I secretly desire your console!

Ok since everyone knows that next game gaming is a bullshit myth I think I might save myself a ton of trouble and buy a PS2 sometime in the immediate future. I want to be told what games to buy for it though because I pretty much can't have an opinion of my own and need you guys to yell at me.

I'm not interested in the big blockbusters too much, I know PS2 has lots of great unique games like Katamari or Rez or whatever on it and I need to be told which of those to get.

Basically just list your favorite five or so games for me but with a couple of things to take into consideration.
1. I pretty much loathe RPGs, unless i MUST PLAY it I don't care for your precious linear turn based battle guantlets.
2. Only want to hear essential games. Don't list one game and it's 3 sequels and any a similar game. Keep them diverse and the best of their franchise and series.

How ya doing, buddy?

Just get all of the Ace Combat series. 'Nuff said.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Posts like the one above will be deleted immediately from here on. You have to explain why the games are good, or don't post at all.

Hear hear on the RPGs, sometimes you just get sick of all that.

Anyway, you mentioned Katamari Damacy and both games are essential PS2 purchases. Quirky, extremely funny and brilliant in design and execution, not to mention awesome soundtracks. They have the kind of respect and love for games and gamers alike that are so missing from most console titles these days, and they remind you why you play games in the first place.

ICO is a personal favorite and I still consider it the finest game on the console. It's an ethereal fairytale adventure, slightly similar to Zelda and Sands of Time, but with less focus on combat and Zelda's item usage, and more on physically scaling the castle structures and other obstacles in a bid to escape with a near helpless girl in tow. There are "puzzles" in a sense, but they're much more organic than most puzzles in standard platform adventures.

Gradius V is absolutely essential if you have the slightest taste for horizontal scrolling shooters, even if you didn't enjoy previous Gradius titles (like me). Treasure's masterpiece respects the previous titles, but injects the game with a healthy dose of brave and ingenious design and raw power. The controls are tight, the graphics terrific and fantastic soundtrack will get your adrenaline flowing just enough to take on the gargantuan bosses.

Frequency is essential if you have the slightest taste for electronica and think you possess quick fingers. Harmonix's masterful rhythm action has a solid scoring system, and excellent selection of terrific songs and maddening difficulty later on. Oh, but so addicting~

If you've played Panzer Dragoon or similar on-rails shooters, Rez is wonderful. Hypnotic, engaging, a completely unique experience. But you need to have a liking for electronica, really. Not liking the music will remove a lot of the hypnotic charm since you won't be able to appreciate and pay special attention to the masterful soundscape as you play.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Shadow of the Colosus - This game is just great. The music is fantastic, the graphics are superb, and every battle is fun. Figuring out how to get there is half of the fun.

God of War - This is simply one of the best action games ever. Everything about it is good. I cannot praise it enough. If you like to kill things, brutally, get this game.

Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition - Flashy, fast, stylish action. This game is all about laying on the hurt and doing it with style. A bajillion unlockables.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

if you dont mind sport games.......tiger woods PGA tour 2004 (or 2005. its pretty much the same game. 2006 is worse IMO).
I'm not a golf fan at all but I love this game. great controls, it feels like youre really swinging the club sometimes. soundtrack is nice also. as far as I know there is no other rap song strictly about golf.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Shadow of the Colossus: The music, epic battles and story in this one makes it one of the better ones ever made to the PS2, its in the same series as ICO but has not direct links. Less pussles(sp?) and more about finding ways to defeat the colossi.(Curse you mcnuggle for posting while I was writing up my post)

Zone of the enders/Z.O.E 2 Anubis: Both games have a fast pace and cool action even if the voice acting/story may falter at times, music is great too.

Soul Calibur II/III: My favorite fighting series, with great variance in characters, good music and near the greatest gameplay if it wasn't for the button masher friendliness.

Gran turismo: Very good driving simulator with many tracks/cars/ect to unlock. Should keep you occupied for awhile.

SSX 1&2: Arcade style snowboarding with many tricks and cool tracks.

That was from the top of my head.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Aside from what's mentioned above (especially seconded on God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, ICO, and Katamari):

Beatmania US (if you can find it), is well worth it. Not sure about the controller as I haven't tried it personally, but the game is good. Beatmania is probably the best music game with a custom controller around. Definitely the best music selection in the business (TaQ and Sho-1? They run shit).

