The days of the PlayStation 2 were indeed the best. At that time, it seemed as if a high quality game was released just about every couple weeks. There was no need from developers to tout a AAA game that would see the light of day 5 years after initial announcement. They say competition is best for the consumers as it forces competitors to create quality content, yet dozens of classics were developed at the time and without any completion existing in the market for the PlayStation 2.
The PS2 now resides in the hearts of gamers, even if many have shifted over to the Xbox platform or Nintendo’s gaming systems. Microssoft nabbed just about every exclusive PlayStation game in the seventh generation and we saw many former exclusives become simultaneous releases. Also, games which were always multiplatform always saw greater success on the PlayStation 2, which was the reason for their success.
Over time, the games that saw their first outings under the PlayStation 2 banner have been given legendary status; so much so that fans have developed this way of thinking in their mind that these games were perfect in every way. This isn’t true, and there were still some faults in games that were still received well critically.
We’re not claiming these games are bad in anyway, but they are overrated in that fans have forgotten that they weren’t head and shoulders above the rest. The other games on this list are those that have either stood the test of time, or those that were superb but unfortunately ignored.
30 Best - God Of War II
Released at a time when the PlayStation 3 had already been in the market, God of War II served as the PS2’s last hurrah. It did not disappoint as the game gave us much of the entertainment factor from the first instalment, and added in a variety of pulsating levels and sequences that made God of War II epic in so many proportions.
It still holds up more than a decade later (even speaking in terms of graphics) and contributed toward setting up God of War III for the PS3. The boss fights in this game stand out as the best.
29 Overrated - Shadow Of Rome
Many point toward Shadow of Rome as an example for a time when the PS2 received random, and enjoyable, games on what seemed to be a daily basis. That is true for the most part as now exclusives are a thing of uniqueness, and are touted as system sellers.
However, Shadow of Rome has been greatly romanticized for what it represents.
In the heart of it, the game was a sloppy serving by the developers with terrible graphics and frustrating gameplay that shifted from action to stealth at the worst of times.
28 Best - Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
After the awful story and gameplay we got from Devil May Cry 2, the follow-up prequel represented the greatest of comebacks from Capcom. This game answered all of the fans’ complaints in regards to Dante’s character, the stylish gameplay, and the difficulty factor (which was amped up rather unfairly).
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening also served as the template for the next games in the series, which have retained the style and flow brought from this game, and it has been a turn for the better. As Dante and Vergil would say: “Jackpot!”
27 Overrated - Ico
During the eleven years it took for Team Ico to come up with The Last Guardian, a total fabrication of the quality of their earlier works was made up in gamers’ mind. Seemingly, they had become the perfect developers and their first two games were venerated to gaming royalty.
However, when asked how Ico entertained them, a vast majority of gamers would respond they never did get around to playing it, but knew it was a quality game. Ico is just that, but there’s no escaping it was hardly played by most even when re-released for the PS3.
26 Best - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto V has sold a combined 90 million by 2018. Its predecessor, GTA IV, had been the franchise high in quality and sales before that. But GTA’s unparalleled success had been benchmarked from GTA: San Andreas.
The game offered a truly open environmental setting.
San Andreas had the feel of a real state, with every city presenting a different outlook for the player and separate experience distinct from one place to another. The cheats in this game were enough to occupy gamers for endless hours. All we had to was follow the train, after all.
25 Overrated - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty
Those old enough to have played this game when it was originally released will remember to disregard the positive reviews it is now known for and recall the false marketing Konami had done to make us believe Solid Snake would be the protagonist for Metal Gear Solid 2.
Raiden was the main character instead and while the game itself was by no means a letdown, people tend to forget we didn't get what we paid for. The story isn't bad, but Solid Snake was the protagonist whom gamers wanted to follow.
24 Best - Tekken 5
The Tekken series has never been the same quality wise since Tekken 6 went multiplatform. The multiplatform games don't have the same originality or storytelling that PS exclusive Tekken games had to offer.
Tekken 5 is the peak of the series and featured the best to showcase. The gameplay was amped up to be more interactive with the environments, the graphics upgraded, and the style had a real pumped atmosphere. Since Tekken 5's story, Namco hasn't even tried to give us a good plot. The roster for this game made sense as opposed to later ones which only mean to fill out the number of characters.
23 Overrated - Sly Cooper
Like with Ico, how many of you have actually played Sly Cooper before singing its praises? The game series has always been appealing to a certain niche rather than to an overall audience as the years have gone by. While the first Sly Cooper game sold well, the franchise has always played second fiddle to more popular ones like Ratchet & Clank.
Over time, nostalgia has made gamers believe this game has hardly any faults and many were begging for a fourth game. When that was released, it hardly cracked the top 10 in its debut month.
22 Best - Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
Now here’s a game that lived up to its nostalgia factor in more ways than one. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was a tale told in beautiful fashion as it revitalized the series and brought us a relatable royal figure thrust into a scenario far beyond his comprehension.
The time turning abilities were something unseen at the time and, combined with the ever entertaining wall walking sequences, the game’s platforming complemented the story and characters beautifully. The Assassin’s Creed series would not have been possible had this game not set the stage for it.
