[PS2] Must Own PS2 Games, or how many middling JRPGs can you suggest?

So it's nearing the end of its lifespan, but there's still a few of us out there without a next-gen system. What games should we try to pick up from Gamestop during its current buy 2 get 1 free sale that we don't already own?

If possible, give a little bit of a genre categorization for the games you'd like to recommend (and don't worry about recommending games that other people already have, the more votes something gets the more likely I am to go out and give it a shot).

How ya doing, buddy?

Well I have no idea what games you have or don't have, but I'll throw out some general suggestions:

Final Fantasy X - RPG - The game is perhaps too linear for most, but the above average voice acting, battle system which allow the player to take as much time as needed to plan their attacks in long or short engagements, a graphically vibrant landscape of the game's world, and enjoyable music all give this title a worthy look. Not very replayable, but that hasn't stopped some from replaying to improve their team from the get-go or have self-imposed challenges. The end-game and optional side-quests breathe a few extra hours into the game, and if you're up to the challenge, you can collect each character's ultimate attacks and weapons, which not only help out in battle, but are good for bragging. Some of the tasks to reach these ultimate rewards will require a (perhaps) frustrating amount of investment.

Second Option: If the typical Square-Enix trappings turn you off, try checking out Tales of the Abyss or Tales of Symphonia (Much easier to find on the Gamecube though) as a substitute.

Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner - Action - The first game, as mentioned by someone here, was like an extended Prologue. Zone of the Enders 2 places the player in charge of a giant robot, which has plenty of short range and long range attacks, the player is constantly engaged in battles with other giant Orbital Frames, some unmanned, and others in the hands of sometimes brutally capable pilots (Depending on your difficulty level). A multiplayer mode is also available, but feels under-developed compared to the single-player campaign, but should provide good short bursts of entertainment or bragging rights. The brisk pace of the game and restrictive environments (lack of exploration) may turn off some, as well as the somewhat disjointed story-line which is at times, hard to follow.

Second Option: Technically you could try out the first game if you really wanted to get the full-story, but I wouldn't recommend it. The game's setting and 'characters' are fairly unique and you would have to look in other consoles to find anything similar.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time / The Two Thrones - 3rd Person Adventure - I put these two together because either title stands on its own. The latter is actually the third title in a trilogy of games, but the second in the series should be avoided. The main attraction of either game is the ability to 'undo' mistakes through the used of 'The Sands of Time', which is acquired in the first game, and still used in the third. The game's feel and controls could be compared to a Tomb Raider game, but there's a stronger emphasis on fighting opponents through Sword-play, and light-touched puzzle elements, often-times using the Sands of time for the mechanics of such.

Second Option: The God of War series focuses on Greek Mythology, but has many of the same gameplay elements. GoW has a distinctive and stronger focus on combat, but the puzzle design isn't as inspired.

Devil May Cry - 3rd Person Action - You play as a Demon-hunter named Dante, who hunts for the legendary fighter Sparda in a variety of locations, including an underground sewer, a haunted castle, an evil forest, and so forth. The gameplay is simple, you have a pair of twin guns with infinite ammo and a large sword, but both weapons become expanded upon in its options as the game progresses. The story-line is predictable and nothing remarkable, but doesn't bog you down in hours of cutscenes either. Its there to provide a framework around the action, and it does its job fine in that respect. This is definitely the game to just pick-up, start killing demons, and let loose some frustration. The difficulty however can be unrelenting if you get high enough, but the rewards are for some, worth it. This relatively early PS2 title is still fun even in 2008, and is a great showing by Capcom.

Second Option: A whole mini-genre of action games followed in the game's wake, so there are several options for what you might want to pick up. The second game in the series, much like the PoP Title, is to be avoided at all costs. The third game in the series is chronologically the first title, as it takes place earlier in time, with Dante being younger, cockier, and less experienced, but has a larger cache of fighting styles and other surprises.

