24. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

The Shin Megami Tensei series is popular in Japan, but has failed to make as big of an impact in the West. Nocturne (also called Lucifer’s Call) was one of the best in the series. This is odd, as it was similar to Pokemon, in that you could tame and recruit enemies, selecting them to fight alongside you in battle.

This was achieved using a negotiation system in which you had to persuade a demon to fight for you. Some demons were easy to recruit, while others were far more difficult. These demons could also be fused together to create more powerful creatures.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne had great presentation and the traditional turn-based combat was helped along by the unique demon-taming features and dark story. Dante from Devil May Cry even made a cameo appearance.

23. The Getaway

Although Sony’s London-based GTA clone was nowhere near as good as we’d hoped – plagued with clunky controls, dodgy design choices, and an awful camera when on-foot – there was still something about it that drew you in.

Perhaps it was the meticulously recreated map of London, the Snatch-style adult dialogue, or the photo-realistic visuals. The Getaway was an entertaining, if often frustrating experience (remember that hair-pulling laser security bit? Oh, good lord). It also had two separate stories, with the completion of Mark Hammond’s campaign opening up Flying Squad detective Frank Carter’s series of events, depicting the other side of the thin blue line.

A good story and decent delivery can make all the difference, and The Getaway, although certainly not Oscar-winning material, had a good, Cockney-laden crime story. Racing through the streets of London instead of the usual American cities was a breath of fresh air. Oh, and ignore the sequel, it was rubbish.

22. Primal

Developed by Sony’s Cambridge studio, Primal was a big title at its time of release, and much hype was made of the third-person scrapper.

Primal starred Jennifer Tate, a girl who finds herself involved in a battle of chaos and order. Travelling through four different demonic dimensions, Jen and her partner, a gargoyle called Scree, fought all sorts of creatures. As she entered each realm, Jen gained the ability to transform into a demon representing that realm. These forms granted her various abilities, such as powerful attacks, long range strikes, and the ability to breathe underwater.

Visually stunning for the time, Primal was a brilliantly polished game, and although the gameplay got a little bit repetitive, it was an enthralling adventure, and one that simply fell off the radar.

21. The Suffering

One of the most disturbing and violent action horror titles ever made, The Suffering was a great third/first-person adventure that put players in the role of a convicted murderer, Torque, who allegedly murdered his wife and child.

Torque is sent to Abbot State Penitentiary, which soon gets hit by an earthquake, unleashing all sorts of hellish creatures, which Torque has to deal with.

The Suffering featured some great creature designs, not surprising as they were created by Stan Winston (the make-up effects master behind Aliens, Terminator, and Jurassic Park). Each creature personified a method of execution used on the prisoners of Abbot State over the years.

There were some genuine scares to be had, and the mixture of shotgunning nasties and solving various puzzles worked well, all supported by a good story. Well worth seeking out if you haven’t played it, which is likely.

20. Kill Switch

Have you played Gears of War, Mass Effect, Uncharted, or any one of the myriad of cover-based shooters that saturate the market? You probably have, but without Kill Switch, you may not have had the chance.

You see, this relatively unknown third-person shooter from Namco is widely credited as creating, or at least popularizing the cover mechanic we now see so often. Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski has even gone on record as saying that Kill Switch was a major influence on the Gears series, saying “it had the best cover system at that time” during the Game Developers Choice Awards.

The game stars soldier Nick Bishop, who is remotely controlled by an operator elsewhere, and as the game progresses, Nick experiences flashbacks of repressed memories, leading to plot twists and a conspiracy.

It was a fairly bare bones, budget game, with minimal polish, but it played very well, and the cover system made it stand out, giving combat a big enough twist, and an enjoyable one at that. It’s worth playing simply to see where the genre as we know it today came from.

19. Sly Cooper

This is one of the biggest gaming mascot-type characters to fail to make it as big as it should have. The Sly series is a great cartoon stealth platformer, which has now been re-released on PS3 in HD form (the original trilogy). Initially developed by Infamous developer Sucker Punch, the game is a cult classic and successfully merged 3D platforming with stealth elements.

