The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling video game console of all time, and it earned those sales figures thanks to an amazing library of titles that fans still talk about to this day.
The DVD era meant that memory limitations were gradually becoming a thing of the past. This meant that devs could fill their games with voice acting, extended cutscenes, and worlds bigger than had ever been seen on a console before.
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While the PlayStation 2 has its fair share of classics, some games just narrowly miss the cut, especially within their own franchises. The transitional nature of the PS2 era meant that developers were still honing their craft, meaning plenty of design and QoL issues persisted.
These PlayStation 2 games are excellent titles in their own right, but they have one niggling flaw that keeps them away from greatness, some of which were ironed out in remakes and remasters.
10
Final Fantasy 10
Square Enix Needed Time to Get Voice Actors Right
The Final Fantasy trilogy on the original PlayStation helped bring JRPGs to the masses. However, the sheer volume of text made voice acting infeasible. Their discs were already piled high with fancy FMVs: they couldn’t handle voice acting on top.
Final Fantasy 10 was the first entry that had full voice acting. Unfortunately, this meant that not all the voices were up to snuff. Tidus, Rikku, and Wakka could be incredibly annoying, while Yuna was practically asleep. This wouldn’t be much of an issue if they didn’t spend most of the game talking.
It bears mentioning that not everyone in Final Fantasy 10 had a bad voice, and pretty much every future entry in the franchise nailed its casting. Even Final Fantasy X-2 had better voices, especially Yuna, who was finally the protagonist. People who are playing Final Fantasy 10 in the modern era either need to switch to Japanese voices or have the mute button handy.
9
Grand Theft Auto 3
Aiming Mechanics are More of a Suggestion than a Feature
Grand Theft Auto 3 is the game that turned its franchise from a headline-grabbing murderthon to one of the biggest in the industry. Finally freed from its 2D shackles, Grand Theft Auto 3 gave players a full world to explore, with the ability to steal vehicles and go on whatever rampage they’d like.
Grand Theft Auto 3 would later be outstripped by Vice City and San Andreas, but its importance to the industry as a whole can’t be understated. It’s just a shame that it’s an utter nightmare to play in the modern era because of how bad the aiming controls are.
The missions in Grand Theft Auto 3 are frustrating because aiming at foes is so difficult. This is especially true when fighting groups of enemies, who will dogpile on the player and blow them away before they can counter. Thankfully, San Andreas finally fixed the worst of the control issues, cementing its status as a legendary title.
Raiden Usurped Snake’s Spot
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty had a ton of hype going into it. Footage from the Tanker demo showed a level of visual quality never seen before, especially in reflections, lighting, and water effects.
The Tanker demo turned out to be the opening section of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and players were excited to experience it for themselves, returning to Solid Snake from the first game and exploring the mysterious ship.
It’s just a shame that Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ditches Solid Snake after the Tanker and puts a new character in the starring role: Raiden. It was certainly a ballsy move to pull the switcheroo with the beloved protagonist, especially without promoting it first, but many people didn’t care for Raiden and would have preferred to play as Snake.
7
Kingdom Hearts
It’s a Shame There Wasn’t a Disney Film About a Cutscene Skip Button
The original Kingdom Hearts kicked off one of the most beloved franchises in history, but it’s not without its flaws. The camera could be an absolute nightmare, especially in the Peter Pan stage. It was also really easy for the enemy to stunlock the player, while Donald and Goofy stood around like idiots.
By far the biggest issue with Kingdom Hearts was the inability to skip cutscenes. This meant that losing to a boss required watching the same cutscene over and over until they were defeated.
Luckily, the HD remasters of Kingdom Hearts finally included the ability to skip cutscenes. This makes the game far more tolerable than it was at launch, even if the camera is still janky.
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6
Silent Hill 4: The Room
Get Tommy Wiseau to Fix the Camera
Silent Hill 4: The Room is one of the most underrated horror games of all time, and is a rare instance of a game suffering from being connected to a famous franchise. Fortunately, the years have been kind to Silent Hill 4, with many reflecting on it fondly, helped by the numerous bad Silent Hill titles released since.
Silent Hill 4 has one big problem, however: the camera. The camera controls are terrible, making it hard to actually see the area the player is in, and more importantly, the enemies that stalk the game world. Combat has never been Silent Hill’s forte, but it’s even harder when the player can’t see the enemies.