I'll stop here for now.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

ICO - The best playstation 2 game ever. Period. A near-perfect fairytale of mystery, atmosphere, deep melacholy and enchanting warmth. A 3D platform puzzler of sorts, you follow two cursed children in their struggle to escape a massive, abandoned, haunted castle, unable to understand each other's language, yet drawn together by fate and growing companioship. A beautifully built title to charm and move you, it's certainly not for everyone, but if you are an experience gamer, this is the gem to go through.

Shadow of the Colossus - Another distressingly beautiful and melancholic experience from the same team as ICO, this tells the tragedy of a giant slayer driven to travel a forbidden land in a bid to bring back a loved one to life. Minimalistic in cutscenes or plot twists; like ICO, it tells its story through your actions and travels, rather than dialogue or other usual non-interactive story devices. Breathtaking battles with massive creatures involved, but it's not a title for surface gamers.

Okami - If you're a poorfag and never owned a Nintendo machine or otherwise never played a Zelda game but always wanted to, Okami is the closest thing you can get on a Sony console. Instead of being a cheap clone, Okami borrows the best parts and mixes it up to form a wonderful whole that is very much its own game and experience. Very long and rich, impeccable in presentation and design.

One of THE most beautiful games ever deviced, the aesthetics of the title are so well done even most of its fans don't quite realize how perfect they are. The idea of old japanese drawings come to life to tell an epic tale of ancient gods and adventure is emphasized through every minute detail, from the bold cel shaded brush outlines to the wonderful little paper filter acting as the rough surface of the paper the story is drawn on.

REZ - Tetsuya Mizuguchi's audio masterpiece. A wonderful on-rails shooter in Panzer Dragoon style, combined with excellent electronica soundtrack and Kandinsky inspired trippy visuals, Rez is a beautiful triumph of the interactive entertainment form.

Final Fantasy XII - Controversial for many, FFXII stands as one of the best RPGs of our generation. Rich and beautifully designed, its revised battle system with gambits and lack of random encouters will enchant and infuriate alike. I felt the system was welcoming and thoughtfully designed, providing flexibility and freedom, while just as many probably balked at the deviations from the norm and old standards. Some bemoaned an apparent lack of story while many felt it was simply written different (hint, there is very much a story). Play it and see for yourself, it didn't win EDGE magazine's game of the year award for nothing~

Gradius V - One of the best 2D scrolling shooters ever. Treasure succesfully updates a classic series with a stunning entry, filled with magnificent setpieces, music and tight, tight controls. DESTROY THE CORE.

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

Kingdom Hearts & Kingdom Hearts 2 - Action RPG- Everyone I know that's a fan of Disney or Square has loved the KH series. They are some of the best games I've ever played. They are epic, fun, and have great music. Although I'm not sure there are many people out there that haven't at least tried them yet.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2, Blood Omen & Defiance - Action Adventure- If you like vampires and cool plot twists then you'll love these games. You don't NEED to play the originals (Blood Omen & Sould Reaver) on the PS1 to enjoy them, although it will help to understand the story a bit more. You must also be okay with the possibility that there might not be anymore sequals, as you may not be satisfied with the way they left everything in Defiance.

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Jak Trilogy - Action Platformer - One of the best series the PS2 has to offer. The first game is just freaking beautiful and smooth in the graphics and it's a large open world where you go around and search for things to help you go further. The second and third games have a world that's more GTA based and adds weapons into the gameplay, but the platforming is still there. Definitely a must buy for anyone who's a platforming fan.

Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 - Action Fighting - Before it broke off into full scale 3D fighting with the Tenkaichi series, Budokai 3 combined the best elements of the first two Budokais and added much more. With over 60 characters to choose from, multiple paths you can take to end certain characters' story modes (and you have to in order to unlock certain characters), and the music is just kick ass. The only downside to this is you're probably only going to buy this game if you're a DBZ fan, but it's the best of the Budokai series.