Each game, including this debut outing, saw the titular Raccoon thief pull off various heists and engage in boss battles. Sly could use the world to his advantage, shimmying up drainpipes, perching on vantage points, and hiding so he could execute stealth attacks. He also fought foes face to face, but this was a noisy option. The end result was a great example of 3D platforming that demonstrated the genre could be more flexible and varied than it usually was.

18. Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

If the aforementioned Second Sight was the slower-paced, thinking man’s psychic adventure, then Psi-Ops was the choice of the trigger-happy, action fanatic. Whereas Second Sight had deeper characters and a more intriguing story, Psi-Ops had by far the more enjoyable combat and selection of psychic powers.

As amnesiac solider Nick Scryer, you embarked on a series of missions to combat an evil regime, at the same time uncovering both your past and your forgotten psychic powers, such as telekinesis, pyrokinesis, mind control, and remote viewing. These could be used at your discretion during your missions, and you were often allowed to experiment and tackle combat situations as you saw fit.

The various powers were handled in a far more fluid and accessible way than Second Sight, particularly the telekinesis, which was very satisfying (you could even pick up and throw your enemies). The game itself, being a more action-oriented third-person shooter, was a little more appealing to a larger audience. Despite this, it still failed to make major waves, and was never heard from again.

17. Fatal Frame

Fatal Frame was a survival horror straight from the house of Japanese horror titles like Ringu and The Grudge, and as a result, it’s one of the scariest games you’ll play.

In this game, which put you up against all sorts of deadly ghosts and spirits, you didn’t play as a soldier with guns, a police officer, or even an adult with a stick. You played as a young school girl armed only with the Camera Obscura. This was a magical camera that could exorcise spirits, and it was your only defense against the supernatural.

The fear you felt due to being so defenseless made this a very unnerving experience, and as the story was supposedly based on various real events, it only made it all the more effective at getting your heart going and wearing out the edge of your seat.

16. Project Eden

Core Design was the team responsible for creating Tomb Raider, a game we all know, but it also dabbled in various other titles, including this very Tomb Raider-esque sci-fi outing.

Project Eden was a brilliant puzzler in the TR mold, only this time you had four different characters to control, each with their own unique skills. Team leader Carter could interrogate people and access high security doors, engineer Andre could repair machinery, Minoko was the hacker of the team, and Amber was a powerful cyborg, capable of surviving hostile environments.

Using each team member’s skills, you had to solve all sorts of environmental puzzles to progress deeper and deeper into the game’s dangerous undercity world, populated by violent gangs, mutants, and even worse threats.

It never got much recognition on its release, which is a damn shame as Project Edenwas arguably far more involving than Tomb Raider at the time, and the four-way split of characters would make for a great online multiplayer campaign today.

15. Killer 7

We’ve talked about Suda 51’s surreal Killer 7 before and made no bones about our love for it. The story of Harman Smith and his seven alter ego assassin personalities is one strange journey, wrapped up in social and political commentary and an art style that’s simply gorgeous. It’s a genuine work of art, pure and simple.

Although it made its debut on the GameCube, the title also arrived on the PlayStation 2, potentially opening up the bizarre adventure to a new, larger audience, but it failed to do so, and the title remains a polarizing cult classic. If you’ve never played it, we urge you to do so.

14. The Thing

It came out of nowhere, being a random video game of a 20-year-old movie, but The Thing was surprisingly good. Instead of focusing on the actual events of the movie, the game took place a few days afterwards. A team of U.S. soldiers were sent to investigate Outpost 31, before venturing to other facilities as they discovered the truth behind the alien invasion.

The game used an AI teammate system, giving player character Blake plenty of allies. These allies were made up of engineers, soldiers, and medics, and their skills were used to progress through the various locations.

The film’s focus on fear and mistrust was also used in the game to great effect, and characters could become infected, meaning Blake would have to find and enlist the services of other survivors. Eventually, Blake discovered the truth, and after battling an army of alien beasts using guns, flame throwers, and other methods, he located the alien ship and did battle with the big bad Thing itself, with the help of none other than MacReady.

It was a great, team-based adventure, and one that is considered to be a canonical sequel.

