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 likeMetal 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.
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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.
13Manhunt
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.
12Final 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.
11Darkwatch
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.
10Cold Winter
During this generation, the Xbox was garnering all sorts of attention from first-person shooter fans with the legendaryHalofranchise. This is probably why most ignoredCold Winterin 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.
9XIII
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.
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The game ends with a cliffhanger, but no sequels were ever produced. A remake is currently set to come out on July 29, 2025, giving the series a second chance at life. If it succeeds, hopefully the story can continue.
8Extermination
Survival horror games dominated the PlayStation 1, withResident Evilleading the charge. Early in the PlayStation 2’s life, several games tried to continue the traditional formula, likeExtermination.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,Exterminationdid not earn enough sales to warrant a sequel, and developer Deep Space released no more games in North America.
7Beyond Good And Evil
Beyond Good And Evilflopped 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.
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 themassively successfulRed Dead Redemptionfranchise. 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.
5Viewtiful Joe 2
The firstViewtiful Joewas 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.
4Legaia 2: Duel Saga
Legend of Legaiais one of themost 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.