Kingdom Hearts & Kingdom Hearts 2 - Action RPG - Agreed with Tankalex above, this series is just great. Running around and going back to famous Disney worlds (good or bad, you decide) in search of your friends is actually pretty fun. The battle system is pretty cool too, I've actually taken quite a liking to it. The battles also add more of a serious tone to some of these worlds, plus there's fan service to some of your favorite Final Fantasy characters in these games (7, 8, 10, and I think one guy from 6...I'm not sure if that's where Setzer came from). The story is deep and the music is just beautiful! Honestly, I think this RPG series got better treatment on the PS2 than Final Fantasy itself.

Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence - Action Adventure - If you've never bought any of the Metal Gear Solid games before, this is definitely a must buy. This compilation alone has the first three MGS games and it's only $30 for a new copy! All of the MGS games have interesting plots, incredible gameplay, and great music. Also, the version of MGS 2 that is included in here is the Director's Cut games, meaning MGS2: Substance (contains VR missions, Snake Tales, and a Snake Skateboarding mini game).

I'm actually surprised that they didn't include MGS3: Subsistence in this set, because that 2nd disc had a lot of content including the first two Metal Gear games that started it all from the MSX systems: Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. I'd recommend finding Subsistence separately because those two games alone are just classic.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Well I guess i'll come out and say it..

Ace Combat - Granted, a lot of people here have played it, but im sure a good chunk haven't. It's definitely one of the interesting series out there. Despite it just being an arcade simulation dogfighting game, it had an engrossing world that started in Ace Combat 2, and became a world with politics, issues regarding nuclear arms, and the questions of how destructive wars can be to even a single person.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by SuperSonic

Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 - Action Fighting - Before it broke off into full scale 3D fighting with the Tenkaichi series, Budokai 3 combined the best elements of the first two Budokais and added much more. With over 60 characters to choose from, multiple paths you can take to end certain characters' story modes (and you have to in order to unlock certain characters), and the music is just kick ass. The only downside to this is you're probably only going to buy this game if you're a DBZ fan, but it's the best of the Budokai series.

I'd second this and recommend Tenkaichi 3 as well. At least for any DBZ fan. Both games are much more fun then the next gen game Burst Limit. While Bukokai was a fighting game, Tenkaichi felt more like the game mechanics were made purely with DBZ in mind.

I'd also like to add Disgaea to the list. While not their first game, it's the game that put Nippon Ichi on the map. A very creative, fun, strategy rpg and while the graphics resemble the tactics games it has a style of it's own in the gameplay department.

FELIPE NO

Shin Megami Tensei 3 - Hands down, the best RPG on the PS2. If anyone tells you otherwise you can feel free to slap them, their mother, their sister, or their brother. The game is extremely well balanced and constantly rewards the player for their time investment, rather than merely advancing the player toward one bland end game. Extremely customizable, a decent difficulty, and several systems that allow players to customize and control their experience without feeling cumbersome.

Combat utilizes the press turn system, preventing this game from becoming a "press A to advance" affair for the lazy.

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter - Contesting the number 1 RPG spot of the RPG above (Oh, I guess it's not hands down?), Dragon Quarter is a post apocalyptic adventure, set below the surface of the earth. The game involves reaching the surface with the Dragon Powers of the series making their eventual return... with a twist. As you gain those powers, they begin to kill you. Each step you take and use of those Dragon Powers will accelerate you toward an inevitable death (or a trip to Gamefaqs).

Introducing the Scenario Overlay system (and not sucking at implementing it like a certain Dead Rising zombie game I guess I'm not being subtle), the game allows the player to break it quite easily straight out of the box, at least once they understand what it entails. The game's combat is a turn based, strategy RPG affair, with players utilizing AP to move throughout the playing field and then commit to various attacks depending on what AP is left. Very deep and will also not allow the lazy to commit to a "press the A Button to advance" affair. At least not until they understand and then break the game.

High replay value, worth coming back to time and again.

God Hand - It's a game about punching people and it's very hard. If you need anything more than this, you're a woman and should probably go play Okami.

R-Type Final - While not as tight of a game experience as Gradius V, R-Type Final deserves to be owned for the massive amount of customization available to the player. Over 100 ships, capable of being fitted with various Wave Cannons, Forces, Bits, and Missiles from games throughout Irem's Arcade history. With many ships being tributes to other games Irem has made, each playthrough can be drastically different from your last.