13. Shadow of Rome

Hailing from Capcom, this is quite an obscure title, which isn’t usual form for the big name publisher. Set in Rome, as you may guess from the name, you were cast as Agrippa, a successful general in Rome’s army. After the murder of Julius Caesar, Agrippa returns to find his father implicated in the murder, and his mother sentenced to death. Agrippa is captured attempting to free his mother, and is sent to the Colosseum to participate in the gladiatorial games. Octavianus, Agrippa’s friend gets involved in events, and tries to uncover the truth.

Shadow of Rome was a game of two halves. Agrippa’s sections were all about brutal combat and action, and Octavianus’ sections involved stealth and puzzle solving, and the two disparate styles worked well together, breaking up the violence (which was pretty graphic) with some slower-paced stealthy section that also gave you the chance to explore famous areas of Rome.

The combat engine in the game was, as to be expected from a Capcom game, pretty solid, and the gladiatorial sections were challenging and satisfying. Agrippa could use all sorts of vicious weapons, even the severed arms of his enemies, and the arena changed and featured various combat challenges to keep things interesting, including chariot races. There were also sections for Agrippa outside of the arena.

Visually impressive and well put together, this was a great historic combat title that’s well worth a punt, and it’s much better than Ryse: Son of Rome.

12. Dark Cloud

A definite cult classic RPG, Dark Cloud mixed the genres of RPG and RTS into one coherent package, and it was a unique and hugely enjoyable RPG romp. As protagonist Roan, you had to brave all sorts of procedurally generated dungeons fighting the forces of an evil genie in order to rebuild the world and its villages.

Using this “georama” mode, you could place various elements you acquire from dungeons, such as trees, houses, and so on, and rebuild the landscape, including the villagers themselves. Once returned, villagers could then instruct Roan on the rebuilding of the area, and once a village was complete (after meeting various requirements), you could proceed to the next village, advancing the quest.

Dark Could used a weapon leveling system instead of the usual character leveling, and the more a weapon was used, the more powerful it could become. These needed repairing after a lot of use, and custom weapons could be created.

The second game, Dark Chronicle, expanded even more on the crafting and RTS nature of the series, but this first outing is where it all began.

11. Gitaroo Man

Arriving on the market several years before Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Gitaroo Man was a precursor of what was to come. It didn’t feature the same exact style of play as GH and RB, instead using onscreen controller prompts when in guard mode, but it did feature a unique guitar playing interface when the player had to strum to the music. Using the analog stick to follow the “trace line,” you had to keep the aiming cone on the line while pressing buttons to play music and “attack” your foe. The modes alternated as the song progressed, meaning players had to quickly change from attack to guard, and so on.

Gitaroo Man was a great title with a charming, yet bizarre story and presentation, something we’ve come to expect from Japanese rhythm games.

10. Freedom Fighters

Freedom Fighters was developed by Hitman creator IO Interactive, and was a great squad-based shooter that many PS2 owners missed.

It was set to a backdrop of a fictional Russian invasion of the U.S., and players took on the role of plumber Christopher Stone. Now, this was no Mario, and Christopher didn’t eat mushrooms or jump on people’s heads. Instead, he packed assault rifles and Molotovs, and used guerilla tactics to take down the Red machine.

You infiltrated enemy bases, sabotaged supplies, and generally became a major thorn in the side of the invading army. All of this took place within an occupied New York. As you succeeded in your goals, you gained charisma. The more charisma you had, the more followers you could lead. You could tell these allies to follow, defend, and attack, which was simple squad commanding, but functional. Each chapter was made up of various missions, and your actions in one mission could affect events in another, with some actions weakening the Russian military presence in later missions.

It was a really well made and enjoyable title that was a nice departure from the Hitman formula the studio is famous for.

9. Urban Chaos: Riot Response

You’ve heard of the Batman: Arkham series, right? Of course you have. We’re willing to bet you’ve not heard of Urban Chaos: Riot Response, though. This is the debut game from Arkham creator Rocksteady Studios, and it’s one of the best, and most highly polished FPS titles on the PS2.

You played the role of Nick Mason, an officer in the ‘T-Zero’ riot response division of the police. Armed with your trusty riot shield, and a host of other weapons, your job was to take down criminals and gang members, often having to find and subdue a gang leader with a non-lethal attack, at the same time rescuing hostages.

