All consoles have a group of extremely well-known video games whose names define the experience and memories around them. Other video games have even been able to transcend that condition and become benchmarks on their own. They are capable of staying relevant through the years and generations.
The 128-bit console from Sony has the most extensive catalog of games ever created. Among them, there are authentic works of cult and titles that have passed to posterity and have made a place for themselves in popular culture. For example, Silent Hill 2 and RE 4, Tekken 5, and Final Fantasy games.
However, all consoles usually have a group of titles that have not managed to achieve the importance that the great sagas have. Despite being quality games, original, attractive, or interesting, some may not have the quality to compare to those names that almost every fan knows.
Here we will show you some of those games of the most underrated PS2 games ever made.
The 17 Most Underrated PS2 Games Of All Time:
17. RAD
Robot Alchemic Drive -RAD- is one of those underrated PS2 robot games in which the interest of the Japanese Sandlot for the struggles of giants in cities was born. For whom the name does not sound familiar, they are responsible for the Earth Defense Force saga.
It is a varied set of all imaginable cliches within the Japanese mecha series, where humanity has to fight with giant robots against an alien threat.
RAD has an original control system. The PlayStation 2 controller works as a kind of remote control for the robot, which is capable of performing a wide variety of blows and movements thanks to its original configuration. However, it can be a bit difficult to master.
As it happens in the Sandlot titles, the real show is in the sense of scale, in seeing how the battles are settled with these giant creatures using demolishing abilities, falling from one side to another, and destroying buildings in their path.
Its gameplay allows us to introduce great details, such as how the story is altered depending on whether certain buildings are saved or not. So it is not all action without thinking.
16. Dark Cloud
Dark Cloud is an action role-playing video game developed by Level-5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 and is one of the vastly underrated PS2 games.
This underrated ps2 game has a fun approach and great originality. The village building system is very curious and interesting. The way to evolve both characters and weapons also introduces some new features that not seen then.
Dark Cloud is not the masterpiece we were all waiting for. However, it is an excellent adventure / RPG game to spend many hours of entertaining gameplay.
The second game, Dark Chronicle, further expanded what players saw in Dark Cloud, but in this underrated ps2 game is where it all started.
15. REZ
REZ, developed under the code names K-Project, Project Eden, and Vibes, is a Shoot ’em up / Musical video game released by Sega in 2001. Rez is a game that many people have never heard of.
This video game is an adventure for the eyes and ears. It is an on-rails shooting game that links on-screen action and music. As you fight, you add music and sound effects to the soundtrack, and your character transforms.
Everything responds to the beat of the music, and amazing controls and bosses create a short but unforgettable shooting experience.
14. Urban Reign
Urban Reign is a vastly underrated PS2 game with somewhat simple mechanics, including a button to hit, another to make grabs, and another to dodge. It is not an especially demanding game, but its playability is satisfactory, and it is an entertaining title.
The story revolves around Brad Hawk, a thug. He is hired by the leader of the Green Harbor Triad to help her unmask the guilty of plunging the city into chaos after sparking a gang war.
This game also has an extensive roster of fighters. These include masters of karate, taekwondo, wrestling, etc. and veterans of the Tekken saga, Marshall Law and Paul Phoenix.
When it comes to game modes, the video game features a campaign mode, challenge mode, free mode, and multiplayer mode for up to four players.
Although it is not a wonder or a masterpiece, this Urban Reign is not a bad game, but it was not valued as it deserved.
13. Urban Chaos: Riot Response
Published in 2006, Urban Chaos is the first game developed by Rocksteady Studios, well known today for its Batman Arkham saga (which is not an underrated PS2 game!).
This Urban Chaos is a first-person shooter. We put ourselves in the boots of a member of a special police unit as we face a series of altercations throughout a collapsed city in the biggest chaos.
The basic structure of the levels is as simple as progressing through areas plagued by enemies. We have to kill anyone who dares to cross our path until finally reaching the gang leader to capture or kill him. However, it has some exceptions, such as the levels at which we help firefighters.
The game has standard controls and a varied arsenal. Throughout the missions, we get some bonus objectives that, when completed, give us generous amounts of points. These points allow us to improve our equipment and character, making us more effective in combat.
It is a solid, entertaining game with a large amount of content that significantly lengthens its life. Unfortunately, it was not valued as it deserved.
12. Beatdown Fists of Vengeance
This game is a Beat’em up from Cavia inc and published by Capcom in 2005. Beatdown is a game that mixes several different styles of play. It is a beat’em up with hints of popular fighting game and open world – in a limited area.
In Beatdown Fists of Vengeance, we control a gang member who is betrayed by his ‘homies’. Then, he ends up in the crosshairs of all the villains of the place. The game has several campaigns; however, in general terms, they are all the same with some changes in the cinematics depending on the protagonist we have chosen.
