This is our list of recommended games for the PlayStation 2, for those with too much money to spend, looking at which console to buy next, or otherwise unable to make their own decisions. Please comment on games to be added; I will add new recommendations to the "Please comment on" list so that everyone can give their opinion of whether it should be a recommended purchase, rental, or not a recommendation at all. Since these threads are still new, comments as to moving games off the existing lists (down to rentals or removed altogether) are also welcome until things get more settled. Recommended exclusive games: Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War Amplitude Devil May Cry Disgaea: Hour of Darkness Final Fantasy X-2 Frequency Gradius V Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec Guilty Gear Isuka Ico Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Jak II Jak 3 Katamari Damacy Kingdom Hearts King of Fighters 2000/2001 Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil La Pucelle: Tactics Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Phantom Brave Ratchet & Clank Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal Shadow Hearts: Covenant Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus Sly 2: Band of Thieves Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Suikoden III Tekken Tag Tournament Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution Wild Arms 3 Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner Recommended exclusive rentals: Final Fantasy X Recommended multi-platform games: Beyond Good & Evil Burnout 3: Takedown Fatal Frame Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly—Director’s Cut Full Spectrum Warrior Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Guilty Gear X2 Mega Man Anniversary Collection Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance Metal Slug 3 Mortal Kombat: Deception Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Prince of Persia: Warrior Within Rez Sonic Mega Collection Plus Soul Calibur 2 SSX 3 TimeSplitters 2 Tom Clancey’s Rainbow Six 3 Tom Clancey’s Splinter Cell Tom Clancey’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Recommended multi-platform rentals: Please comment on: Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter Contra: Shattered Soldier Culdcept Dark Cloud 2 Mark of Kri Maximo Onimusha 1-3 Primal R-Type Final Sky Odyssey Xenosaga

Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter Contra: Shattered Soldier Culdcept Dark Cloud 2 Mark of Kri Maximo Mega Man Anniversary Collection Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance Onimusha 1-3 Primal R-Type Final Rez Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Sky Odyssey Xenosaga

Onimusha 1-3 is a great series. You should really put it in the buy list. Some great games that were not mentioned are Skygunner and Victorious Boxers. Please check them out because I highly recommend both of them.

Breath of Fire: DQ should definitely be added to the buy list. I'd move Jak 1 down to rental and add Castlevania to the rental list as well.

Dark Cloud 2 is an incredible game that should belong on the "must buy" list. I had issues with Xenosaga and didn't enjoy it much. I don't think it would appeal to your typical gamer. (I consider myself a diehard RPG fan and didn't enjoy it either.) I would not recommend it for purchase. Rez belongs on the "must buy but impossible to find" list.

I'm surprised Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter made it onto the comment list even. I'm not saying its a bad game, quite the contrary. It just wasn't recieved well by BoF fans and is a very different kind of RPG. When I first started playing it, I hated it. The more I played however, the better it became. I was loving it by the end of my first play through. Dragon Quarter is what you could call an experimental type of RPG. Its main focus is replay value and secrets/sub quests with gameplay that gets more diverse and intricate everytime you play through the game. The basic goal of the game isn't just to play through it once getting everything you can and exploring as much of it as you can, but to play the game as effeciently and effectively as possible to get a higher ranking everytime you complete it. As you do so, you get additional plot sequences, dialouge, weapons, and game content. Its an interesting idea that isn't going to appeal to your average console RPG player. The ending cinematics and certain plot scenes make it well worth it in my opinion.

Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter Contra: Shattered Soldier Culdcept Dark Cloud 2 Mark of Kri Maximo Mega Man Anniversary Collection Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance Onimusha 1-3 Primal R-Type Final Rez Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Sky Odyssey Xenosaga Add these, too: Armored Core 3 castlevania: LoI Hot Shots Golf: Fore! Gitaroo Man Socom 1, 2

not understanding why FF X2 is up there but FFX is only listed as a rental. its just as good if not better, and easily one of the best games on the PS2

not understanding why FF X2 is up there but FFX is only listed as a rental. its just as good if not better, and easily one of the best games on the PS2 I'm not sure how we're supposed to come up with a list that everyone magically agrees with -- I didn't like FFX and would not recommend it. It's one of those games I felt got higher praise than it deserved. If I'm in the minority, it might just be best to ignore my opinion.

not understanding why FF X2 is up there but FFX is only listed as a rental. its just as good if not better, and easily one of the best games on the PS2 I'm not sure how we're supposed to come up with a list that everyone magically agrees with -- I didn't like FFX and would not recommend it. It's one of those games I felt got higher praise than it deserved. If I'm in the minority, it might just be best to ignore my opinion. but you already know you're in the minority. it would be pretty amazing for the forum as a group to not like a game the rest of the gaming community did.

it would be pretty amazing for the forum as a group to not like a game the rest of the gaming community did. You mean like Madden '04? Or NHL 2k5? Because I'm pretty sure those are pretty fucking unpopular here whereas in the gaming community at large they are very popular. Unless you come up with some elitist bullshit definition of "the gaming community" that excludes the majority of people who play video games on the basis that they don't agree with your tastes.

