So if the Xbox 360 is may favourite console, the PlayStation 2 has to occupy second place. I acquired my PlayStation 2 in December 2000 and it was a pivotal moment in my gaming life. I moved from an infrequent gamer with an outdated Nintendo 64 to someone who would spend hours in immersive first person experiences. Much to my shame, I never ventured online with the PlayStation 2 but I did play about one hundred different games on the platform. I can't pretend to have an exhaustive knowledge of niche titles, but the list below is a personal take on the best games for Sony's ubiquitous black brick.
"Legend" was the first attempt to reboot the Tomb Raider franchise after the rather dismal "The Angel of Darkness". Whilst I played all the previous instalments of the series on the PlayStation or PC, this was my first game on the PlayStation2 and it was an eye opening experience.
I enjoyed this game as it struck the right balance between puzzling and action. The controls for "Legend" will feel very familiar to modern gamers and everything is much slicker than you might expect from a twenty year old title. My only gripe when I bought this game was that I had to play it on the PlayStation2 as I didn't have the funds to buy an Xbox 360. Thankfully there are no such issues today.
Such was the expectation that I pre-ordered this game a full five months before it was released in 2003. If you can imagine it, this was a time before "Call of Duty" and the release of a game like this would be quite an event. Whilst this is a first person shooter, "Rising Sun" is very much 'on rails'. Ploughing through short set piece battles can feel limiting but it can also be comforting if you are in the mood for such an experience.
I remember seeing this game advertised on TV and thinking how great the graphics looked. The console does struggle to push out everything on screen at times, but the experience remains relatively slick nonetheless.
I don't like golf so I have absolutely no idea what drew me to this game. My first Tiger Woods experience was the 2003 release but this annual iteration added a bit of polish that made it stand out.
I found the challenge here quite addictive and I enjoyed progressing through the different courses and opponents. There were some humorous elements that I enjoyed and the sound design is also very impressive. I could happily play it again today but this was the last version in the franchise I enjoyed as the developers changed the controls in the jump to the 7th gen consoles and nothing was quite the same again.
One of the things I loved most about the early PlayStation consoles was their propensity towards family friendly action games such as this. I played this through right to the end and enjoyed it very much at the time. However, when I tried to play it again more recently I found it difficult and I seemed to get stuck quite quickly. Maybe I was better at games back in the day.
There's lots to like in this adventure with its stimulating setting and some interesting characters to encounter. As with most games of this era a play-through doesn't take too long and you might still have enough in the tank for one of the many sequels.
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One of the main reasons I wanted a PlayStation2 was to play this game. I had loved the first two instalments of the series on the original PlayStation and looked forward to this edition being yet another step up on the ladder.
This was the first game I ever saw on the console and the first one I ever played. I would spend hours perfecting my technique and tinkering with upgrades to my cars. I even went as far as completing the endurance races where each one could take anywhere up to 3 hours to finish. The controls feel clunky and unrealistic by modern standards but if you can retune your brain there is still fun to be had here. The sounds of the game are incredibly evocative and bring on waves of nostalgia for me.
What driving game could possibly be better than Gran Turismo 3? Why Gran Turismo 4 of course! With over fifty tracks and seven hundred cars this game racked up mind blowing numbers for 2003. The car handling was also improved and a new photo mode was introduced.
What I admired about this game was that it built significantly upon the third instalment without losing the quintessential elements that made the series a success. There were lots of new bells and whistles here, but things like the wonderful sound design and music were retained to ensure this was still a familiar experience.
I'd played a couple of Grand Theft Auto games on the original PlayStation but they didn't impress me much. This game however was a totally different ball game.
I bought GTA3 not long after it was released just because there was such a buzz about it. This game immediately throws you into the action and as you work through the missions you begin to appreciate the genius of what is happening. Yes, you can free roam and do lots of naughty things you wouldn't dream of doing in real life, but don't be fooled - there is a good story underpinning this game. The 3D graphics on this game felt revolutionary at the time and it took the power of the PlayStation2 to realise them.
I bought a second hand copy of this game in 2007 as I desperately needed something to occupy my mind; and occupy my mind it did. In fact, it got to the point that I found myself thinking about solutions for the English lessons at Bullworth Academy whilst working a real job.
As this game utilised the power of the RenderWare engine, it bears some similarities to Grand Theft Auto III. You can free roam around the maps and generally cause trouble or work your way through the storyline - either is enjoyable. Something in this game whetted my appetite for gaming and as soon as I finished it, I went out and bought an Xbox 360.
A bit like Jak and Daxter I liked this game as it was an action adventure that carried a sense of fun. Initially I bought the game as it received good reviews but as soon as I started walking around and picking up nuts and bolts I knew it was a winner. I still play this game now and again either on original hardware or streamed over PS Plus.
The characters and the level design here show real ingenuity and give the game a unique flavour. The various weapons, traps and enemies are brilliantly realised and the voice acting was a step above anything I had heard before. Often imitated, never bettered: it's no wonder this franchise is still going on the latest PlayStation.
Astonishingly this game came out just one year after Grand Theft Auto III. This new instalment featured a new character and storyline alongside much bigger maps and new abilities such as riding motorcycles. This game was so vast and impressive it almost felt unreal to me.
Whilst the gameplay and story were enjoyable, the main reason I love this game is the way it made me feel. There's a real atmosphere generated when playing this game and it has a very special air about it. The soundtrack is simply amazing and works perfectly with the setting. There's nothing better on the console.
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