A 2007 Title Has Been Named the Best PlayStation 2 Game of All Time
A panel of experts have put together a tally of the best PlayStation 2 games ever released, and they picked a classic to top the tally.
PlayStation 2, also called PS2, was released by Sony Computer Entertainment, in 2000 as the successor to PlayStation. According to market research, it's the best-selling video game console of all time.
Now, the game to top this roster of the best PlayStation 2 games of all time is 2007's God of War II.
Why God of War II Was Named the Best PlayStation 2 Game Ever Released
The roster was put together by the gaming experts at Rolling Stone magazine. In the feature, they note that God of War II marked a special era in the PS2 franchise, and that nudged it to the top of the tally. "When you look back at all that the PlayStation 2 was able to accomplish, from hosting generational RPGs and action games to squeezing out logic-defying open worlds with hardware weaker than an iPhone 6, it's a tall task to pick one game that exemplifies everything that made the console great," they note in the feature. "But, in fact, there is one game that not just shows what Sony was capable of then (and now), but feels like a perfect encapsulation of gaming culture of the 2000s."
So, this game really encompasses the gaming society of the 2000s, and that makes it special. "God of War is everything that defines the modern concept of a first-party PlayStation game," they add in the feature. "It's heavy on cinematic storytelling, with cutscenes that play out like extended movies. Its action is top-notch, breathlessly weaving players through scripted set pieces with the scope that Hollywood execs could only dream of."
Rolling Stone also says that this game is simply "best action gameplay ever designed." That's a bold statement.
Coming in at No. 2 on their tally is 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Obviously, the Grand Theft Auto franchise is massive, so it's not a surprise that this would end up high on the tally. No. 3 was Final Fantasy X, No. 4 was Shadow of the Colossus and rounding out the top five was Ōkami.
So, the next time you're figuring out what classic games to play on PS2, gravitate to these titles if you're looking for the best. While video games have changed a lot over the years, sometimes there's just no beating that 2000s period in the industry.