PlayStation 2: Ten Years On

Wow…ten years. I’m utterly gobsmacked it’s been that long since Sony’s PlayStation 2 hit the market.  As of the end of last year 140 million units had been sold, and such is its popularity that games are still being made for the console today; surely marking it out as one of the greats.

Me writing a piece about the PlayStation 2 is extremely odd, as back in the day I viewed the PlayStation brand as the ‘enemy’, on a mission to destroy Planet Nintendo.  I caved eventually though, and that’s mainly due to some absolutely amazing games.  Some TSA writers now take a look back at the games that defined their PS2 experience.

Dan Lee

Rez

Pure and utter brilliance.  Rez is a game that has caused many a bloodshot eye over the years, which started all over again when a HD upgrade was released on Xbox LIVE a couple of years ago.

At its heart Rez is an on rails shooter, but it’s far and away a different beast from games such as Panzer Dragoon.  Set inside a giant computer network, you take control of an avatar travelling down a set path whilst attempting to eliminate all on screen enemies.  You can lock onto up to eight enemies at once, and meeting certain criteria allows you to evolve into a more powerful avatar, meaning you can take more hits.

The best bit though is the electronic soundtrack.  As the level progresses the music gradually evolves, and every action you take enhances this.  Locking onto targets, destroying enemies, launching your ‘overdrive’ attack all adds to the beats and rhythm of the music and it’s absolutely fantastic.  Just thinking about Rez has me dragging my PS2 down from the loft for ‘just one more go’.

Grand Theft Auto III

Another landmark gaming moment for me.  I had always enjoyed the GTA series, but its jump into a 3D open world was (and still is) absolutely amazing, and I rank it above its sequels.

You take control of a mystery character who has been betrayed and left for the cops after robbing Liberty City bank.  On your way to jail the prison convoy is attacked, allowing you to escape.  You then start work as a local thug with the aim of building up your reputation.

Whilst the story was good it was the open world that was the star of the show.  I spent many hours just mucking about in a manner that would have the Daily Mail writers running to fire up their laptops to warn the world.  One of the best games was finding a good hiding spot, entering the unlimited ammo rocket launcher cheat, and then unleashing havoc until the army is called in…and then laying waste to them too.  More fun could be had by getting the maximum police wanted rating, and then trying to take them all on with just a baseball bat and seeing how long you last.  Often imitated, but in my opinion never bettered.

Okami

Earning immense critical acclaim, yet selling dreadfully, Okami is one of the best action-adventure games of all time – easily holding its own with the likes of Zelda.

The game is set in Nippon, and you take control of Amaterasu, the sun goddess, who is in the form of a white wolf.  It is up to you to roam the lands, defeating demons and restoring the land to its former glory.  The overall aim is to defeat the evil demon ‘Orochi’.  A couple of things make this game stand out.  Firstly, the art style is absolutely beautiful, and I have yet to come across a game as visually striking.  Secondly is the way combat and puzzles are dealt with.  You take control of an object known as the ‘Celestial Brush’, and when players use this the on screen action freezes and a canvas is overlaid on top.  You can then paint a specific action to allow you to progress.  For example, if a boulder is blocking your way you can use the brush to draw a bomb, which will then be transported into the game clear your path.  An essential game.

CC_Star

GT3 A-Spec

Having always been a SEGA man I was slow to make the jump to the PlayStation brand, I missed the original PlayStation out altogether, and the PS2 had been out for quite a while when I finally made the jump across platforms. The best deal around at the time was a PS2 + GT3 A-Spec bundle, and although I initially had little interest in the game, it blew my mind.

The graphics were simply stunning, I will always remember the seemingly perfect cars and the title’s overall attention to detail, right down to the shafts of light breaking through the trees as I raced under them on the Deep Forest circuit in my Skyline GT-R. The gameplay was just sublime with pixel perfect precision action where you just knew if there was a mistake it was down to you not the game.

Although I later fell out of love with the series, this will always be one of my finest gaming memories as I spent months perfecting every bend on every circuit trying to shave a thousandth of a second off my personal best.

NHL 2002

Annual franchises rarely throw up a surprise, but there is something indescribable that EA got right with NHL 2002, that quite possibly hadn’t happened before or since. For me this is the pinnacle of the entire sporting game genre, where the technology was advanced enough to give a quality, deep gaming experience but not so advanced that realism of the sport got in the way of a fun gaming experience.

The voice acting from the commentators was genuinely funny and entertaining and was a perfect fit for the game. Gameplay-wise there have been few things in gaming as satisfying as a crunching body-check,  followed by a few deft flicks of puck up the rink before slotting it past the opposition goalie.