Along the way, you enlisted help from paramedics and firefighters who could heal people, put out fires, and break open doors. Your performance was rated in every mission in a number of ways, such as accuracy, collectibles, and so on. Special challenge missions also let you unlock better weapons.

Urban Chaos looked great for a PS2 FPS, and it featured some of the most satisfying gunplay around. Head shots in particular were gratifying (and often the best way to take out foes, so mastering it was important), and the riot shield opened up new game mechanics, such as having to slowly approach a hostage-holding gang member, shielding yourself from fire until you could get in that elusive headshot. Brilliant.

8. Blood Will Tell

Based on the manga Dororo, Blood Will Tell was a great game that features one of the craziest premises for a story we’ve seen. You’re Hyakkimaru, a man whose major organs and body parts were all stolen by demons at birth after his father, the land’s ruler at the time, made a deal with them in order to bring peace back to the land. Hyakkimaru was then abandoned by his father, and found by a man named Jyukai, who created artificial body parts and prosthetics to rebuild Hyakkimaru’s body. Eventually, Hyakkimaru heard a heavenly voice tell him that if he slew the fiends that took his body parts, he could regain them, and his humanity.

Armed with a deadly katana and twin blades concealed in his arms, as well as an arm-mounted machine gun and a leg-mounted bazooka, Hyakkimaru set out to find and defeat the 48 fiends, accompanied by his companion, the young thief, Dororo.

Blood Will Tell played very much like Devil May Cry, only with larger, more open areas and some stealth and puzzle sections (as Dororo). Hyakkimaru and his implanted weapons made for a great combat character, with all sorts of crazy moves and combos, which could be upgraded as you progressed. The levels were varied, and there was no cheating or shortcuts taken. You actually did seek out and kill 48 fiends, many of which were impressive bosses, and some were downright freaky. Each chapter of the game had its own mini-story, keeping things interesting. This was a brilliant fighter that really you should dig out.

7. Mark of Kri

If Disney and Pixar weren’t so against violence, The Mark of Kri is possibly what we may end up with. Behind the very Pixar-like aesthetics lies a violent, but well-crafted stealth adventure.

Rau Utu is a powerful warrior, who is helped by a bird called Kuzo, accepts a mission to investigate some local bandits, and is drawn into a bigger quest, with major repercussions.

The Mark of Kri was primarily a stealth game, requiring careful use of Rau’s scout, Kuzo, and stealth tactics to take enemies out silently. The unique control system used both analog sticks, the left for movement and the right to sweep around the area with an aiming line, used to attack nearby foes. Rau also got a bow and special abilities, all of which were used tactically to achieve his objectives.

You quickly noticed just how well produced The Mark of Kri was when you started playing it, and how violent the gameplay was. The characters were great, not out of place in any Disney epic, and although it took a while to get used to, the control scheme worked very well. Highly recommended.

6. Rez

Rez is one of those classic games that always finds its way onto lists like these, as well as best game ever lists. At the same time, it’s also a game that many people have either never heard of or simply dismissed.

A music shooter, Rez is a trip for the eyes and the ears. It’s an on-rails shooter that ties the onscreen action and your success to the music. As you fight, you add music and sound effects to the soundtrack, and your onscreen avatar transforms. Everything in the game reacts to the beat of the music, and the Panzer Dragoon-style controls and impressive bosses all make for a short, but unforgettable shooting experience.

It’s a game that’s often used in the argument of games being art. One of the most stylish and addictive shooters around.

5. Monster Hunter

It’s crazy to think that a series as popular as Monster Hunter was once overlooked by most. The original Monster Hunter arrived on the PS2, and was promptly dismissed by all but those who had the time and patience to give it a real chance.

The series is notorious for both its high difficulty and stiff controls, but underneath this is one of the most rewarding game experiences around. You may end up being killed time after time by that powerful wyvern, but when you finally figure out its patterns and weaknesses, and bring it down, the sense of achievement is palpable.

The hunting of the original game was accompanied by a complex gathering and crafting system, with every item farmed or carved off fallen beasts being used to make items, weapons, and armor. The game, thanks to numerous quests, many of which you needed to grind in order to find rare resources, is immense. It tried its best to make you dislike it with clunky controls and a dodgy camera, but this was one title where it was well worth persevering, just like the many sequels.