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

Rotor, do you mean Persona 3? Or Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne?

If you're creative at all, I'd suggest Graffiti Kingdom. It's a platformer/action game with the extra feature of being able to draw your own "monsters" to use to fight, customizing the way they move, their weapons, and pretty much everything about them. The tool is surprisingly robust for creation, so if you're creative at all it's GREAT fun to mess around with creating cool monsters.

How ya doing, buddy?

^
Shin Megami Tensei 3 is Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.
Basically a turn based RPG where you can recruit demons and fuse them to make new ones. Basically retards have called this a mature and significantly "darker" version of Pokemon. However, the gameplay is far more entertaining as it requires a bit more strategy regarding the turn based system. When exploiting the enemy's weakness you are able to get an extra attack, visa versa with the enemy attacking you. Overall, it was the best RPG for the ps2 for me.

Persona 3 is otherwise known as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3. I believe
This was also another entertaining RPG title (though not quite as good as Nocturne). It was most known as the "Game where you shoot yourself in the head." Again, the battle system is turn based and you are also able to exploit the enemy's weakness to get an extra turn. People have claimed that this is a "Dating Sim" and "Dungeon Crawlers" which is somewhat accurate. You live out life day by day as a student by day and building relationships with a number of characters. By night, you go dungeon crawling to level up your "Persona." Likewise, you are able to fuse "Personas" and recruit new ones in the dungeon. Also by developing relationships during the day, you can boost up your Persona's strength. You can't go wrong with this one as it was only $20 for Persona 3 FES (an expanded version of Persona 3 that was released afterwards).

Both are highly notable games.
In fact I would go to recommend anything that the Atlus Shin Megami Tensei team has done.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is fucking $7.99 at GameStop now. Seven dollars and ninety-nine cents. For God's sake, if you haven't picked it up yet, do so. I'm seriously considering buying a backup copy when it's that damn cheap.

I was there yesterday and found a fair few decent games in the PS2 bargain bin, in case people don't really want to fork over more than a couple 10s for some stuff.

Suikoden IV - $9.99
Suikoden Tactics - $9.99
Shinobi - $7.99
Mega Man X: Command Mission - $7.99
Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII - $9.99

I know, people bitch about the quality of most of these games, but I say they're totally worth it for 10 bucks or less.

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

Dragon Quarter for 8 bucks is a goddamn steal. Excellent game, relatively simple story but the atmosphere is superb, the journey and ending especially are haunting. And then you play it all over again~

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I'm loving the in-depth reviews, but listings like what GB is also fine at the end of a post just to give me an idea of a list of good games. Like, a long time ago EVERYONE was gushing over Star Ocean 3, but then it disappeared and everyone says it sucks now (roughly the same with Rogue Galaxy).

I'm mostly curious as to which games were fantastic when they came out, and when you look back on them now you still think they were solid games the whole way through. So, like, secondary recommendations can just go as a list at the end of your post or something.

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Originally Posted by valiant

^
Shin Megami Tensei 3 is Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.
Basically a turn based RPG where you can recruit demons and fuse them to make new ones. Basically retards have called this a mature and significantly "darker" version of Pokemon. However, the gameplay is far more entertaining as it requires a bit more strategy regarding the turn based system. When exploiting the enemy's weakness you are able to get an extra attack, visa versa with the enemy attacking you. Overall, it was the best RPG for the ps2 for me.

Take note that these people are retarded because Shin Megami Tensei predates Pokemon.

((Edit: Not worth your time, Pang?))

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Okami - Action Platformer - My favorite game on the PS2 without question. Okami is, not only one of the most stylish games on the PS2, but also one of the best looking. The simplistic yet atmospheric build of every set in this game was the perfect cover for a relatively complex combat system that used a brush-stroke mechanic that would have been very easy for almost any developer to fuck up miserably. Luckily, Clover Studios was up to the challenge and delivered what I consider to be the crowning jewel of the PS2.

