PlayStation 2 Games That Still Feel Innovative

The sixth generation of video game consoles was one of the most important ones in the history of the industry. It was just when game developers were refining brand-new 3D graphics and perfecting their incredible new technology. While the competition was fierce, Sony’s PlayStation 2 is often considered the best console of its generation.

There were a lot of reasons why the PS2 made such a big impact on the world, but the biggest one is its catalog of incredible games, most of which took massive strides in innovating the video game industry. The best part is that a lot of these titles still feel fresh & unique to this day, so here are some of the most remarkable examples.

8 Shadow Of The Colossus (2005)

A Gigantic Adventure

Few games manage to maintain that balance between artistry and mind-blowing gameplay as well as Shadow of the Colossus by Team Ico. This is a dark adventure in which players have to face and defeat 16 different gigantic bosses that present a sense of scale and wonder so incredible that a lot of games still try to replicate it nowadays, but very few are actually able to match it.

That’s not even mentioning the impressively detailed graphics that made Shadow of the Colossus look like a brand-new PlayStation 3 game, more than a year before that console was even released.

7 God Of War 2 (2007)

A Godlike Experience

God of War 2 shares some similarities with Shadow of the Colossus, in the sense that it presents some of the most enormous bosses and enemies in the PlayStation 2 catalog. But Kratos’ second adventure is far less artistic and way more over-the-top. That’s perfectly fine, because that’s what this franchise was always about.

God of War 2 is one of the most epic tales of its generation, one that will leave players with goosebumps because of its amazing set pieces and ruthless combat. This game came out when the PlayStation 3 had already been out for an entire year, yet a lot of people kept their PS2s solely to play it, and it still holds up to this day.

6 Resident Evil 4 (2005)

The Original Third-Person Shooter

The original Resident Evil 4 basically founded the modern third-person shooter genre. Its fluid control scheme and precise shooting mechanics were so revolutionary that they influenced a lot of important games that followed, from Uncharted to Gears of War, but it is still a legitimately entertaining experience on its own.

Even though Resident Evil 4 Remake was released in 2023, there are still a lot of fans who prefer the original release because it still feels better in some aspects, and they can’t be blamed. At the end of the day, both versions of the game are equally good and can co-exist in peace.

5 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)

A Huge Open World

Grand Theft Auto 3 changed the open-world genre forever, and its sequel, Vice City, added even more to it. Yet it wasn’t until Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that Rockstar Games truly managed to perfect this new open-world formula they successfully created.

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San Andrea features a huge map that is brimming with content, with tons of vehicles to drive and places to visit. There are brand-new open-world games that feel bare-bones next to this game, including some of the most recent entries in the franchise. That’s why most fans are hoping Grand Theft Auto VI will learn a lot from its design.

4 Okami (2006)

A Painting Come To Life

The PlayStation 2 had the power to generate stylized graphics that manage to look good even now, and Capcom’s Okami is the best example. This video game was crafted to look exactly like a traditional Japanese painting and not only is it a breathtaking piece of art, but it also looks better than some of newer releases with more realistic graphics.

It’s not just about the visual flair, since Okami also has this interesting gameplay mechanic in which everything that the player paints will result in some power or ability that protagonist Amaterasu can use. These painting controls feel surprisingly smooth for the PS2’s DualShock 2 controller.

3 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003)

Playing With Time

Sometimes, all it takes is a creative gameplay mechanic to innovate the industry forever. Ubisoft’s reboot of their classic Prince of Persia series delighted players with its impressive mechanic of time manipulation, which lets them rewind time at any point to fix mistakes duringplatforming challenges.

This was mind-blowing in 2003, and it still is nowadays. It’s no wonder that Ubisoft is having trouble developing the remake of this game, since it’s almost impossible to replicate or surpass. Not to mention that the witty dialogue between the Prince and Farah is cleverly written and feels quite modern.

2 Kingdom Hearts 2 (2005)

The Perfect Combat System

Even though the first installment in the Kingdom Hearts series feels outdated by today’s standards, its sequel remains as one of the best action games ever made. The combat system of Kingdom Hearts 2 is so dynamic, precise, customizable, and addictive that Square Enix still tries to replicate it, with similar releases that are inspired by it, like Final Fantasy 7 Remake or Final Fantasy 16.

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Kingdom Hearts 2 not only changed the hack & slash genre forever, it also has a colorful cell-shaded art style that has aged extremely well, coupled with one of the best soundtracks in gaming history. There’s a reason Kingdom Hearts 3 took a lot after its predecessor.

A Unique Gaming Experience

Hideo Kojima and his team always knew how to push a console to its limits. While Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was a revolutionary video game, its sequel somehow managed to raise the bar even more. Metal Gear Solid 3 has some of the most complex and clever game mechanics of its time, with a lot of eccentric little moments that are still being discussed by players.

The camouflage system, the survival mechanics, the creative boss battles, this game is like nothing players have played before. The tragic tale of Naked Snake and The Boss is one of the best-written stories in gaming history, and it’s on the level of some of the most thrilling Hollywood films. While most fans are still excited about the remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta, others remain skeptical because the original release is still a perfect video game, and it’s almost impossible for Konami to replicate this success, especially without Kojima at the helm.

NEXT: PlayStation 2 Games With Graphics That Have Aged The Best