4. God Hand

Clover Studios was one of Capcom’s most promising divisions before it was closed down. It was responsible for two of the best underrated games on the PS2, one of which was God Hand (see the next entry for the other).

God Hand, like Killer 7, is a very divisive title. Players either get it and lap up the crazy combat and quirky presentation (including an admittedly terrible camera), or they play the first level and quit.

You played as Gene, a fighter who lost his arm in a gang attack. Luckily, he was bestowed with a replacement, one of the two God Hands, magical arms used to combat demons. With this arm now a part of him, Gene walked the Western-themed world fighting all sorts of bonkers villains and demons with a range of over-the-top combat moves.

If you’re one of the people who stuck with it (which wasn’t many, apparently, hence its commercial failure and inclusion here), you found a great, challenging beat ’em up with style, personality, and some truly enjoyable gameplay. The game’s quality isn’t all that surprising, as Resident Evil designer Shinji Mikami directed it.

God Hand was a game purely aimed at skilled gamers, and certainly not the casual market, hence its high difficulty. It’s a title that demands your attention.

3. Okami

It’s been called the PlayStation 2’s Zelda, but Okami is far more than a simple clone, and it’s undoubtedly one of the best games ever released on the console. Based on Japanese mythology, with a brilliant ink and paper art style, you played the role of Amaterasu, a goddess in the form of a white wolf with the ability to use the “celestial brush” to manipulate the world and create objects.

By drawing on the screen, you could create bombs, gusts of wind, make trees grow, and many other things, all with the aim of restoring life to the land, which was ravaged by the demon, Orochi.

Okami took masses of inspiration from Zelda, and played in a very similar manner, with a large, open world, dungeons, boss fights, and skills and items required to access various, otherwise sealed off areas. This was all delivered in a truly charming and beautiful manner, and it played brilliantly.

Okami was an epic and flawless adventure, and if there were any issues to be found, it was the lack of real difficulty. Still, with a long and varied story with tons of side quests, memorable characters, and all sorts of extras and mini games, Okami is unmissable, which makes it all the more upsetting that it was overlooked by most, contributing to the death of a very talented studio. Damn.

2. Ico

Yes, it had to be here. Ico is usually the first game anyone thinks of when asked about underappreciated PS2 games, and for good reason – it was both overlooked and bloody brilliant.

Ico was a long escort mission, but before you run for the hills, know that it was an escort mission that was actually fun to play. Its striking art style and mixture of puzzles and enemy confrontations were superbly designed. The game possessed a level of character and refinement few games can even imagine, and was a forerunner for the equally brilliant and more successful Shadow of the Colossus.

It’s a very challenging and often emotional journey of a game. It went through a period of being very rare, commanding high prices on eBay, but now it can be found in an HD double pack with Shadow of the Colossus, so is far easier to find, which is something you really should do.

1. Beyond Good and Evil

If there was an award for the most criminally overlooked game ever, Ubisoft’s Beyond Good and Evil would surely be in the running. It’s simply stunning that such a great game could be ignored by so many.

It had everything – great visuals; a good story; brilliant characters; a mixture of action, stealth, and puzzling; an open world; tons of secrets; and one of the best, most relatable protagonists around.

Created by Michel Ancel, the game told the story of Jade, a photojournalist who looks after a group of orphans with her uncle, a humanoid pig called Pey’j. The world she lives in is called Hillys, and it’s invaded by an alien race known as the Domz. This race kidnaps Hillyans to use as energy sources or slaves.

Jade embarks on a mission to uncover the Hillyan military’s involvement with the alien threat, ultimately to stop the invaders and free the planet. She does this by infiltrating various facilities in order to acquire photographic evidence of the collaboration. Using a combination of stealth and combat with her staff to explore the world, Jade acquires various upgrades, for her and her vehicles, including her hovercraft. She is also accompanied by Pey’j and special operative Double H.

Beyond Good and Evil used game mechanics from various other titles, mainly releases like Zelda and the Metroidvania genre. Parts of the world are closed off until Jade acquires the right abilities or equipment to progress, and the open world can be freely explored in order to find secrets and side missions. There is a photographic side quest to take pictures of every animal species on the planet, and finding all of the pearls in the game (also used as currency), can take a good while to complete.