I own and like both R-Type Final and Xenosaga, but I'm not sure I'd recommend either one to someone unless that person already liked their respective genre. R-Type Final is very pretty but somehow not as much fun as its predecessor R-Type Delta, and like all R-Type games, it relies heavily on memorization. It's not punishingly difficult like Treasure games, but a better first game in this genre is Einhander. (If someone is so hung up on the graphics that they can't appreciate Einhander, then you can get them Gradius V and watch them explode over and over.) Xenosaga has a fun battle system but demands a lot of tolerance for dubiously acted cutscenes. (I wish they'd given the option of Japanese voices with English subtitles. Are the Japanese voices any better?) I haven't finished the game myself, and I don't know if I have the patience to any more. It's not a bad game, but the fun per time ratio feels too low.

Xenosaga: Episode 1 is a very niche game. Its going to be appreciated by people who play RPGs for plot primarily and foremost. If you aren't a person who can get deeply involved in a plot and are picky about voice acting in games, then Xenosaga probably isn't for you. As I have made apparent many times on the forums however. I love it and reccomend it to anyone who is an avid RPG enthusiast. The plot is one of the most complex and intricate I have ever seen in a video game with so many characters and aspects that Monolith felt it needed a dictionary of terms and characters. Don't expect the plot to be resolved by the end of the game though, heck don't expect 1/3 of your questions about the plot to be resolved. Its the first part of a Trilogy, supposedly a 6 game series. The cinematics are breathtaking at many junctures the characters are pretty original, the battle system is interesting if a bit plain in comparison to other RPGs. Tons of mini-games, secrets, sidequests. There are many good things about this game, despite its status as somewhat of an underdog. I reccomend buying it, or at least renting it.

I'd like to recommend Fantavision, and IQ+. Both launch titles, both still well playable. And a comment on Maximo. My personal opinion is that it's a boring 3rd person game that can't make it's mind up whether to be a slash'em'up or a platformer, and does neither particularly well.

Mark of Kri and Sky Oddysey should be on the buy list, with the warning that Sky Oddysey does not output using the optical sound cable. Not sure the best way to put that, but yeah. I thought Mark of Kri would get a recommendation before I found this thread, but it's one of the best stealth/action games I've had the pleasure of playing. Very Conan, but with a stealthy aspect too. Sky Oddysey, while aging, is a lot of fun. It has shades of Pilotwings, but it's more situational. It rarely follows the formula of, "Okay, fly through this course with each vehicle, and each course will just be rings set in a different layout." Here, you have to fly though a collapsing cave and through a ravine. There was also a mission or two involving a train, but I can't remember the particulars. It really seemed like you were a stunt flyer for an action movie. (NOT similar to Stuntman) And the kicker, the mission that stumped me, was flying over a mountain in a barely-powerful enough plane. Great sense of speed, and the world actually felt coherent. Also, Final Fantasy X needs to be on the buy list, especially if FFX-2 made it up there. Not to start some flamebait, but that's just my opinion.

Maximo should be a rental, due to extreme shortness. Otherwise, an excellent remake of Ghouls and Ghosts. Also, Onimusha 3 should be a buy. Great hack 'n slash action (with Jean Reno!) I'd like to add Karaoke Revolution the multiplatform list (and KR2, as well, since it's technically available on the Xbox as DLC). Best singing games you'll ever buy, period.

How about Silent Hill 2 [GH]. I certainly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone without question.

I'd like to throw up recommendations for the following: Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest DDRMAX: Dance Dance Revolution Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore Shinobi They're all kind of particular as to a targeted audience, but they're also all quite good if you're in the proper mindset.

Any ideas for an 8 year old ? other than the Jak and Ratchet games (i dont know much about ps2 games)

thank fuck you mentioned the SNK games. but now i fear i love you.........

My god, switch FFX and FFX-2. X-2 should only be a rental, while X... wait, no they should BOTH be rentals. But hell, either way you look at it, FFX was a lot better than X-2.

I agree that Onimusha 1-3 should be on the Exclusive Games list. They are excellently designed. Some of the best hack'n'slash I have played, and the interspersed puzzles don't break up the gameplay. I'd like to say that it is possilbe to make a list that the forum community all agrees on. For example, I couldn't care less about the Sly Cooper games, but I will admit they are well designed, and should be on the list. I however crave RPGs and Final Fantasy in particular. Because a you don't like a game, or that it isn't the genre you like, doesn't mean they aren't great games. There's my 3 cents.

What is this? No X-Men Legends? Sacreligious. Mmmm...sacrilicious.

Mark of Kri is definitely a must have, especially with it's cheap price/high value. It is one of the few beat-em ups where you don't have to constantly battle the camera. Plus, it will give you insight on the storyline so you can understand the upcoming sequel. Bombastic should be on here. It is an insanely fun puzzle game, and it has the original Devil Dice as an unlockable.

Alien Hominid should totally be on that list.