The game system is curious for the fact of mixing several well-differentiated styles. Being an open-world type game, we can freely move around the city. This phase of the open-world is the axis of the game; from it, we can access the other two types.
Your allies will automatically help you in the beat’em up phases. You will be able to use them in versus battles. You will not only have an opportunity to defeat an important adversary, but once defeated, the next ally will take over in the fight.
This video game is a very complete, entertaining, and in some cases challenging game that did not get the recognition it deserved.
11. Oni
Released for PS2 in 2001, this BUNGIE video game is a direct port of its PC version. It is a third-person shooter and action game that mixes beat’em up with shooter mechanics and platforms.
The game takes place in a future cyberpunk, clearly inspired by Ghost in the Shell. We play TCTF Special Agent Konoko in her fight against the evil terrorist organization known as The Organization.
It is a rather hard game and somewhat complicated control. At the story level, it is a pretty good game, and it has a good soundtrack. Its main flaw is the graphic section, which is terrible, even though it is a 2000-2001 game.
About the gameplay, the control is a bit strange at first. It will give us the feeling that Konoko moves too fast, and the rarest thing about the control is when we hit.
Related to the shooter mechanics, we have a wide selection of weapons divided into two categories depending on the type of ammunition. Sometimes we will be fighting hand-to-hand for most of the game because the ammo is limited.
Altogether it is a very good video game easily making our list of underrated PS2 games. Perhaps it is not the best, but it is not a horrible game that deserves to be forgotten.
10. Haunting Ground
Launched in 2005, Haunting Ground is a Capcom survival horror that unfortunately passed without attention as it was unfairly compared to another survival horror Capcom Game. In this game, we control an 18-year-old girl called Fiona Belli as she tries to run away from a castle full of lunatics who want to hurt or assault her in some way.
The game was a breath of fresh air for the genre, it was the prototype of Clock Tower 4, and this, in turn, recycled concepts from Resident Evil 3.5.
In Haunting Ground, we cannot defend ourselves because it is not effective and does not compensate us. Our best option is to flee and hide until we are out of danger. Although we can make use of a small variety of objects as weapons, these only serve to delay our stalkers.
Fiona must move through the dark construction while solving puzzles to advance. However, she is not alone since she is in the company of a white German shepherd named Hewie. He is our main ally. We can send him to fight against our stalkers, and sometimes it will be necessary to collaborate with him to solve certain puzzles.
We do not have a health system; instead, our panic increases as the situation becomes more complicated.
The puzzles are not too hard, and the story length is not very long. Nevertheless, it is a satisfying video game with a high replayable value.
9. Tenchu: Wrath of the Heaven and Tenchu Fatal Shadows
From Software developed Tenchu: Wrath of the Heaven and Fatal Shadows in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
The concept of both games is the same. The main difference between the two lies in the story and some characters. Tenchu is a stealth game in which we control a ninja who must advance through different locations.
He has to avoid being detected while eliminating various enemies and reaching the target, depending on how stealthy we have been. They will give us a score; this will serve to unlock objects for the next missions, the higher the score, the better the objects will be.
These are games in which we have to be patient as well as we have considerable freedom of movement around the stage, where verticality is very important. It is a very recommended thing to stalk our unsuspecting victims from rooftops or elevated positions.
Likewise, if we play correctly, we can unlock skills that will facilitate the resolution of missions. The type of levels is summarized in a location full of enemies where you have to go from point A to point B, where you will face a level boss.
In any case, they are very entertaining games for all those who love the genre, and they are very satisfying to play. The technical section is not wrong, and at the sound level, they are excellent.
The significant differences between the two, leaving the story aside, are that Wrath of The Heaven has a multiplayer mode, while Fatal Shadows does not.
Tenchu: Wrath of the Heaven and Tenchu Fatal Shadows are underrated ps2 games, being overshadowed by other more important exponents of the same genre, such as Metal Gear Solid.
8. Red Dead Revolver
Developed by Rockstar San Diego and released in 2004, Red Dead Revolver is a third-person shooter set in the Wild West. It has an excellent gameplay, a wide variety of weapons and characters, and a great soundtrack in the purest spaghetti western style.
The story is simple, but it is okay. It chronicles the adventures of the Red Harlow bounty hunter as he chases outlaws and seeks revenge for the death of his family.
The video game has a very good multiplayer mode in which we can participate in deathmatch, team deathmatch, or a dueling tournament modality.
The game system is based to some extent on the cover combat, although it is not the axis of it. At the control level, it is very similar to Redemption. Apart from the story and multiplayer mode, the game has extra modes as the missions mode.
