cutscene at times!
I bought MGS2 the day it came out here in Denmark, I enjoyed Metal Gear Solid and played it almost without pause, but I got kinda bored with the movie sequences of MGS2 and never actually made it more than 10 minutes into the playing part. I lent it to a friend but I’m planning to get it back soon and give it another go.
On a side note: Kuri Kuri Mix (might be called something like Cookie and Creems adventure in other parts of the world) is a really fun puzzle game if you have someone to play with.
I normally hate sports games but I’m flat out addicted to SSX Tricky for some reason. That game is one of those never ends kinda games (That is if you too are intent on beefing up every character and winning as many medals as is humanly possible). Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is also a pretty awesome game as is Onimusha. In Onimusha, there are several little extra things that you can get, such as if you play through it once, the second time through the main character is wearing a panda suit (kind of weird but I find it strangely appealing). There are some more extra things but I don’t recall what they are. They are coming out with an Onimusha 2, so you may want to wait for that one. I’m also one of the few people who still loves The Bouncer. It may be only a 4 hour game, but I played through all the characters multiple times in order to beef them up and then use them in the multiplayer portion of the game (which is kind of like a streetfighter/mortal kombat type fighting game). Way cool, great graphics, full voice overs, me likey. There is also Final Fantasy 10, which is a final fantasy game and is enough to convince me. I’ve had no experience with GTA3, but everyone has told me it is the best and I’ve heard no complaints.
And now for something completely different:
Rez - Hard to find, and a lot of people can’t stand it, but it’s one of my favorites. It’s hard to describe, but basically it’s a techno-driven shooter where you’re hacking into a network to defeat a virus. I got it at Best Buy for $20.
Frequency - Best music game ever. You play the controller like an instrument to crank out techno and hip hop type music. I’ve literally played through this game at least 50 times. You can find it new for $30.
Mad Maestro - Another music game, but this one has the distinction of being the only music game based on classical music. Your character conducts a rag-tag childrens’ orchestra hoping to save the town’s historic music hall from destruction. Cost: $20.
Aqua Aqua - Sequel to “Wetrix”, which I think was an N64 game. It’s a puzzle game where you position falling blocks on a platform to fasion pools, which you then fill with water. Pretty hard to get started with, but a fun game for puzzle people. I picked it up used for $12.
Unison - Another music game? :eek: This one is a quirky dancing game where you use the analog sticks to control the dancers. Kinda short, but I had to have it for the collection. Found it used for $14.
Parappa The Rapper (PSX) - If you like the music games, you simply must find a copy of the original Parappa the Rapper. Its sequels, Um Jammer Lammy and Parappa the Rapper 2 are both adequate, but neither as near as charming as the original. If you can find it, the original probably won’t cost more than 10 or 15 bucks.
The Adventures of Cookie and Cream - If you have a friend to play with, this is an addictive little platformer. The two title characters have to progress through levels by working together. For example, on Cookie’s side of the screen, there might be a button to push that opens a gate for Cream. Sounds strange, but it’s a lot of fun. I paid $20 for it.
GTA3 is by far the best game out there that I have played. It has an open ended story line that allows you to do things throughout the world and also gives you just enough direction if you want to go out and beat the game.
I really hated Dark Cloud. Others like it. I found Okage:Demon King to be a much better game and Evil King Stan (I believe it was originally Evil King Satan, the boy’s evil shadow) is truly hilarious.
I haven’t played ICO but it is the next game I am going to buy because of its artistry. I have seen it played and it was beautiful.
I have been interested in getting some of the music games too but I don’t really have a run down of the comparisons. I was thinking Gitaroo Man or Mad Maestro.
Oh, for what it is worth, don’t bother with the following games: Rune, Viking Warlord (even though the game is fun it takes about 30 minutes to load, between every scene, irk!); Kinetica (A decent race game but the controls leave a whole lot to be desired, Gran Turismo 3 is much better); Cookies and Cream (don’t get it unless you have a second player of roughly the same skill as you, otherwise this one starts fights); or anything with the Might and Magic label on it (trash software).
Hold off on buying Metal Gear Solid 2. In November, they are coming out with Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, which includes the original game and a ton of bonus stuff.
I don’t even own a ps2 and I can tell you the popular ones are
grand theft auto 3
twisted metal black
devil may cry
metal gear solid
perfect dark (? ps2)