Gitaroo Man. Yeah, another music game, but this is one awesome game, seriously. I love the way the controls work, it's utter brilliance. Plus the music kicks ass.

Maximo is a lot of mindless hacking fun. The spiritual sequel to Super Ghouls and Ghosts apparently, though I didn't know that until after I read that online somewhere (after having played the game). Good stuff.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Rock

Just get all of the Ace Combat series. 'Nuff said.

I played some Ace Combat game once. I don't think I've ever been so bored ever. Rubbish.

Originally Posted by Qwarky

Anyway, you mentioned Katamari Damacy and both games are essential PS2 purchases.

Both? Is the sequel signifigantly different enouh to warrant purchasing both or should I just get Everybody Loves Katamari or whatever it's called?

Originally Posted by Qwarky

ICO is a personal favorite and I still consider it the finest game on the console. It's an ethereal fairytale adventure, slightly similar to Zelda and Sands of Time, but with less focus on combat and Zelda's item usage,

SOLD RIGHT THERE!

Originally Posted by Qwarky

If you've played Panzer Dragoon or similar on-rails shooters, Rez is wonderful. Hypnotic, engaging, a completely unique experience. But you need to have a liking for electronica, really. Not liking the music will remove a lot of the hypnotic charm since you won't be able to appreciate and pay special attention to the masterful soundscape as you play.

Electronica? Not interested now.

Originally Posted by navyseals

if you dont mind sport games.......tiger woods PGA tour 2004 (or 2005. its pretty much the same game. 2006 is worse IMO).
I'm not a golf fan at all but I love this game.

I was almost going to ignore your post based off you're first 6 words but then I remembered that I really enjoy golf sims. I have found enjoyment out of even the weakest of golf sims. But really I can't see myself buying a sports game on PS2 unless it starts with "Pro Evolution Soccer" and ends in a number. It's actually more fun than real soccer.

Originally Posted by Kensaki

Soul Calibur II/III:
Gran turismo: Very good driving simulator
SSX 1&2:

Thanks and while I appreciate you're imput, I already have SC2 on Gamecube and I prefer 1080° to SSX. One day when Gran Turismo upgrades from a driving simulator into a racing simulator I might show some interest in it.

Anyway a few of you guys mentioned this Shadow of the Colossus thing. What's this even like? To play I mean. I understand it has great graphics and story or whatnot but what type of game is it? Can you possibly compare it to any other games (other than ICO)?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Oh snap, that reminds me. Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time is FANTASTIC. It's a great platforming game with fun combat and puzzles. Man, I need to buy this game some day. I think that it's a greatest hits now.

Also, Ratchet and Clank - any of them. They're all good and they just get better as the series progresses. It's a platforming series that turned into more of an action adventure style game with platforming elements as the series progressed.

Shadow of the Colossus is . . . unique. It's basically 16 boss battles. Each boss has a unique way of being defeated, and since they are all giants (literally), they are the levels of the game. You will need to use your bow and sword, and some times your horse, to find ways to climb onto the colossi, find their weak points and kill them. It's not as easy as it sounds. They will try to shake you off, and the length of time that you can grip onto them is limited. I've never played any game like it before. I basically played it for 3 days straight (whenever the TV was free) after I got it. Find a video review of it on Gamespot or something and watch it. That will give you a better idea of what the game is like.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by RABicle

I played some Ace Combat game once. I don't think I've ever been so bored ever. Rubbish.

Good. =D

Originally Posted by RABicle

Both? Is the sequel signifigantly different enouh to warrant purchasing both or should I just get Everybody Loves Katamari or whatever it's called?

It's hard to say, but they're both half the price of a normal game. The first one is stylistically superior and more consistent, while the second one offers far more gameplay and a somewhat smoothed out control system. I personally prefer the soundtrack of the second one, but I am a minority in that sense. It's more romantic, as you might expect.

Originally Posted by RABicle

(Rez) Electronica? Not interested now.

It's techno. But yeah, listen to the music before you buy it, because the music = the game.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by RABicle

Both? Is the sequel signifigantly different enouh to warrant purchasing both or should I just get Everybody Loves Katamari or whatever it's called?

Well, I see them as two halves. Considering they're cheaper than normal games, it should be easier to get both. I also believe you get a lot more out of the second game, having played and enjoyed the first title.

