AsPlayStationcelebrates 30 years of gaming, we had to take some time to highlight the bangers available from each generation of Sony’s brand, all playable for free viaPlayStation PlusPremium. You’ve got off-the-wall gems, brooding adventures, and of course, plenty of 3D platformers. We’ve already showcasedOG PlayStation gems, so let’s look at some PS2 bangers.
Timesplitters 2
Eidos Interactive
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The Sly Trilogy
Sony Interactive Entertainment
You’ll notice a few 3D platformers on this list. That’s for two reasons; firstly, most of the PlayStation Plus titles are in this genre; secondly, the PS2 pretty much built that genre from the ground up. So, putting my personal favourite on here was a no-brainer. The Sly Racoon games had sass, style, and bags of charm. From adorable and lovable characters to the stealth and action hybrid designs of levels, the Sly games were slept on, in the UK anyway, and deserve some time to shine.
Ratchet and Clank
Sony Interactive Entertainment
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More 3D platforming goodness comes fromRatchet and Clank. Which side of the fence do you fall? You’re either team Ratchet or team Jak, but both are brilliant for their own reasons. Ratchet and Clank may carry more of the love given the recent PS5 title, but it all started here. For my money, it has the better world to explore with pseudo sci-fi, galaxy hopping hi jinks, and bonkers weaponry that completely upended the game.
Jak and Daxter
Sony Interactive Entertainment
I would say thatJak And Daxter,while still having humorous moments, relies more on worldbuilding and disastrous evils befouling that world. This isn’t to say it’s in any way worse thenRatchet and Clank, but it had a different edge. The core gameplay is super similar though, so if you’ve missed out on any of these 3D platformers, you can expect plenty of mobility based puzzles and adventuring, with some skirmishes littering the way. Not only is this a top-notch game, but it marks an opening for Naughty Dog to dominate the PlayStation ecosystem and become a darling of fans.
Shadow of the Colossus
Sony Interactive Entertainment
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If we’re talking about absolute legends on the PlayStation 2, thenShadow of the Colossusis up there. As one of the best games to release for the console, it changed the way we looked at games. Not because the subtext questions why we need to kill constantly in games, but because it told a story through the actions and environment, suggesting that games didn’t have to bludgeon us with exposition. The sheer scale and beauty of this game blew the minds of players on release, and it’s still a moving and wonderful piece of entertainment today.
Tomb Raider Legend
Eidos Interactive
PaRappa the Rapper 2
Sony Interactive Entertainment
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As an early part of the PlayStation lifecycle of consoles, the PS2 was home to some very bizarre and often awesome games. While this kind of esoteric joy is now found more in indie games, we can go back and visitParappa the Rapperand his oddball mates anytime we like. As a rhythm game, based on more family-friendly rapping, it doesn’t get more joyous than this. Colourful, bold, very different, this came from a time when Japanese quirks sat centre stage, and we revelled in them. Being a mostly 2D game (in the 3D space) with simple button presses, this has aged incredibly well.
Fantavision
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Puzzle games aren’t exactly plentiful for PlayStation 2, but at least one of the best can be played with ease.Fantavisionhas you matching up colourful fireworks as they burst in the night sky. I remember thinking that graphics would never get better than this - what a fool. It still looks pretty as a picture though, and the gameplay loop is just as engaging as in the year 2000. As a launch title for the console, it marks an important moment for Sony, and it was initially used as a showcase for the particle effects of PS2. It’s also a bit different and makes me wish for a new entry.
Topics:PlayStation,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Playstation Plus,Retro Gaming,Tomb Raider