There are mods for Silent Hill 4 that fix the camera issue, but what the game truly needs is a proper remake, in the vein of Silent Hill 2. Silent Hill 4 has an amazing story and world, one that badly needs the HD treatment.
5
Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne
The Matador Killed Way Too Many Runs
The Shin Megami Tensei series has a reputation for being difficult, but how that challenge is implemented is of vital importance to a turn-based RPG. If the player lacks the tools necessary to win fights, then they’re in for a grueling affair.
It’s here where Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne falls short. It’s an incredible game that’s bursting with atmosphere and incredible character designs. The only problem is that it’s easy to get discouraged from seeing all the cool stuff because of how brutal the game’s opening section is.
The fight against Matador is the most infamous roadblock in the series, as the player has barely any grinding spots to prepare for the fight. Matador is one of the trickiest bosses in the game, thanks to how he buffs his accuracy/evasion stat so quickly, meaning it’s hard to even land a hit. The player needs to master the rules quickly to overcome this boss; otherwise, they’ll give up.
4
Resident Evil – Code: Veronica X
That One Tyrant Who Softlocked the Game
Of all the entries in the Resident Evil series, the one that most needs a remake is Resident Evil – Code: Veronica X. It’s a great game, but it has the antiquated fixed-camera and tank controls of the series’ old days, making it tough to play for people who are accustomed to the modern entries.
Code: Veronica X has a bigger issue, however, especially for new players. There’s an infamously difficult boss fight at the end of the first Claire section, where the player fights a Tyrant on a plane. If the player is aware it’s coming, then they save ammo and healing items for the fight, making it manageable.
The problem is that most players won’t be aware of this boss going into Code: Veronica X, meaning they won’t be stashing their ammo and herbs. This means it’s very easy for players to get softlocked and need to restart the game, so that they can better prepare for the fight they had no idea was coming.
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3
Dragon Quest 8: Journey of The Cursed King
Rhapthorne Didn’t Have the Makings of a Varsity JRPG Villain
Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King is the entry that helped earn the Dragon Quest franchise a fan base outside Japan. It did so with an amazing setup — the player is protecting a king and princess who were cursed by an evil jester, named Dhoulmagus, and they must find a way to break the spell and restore the royal family to normalcy.
Dhoulmagus is a fantastic villain, being a mixture of Kefka from Final Fantasy 6 and the Joker. His magical staff makes him nearly invincible, and he would have been an amazing final foe.
The problem is that the player defeats Dhoulmagus at the halfway point of the game, after which he’s replaced as a villain by Rhapthorne, a generic demon with little personality. The story takes a steep dive in quality when Dhoulmagus is defeated, which is a shame, as he could have been one of the franchise’s all-time great villains.
2
Persona 3
The AI is the True Persona
Persona 3 was the game that pioneered the school schedule gameplay loop, helping to make Persona bigger than the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to play nowadays, and its updated release, Persona 3 FES, is no different, due to how combat works.
In Persona 3 and FES, while the player controls the protagonist’s actions, they cannot control the other party members. It’s up to the AI to pick their attacks. The most the player can do is set their general tactics, such as focusing on offense or healing. In the end, it’s up to the AI to decide what the characters do, leading to some incredibly frustrating moments.
Fortunately, the PSP remaster and the modern remake give the player full control over their party members, making them the best way to play Persona 3.
1
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Lack of Multiplayer Meant Legolas & Gimli Had to Wait For Their Bromance to Blossom
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers launched at the exact right time, releasing just before the film, when Lord of the Rings fans were rabid to see the next entry in the trilogy.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the player can choose Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli, with Isildur being an unlockable character, as they carve through orcs and goblins in battles taken straight from the first two films. There was one huge problem, however, as the game lacked any kind of multiplayer, despite being perfect for it. Anyone hoping for a Lord of the Rings team-up game was left disappointed.
Luckily, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King game addressed this issue, as well as increasing the playable roster to include the hobbits and Gandalf, making it the definitive One Ring destroying game of its generation.
- Brand
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Sony
- Original Release Date
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October 26, 2000
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$299, £299
- Operating System
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Proprietary
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