God of War - Action Platformer - God of War was heavily hyped prior to its release and showed every sign of being an utter critical failure but when I played a demo of it I was utterly in shock at how good the game was. It was bloody, it was gory, over the top and appallingly violent. As it just so happens it had a phenomenal story about a man at his sanity's end and with nothing left to lose who had the means and the motive to, not only go down in flames, but take A GOD with him. Beautiful, beautiful game and one I've played several times just because it's fun to eviscerate the minions of Ares one bloody chain strike at a time.

Guitar Hero & Guitar Hero II - Music Simulator / ROCK MACHINE - Guitar Hero was basically a grand-slam from a rookie. It came out of nowhere, not everybody knew its developer (Harmonix) even though they'd already made a damn good music/rhythm game (Frequency) before, and it came with a miniature guitar to play notes on. But, man, when you strapped on that guitar and fired up the opening riffs of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock N Roll" and 8 hours later you were having trouble flinging the notest to that ungodly solo in Ozzy Osbourne's "Bark At The Moon", you KNEW you were in for something special. You could now gather a conclave of your closest friends and rock out until the sun came up and actually feel fucking great doing it. The sequel improved the original in almost every way except for the soundtrack; I consider the Guitar Hero song selection to be the single greatest licensed soundtrack of all time. If only they could all be like this.

Resident Evil 4 - Survival Horror - Yes, I understand that there's a "better" version of this game on the Gamecube. Yes I am comfortable with that. Yes, you SHOULD own this game on the PS2 because it's a frightening and madly driven game with gameplay that emphasizes action over evasion and handles it with the urgency of, well, a man on a mission with an army of homocidal lunatic Spaniards nipping at his heels. Probably one of the best games ever to come to the PS2.

Odin Sphere - 2-D Platformer / RPG - No, I don't give a flying fuck if Rotor thinks this game is for ninnies who still haven't had their first period, Odin Sphere is one of the best looking games on the PS2 and it's fun as hell to play. Its presentation is really unlike anything that's been seen in other games before, although its presentation also presents one of the games flaws. Since this game is told through "chapters" in a book each stage really represents a chapter. Since each level must load before you go into every battle you have these intense and epic battles with scads of enemies or a supernaturally large boss that's just so fluid in attack, movement and panache that it almost feels like coming off a high when you sit there for 20-30 seconds for the next "chapter" to load. It's still a great game and I'm pretty sure you can pick it up at GameStop for around $15-$20.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War - Flight Simulator - Just go out and buy it. Don't ask questions. Doing so will only be akin to career suicide around here.

Katamari Damacy - STICKYBIGBALLSIMULATOR - I'm sure you've heard of this game and, if you haven't played it, there's a good chance that you are either a curmudgeon robot who has no soul or you fuck dogs for kicks. Katamari Damacy's simplistic presentation and gameplay was deceptively clever since under the surface it was one of the most intensely fun yet quirky and bizarre gaming experiences ever to come to the PS2. If anyone told me 5 years ago that I would be verbally fellating a game about an adhesive rolling ball that grew in size as things stuck to it, I would have called you squirrel rapist and had you sent to an insane asylum. Now it seems that the only thing crazy about this game is the fact that more people don't know about the greatness of it.

Except for Guitar Hero (which you would have to buy with a guitar controller to get the most fun out of it) and Okami (which still sells for like $50 in most places anyway) you can probably find most of these for under $20 a pop and they're all fucking solid titles.

EDIT:
Also every game Q-chan posted minus FFXII; that license system was fucking gay.

FELIPE NO

Dark Cloud 2 - A "little" and usually forgotten dungeon crawler full of charm... maybe too "kiddie" for some. The game combines a bunch of great systems (battle / invention / town creation) with passable characters/voice acting and a forgettable story into a really nice experience. You don't need to play the original to fully enjoy this game, and the sequel improves everything from the first one.

I would like to talk about Klonoa 2, but I'll let someone with better narrative to do a proper introduction of this jewel.

