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Criminally Underrated PS2, PS1 and PSP Games

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman


Stuck on what to play or what to buy? Join TVGS as they list and discuss ten of the most over looked and underrated PS2 games the system ever received. Many lesser known games released for the Playstation 2 console so let us know your top 10 obscure under rated PS2 games down below!

Thank you mods for the title change x2

Doge Dogecoin GIF by Shibetoshi Nakamoto
 
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Karin Koenig in the thumbnail; I don't think Shadow Hearts 2 was ever underrated, unless it's clickbait and he never mentions SH2 at all.

It never set the world on fire and sometimes someone will mention how they prefer the first game (I think it's usually about its even darker atmosphere), but I've not met anyone who mentions SH2 to slam it, it's always brought up with praise, and rightly so.

I haven't revisited the game since finishing it at release (late 2004!), so I'm not sure how I'd feel about it these days, but this was the JRPG that restored my faith after I dropped FFX around 2/3 in despite buying a PS2 to play it.

Edit: Removed extra apostrophe.
 
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sublimit

Banned
The inclusion of Dawn of Mana in this list is definitely going to trigger some people. :messenger_grinning_smiling:

I played the demo of Sword of Etheria a couple of times and always had mixed feeling about it never sure if i would enjoy it or hate it. :pie_thinking:
 

fart town usa

Gold Member
I've yet to meet someone else that has played one of the best arcade rally racers out there in Shox
There's an EA racing game for PS2, can't remember the name. It's real cars but plays like a kart racer, it also allows you to do flips and spins in the air (controlled manually) and you get a speed boost if you land it. The game is awesome, my buddy and I rented it once back then and we still talk about it to this day. Someone here knows the name I'm sure.
 

Aldynes

Member
Nearly every game in that video was well-received at the time of their release.

Does something become automatically "underrated" if it's older than 10 years?
So damn true, especially on a system that got a library of +4000 games there's gotta be at least 200 that are underrated, then again opinions changes, I remember King's Field games on PS1 and more vividly the fourth one on PS2, getting absolutely trashed by magazine, internet reviews, then Demon's souls and Dark Souls happened and magically people woke up and praised From Software earlier titles like there was cult classic all of a sudden, It's cool when an obscure or niche game get some light on it, the more people get to play them, these kind of video are good for that reason in my opinion.
 

sublimit

Banned
Please elaborate on it more, i'm curious!
All i can remember is that i wanted to import the game (since it was never released in Europe) because i thought (and still do) it looked very beautiful but the reviews were pretty bad and later when i was reading at forums fans of the series used to hate it at every chance they got because it presumably deviated a lot from the series gameplay.

You might want to check this thread (just don't post in it) i had made a long time ago if you want to see some of the responses i got from fans of the series.
 
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It's surprising how overlooked Predator Concrete Jungle was even back in the day. Sure it was a bit janky, but as a pretty much open world styled huntathon it was decent. Haven't played it in years so that could just be nostalgia talking :messenger_grinning_sweat: War of the Monsters was also a gem, surprisingly one of the few Ps2 games to get a PSN port for PS4
 

MiguelItUp

Member
It's surprising how overlooked Predator Concrete Jungle was even back in the day. Sure it was a bit janky, but as a pretty much open world styled huntathon it was decent. Haven't played it in years so that could just be nostalgia talking :messenger_grinning_sweat: War of the Monsters was also a gem, surprisingly one of the few Ps2 games to get a PSN port for PS4
Oh dude, it was most certainly janky. But for the first Predator themed video game that played the way it did, it did some really cool things! It could've been even better with a better budget and studio behind it. But it was overlooked pretty hard.

I honestly don't understand how War of the Monsters didn't get more love, and a sequel. So odd to me.
 

Aldynes

Member
All i can remember is that i wanted to import the game (since it was never released in Europe) because i thought (and still do) it looked very beautiful but the reviews were pretty bad and later when i was reading at forums fans of the series used to hate it at every chance they got because it presumably deviated a lot from the series gameplay.