The first game is the idea so to speak, the concept and core of the game. It introduces the philosphy and style and is a brilliant game, with a superb soundtrack.

We <3 Katamari is an elaboration on this idea, offering more varied permutations on the core, being an extremely fun and excellent sequal, but perhaps sacrificing some of the purity that made the first game so much fun. If I had to choose only one, I'd recommend getting the first game. If you really enjoy it, I'm sure you'd feel like buying the sequal as well, as you should. I think the first game works as a better introduction to Katamari for newcomers and sceptics than the sequal.

Quote:

Anyway a few of you guys mentioned this Shadow of the Colossus thing. What's this even like? To play I mean. I understand it has great graphics and story or whatnot but what type of game is it? Can you possibly compare it to any other games (other than ICO)?

You really can't describe it that well. Taken on purely by gameplay structure, it's a series of boss battles, with you riding a horse and occasionally scaling some walls and cliffs to find the bosses. No minor enemies, no collecting items, just bosses.

But what it really comes down to is this:



Raw, unhindered power. Grabbing onto the hair of a colossus and climbing up its body is really indescribable. The rush you get from trying to stay on as the colossii shake and twist, trying to get you off, scrambling for a safer spot to recover your strenght, desperately trying to hold on to land that final killing blow, it's really powerful.
The game is steeped in deep melancholy, and while fighting the giants is exhilarating, there is an underlying sadness to it all that makes the atmosphere so unique. A mesmerising, yet very unorthodox adventure/battle game, I didn't mention it, as I knew everyone else would.

I wrote some thoughts on it upon completion (no spoilers):

Originally Posted by me

As it stands, just like its battles, SotC is breathtaking, utterly majestic and overflowing with so much sadness. Like ICO, you can just play it like a regular game and enjoy what (little) superficial gameplay it has, but in order to really make most of it, you need to stop and look. You must listen. You must feel. While running for the next target location, you should stop by one of the prayer totems and climb it. You should spin the camera around as you're standing on top of the massive statue, looking at the magnificent world around you. You should breathe in the melancholic stillness and calm. The soothing breeze and sunlight, the overpowering sense of loneliness, of guilt, of dread. You should pay attention to the inconspicuous ruins and lands, stop to observe them, to ponder their significance. Dream about what resided here, who might have walked and lived their lives there, what might have happened to them.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Mark of Kri.
It's a third-person action game with some stealth elements, which are generally optional but well-executed all the same. Sneaking around while picking off enemies one by one is as viable as running out and getting into a big old brawl, if you've got the skills for it. The mechanic for fighting multiple enemies is also unique, as it involves assigning one face button for attacking each of your targets.

It's also presented with polish. The art and animations are done with a Disney-esque quality, and the story and characters are quite memorable, if not all that important. It may not be a poignant journey like Shadow of the Colossus, but it's a wild, violently satisfying experience.

Sly 2.
Basically a 3D platformer with some action elements, but the beauty of this game lies in the large variety of tasks you need to accomplish to carry out a series of insanely elaborate heists. It features some of the best cel-shading seen anywhere, tight responsive controls and challenges that never get tiresome.

Haunting Ground.
I understand it got less than rave reviews and it's not even very popular among survival horror fans, but I found it very enjoyable for a number of reasons. There's the game engine, which looks fantastic and has absolutely no loading times anywhere in the castle. A "panic" feature makes your heroine trip and fall and bump into things, and reduces your view of the action to strobe-like snapshots in time with her racing heartbeat. Very effective, and something that I feel should be used more in horror games.

Finally, there's the point of the game itself, which is to run and hide from a bunch of creepy antagonists. I never played any of the Clock Tower games, but I can say that running and hiding is surprisingly a lot of fun.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (*Subsistence)
The game is technically a sequal, but because it is in the past, it has the ability to be picked up and played. My favorate game on the PS2 thus far, and should not be missed. Deep and intruiging storyline, combined with a heavy theme of character connection. Subsistence offers an easier camera for beginners and veterans alike, and features a fantastic soundtrack. You really can't go wrong, it's quite unlike all of the other Metal Gears...

I was speaking idiomatically.

Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil

If you're a fan of the original sleeper hit on Playstation, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, you'll enjoy this one with ease. Though linear, the depth, color, and background action of each level alleviates the fact it's been deemed, "2.5D." Even though it's 5+ years old, it's another classic PS2 game to pick up, diehard to Klonoa or not.

Most amazing jew boots

First of all, if you get a PS2 try to get the newer slim version. Not only does it play burned DVD movies, not only does it come with network adaptor built in, but it's also alot smaller and way more stylish. Plus it's newer so there's less chance that it'll break.

Ace Combat series: Start with 04 (you can find it for like $10 now, deal of a lifetime) and then get 5 and Zero if you like the series. The best jet fighter games ever made bar none. Period. Tons of unlockable planes and huge mission variety keep the action fresh and frantic the whole series. Plus it has some the the best music in gaming.

God of War: I second the recommendation of this game. I just beat it last week, and WOW! What a game! Great action and platforming, great level design, and an enjoyable story about Kratos' quest to kill Ares, God of War. This game is epic. This was many a magazine's game of the year. And it just went on Greatest Hits, so you can find it for a mere $20. Mortal!

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence: I also second this one. For a mere $30 you get one of the best PS2 games ever, plus tons of features that the original MGS3 didn't have, such as the absolutely amazing online mode, rotatable 3D camera, and the original 2 Metal Gear games from the MSX (with English translation). If you play just one online game for PS2, make it this one!

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory: Even though it's also on Xbox, Chaos Theory is a great game on PS2. Great graphics and gameplay. Stay away from the online mode though, it's crap compared to the PC and Xbox versions plus you'll likely get totally owned. Stick with Subsistence if you want an online PS2 game. I would also recommend Pandora Tomorrow if you like the series, I like it just as much as Chaos Theory. Unless you really like the series, the first SC game feels a bit dated compared to Chaos Theory and might not be worth it (but it can be found for about $10, which is a plus).

Zone of the Enders: The fastest and furious-est action game on PS2. Though both ZOE games were a bit short, they are totally worth it (especially since they're both really cheap now). Intense fast paced flying mech action produced by Hideo Kojima (of Metal Gear fame).

Resident Evil 4: Though it came to Gamecube first, the PS2 version is every bit as enjoyable, even if you've never played a RE game before. The situations in the game are amazing and freaky intense. Great bosses too. Plus the chainsaw-wielding maniac is like the scarriest thing in a game ever. The PS2 version also has a bunch of extras that the 'Cube version didn't have. A very fun game. And it won Spike TV's VGA game of the year if I remember correctly.

Gran Turismo 4: Make no mistake, this is THE driving simulator. If you don't like racing games then stay away, but this franchise got me into racing games in the first place. Great graphics, awesome car handling physics, detailed car upgrade system, and hundreds of unlockable cars. GT3 might be more worth your money if you're new to Gran Turismo as it's a little easier for beginners to get into and you can find it for cheaper.

FELIPE NO

God of War - If you enjoy beating the crap out of anything you see you'll love this game.

Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2 - If you're a FF & Disney fan this is a good game for you.

Final Fantasy X - This is one of the best RPGs ever.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Oh get a life. No one needs to explain why Ace Combat is good, because it has been accepted as fact, ok.

Anyway, just get a slimline PSTwo, and order the swap magic discs with magic tool. Just download everything.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I question whether you'd like ICO. If I didn't like it, you probably wouldn't. Shadow of the Colossus is gold, though. SotC is fairly hard to compare to any game that I've played. You could possibly say it's a more violent form of puzzle game, in that the main challenge comes simply from trying to figure out how to get on the damn colossus in the first place. It's not some artsy fartsy crap, honestly (well it IS, but there's a hell of a game in there, too).

If you're not hung up on cartoony or cutesy themes, I'll second Klonoa 2 and the Sly Cooper games. Besides being excellent arguments for the proper use of cel shading, they're great platformers in their own rights. Hell, the Sly games may very well be the only true platformers left on the PS2; Jak and Daxter went all hybrid shooter in the second and third games, and the Spyro the Dragon games are all utter shit now.

Avoid FF10.

If you ever feel the urge to give RPGs one more shot, try out Wild Arms 3. The battle system is so-so, and pretty early on I found a huge exploit that let me blow through bosses effortlessly, but it's one of the few RPGs I've played in recent memory whose storyline didn't utterly insult my intelligence. I can't praise the game enough for making sense the entire way through.

