The world of gaming is at a high point right now. The Switch 2 is the fastest-selling console, for better or worse, the handheld Xbox launches this year, and we are getting some big games soon, such as 007 First Light and Silksong. It’s an exciting time, and one that has brought me to a realisation; I really miss the PlayStation 2.
Being able to take AAA games on the go is fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but besides that, we aren’t getting much in the way of massive leaps in advancements. More than just consoles, games themselves are running out of ways to innovate. The PlayStation 2 fell in the era when everything was so fresh and new.
The PlayStation 2 has the greatest entries in some iconic series
Where we getting groundbreaking, realistic graphics? Hell no, CJ in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was barely more than a string of blocks. But at the time, it was beautiful. And you know what? Arguably the best game in the series. Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in development for over a decade. The gap between Vice City and San Andreas was two years, and I would still rather play either of them than GTA 5.
Final Fantasy 8 will always be my favourite in the series. I could talk about it for ages, but you can’t deny that 10 is a benchmark for RPGs in general. We went from blocky Cloud Strife to a beautiful Spira and a well-animated cast of characters in four years. The leaps in technology were so mind-blowing. We were witnesses to such advancement on a nearly yearly basis.
I don’t think I could make a top ten list of games from this generation that I truly love. Even five might be a huge ask. For the PlayStation 2, though, endless. A lot of that is thanks to what Sony really had a stranglehold on at the time: RPGs. I am a sucker for an RPG, in particular JRPGs, and no console had such a collection to choose from.
If you loved RPGs, it was the best console to own
They were the only thing that made the PS Plus retro catalogue worth it. The PlayStation 2 had the likes of Dark Cloud, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Persona, Grandia 2, Rogue Galaxy, Star Ocean, Atelier Iris 2, .hack, and Lord of the Rings: The Third Age. Has any other console since had an RPG collection like this?
Don’t like RPGs? Well, try Resident Evil 4, one of the greatest survival horror games ever. Or Obscure, a hidden gem in the same genre, which was incredible to play. Don’t forget the absolute classic that is The Simpsons: Hit and Run. And we haven’t even touched on the other genre the PlayStation 2 had locked down: platformers.
Jak and Daxter was a series that is seriously undervalued. I absolutely adored it. The same with Sly Cooper, the stealth adventure was incredibly good fun. Not to mention Ratchet & Clank, Crash Bandicoot, or Spyro. The last two are a bit of a cheat since their best days were on the original PlayStation, but still, let’s count them.
No generation before or since has had as big an effect on me
This was not meant to devolve into a huge list, but in a way that proves my point. The games gripped me so much more than anything on recent consoles. Perhaps part of it was being younger, fewer worries and more time to sink in and enjoy a game. Not that I would go back, mind you. Grown-up life is a pain, but it is far better than being a child. 999/1000 I would decline the swap, and that one time would be so I can warn past me to play Final Fantasy 14 version 1.0 so I can be a legacy player now.
We are where we are now, and I am looking forward to picking up an Xbox Ally X on launch. Games are still exciting, they are a big part of my life and will continue to be so until I can’t any longer. But I can’t help but look back on the PlayStation 2 era and feel wistful. It was a special time, and sadly, one that we won’t see again.
