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PlayStation 2 games that still hold up

First released on the PlayStation 2

151 games · page 1 of 4

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 2004 Why it still holds upCamouflage, stamina, food and injuries make the jungle something you have to manage, and that survival stealth is still worth playing today.
Silent Hill 2 2001 Why it still holds upThe horror is the reason to go now: it is psychological, built from the characters' regrets and fears and from a town seen through fog, rather than from monsters alone.
Shadow of the Colossus 2005 Why it still holds upEach colossus is its own puzzle in scale, with only a quiet land between them, which is why it holds up today.
Kingdom Hearts II 2005 Why it still holds upIf you play it now, expect fights with more to do than attack, since reaction commands and drive forms change what each one asks of you, in worlds full of Disney and Final Fantasy characters.
Final Fantasy X 2001 Why it still holds upTime stops while you decide and swapping characters makes each fight a choice of who suits it, so the battles still reward planning.
God of War II 2007 Why it still holds upIt holds up now because combat, platforming and puzzles are designed as one adventure.
Persona 4 2008 Why it still holds upThe calendar splits between daily life and dungeons, each feeding the other, and that is why it is worth playing now.
Grand Theft Auto III 2001 Why it still holds upThe city is built as a place rather than a level: what you do is your choice, and the world carries on around you, which is why it is still worth playing today.
Ōkami 2006 Why it still holds upPlay it now for an ink painting look and a brush that keeps opening up old areas of the world.
Star Wars: Battlefront II 2005 Why it still holds upGround, space and hero battles in one game, and the space battles in particular, are the reason to play it now.
Persona 3 2006 Why it still holds upDaily life, relationships and dungeon fighting feed each other, so choices outside the tower matter inside it, and that is the reason to play it now.
Beyond Good & Evil 2003 Why it still holds upPhotography, stealth, hovercraft racing, melee and exploration are mixed so that no single mechanic wears out, and that is the reason to play it now.
God of War 2005 Why it still holds upIts fluid combat, broken up by puzzles and platforming, keeps it worth playing today.
Ico 2001 Why it still holds upNo HUD, a distant camera and one relationship between two characters still make it feel unlike later, larger games.
Silent Hill 3 2003 Why it still holds upA flashlight, a radio that crackles near monsters and an Otherworld that changes around Heather still make the horror a matter of sight and sound today.
Katamari Damacy 2004 Why it still holds upOne idea, a sticky ball that grows, drives every stage, so the scale of the rooms keeps changing, and that still keeps it fresh today.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening 2005 Why it still holds upFour combat styles and four weapons to switch between on the fly, paired with a style meter that climbs through combo ranks, still give the combat something to aim for today.
Need for Speed: Underground 2003 Why it still holds upWith tuning unlocked through story races and Style Points earned by drifting and shortcuts, the garage and the road still feed each other today.
SSX 3 2003 Why it still holds upOne connected mountain with no loading screens still gives each run a single long descent today.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock 2007 Why it still holds upStrumming and fretting in time with the notes, with a multiplier that builds on a streak, still makes each song a test of timing today.
Final Fantasy XII 2006 Why it still holds upGambits, which let you program how each character fights, still make combat a matter of setup as much as input today.
TimeSplitters 2 2002 Why it still holds upSplit screen with bots, sixteen modes and a level builder still make a shared session easy to fill today.
Gran Turismo 4 2004 Why it still holds upOver 700 cars, dozens of driving missions and a crew chief mode that speeds the race up still give you many ways to spend a race today.
Kingdom Hearts 2002 Why it still holds upSimple controls and a structure of self contained worlds, each with its own sub story, still make it easy to pick up and repeat today.
Hitman: Blood Money 2006 Why it still holds upEach mission is an open space with several ways to reach the target, and a payout that rewards doing it cleanly still invites a second try today.
Indigo Prophecy 2005 Why it still holds upOpen choices in each scene that feed the other characters' threads let the same events play out with different evidence today.
Burnout 3: Takedown 2004 Why it still holds upAggression tied to the boost reward, and a crash you can still steer, keep every race a risk worth taking today.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec 2001 Why it still holds upA progression of races, license tests and championships tied to unlocking cars still gives a career a clear path today.
NBA 2K11 2010 Why it still holds upHistoric games to relive, and a career built attribute by attribute, give each season a goal to chase today.
Oni 2001 Why it still holds upYou still get fights that favor your fists over scarce ammunition, and each encounter is a hand to hand duel.
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect 2005 Why it still holds upA campaign across five time periods, plus arcade and challenge content and a level maker, still gives it more to do than the story alone today.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within 2004 Why it still holds upA rewind that undoes a fatal mistake, and portals between two eras, let you recover from a wrong jump and plan a route, so the acrobatics are easy to retry today.
We Love Katamari 2005 Why it still holds upEverything smaller than the ball sticks to it, so each level is a path from small objects to larger ones, which a new player gets at once today.
NBA Street Vol. 2 2003 Why it still holds upTricks feed a meter that can turn the score around, and that keeps it worth playing today.
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time 2003 Why it still holds upA second game inside the fights keeps your attention today, because an item creation system lets you craft, patent and recruit inventors.
Guitar Hero 2005 Why it still holds upYou still pick how hard to play, with four difficulty levels for every song and a Rock Meter that ends a run when you miss.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves 2004 Why it still holds upEvery job still has more than one way in, because three thieves with different skills let you pick the one that suits each heist.
ESPN NFL 2K5 2004 Why it still holds upA franchise built on weekly preparation, and a first person view of the field, still give each season a rhythm to play through today.

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