And one more thing: everything that Qwarky said. (Completely forgot we have the same taste in games dude!)

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

If you're a Megaman fan, then Megaman Anniversary Collection and Megaman X Collection are essential. Anniversary has all 8 original Megaman games, plus the two fighting games and updated soundtracks. Personally, and I'm sure I'm not alone here, I think the original 8-Bit soundtracks are infinitely superior. But if remixes are your thing, they can be turned on and off on a whim. X Collection has the first 6 games in the X series, even though 1-4 are the only real reasons to buy this game.

If you like fighting games, you can't go wrong with DOA2 and Capcom vs SNK 2. I've spent several sleepless nights playing both of these with my cousins and friends. Good luck finding either one though. And CvS2 is pretty expensive when you can find it. Not sure about DOA though.

I can't agree enough with Ence about Katamari Damacy. Haven't played the others, but the first one is ridiculously fun. You start up rolling up push pins and coins, but by the end of the game you're grabbing people, buildings and Godzilla creatures and snatching clouds out of the sky. Definitely one of the top games for PS2.

How ya doing, buddy?

X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse - A "Gauntlet" styled hack-n-slash game that doesn't require deep levels of concentration to enjoy. The game pays excellent fanservice between playables and cameos, while presenting a plotline that isn't too far-fetched, even for a comic book. There are RPG elements, mostly involving skill point allocations and selecting how each character's powers will develop as the game progresses. The imbalance problems from the first game are mostly solved, and the difficulty level has been increased. There's also a lot of sidequests for the purpose of collecting items to unlock alternate costumes, scenes, characters, etc. It won't take you forever to beat and the replay value is high because there's often a nagging curiosity as to how the game would've been had one better focused upon so-and-so instead. Also, Patrick Stewart and John DiMaggio lend their voice talents as Charles Xavier and Juggernaut, respectively. That alone is worth hearing at least once.

Rogue Galaxy - Screw the haters, I loved this game. It was gorgeous to behold, especially on the water planet and on the information planet. The characters had personality and weren't superimposed upon the storyline in ways that other games have been known to do (Amarant? Precis? 75% of you Suikoden guys? COUGH COUGH.) Critics said that the story's progression was too slow but that's only because there was so much to do if you felt up to the challenge. Rogue Galaxy is a sidequester's dream and fulfilling them can take days, even weeks. The voice acting was far better than average and the subtle artistic nuances made big differences (when you switched weapons, it was visibly and clearly reflected in battle) If you plow through, you can finish the game in a few days. Otherwise, you can smell the roses all you like and not get punished. The characters even remind you of your current objective while idling, just in case you forgot. I think it was one of the best RPGs I played in years.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Gitaroo Man - Think Parappa, but with guitars*. Ok, that description may be a bit crude, but as far as music games are concerned, Gitaroo Man absolutely cannot be missed. The gameplay is slightly different than usual, in that you have Charge, Attack, Defend, and Harmony phases that split up the song. It's kind of rare, so your success finding it may be low, but the game is a blast from beginning to end.

Metal Slug Anthology - Not sure if you're familiar with the MS series, but this collection covers everything up through 6. A run and gun arcade sidescroller from SNK that's got some of the best sprite animations I've seen to date. The titular Metal Slugs (tanks) are awesome as well. It's much more fun if you've got someone to co-op the games with though.

Nthing the Ace Combat noms, and God of War.

*In before Um Jammer Lammy.

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

[b]Road Troip Advnrutre:[/] Thius is a vide game you can plauy on PS2 it's like an REPG excet its not shitty becauise it hs CARS and fuck they talk about THINGs. you can drive underwater, not even daytona usa doot doot lets you do tjhat

[b]Ribiut King: its like $2 so you cna buy eight cipies if you want prertty fun.
IT:S GOLF WIT RABBITS
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taiot legends 2 It's got ELVEATOR ACTION RETURNS and thats the best PS2 game or all

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

Okami: Really what can I say that others haven't? It's a work of art. And an amazing game too. If you have a PS2 there is no reason not to have this game. It was stunning when I first got it and it's still amazing even now. One of my friends who never had a PS2 got the Wii version just because of how much fun he had with it when visiting friends who did have it.

