Summary
Open-world games were on the rise during the fifth generation of consoles, with a few key titles released on the PS1 and N64. But it would take the raw power of next-gen hardware, specifically the PlayStation 2, for the genre to explode and become the mammoth force that it is today. Thanks to theimproved hardware that the PS2offered, open-world games on the console were able to make huge leaps from the previous generation, and the way they could tell stories was at the forefront.
The ability to feature more detailed characters and hours of high-quality voice acting and music, as well as vastly improved 3D assets, enabled developers to tell stories of all sorts. Whether it was an epic blockbuster with the fate of the universe on the line or a smaller, more intimate story, open-world games of this era were able to benefit greatly from what the PS2 could offer. These games have been ranked based on their writing, characters, and world design, as all of them brought these three together wonderfully.
Rockstar Games is no stranger to controversy, having been embroiled in the discussions surrounding video game violence for decades now. It’s safe to say that few PS2 games generated asmuch pre-launch controversy asBully, a game that was seen as glorifying violence and encouraging bad behavior among the youth. But onceBullywas released in October 2006, it became clear that it wasn’t what anyone thought it would be.
Instead of encouraging violence and harassment,Bullywas a tale about standing up for the undervalued in society, as Jimmy Hopkins finds himself at the center of the drama at Bullworth Academy. It features a brilliant script and excellent voice acting, lending itself to the smallness of the open world of Bullworth, which is not nearly as large as Rockstar’s other efforts. The small scale ofBully’sopen world actually adds to the experience, as becoming familiar with the school and its surroundings is rather simple, making the whole experience feel much more natural.
Following the completion ofIco, Fumito Ueda brought his team back together and sought to create a new experience, one that took influence fromThe Legend of Zeldaand classic monster movies. The result wasShadow of the Colossus, a haunting story of how far one would go to save someone they loved. Set in a sparse world known as the Forbidden Lands,Shadow of the Colossusis the story of a young man named Wander, who finds himself inconflict with enormous beaststo save a woman named Mono.
Exactly who Mono is, and her relationship with Wander, is left to interpretation, but that is exactly what makes the narrative ofShadow of the Colossusso wonderful. It is a story built around feelings, emotions, and unspoken horror, as Wander’s attempts to save Mono ultimately result in the deaths of innocent creatures. The Colossi hold no grudge toward Wander and are not out to harm anyone, ultimately placing the player in an extremely awkward situation during the game.Shadow of the Colossusis still one of the most affecting, visually distinct games of all time, and was brilliantly remade by Bluepoint Studios in 2018.
The first two games in Rockstar’s open-world crime saga were fairly light on story, with a majority of it coming from phone calls and on-screen text, but with the shift from 2D to 3D,Grand Theft Auto 3took the series intoa bold new direction. One of the best parts ofGTA 3is its story, a compelling crime story about a man named Claude, who is freed from prison and gets entangled with all the wrong people almost immediately.
As he rises through the ranks, Claude’s story begins to shift around him as more players are introduced, and he finds himself betrayed on more than one occasion. Taking clear influence from the most iconic gangster films,Grand Theft Auto 3expertly combines its open world with a tightly-written script and some outstanding voice acting, featuring the likes of Joe Pantoliano, Debi Mazar, and Kyle MacLachlan.GTA 3is still one of the most influential games of its generation and is absolutely worth revisiting today.
These days, theLike A Dragonfranchise is one of the most popular on the market, but it wasn’t always that way. First released in the US asYakuzafor the PS2, thisopen-world gangster gamestarted the ongoing saga of Kazuma Kiryu, a soft-spoken brawler who is one of gaming’s best protagonists.
Known as the Dragon of Dojima, Kiryu’s journey through the criminal underworld is one of the most engaging, best-written stories on the console. Traversing the open world of Kamurocho has become one of the staples for the franchise, but it had humble beginnings back on the PS2, as Kiryu’s legacy was solidified by this incredible open-world beat ‘em up. It was remade in 2016 asYakuza Kiwami, but the original PS2 game still holds up for its writing, subtle voice acting, and outstanding world structure.
Spider-Man’s long history with video gamesstarted way back in the 1980s, continuing up to Insomniac’s recent outings with the web-head. But it’s safe to say that his video game exploits really started to come into their own in the late 90s, as they were finally able to capture the magic and charm of the wise-cracking superhero, and one of the best examples from the era is easilyUltimate Spider-Man.
Based on the comic book of the same name,Ultimate Spider-Manis a fast-paced superhero romp that feels the closest to the source material that fans would get until Insomniac’s work with the character. Featuring slick comic book-influenced cutscenes,Ultimate Spider-Manperfectly balances humor, melodrama, and action, a hallmark of the superhero genre that is handled flawlessly here. The world itself is an absolute delight, as well, feeling like a comic book come to life with an appropriate cel-shaded art style.
Drawing from films likeThe Italian JobandSnatch,The Getawaywas built to fully harness the power of the PlayStation 2 and create a true-to-life interactive gangster film. Set in the heart of London,The Getawayis the tale of a man named Mark Hammond, who is forced to work with a sinister mob boss named Charlie Jolson to get his kidnapped son back. Meanwhile, a parallel story involving a detective named Frank Carter unfolds at the same time.
Utilizing state-of-the-art motion capture and face scan technology,The Getawayput a ton of effort into recreating subtle human expressions, and the result was spectacular. The dual stories of Mark and Frank are outstanding, as the incredible voice acting and facial animation go a long way in making everything seem realistic.The Getawayis one ofthe PS2’s most challenging, engrossing open-world experiences and would do well with a PS5 reboot of some sort.
After two massively successfulGrand Theft Autogames for the PS2 within as many years, Rockstar decided to take a bit of time for the next installment and poured all their efforts into what would become one of theconsole’s most legendary releases. WithGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar focuses on the story of CJ, a young man who returns home to Los Santos following his mother’s death, and becomes caught up in a complex tale of corruption and betrayal.
Exploring themes like police violence and family,San Andreastook strong influence from both fiction and real life, as it tapped into the gangster rap films of the 90s and the events that inspired them. CJ’s journey brings him into conflict with a cop named Tenpenny, voiced by the spectacular Samuel L. Jackson, as well as deception from within his own family. The dialogue and performances are top-notch, and this incredible open-world masterpiece is currently available on modern hardware thanks to the recent remasters for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC.