You might want to check this thread (just don't post in it) i had made a long time ago if you want to see some of the responses i got from fans of the series.
Apparently controls and camera are shit, you grind all the time and looses all your progress between chapters and have to redo it all again with bullshit game mechanics that make it all tedious and make sure to waste your time even more, and in Japan it's called Seiken Densetsu 4 tarnishing the series even more.



It's not like we didn't have already got Unlimited Saga by this point.
 

sublimit

Banned
Apparently controls and camera are shit, you grind all the time and looses all your progress between chapters and have to redo it all again with bullshit game mechanics that make it all tedious and make sure to waste your time even more, and in Japan it's called Seiken Densetsu 4 tarnishing the series even more.



It's not like we didn't have already got Unlimited Saga by this point.
I still want to play it one day lol. Its art direction is a big draw for me.😇
 

Aldynes

Member
This was a good one by Capcom in 2005 that no one seems to have heard of. Imagine Resident Evil's gameplay transplanted to a Roman Gladiator setting, tank-like plodding controls with big meaty dismemberments.

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GXx2N4T.jpg
You pretty much nailed it, fun fact it did lay the ground work for Dead Rising combat system during development, CAPCOM re-using concepts shocking right?
 

8bitpill

Gold Member
Been currently playing through this,
Castlevania_-_Lament_of_Innocense_%28Gamecover%29.jpg


I remember seeing this at Blockbusters (showing my age with this one) and game stores and always passing it up because how bad Castlevania 64 was. I didn't think back then it was going to be any good due to N64 title. I was wrong, it's a lot of fun and you can see where games like Devil May Cry and God of War got their style of game play from.

The dialog though, really just slightly better than RE1 PS1 original :messenger_tears_of_joy: .
 

P.Jack

Member
There's an EA racing game for PS2, can't remember the name. It's real cars but plays like a kart racer, it also allows you to do flips and spins in the air (controlled manually) and you get a speed boost if you land it. The game is awesome, my buddy and I rented it once back then and we still talk about it to this day. Someone here knows the name I'm sure.
Rumble Racing and yes, the game is awesome indeed! It’s not a looker but I’d say it holds up pretty well thanks to its rather unique gameplay.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I stuck with the bigger name and better scored games, but as a whole the 2k sports games were way better for football, basketball and hockey. All ran at 60 fps and ESPN branding and sound for certain years. The EA games were hit and miss and sloppy. Although everyone seems to agree the EA baseball games are better than any Sega or 2k world series game during those years.
 
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Everytime i saw a "obscure, hidden gem" in a YouTube title...Those are all surface games, nothing of obscure there. And op video was not different...

People need to go more deep...



Two examples of ps2 hidden gem/Obscure games;




 
Everytime i saw a "obscure, hidden gem" in a YouTube title...Those are all surface games, nothing of obscure there. And op video was not different...

People need to go more deep...



Two examples of ps2 hidden gem/Obscure games;





These are JP only games so it's pretty understandable why no one bring them up.
 
Terminator redemption, matrix path of neo, jet lee rise to honor, james bond everything or nothing, james bond from russia with love, mission impossible operation surma, midnight club dub edition, god hand...
 

Naked Lunch

Member
I would put all the Armored Core games on that list - theres a shitload on PS2.
Armored Core 2/3/Another Age/Silent Line/Nine Breaker/Nexus/Last Raven
Haunting Ground
Ring of Red
Spy Fiction
DaiSenryaku VII Modern Military Tactics
- got a late port to the PS2.

I will forever keep my PS2 hooked up because it looks like Ace Combat Zero is never getting ported or remastered.

If you want to own any PS2 games get them ASAP, prices have been going up.
Yep. Already in 2021 I bought Ridge Racer V, Shinobi, Hot Shots Golf 3/Tennis. Get them now.
 
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Aggelos

Member
Another criminally underrated PS2 game. Shinji Mikami's last game with Capcom


God_Hand_%282006_Playstation_2%29_video_game_cover_art.jpg






 
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