God of War: I personally don't usually enjoy this genre of games. But I had a lot of fun with God of War nonetheless. It really says something for a game when it's not a type that you'd normally play and you play all the way through it nonetheless because you were having fun.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES: A fun RPG with memorable characters. Don't bother getting Persona 3 since Persona 3: FES comes with Persona 3 plus a bunch of extra stuff. I liked all the Shin Megami Tensei games for the PS2 but Persona 3 was my favorite of them.

Shadow Hearts, Shadow Hearts: Covenant(aka Shadow Hearts 2), Shadow Hearts: From the New World(aka Shadow Hearts 3): I had a ball with this trilogy. And it seemed each one got weirder. The first Shadow Hearts isn't quite up to the standards of the following two but it's a fairly short RPG and Shadow Hearts 2 takes off from where Shadow Hearts ended. You should still have quite a bit of fun with 2 and 3 even if you don't play 1 though and Shadow Hearts isn't a bad RPG by any means, it just does't quite have the charm the later ones did.

Disgaea: A turn based strategy game where you're a demon out to take over the Netherworld after your dad died by choking on a pretzal. Aided by your not so loyal vassal Etna, a ditzy angel, THE DEFENDER OF EARTH!!(and his sidekick Jennifer, and super robot Thursday), and demonic exploding penguins among other things, this game has a wonderfully twisted sense of humor.

Honorable mentions: All the Shin Megami Tensei games, Radiata Stories, Suikoden V, Tales of the Abyss, Odin Sphere, Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, and Gradius V.

For compilation disks(listing these seperately as they aren't so much PS2 games as a bunch of games from older systems on the same disk) I'd highly recommend Capcom Classics Collection v1 and v2, Sega Genesis Collection, and Megaman Anniversary Collection.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Celisasu

Shadow Hearts, Shadow Hearts: Covenant(aka Shadow Hearts 2), Shadow Hearts: From the New World(aka Shadow Hearts 3): I had a ball with this trilogy. And it seemed each one got weirder. The first Shadow Hearts isn't quite up to the standards of the following two but it's a fairly short RPG and Shadow Hearts 2 takes off from where Shadow Hearts ended. You should still have quite a bit of fun with 2 and 3 even if you don't play 1 though and Shadow Hearts isn't a bad RPG by any means, it just does't quite have the charm the later ones did.

Sure, only the EXACT OPPOSITE. This series gets worse as it goes along. It loses the dark feel and just gets stupid. Play the first two, absolutely, but you can leave the third.

Man, what's it feel like to be completely backwards like that? I mean... what's is like?

How ya doing, buddy?

Most of the stuff I'd recommend has already had a mention, but since I was talking about it with someone else the other day, I feel compelled to add a recommendation for TimeSplitters 2. A great little shooter with some neat ideas, a whole bunch of wacky characters to play as, and included a pretty awesome map editor for the multiplayer (if memory serves).

Also, for racing fun, the Burnout games were always good, and Burnout Revenge in particular was pretty damn awesome.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Dark Nation

Final Fantasy X - above average voice acting

Hahaha, what? The voice acting in FFX is some of the worst I've ever heard in a game. The only I can think of as bad as FFX is Suikoden Tactics.

I think everyone with a PS2 should play Suikoden V. After the very sketchy IV and Tactics, SV is a real return to form for the series. The story is great, the characters well realised and it's basically awesome.

I also reckon FFXII is a great game. The plot's a bit more grown up than previous Final Fantasy's and the gambit thingy for combat means you can grind without having to constantly tap the X button.

God of War is a top game, Rez is essential and The Warriors is a great little game too.

How ya doing, buddy?

If by "above average" he means HOLY FUCK THEY'RE ALL SO FUCKING ANNOYING/<insert derogatory adjective of choice here> then . . . yes, above average indeed.

Jam it back in, in the dark.