The PlayStation 2 is one of the most successful video game consoles of all time. It was also the last console before HD became the norm, making it more difficult to plug in and play on modern televisions without some technical incompatibilities preventing an optimal experience.
Fortunately, most of the classics for which the console is known have already been either remastered or remade from the ground up so that new generations of gamers can experience these masterpieces. Despite all this work, numerous legendary and lesser-known gems are still stuck on the PlayStation 2. Given the frequency of HD remasters, it’s easy to imagine some of these coming out in the near future.
10 Cold Winter
This PlayStation 2 exclusive first-person shooter is also one of the most violent games for the console. Players tear enemies limb from limb as they decimate their bodies with a machine gun. It is not all about blood and guts, however, since the action is split up by compelling cutscenes telling a story penned by Warren Ellis. The multiplayer is also surprisingly addictive.
9 Legaia 2: Duel Saga
Legend of Legaia for the original PlayStation is a fantastic JRPG with a unique battle system in which the players select a combination of punches and kicks to unleash unique combos upon enemies during turn-based battles. The sequel, Legaia 2: Duel Saga, retains a similar system, although its story does not reach the same heights as the original. Still, both games deserve more love than they ever earned in their day, and a remaster of either of them is long overdue.
8 The Bouncer
The Bouncer was heavily hyped by Square alongside Final Fantasy X. Upon its release in 2001, the former did not quite sell up to expectations, despite being a technical marvel early in the PlayStation 2’s life. The Bouncer was also one of the first console games to use ragdoll physics, letting bodies fall to the ground in unique ways. The only issue with any potential remaster is how dependent the combat is on the pressure sensitivity of the DualShock 2.
7 Klonoa 2
The original Klonoa is a hidden gem among the numerous platformers on the PlayStation 1. The sequel improved upon the original in every way, taking advantage of the PlayStation 2’s increased power to make larger, more beautiful levels. Unfortunately, this did not translate to better sales. With the character’s status as a cult icon, a remaster for modern consoles would no doubt elicit excitement from many gamers.
6 SSX
The first several months are difficult for a new console, as many launch titles stumble out the gate in their efforts to release with the new hardware. The PlayStation 2 had a particularly heavy lineup of launch titles, one of the most notable being SSX. The sequel, SSX Tricky is easy to play via Xbox backward compatibility, but the classic that started the series is currently only available to those who have a PS2 plugged in somewhere.
5 Time Crisis Series
Light-gun games are mostly a thing of the past, with the genre’s final breath coming from titles like Dead Space Extraction and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles for the Nintendo Wii.
However, Time Crisis was a classic for the arcades and the home for those who bought the light-gun peripheral. The games are short, so a remaster should come bundled with several of the series’ best games, like Time Crisis 2, Time Crisis 3, and Crisis Zone.
4 SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs
The PlayStation 2 allowed players to compete over the internet if a certain game supported it. Network integration was not as accessible as it is today, but several titles were marketed on their extensive multiplayer suites. SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs was renowned for its squad-based multiplayer. The series was going strong until 2011’s SOCOM 4. Just a year later developer Zipper Interactive closed down. The series has been dormant since then, but a remaster of the old PS2 games could get the franchise back into gamers’ good graces.
3 Resident Evil Outbreak
Resident Evil embraced cooperative play with Resident Evil 5, 6, and Revelations 2. However, Resident Evil Outbreak was an online multiplayer cooperative experience from 2003. The gameplay is more faithful to the series’ origins, and players are unable to communicate with each other via voice chat. The servers have long since shut down, preventing players from experiencing the game the way it was meant to be played, making a re-release a no-brainer.
2 Burnout 3
While fans are grateful for the Burnout Paradise remaster that came out a couple of years ago, several other titles in the franchise are timeless classics also deserving of a revival.
At least Burnout Revenge also came out on the Xbox 360, but people can only play Burnout 3: Takedown if they have a console from several generations ago. It was the first to include takedowns as a vital part of the gameplay, changing the way players interacted with the other racers.
1 TimeSplitters
Three games in this franchise came out during the console generation, and the first was a PlayStation 2 exclusive launch title. Developer Free Radical changed gears for the PlayStation 3 game Haze, which released to disastrous sales and reviews, dooming the company and any hope of a TimeSplitters 4. Currently a fan-made game, TimeSplitters Rewind is aiming to recreate the series’ signature haphazard multiplayer mayhem, but a console re-release of the original game would also be much appreciated.