I think Armored Core 2 is really cheap now, so it would be a low-risk try at the series. It's a total mecha nerd game; you assemble a robot from a huge list of parts, and go blasting through missions, tailoring your configuration as needed. It's pretty fun, but the controls and design have a fairly steep learning curve. It's not for everyone, but is definitely worth a try. If you decide you like it and go for the whole series, avoid Another Age like the plague. They can't give it away, and there's a damn good reason for it.

Lego Star Wars is simplistic, but way more fun than it ought to be. Once you've unlocked most of the characters, you can waste a lot of time just hanging around the bar area watching the Jedi and Sith have huge gang wars. Plus, Lego General Grievous.

How ya doing, buddy?

If you ever want to dabble in strategy-rpgs (keep reading, don't dismiss yet), then the most essential of that genre is Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. If you like to overkill stuff, then Disgaea is king and queen of that. There's some funny and involved plot for an SRPG, and infinite replay value for those who always want to become stronger (lvl. 9999 + other features).

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I will second the vote for quite a few games.

God of War -- If you really want a good action game with a great story and awesome visuals, God of War really is your best friend.

Ratchet and Clank -- Four games, three of which are $19.99. The first three are platformers with an emphasis on gunplay and sheer hilarity. The fourth game is gladitorial combat with an emphasis on platforming -- sort of the other way around, but still has some humor in it. You don't have to play them in order by any means, although each game does often reflect back to a previous title, such as cracking a joke about a past character.

Sly Cooper -- Three games. The first Sly game is the one that brought me back into platforming. All three games bring their own unique twists on platforming and they're just outright fun. Even their stories are deeper than one might suspect. The Sly games are must-haves for any PS2 owner. These are slightly sequential, if for nothing more than character development. The first game gives a much more detailed explanation of the gang's start, and the other two games build from that.

A surprising twist!

Jak and Daxter -- Four games are out now. The first was a near-PS2 launch title and a ton of fun to play. Jak 2 is a bit of a departure from traditional platforming and from the first game in general; difficulty is ramped up (the first one was a bit easy), GTA-style openness was included with you being able to choose what missions to do. You can even steal vehicles to get there. Jak 2 also introduces gunplay into the series. Jak 3 tweaks the difficulty setting a bit to find the right balance, introduces vehicular combat to the series and expands on the gunplay variety. This is a trilogy of games, so it's basically essential to play these three in order both for story and character development. Jak X: Combat Racing is the 4th game, but don't mistake this for a crappy Crash Kart Racing title -- it's a lot more fun and has a bit of continuity with the three previous titles regarding its story.

Zone of the Enders -- Currently only two games and one GBA title, Zone of the Enders does mech combat right. Zone of the Enders 1 is a great title on its own with only a few flaws, but ZOE 2 is an excellent sequel. Explosions are a lot of a fun and combat is quick with plenty of movement and action. The controls are also extremely easy to use for a game that moves so quickly and uses every button on the Dual Shock 2, including the L3 and R3 buttons. You don't necessarily have to play the first game to play the second, but if you do you'll recognize characters from the first game in the second and have maybe a little better understanding of the situation.

ESPN NFL 2K5 -- If you were going to pick up another sports title, NFL 2K5 is the one to get. It's cheap as hell now, especially used, and it's superb. It's better graphically and playability than Madden 2005 (and arguably Madden 2006) and just a lot of fun to play. Decking out your apartment with all sorts of cool furniture, posters, TVs, trophies, and tabletop games is also really fun.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

RABicle, you don't seem interested in God Of War but you really should

everybody is saying "if you like to beat the crap out of everything, etc..." it doesn't seem appealing or original

but this game is incredible, i'm not really into these kind of games usually but God of War is really awesome, it really is a cathartic game

Quote:

cathartic : Technical term of psychoanalysis: In the early 20th century, the term catharsis was used by psychoanalysts to describe an intense emotional experience that helped resolve inner psychological conflict-- in a sense, "purging" the mind.

yeah and shadow of the colossus is fantastic, Silent Hill series is awesome if you like to crap in your pants and Katamari damacy 2 should be enough, no use to buy the first one

I was speaking idiomatically.

