The PlayStation 2 is one of the most successful home consoles of all time, boasting a massive library of games. Because of its long life and wealth of classic titles like Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy X, God of War, and many others, some titles slipped through the cracks, not earning the proper love and respect they deserved in their time.
These underrated gems either did not meet sales exceptions or were dismissed by critics. Even in 2020 most of these games are worth a giving a second look, offering things missing even from many modern offerings.
Updated May 4th by Russ Boswell: The PlayStation 2 saw a ton of games released during its tenure, with many options completely flying under the radar or failing to capture the hearts and eyes of the general public. Although there were a wide array of series that began their journey on the PS2 and transformed into truly successful franchises that are still running to this day, there are a slew of other adventures that failed to meet expectations. While many of these games can be considered "bad," there were still tons that hit store shelves that had a lot to offer players, with unique mechanics, solid storylines, and fun gameplay elements. Sadly, many would miss out on these titles. To better showcase some of the coolest, best, and most underrated games that "failed" during the PS2's run, the following list has been updated with more entries.
13 Manhunt
Rockstar is no stranger to controversy thanks to all of the hype, buzz, and sometimes negative press surrounding the Grand Theft Auto series, but that's not the only title the company has released that's been panned for being ultra-violent. In 2003, the Rockstar North team released Manhunt, a stealth urban-survival game that had players fighting for their lives to escape some truly malicious foes. From a gameplay perspective, it was a lot of fun, with solid stealth mechanics and an array of improvised weapons that players could use to take down enemies. Past that, it was immensely violent for its time, showcasing the main character executing NPCs in some truly grotesque ways.
Manhunt wasn't a failure by traditional standards. It still managed to sell around 1.7 million units. That said, it's definitely a far cry from Rockstar's other offerings, and all of the negative press surrounding it from news outlets and critics definitely took a toll on its potential sales.
12 Final Fantasy VII: Dirge Of Cerberus
There's no denying how important Final Fantasy VII was to the original PlayStation. It's easily one of the best RPG releases ever featured on the system and it helped to propel the Final Fantasy franchise to superstardom, helping it stand out as one of the most beloved series in gaming history. It grew to such immense popularity that it gave Square Enix a chance to produce some spin-off titles that featured the cast of characters players had come to know and love from the PS1 classic.
One of those characters, Vincent Valentine, received his own game in the form of Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus. It was a far cry from the RPG-infused turn-based gameplay that Final Fantasy fans were familiar with, and instead took the form of a third-person action-based shooter. Although it lacks the punch of games like Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, or even Metal Gear Solid, FF VII: Dirge of Cerberus has its own charm, with moments that feel rather entertaining to play through. That said, although it saw decent sales, it was a very mixed bag with critics and remained a pretty middling release for Square Enix.
11 Darkwatch
There were tons of first-person shooters released for the Ps2, with many of them failing to capture the same success as some of the bigger franchises, like Call of Duty, Killzone, and Medal of Honor. It's unfortunate, because the PS2 played host to some pretty fantastic shooters, many of them sliding under the radar, with gamers missing out on great action and interesting mechanics.
One such adventure was Darkwatch, a western-style gothic-themed adventure that was a macabre breath of fresh air amongst the cookie-cutter military experiences. Darkwatch was visually intriguing and saw players battling through all manner of supernatural foes. It had unique weapons and featured some pretty solid gunplay for its time. It received some pretty favorable reviews from critics (although some weren't as in love with the title as others). Sadly, the sales didn't reflect the same success.
10 Cold Winter
During this generation, the Xbox was garnering all sorts of attention from first-person shooter fans with the legendary Halo franchise. This is probably why most ignored Cold Winter in 2005. It is worth visiting alone for the intense gameplay, made all the more dramatic by the extreme violence where machine guns tear the limbs off enemies in gruesome fashion. However, the story, written by Warren Ellis, is a surprisingly compelling espionage thriller about the threat of nuclear annihilation.
9 XIII
This cel-shaded FPS is based on a Belgian comic book. The protagonist wakes up on a beach with amnesia and immediately has to run away from those trying to kill him, all the while unraveling a vast criminal conspiracy.
The game ends with a cliffhanger, but no sequels were ever produced. A remake is currently set to come out on November 10 2020, giving the series a second chance at life. If it succeeds, hopefully the story can continue.
8 Extermination
Survival horror games dominated the PlayStation 1, with Resident Evil leading the charge. Early in the PlayStation 2's life, several games tried to continue the traditional formula, like Extermination. True to the genre, players were encouraged to ration ammunition instead of simply unloading on the monsters like many modern action games. Despite its critical success, Extermination did not earn enough sales to warrant a sequel, and developer Deep Space released no more games in North America.
7 Beyond Good And Evil
Beyond Good And Evil flopped upon release, though those who played it were enamored with the unique world enough to demand a sequel. While a sequel was officially announced over a decade ago, it went dark until 2017 when it was re-revealed. Series creator Michel Ancel recently retired from the industry, though ensured development on the sequel will continue. While players wait, they should try the game that stole a small community's heart, earning its cult status.
6 Red Dead Revolver
This game had a troubled development history, first starting out as a project under Capcom before Rockstar Games took it over. There is definitely some jank in the finished product, but it ended up being the spiritual predecessor to the massively successful Red Dead Redemption franchise. The game sold less than a million copies, though anyone who like Arthur Morgan or John Marston owes should check it out if only for one sitting.
5 Viewtiful Joe 2
The first Viewtiful Joe was a unique beat 'em up directed by Hideki Kamiya. The sequel continued this style, but failed to garner similar sales, stopping the series in its tracks save for some spin-offs. It is a shame too, since the game concludes with several loose ends hanging. Hideki Kamiya, who cofounded Platinum Games, wants to continue the series, though it is unlikely this will ever come to pass.
4 Legaia 2: Duel Saga
Legend of Legaia is one of the most underrated JRPGs for the original PlayStation, standing out from the crowd with a unique battle system where players input punch and kick combinations to perform unique attacks and combos during their turn. Par for the course for the genre, the sequel for the PlayStation 2 tells a completely different story in a new world, but retains many elements from the first game's combat. The story is not quite as compelling, but it deserved more love and the series should have had more entries.
3 Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil
While the character never became a mascot on the level of Crash Bandicoot or Mario, the Klonoa games are fun and addictive platformers. The first game is a hidden gem on the original PlayStation.
The sequel expands on every aspect of the first game with larger levels and a more gorgeous environment brought to life by the then new PlayStation 2. Unfortunately, the game did not even sell 200,000 copies, dooming the character to live on in several spin-offs before disappearing entirely.
2 Xenosaga III
The first Xenosaga was a hit for the genre, but the sales decreased afterwards. Xenosaga II changed the art style, turning off many fans. While the third entry goes back to the more realistic look and is generally considered the strongest of the trilogy, it sold fewer than 200,000 copies, and is generally considered a commercial disappointment. Fortunately, Monolith Software went on to much bigger things later on working with Nintendo on Breath of the Wild and their own Xenoblade Chronicles franchise.
1 The Bouncer
Final Fantasy X was Square Enix's big entrance into the PlayStation 2. However, they also released The Bouncer in 2001, a narrative-driven fighter. It was heavily marketed and boasted gorgeous graphics, shaping up to be a surefire hit. Unfortunately, the hype running up to release did not translate to successful sales. It still remains a unique brawler, however, being one of the first console games to utilize ragdoll physics. The story mode, while short, changes depending on which of the three main characters players choose before each bout.