7. God Hand
Clover Studio has partially fulfilled its promise with God Hand: It is true, the classic flavor of the great representatives of the genre has been recovered. We have well-stocked action, tons of enemies to fire up, and cool level-ending bosses. Also, it is hilarious and challenging. It easily makes our list of underrated ps2 games.
The combat system has no comparison, and artistically, it is a remarkable game.
God Hand also has two fails that do itself a lot of harm: The camera and the level design. The camera is not bad in the long run. You get used to it, but until then, the failures, errors, and problems are constant.
The level design is also harmful and cannot be attributed to the genre. Devil May Cry, God of War, and even the improvable Altered Beast, each in his way, were much better posed.
Anyways, God Hand is a good game that could have been quite superior. It is not a worthy farewell to Clover, for this is Okami, but it is not a stain on its splendid history either. History that, by the way, will never be expanded again.
6. Freedom Fighters
Freedom Fighters is a fantastic action game. It has substantial technical sections, a bomb-proof gameplay with artificial intelligence that everyone should take note of. Also, Freedom Fighters has a very original touch both in its history and in its game system.
Unfortunately, its relatively short duration prevents a fantastic game from being outstanding. I wish games like this were done more often and were not so underrated. We highly recommended Freedom Fighers to lovers of action games.
5. Shadow Of Rome
Shadow of Rome could have become one of the best PlayStation 2 games with a more extended development and design time. Instead, it sits on our list of underrated PS2 games.
It had it all: good graphics, music, context, etc. The ideas that the game shows are really interesting and show that Inafune and his team know the western games and try to take elements from them. The problem is that its execution in the game is somewhat faulty, and it does not succeed in some situations.
The main mistake of the game is the division of the video game in two characters without any playable coherence. This feature surprises at first and forces the player to change his mindset when facing each character completely.
If Capcom had made less difficult transitions, we would have been now talking about one of the best games of PS2. We only receive a good game, but it produces a bit of sadness for what it could be.
4. Mark Of Kri
With its innovative approach within the beat’em up, as well as the contrast of a childish appearance with many gore and wild touches, give it a unique air.
The battles are spectacular, and the control system is innovative and fun. The amount of combos is a plus, and achieving all the objectives of each level will open up battle arenas and various suits and weapons for Rau.
A more polished graphic finish, with more elaborate textures and more detailed character modeling, would make the visual quality and showmanship of the fights higher. Still, for lovers of beat’em up, Mark of Kri is highly recommended, but only for adults. Do not think that we are lying to you when I tell you that you will want more.
The action-stealth mix is perfect, and the most “gore” movements have nothing to envy to Tenchu or the Mortal Kombat. Very fun, although you can do something short. Recommended, at least, try it.
3. ICO
ICO is one of the most comforting, beautiful, heartwarming, tender, and immersive experiences the PS2 years saw. Anyone who wants to see the “Prince of Persia” in 3D can do it in ICO.
This game owns a great graphic section, impressively well-designed characters that you will love, and an unforgettable fairy tale story. Although the game itself is not very long, it has a reasonable duration.
However, after playing this game, you will ask for more, something that few games can show off. The game is replayable since, in the second course, you will have access to some extras that you cannot see in the first one.
ICO is a real gem, an example of the style, design, and gameplay planning, as few have seen.
2. Okami
The fact that Okami is an underrated PS2 game is a tremendous injustice, this game should not be forgotten. A beautiful Zelda-style adventure in which gamers control Amaterasu, a Japanese wolf, and goddess who must bring peace back to the pantheon of celestial gods.
For this, it has not only its agility and fangs but also the beautiful power of ‘painting’ over the world to cut trees, break walls, and cause hurricanes.
Okami is not only a long, poetic, and exciting game but also a work of art that even has beautiful Japanese mosaics painted to show each of the enemies.
An underrated gem that bankrupted its studio and was eventually rescued, with great success, for the Wii, which made good use of its painting system with the Wiimote.
1. Beyond Good and Evil
Beyond Good and Evil has a genuinely original gameplay that mixes graphic adventure with action, stealth, and even vehicle racing. It is unfair that this video game is in a list of the most underrated ps2 games ever made.
We get into the role of Jade, a fearless reporter living on a planet that is about to be invaded by an alien race. All the population must trust the security forces – or perhaps not.
The reality that we know is that the planet has been invaded long ago. We must unravel the deceit with our clandestine articles and a hefty dose of perseverance.
Beyond Good and Evil is maybe the most underrated PS2 game. It is an optimistic, lively, and fun installment like few video games that are well worth diving into.
Do not miss the opportunity to try this game as well as any of the PS2 hidden gems from this list.