Silent Hill 2 and 3 - If you like the survival horror genre, you will surely LOVE both these games. I can tell you they have one of the best stories ever that you can find in a videogame. Specially Silent Hill 2, it's a very touching game, something you rarely experience in your life. After you find out every symbology in the games you won't stop wondering about it, believe me. From the 366 games on my collection, the Silent Hill games are the deepest and most atmospherical, making it my favourite games of all time. Anyway, Silent Hill 2 is a different story, while Silent Hill 3 is the sequel of Silent Hill 1 (which was release on PSX, to me the best survival horror game next to SH2).

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistience - I'll be honest: I've only played the regular version (Even though I have Subsistience), but it would be stupid to pass up the superior version. This game is everything MGS2 should have been. It has a great storyline, the graphics and music are phenominal, and the gameplay is much, much better than ever thought possible. If you played MGS2 and were disappointed, this will totally redeem the series for you, it's just that good.

Devil May Cry 3:SE / God of War - I'm just gonna recommend both right here, since they are both awesome and both $20 each. It really depends on what you want more of in a game. In all fairness, God of War is likely the superior game, but I'm giving a huge edge to DMC3 for the awesomeness of it's combat engine and the insanely cool Virgil (Only applies to SE, of course). Most people probably enjoyed God of War more though. (If you had asked me a year ago, the best Greco-Roman themed action game on the PS2 was Rygar, which I seriously considered mentioning here as well. That game has some seriously great art direction, music, and overall fan-fucking-tastic gameplay.)

Drakengard - While the game itself is somewhat lackluster, the storyline is so amazing that it compelled me to get every single weapon in the game to unlock the fifth ending (Which is pretty goddamn crazy, but 4 out of 5 are anyway.). It's pretty flawed, but the only other game with a story good enough to get me to forgive flawed gameplay is Xenogears, if that's any indication.

Onimusha 3 - The Onimusha series may have one whack-ass storyline, but this game is pretty goddamn awesome. It improves on Onimusha 1 and 2's gameplay in every way possible, and it adds a new playable character to the game. Of course, most of my liking of this game is probably attributed to fandom of Jean Reno, but the game is pretty cool despite my bias. Also, the opening cutscene may very well be the best in any game ever.

Resident Evil 4 - I only put this down if you didn't play this game on Gamecube. Quite frankly, this game has had it's dick sucked all year, so I don't really need to tell you how goddamn good it is.

If you have RE4 for GCN: Shadow of the Colossus - I didn't want to mention this one since everyone in this thread has thier hand down this game's pants, but it is indeed a good game. It's really at it's best when you're climbing on a colossus and hearing the awesome soundtrack though, because it really does have great music. Ico is a good game, but it's far too hyped up, and the damn buddy mechanics are fucking annoying. Shadow of the Colossus is like Ico on steroids, or the bigger, faster, and meaner version of Ico, where the castle is alive, and your lifelong companion can actually DO something (Yorda could open doors or some shit, I know, but at least the horse doesn't get owned by shadow monsters whenever you leave it alone.)

Katamari Damacy, ZOE2, and Guitar Hero also come very highly recommended by me. The Ace Combat games are pretty cool, but I don't really see what the hell Tails and the other OBSESS about, but then again, people obsess about every game.

FELIPE NO

Get Ape Escape or the sequel (Possibly the first was a PS1 game). Ape Escape is one of those games that the PS is awesome at. It's just fun without trying too hard and slightly silly. Chasing monkeys around the place with a big net takes some beating.

I'd second the nomination for Armoured Core 2. It's the best mech game I've played although for some reason they took out the first person view mode in the PAL version, bastards.

Fuck all that Final Fantasy and Disgaeaeaea shit. The one rpg everyone should own is The Bard's Tale. It's funny, has a decent enough story and most importantly, doesn't drag on for 100 hours of pointless random battles.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Thanks for the suggestions guys but I feel as though I need to re-illiterate the rules for some people, I don't like naming names by Mobious One, Summonmaster, SouthJag and JasonTerminator seemed to ignore them.

Basically just list your favorite five or so games for me but with a couple of things to take into consideration.
1. I pretty much loathe RPGs, unless i MUST PLAY it I don't care for your precious linear turn based battle guantlets.
2. Only want to hear essential games. Don't list one game and it's 3 sequels and any a similar game. Keep them diverse and the best of their franchise and series.

Jam it back in, in the dark.