Primal

Tomb Raider this, Tomb Raider that, in the early 2000’s it was difficult to get away from Lara Croft and her impact on mainstream culture, even though the original trilogy had passed into videogaming history and the franchise was to spend most of the decade struggling to regain its footing. Step forward Sony’s Cambridge Studios, who, in Primal, crafted an often overlooked gem with a few similarities to Lara’s adventures but enough quality differences to make it stand head and shoulders above the popular franchise in my opinion.

In the game you take on the role of Jen, whose boyfriend is kidnapped and taken to an alternative realm. The game’s ingenuity comes from having a playable sidekick and having the ability to transform into four demonic forms. It is this mechanic of two playable characters with very different abilities along with Jen’s ability to change form that elevates the game above other Tomb Raider wanabees.

The story and voice acting is also top notch, and although the combat in the game was mapped to the trigger buttons causing it to be clumsy, especially as Jen had problems ‘locking-on’ to enemies, but there was still so much in this game to love. I’d give almost anything for this title to be remade for the PS3, its quality story, great characters excellent environmental puzzles would make a fantastic HD generation game, are you listening Sony Cambridge?

Kovacs

Tekken Tag Tournament

Some games are like portals in time. Just like how hearing an old song can transport you back to a moment when a tune was popular or was often playing during a significant part of your life, whenever I think of Tekken Tag Tournament I immediately begin reminiscing about the summer of 2001.

I was working in my first job, while my good friend Dave was (not) working from home in his. Every day I’d take the long stroll down the quays, pick up a coffee from what, even now, is still one of my favourite coffee shops, usually accompanied by an awesome beef burrito before sitting down to beat (and get beaten) by Dave at what, to me, is the zenith of the Tekken series.

We each had our favourites. Dave liked the compact and cheap as hell Jin Kazama, while I preferred the nimble and harder to master (in my mind at least) Ling Xiaoyu. Dave was also fond of picking Kuma (Japanese for ‘bear’ by the way, but you knew that) and tossing me across the screen at a moment’s notice. As a retort, I’d often choose Hwoarang (who Dave called something else. I’ll let you use your imagination but suffice to say it rhymed with “banker”) and Torpedo Kick the bastard into oblivion.

The tagging part was almost incidental if I’m being honest. Sometimes I’d pick the elastic Eddie Gordo and, when close to death, switch the Brazilian in, start button bashing both kicks like a lunatic, and then just sit back and watch as the Capoeira contortionist pirouetted across the screen, taking out whomever was in his way without mercy. I can almost smell the Burritos right now.

Silent Hill 2

Let’s get something straight right from the getgo: Silent Hill 2 is not the best Silent Hill in Konami’s pant-wetting and groundbreaking series. That honour goes to the first game in the franchise; one of the scariest and sublimely crafted games ever, especially considering it was on the first PlayStation.

Silent Hill 2 on the PS2, however, is still a wonderfully creepy and atmospheric addition to the much-loved series. The game stars nice but incredibly dim James Sutherland. Clueless Jim turns up at Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his wife. A wife who just happens to be dead. He decides to hang around and terrorised to death. Top tip right there, James: don’t take directions from people who are not actually living, as they’re usually up to no good.

The game’s graphics, mood, score and starkly twisted imagery are all par for the Silent Hill course, but it’s its introduction of memorable foes like Pyramid Head and even more grotesque versions of the first game’s skinless babies and less than helpful nurses that easily make it better than all of the Silent Hill games (and movie) that came after it. Combined.

Silent Hill 2 was unnerving, and completely in a good way.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Much like Silent Hill, it’s hard to say Metal Gear Solid 3 is the best MGS in Kojima-san’s iconic espionage series. It’s miles better than the existential and colonic Metal Gear Solid 2, however, and while I enjoyed the fourth game immensely, its melancholic and sorrowful overtones got a little heavy on the soul at times. Metal Gear Solid, the first in the series (at least the first of the Solid arc), is tough to beat purely due to its monumental impact on gaming’s zeitgeist at that time. There was literally nothing else like it. That said, I’d put Metal Gear Solid 3 up there with it, possibly as a joint “Top MGS Game Ever” candidate.

While MGS4 is technically superior, what Snake Eater has over it (in spades) can be summed up in one simple statement: Metal Gear Solid 3 is super bad-ass. Kojima-san is in his absolute element here, concocting up back-stories that interweave with the tenseness and volatility of the Cold War era, while never straying outside the realm of plausible reality – much. Its story is probably the most coherent and sweeping of all the Metal Gear games, while the wonderfully acted cast of familiar yet obviously different characters make this one of the most eye-opening and enjoyable games of any genre or series.

There was a large section of Metal Gear Solid 3 that I literally played while standing up, completely unable to sit down as the events unfolded. It was masterfully created by a visionary who understands pace, character and action better than most other directors – in film or gaming – on the planet. It ranks as one of my favourite games of all time, and it was on the PS2.

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Well that’s our lot done, but now it’s your turn.  Regale us with your stories of the PlayStation 2.