Best PS2 Games That Came Out After the PS3 Launched

Summary

The PS3 came out in November 2006 and had a pretty bad launch. It cost way too much, at $599 ($938 today), and it had a weak lineup of games. Developers had trouble figuring out its complicated cell processor, and its backward compatibility ended up getting limited over time. Only its few early models could play PS2 games, with later models limiting its backward compatibility to PS1 games alone.

So, unless people had the cash to splash back in 2006, players had to keep their PS2s running to play their old games. Which is just as well, as it had a better time bowing out than the PS3 had coming in. Players got to play these great PS2 games that came out after the PS3’s launch, then got a PS3 when it managed to bounce back (if they didn’t move onto the Xbox 360/Wii/PC anyway).

Since most people in the West don’t import their games, this list is based on the game’s US release dates. Otherwise,Rogue Galaxywouldn’t qualify.Level-5’s action RPGoriginally came out in Japan in December 2005, and technically didn’t make it out of Japan. What North America and the rest of the world got in 2007 was the game’s enhanced ‘director’s cut’ edition.

It fixed up the character animations, added more weapons and items, and fixed its Burning Strike system where players could choose when they pulled off these devastating moves. However, while it garnered critical success and won a few awards, it didn’t shift enough units to make it a competitor toDragon QuestorFinal Fantasy. It had to make do with being a cult classic instead, winning over a keen, niche audience.

TheKing of Fightersseries liked to close off their story arcs with a big ‘dream match’ game, where they’d cram as many characters as possible from the prior entries into one big game. It worked forKOF ’98, which is still considered by many to be the best game in the series.KOF 2002was more compromised by comparison, thanks to SNK going bankrupt at the time. Once they recovered, they decided to remake both dream matches for the PS2.

KOF ‘98: Ultimate Matchwas fine, though it wasn’t much of an improvement over the base game. UnlikeKing of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match, which was remade from the ground up. It offered completely new stages and music, and featured literally everyone fromKOFs 99-2002(bar the notorious K9999), including its intense boss fights.KOF ‘98’s gameplay is still stronger, but in terms of content,KOF 2002: UMis at the top of the tree.

6Odin Sphere

Cult Classic Action RPG Still Offers a Unique Experience Over its Remake

Made as a spiritual successor to the Sega Saturn gamePrincess Crown,Odin Spherefollows five heroes at different points in time as they attempt to save the continent of Erion from Armageddon. It combined the fast-paced action of sidescrolling beat ‘em ups with the intricacies of an RPG, as even physical attacks require enough POW gauge to use. The game was a critical hit, impressing people with its gameplay and worldbuilding, which combined fantasy tropes with Shakespearean elements.

But it didn’t exactly wow people into buying it in droves, as 2D action RPGs weren’t an easy sell in the late 2000s. But it got a second chance when its own spiritual successor,Dragon’s Crown, caught on years later. It was remade for the PS3 asOdin Sphere Leifthrasir, which brought in more elements fromDragon’s CrownandMuramasa: The Demon Bladeto focus more on the action, at the cost of the original game’s magical and alchemic elements.

The same audience that grew cold toOdin Spherewasn’t any warmer toGrimGrimoire. It was an RTS inspired byStarCraftwhere Lillet Blan, a new student at the Tower of Silver Star, must stop the evil wizard Calvaros from finding the Philosopher’s Stone. Her only hope of doing that is by making use of a time loop to learn more about the school and its families.

By using their different units, each representing a different kind of magic (necromancy, alchemy, etc), players can reclaim the school by taking on Calvaros’ forces and replacing their runes with their own. The game also did well in reviews, while faltering in sales. But it would get a remake inGrimGrimoire Once More, and it would inspireVanillaware’s other school-based RTS13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.

Born from theShin Megami Tenseiseries, thePersonagames have arguably outgrown its roots, as people are more familiar with its high school shenanigans and mysteries thanSMT’s more dire circumstances. That said, it took a while to catch on, as many of the franchise’s fans got into its later games.

For example,Persona 3was the first game to introduce social links, where bonding with the right characters could provide XP boosts for different Arcana. They would become a key part of every game following it, includingP3’s own different re-releases. The most notable one isP3: FES,as it has an additional epilogue and story elements that weren’t included in its PS5 remake,P3: Reload.

Nonetheless, as grand asPersona 3was, it didn’t get the receptionPersona 4did. It became the best-selling PS2 game on Amazon for a while when it was released, and itsGoldenedition became a good reason to get a PlayStation Vita back in 2012. It even made an impact as a fighting game via its spin-offs,P4: ArenaandP4: Arena Ultimax.

Old-school fans may still prefer the dungeon-crawling antics of the first two games, and some might preferP3’s take on social links. ButP4’s mix of life sim events and dungeon battling are what made the game stand out over its rivals, and helped it catch on with a new generation of fans. If it isn’t the bestPersonagame, it’s certainly the most popular.

Still,Personaisn’t the only series to spin off from theShin Megami Tenseigames. It wasn’tevenSMT’s first spin-off. TheSMT: Devil Summonergames came out in 1995, a year prior toRevelations: Persona, though they wouldn’t escape Japan’s shores untilDevil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs the Soulless Army, an RPG that did away withSMT’s turn-based bouts for real-time action.

It was good, but the sequel,Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzonoha Vs King Abaddon, was better. It added more strategy to the proceedings, as players had to negotiate with the demons to gain their loyalty. Once gained, they can be fused with other demons to produce stronger summons. If players knew how to win the devils over, they could become a force to be reckoned with.

The originalGod of Wardidn’t matchDevil May Cryin terms of intricate gameplay. But when it came to straightforward gameplay and spectacle, it became a tour de force. Surprisingly, Sony Santa Monica stuck with the PS2 forGod of War 2since the console had a larger player base. Plus, they figured fans could use the PS3’s backward compatibility to play the game on that system anyway. If only they had the benefit of hindsight back then.

Still, it might’ve been for the best, as Sony Santa Monica managed to get the best out ofGoW1’s engine to offer more spectacle, more boss fights, more weapons, wider level variety, and smoother gameplay over its predecessor. Instead of offering up a clunkier,GoW-lite experience like its rivals (seeHeavenly SwordandDante’s Inferno),GoW2became one of the best entries in the series, if notthebest, rivaled only by its eventual PS3 successorGod of War 3.