21 Overrated - Red Dead Revolver
With Red Dead Redemption kicking off the Red Dead series in popularity, many gamers have the habit of making a fallacious argument when intending to criticize Red Dead Redemption.
The people tend to compare that game with the first in the series.
What they overlook is the fact that Red Dead Revolver was nothing like its spiritual sequel and was a game that was average at best. In fact, its shortcomings were the reason why Red Dead Redemption shined as the developers left out the aspects people didn’t enjoy in the first game.
20 Best - Silent Hill 2
While Resident Evil introduced horror to video games, it was perfected by the Silent Hill series. The first three games are the pinnacle when it comes to bringing up the scares in abundance.
Silent Hill 2 would be the best in the series. It gave us a compelling story that put us in the shoes of a desperate individual. Players had the same drive the protagonist had and went forth despite the town’s chilling atmosphere tempting them to make a run for it. It’s a shame we don’t get Silent Hill games of this quality anymore.
19 Overrated - Ratchet: Deadlocked
The Ratchet & Clank series took a definite downturn in quality by the end of the seventh generation of consoles, which is why gamers tend to hold the PS2 Ratchet & Clank games in high regard. While the first three games were supreme, the fourth was not.
Ratchet: Deadlocked didn’t have Clank playable or even in the game’s title. It was far more action oriented than its platform-based predecessors. The tone was greatly darker, taking a Hunger Games feel, and Deadlocked remains a black sheep in the sixth generation Ratchet & Clank games.
18 Best - The Godfather
The Godfather is what one might call cloning done right. It is essentially GTA mob style, but there is no doubt the game was an enjoyable affair. Rarely does a period setting for a game deliver a delicious serving, but The Godfather integrated the film’s plot well with the video game.
The sandbox element did not replicate GTA much, with The Godfather focusing strictly on mob mentality such as extortion, blackmailing and taking over rival territory. It helped that the story pulled you in just like the film did.
17 Overrated - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Speaking of GTA, let’s not forget one of its most popular games. Vice City was the first of a bunch of prequels to GTA III and set the stage for further intertwining stories. However, the game doesn’t hold up when put against the likes of GTA: San Andreas.
It’s no wonder the developers haven’t gone back to the Vice City setting in the Seventh and Eight generation of consoles as the city just doesn’t have that engaging quality that San Andreas or Liberty City have. Not to mention the Scarface references were too on the nose.
16 Best - Shadow Of The Colossus
This game brought Team Ico the popularity they rode on for the eleven year gap between their next release of The Last Guardian. And as we all know, Shadow of the Colossus certainly held up well for fans and has been a frequent mention when discussing art in video gaming.
Scaling the massive colossi is quite the experience.
The inevitable, yet arduous, end of the colossus in question was thought provoking and satisfying as the player is rewarded for their efforts, but at cost of eliminating an innocent creature for a cause that is doomed from the start.
15 Overrated - Okami
While commercial success doesn’t always point toward quality, it certainly does hold some weight for the future of a gaming series. Okami has aged very well in the minds of critics and gamers since its release, but there is no escaping the fact that it was a commercial failure.
And as we all know internet users love to rally behind an “unsung” venture, Okami’s popularity has been heightened to ridiculous lengths. If the game really was flawless, Capcom would have released a true follow-up rather than the Nintendo DS exclusive sequel, Okamiden.
14 Best - Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
Try listing great video games based on film series and you will only have raised the fingers of one hand by the time you’ve finished counting. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban showed us there was definite intent by the developers to make a film-based game engaging.
It brought the power of friendship into gaming.
Harry, Ron and Hermione needed to be used in tandem for the game to be passed and it was a terrific journey from the beginning of the school year to its end.
13 Overrated - Devil May Cry
No one’s calling Devil May Cry a game unworthy of standing with the best ever released, but its quality has definitely cast a large shadow over other releases in the series. Every game after the first one has carried unrealistic expectations.
Devil May Cry 4 was a genuinely great game; however, it was seen as an inferior debut for a next-gen game thanks to Devil May Cry’s sixth generational debut. In all honesty, Devil May Cry isn’t as great as Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening, which had a quirkier Dante and more stylish action to boot.
12 Best - Hitman: Blood Money
Before Hitman (2016) brought us just about the most complete assassin experience, Hitman: Blood Money was the best game in the series. It was the conclusion of a story that had begun from Hitman Contracts, and with the hauntingly beautiful Ave Marie, the game tugged on our heart strings; a remarkable achievement for a series based on a hitman.
The level designs were also much larger than before, offering a variety of options to pass. Blood Money encouraged the player to use their smarts and attain the coveted Silent Assassin ranking.
11 Overrated - Final Fantasy XII
You can tell when a developer is clearly looking to replicate the same feel a previous successful game had attained. Final Fantasy XII had the flow of Final Fantasy VI, still the most popular Final Fantasy game to be released, and was too blatant in its attempts.
The game is strictly for those who have perfected the RPG style from previous games in the genre. For those who aren’t accustomed to this, they will have a tough time in understanding the jumbled world of Final Fantasy XII.