Well, I missed out on much of the PS2 library and I've decided to get the game I really want to play while they're cheaper. I have a decent amount of PS2 games already (roughly 35) including some great RPGs but just ordered these must haves spanning quite a few genres (shield body for having not beat them )
1. Castlevania Curse of Darkness
2. Yakuza
3. ICO
4. Shadow of the Colossus
5. God of War
6. Beyond Good and Evil
7. Okami
8. Kingdom Hearts
Miscellaneous: Kill.Switch (not counting this as a must have lol, just picked it up after reading about it on another RB thread :])
I sold a decent lot locally (a few items I hadn't touched in over 3 years) and took the cash and bought these, so I didn't pay a dime for them. I think it was a great decision.
Some of these already have a cult status, but I'm looking forward to them! So many great PS2 games, I'm barely scratching the surface.
Yakuza is great, but it's humble beginnings. Try not to let the dub get to you and know that true greatness awaits with the sequel. I love the game and suggest that people start here, but man the other games are just so good it makes this one forgettable.
ICO is just awesome. I can't think of many games on the system that are more beautiful to look at, and the puzzles are a good time as well.
Shadow of the Colossus, prepare yourself for bitch tears.
God of War is pretty whatever if you ask me, but many people have raging erections for it, so perhaps your loins will be stirred as well. I would call it the weakest game on this list, but I haven't played Beyond Good and Evil.
I haven't played Beyond Good and Evil.
Okami is a tough contender for best game on the list. It's my favorite Zelda-format game. I was never big on the combat, but the game is just a visual masterpiece that is unforgettable. One of a kind game here.
Kingdom Hearts is pretty good honestly. A lot of people knee jerk hate it with the Disney stuff, but once you pop the game in and start checking it out, it's good stuff. Great production values and solid gameplay. Not very high on my list of Square games, but probably at the top of my list of post-2000 Square games.
ICO and Shadow of the Colossus are two of my favorite games, ever. Do you happen to have a PS3, though? Because I would recommend getting the HD collection for those two games, as the US release of ICO lacks some nice extras that were in the JP and EU versions (but added to the HD release) and SotC has a lot of slowdown that was fixed for the re-release.
Okami is pretty good, but it drags a little bit, I feel. The end of the game ramps up in intensity, and spectacle quite nicely, though.
I used to really like KH when it came out, and I'd kept up with most of the series (I think the only ones I haven't beaten are re:coded and 3D) but after clearing Final Mix 100% a few years ago, I started to really come down off the series. It's not bad, it's just so 'Nomura.'
Jagosaurus wrote:
1. Castlevania Curse of Darkness
2. Yakuza
3. ICO
4. Shadow of the Colossus
5. God of War
6. Beyond Good and Evil
7. Okami
8. Kingdom Hearts
I'm gonna beat prfsnl_gmr to the punch and tell you that Okami and Beyond Good & Evil are two of the best Zelda games ever made.
ICO and Shadow of the Colossus are both classics.
God of War is mindless AAA action. Well-programmed and certainly not a bad game, but not really my thing.
Never got into Kingdom Hearts - always hated the concept and art style. My brother is playing it as this moment and raving about it though.
I've never played Yakuza or Castlevania: Curse of Darkness - even though I own the latter on Xbox.
Yakuza
I've got this too and it's the only game in the series I have played. I found it pretty enjoyable. Whilst it's essentially a beat-em-up at its core, it had a pretty unique feel for its time. I found it engaging and the gameplay addictive. Makes me want to try out the sequels actually, since pierrot mentioned they were better.
ICO
Shadow of the Colossus
These games need no introduction. SotC is one of my favourite games of all time. Such a unique and amazing concept. ICO, I haven't completed yet, but it is also a very unique experience.
God of War
I haven't played this much. It didn't really grab me.
Beyond Good and Evil
Same as above.
Okami
For some reason, my PS2 version would take nearly 10 minutes to load. I originally thought it was freezing, but then I found out it would eventually load if I just left it. It wasn't until I got the HD release on the PS3 that I really started to try the game out. It's an enjoyable, unique Zelda like game. I haven't got too far into the game yet to really comment though.
Kingdom Hearts
Sorry, I just didn't get into this game at all.
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Jmustang1968 wrote:God of War is awesome, dont listen to these naysayers.
Agreed. The entire series is phenomenal and GOW/GOW2 are easily amongst the best games on the PS2 (I'd say both outrank Ico quite a bit, for example).
In fact, I'd say that God of War and SotC are the only two games on your list that I really have enjoyed and would suggest to others that are new to the system. Hope you have better luck with the rest.
Well if we're going to fixate on God of War, I'll at least briefly explain why I consider it to be a pretty mediocre series.
It's a simplification of a genre that is supposed to be heavy on strategy and reaction. It travels on the road that Devil May Cry paved and boils it down to the point where it's so simple the main gameplay element is literally pressing a button that flashes on the screen. Which I guess isn't a massive flaw or poor design, but it's not something that I think deserves the amount of praise it gets, or something that should be considered the best of its kind.
There is zero depth. The upgrade system is superfluous and artificial. By the time I got to the third game, I stopped even opening up the upgrade menu because I realized there is no reason to even bother upgrading (not to mention the fact the game is mind-numbingly easy, so helpful upgrades wouldn't matter anyway). It's just there to make you think you're building something when you're not. The main weapon is designed to basically hit everything within a certain range around the character, removing any need for precision or accuracy. You just need to know which attacks to spam and be in the general area of the enemy, doesn't even matter where you are facing for the most part. More design philosophy to make it easy and appeal to the masses.
So the gameplay is clearly my main complaint. It is flat out mediocre and boring in that department. The epic (as in actually epic) set-pieces and gore are the only things that separates God of War from your run of the mill DMC clone. So as for people that gravitate towards and praise that aspect of the game, they do have a legitimate claim. Even Hideki Kamiya himself has gone on record not only praising that aspect of the games, but stating that he took inspiration from the series and applied towards Bayonetta.
Also this is just a personal thing but I find the main character to be fucking terrible. He is boring to look at, boring to play as, boring to listen to screaming, deep as a puddle... he's just the epitome of boring.
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