Our Ten Best- Episode 20: Underrated and Overlooked PS2 Games

okageWith the PS2 essentially dead and only a handful of games still set to be released for it, Review Fix counts down 10 games on the system you may have missed.

10- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Not to be confused with the series of games that Electronic Arts released over the years, this title follows the first book in the trilogy and was created by Black Label Games and Vivendi Universal. Not an amazing game, due largely to sloppy level design, it is still epic in size and well-worth your time, especially if you want a more faithful gameplay experience than the movie games afford.

9- Parappa the Rapper 2: A rapping dog, what’s not to love? While not possessing the song quality of its predecessor, this is an excellent rhythm game that immerses you in its vibrant and colorful world.

8- The Mark of Kri: Even though it was released before God of War, that’s the title that many will think of the first time they play this. However, there is nothing derivative here, as this game has a lot going for it, successfully combining the brutality of a slasher flick and the graphics and cut scenes of a Disney animated feature. Not as flashy as games like Prince of Persia and Devil May Cry, this game has enough substance and depth to warrant multiple plays.

7-Indigo Prophecy: Featuring the type of story that unfolds like a novel, this game is a ton of fun and like an RPG, it requires plenty of time. However, its control system is so simplistic that many may find themselves wanting a control system with more depth. Nevertheless, it’s different enough to demand your attention.

6- Simpson’s Hit & Run: Sure, it’s a GTA clone, but it’s a damn good one. To this date, it’s easily the best game based on the franchise.

5- Serious Sam: Next Encounter: A first-person shooter that doesn’t need great graphics. Tons of weapons and fun story highlight one of the best shooting experiences on the system. Fun multi-player action helps as well.

4- Frequency: Without this game, it’s possible that there would be no such thing as “Guitar Heroâ or  Rock Band. Innovative and easy to pick up and play, this is a must-own for any PS2 owner. Easily one of the best rhythm games ever created.

3- Okage Shadow King:
An excellent RPG that thanks to a witty and mischievous main character ends up being one of the most under-appreciated games in the console’s history.

2- Contra Shattered Soldier:
Though short, this title is difficult and a tribute to the classic shooters of the NES. A shame that it never got the attention that it deserved.

1- Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel: While it’s not the experience the other games in the series are, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel plays just as well as highly-revered games such as Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and Champions of Norrath. Action RPGs are known to be on the repetitive side, but this title has it all, including a wide array of enemies, a vast world to explore and more than enough weapons. Because of that, it’s possibly one of the best games of its genre on the system.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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