HAUNTING: Shadow of the Colossus
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With the release of God of War II this week, the book is all but closed on the PlayStation 2. New releases will continue to trickle out, but now the blockbuster titles will appear on the newer, shinier PS3. To bid farewell to our old friend, the PS2, we offer a look back at some of the titles that defined the most popular game console in history. In chronological order:
ICO
Sony Computer Entertainment
Released September 25, 2001
The jury is out on whether a game can be considered art, but Ico supports the argument that it can be. Set in a crumbling, cavernous castle, Ico conjures feelings of dread and sadness from moment-one. There’s hope, too, in the form of the luminous Princess Yorda. If you can make it through this game without feeling any sense of attachment to her, I submit that you are something less than human.
FINAL FANTASY X
Square
Released December 18, 2001
Most RPG fans will tell you that Final Fantasy XII is the one to beat on the PlayStation 2. But the reasons they’ll cite — less linear gameplay, more intricate character leveling, and a more sophisticated combat system — are exactly why Final Fantasy X is the better choice for the generalist gamer. You get the sweeping storyline and dozens of hours of gameplay without sacrificing the sense of urgency of an action game. The same RPG guys will deride FFX’s weak protagonist, Tidus; in rebuttal, I offer Auron, one of the baddest supporting players in game history. Dude powered up by getting sauced.
KATAMARI DAMACY
Namco
Released September 21, 2004
Has anybody played Katamari Damacy and not had their socks charmed right off? It’s the sort of bizarre game that makes perfect sense while you’re playing it, but is impossible to describe to others. Your drunken father, the King of all Cosmos, has accidentally destroyed all the stars in the sky. To replace them, you need to roll around a thing called a Katamari, which sticks to anything it touches. When your Katamari is big enough, it turns into a star! You get it, right? You will. Just play it.
RATCHET & CLANK: UP YOUR ARSENAL
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Released November 2, 2004
You can’t go wrong with any of the Ratchet & Clank games. They’re all action-packed platformers with a cunning sense of humor and an engaging visual style. Up Your Arsenal, though, was the first example of a Sony property getting it right with regards to online play. The weapons-based gameplay translated well into squad-based multiplayer. In particular, Siege mode was a welcome addition to the attack-and-defend mechanics normally seen in first-person shooters.
METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SNAKE EATER
Konami
Released November 17, 2004
Picking up Metal Gear Solid 3 was a disorienting experience. Snake’s radar had been his most invaluable asset in eluding foes, and now suddenly it was gone. Different camouflage options helped Snake hide in the woods and the tall grasses, sometimes only feet away from patrolling sentries, but without the radar his new nickname, “Naked Snake,” was all too apt. The tension never let down through Metal Gear Solid 3, and the fight with elderly sniper The End surely ranks as one of the best boss battles ever.
DEVIL MAY CRY 3: DANTE'S AWAKENING
Capcom
Released March 1, 2005
Devil May Cry 3 has no patience for the weak. It’s one of the hardest games around, with a learning curve like a sheer cliff face. Those who survive the initiation, though, will find a combat engine exceeding that of any fighting game. Dante’s ability to switch between four different weapons on the fly opens the door to attack combinations so numerous that dedicated supercomputers at Stanford University are still calculating them all. Well, not really, but trust me: there are a lot.
GOD OF WAR
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Released March 22, 2005
In a sense, God of War didn’t do anything that hadn’t been done thousands of times before. It combined jumping and fighting with a dash of puzzle solving — the same formula you’ll find going back to the 8-bit days. What the game did so well was reduce each of these aspects to their essence, and then polish them until they shined. Combining precise controls, a gripping storyline, and some of the best graphics on the PS2, God of War was the apotheosis of the action-adventure game.
SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS
Sony Computer Entertainment
Released October 18, 2005
The team behind Ico followed up that gem with something even more ambitious. Shadow of the Colossus features 16 massive boss encounters set within a desolate landscape. The enemies are so large that you can practically hear the PS2 hardware straining to keep up. Keep up it does, however, rendering sights without equal even on the newer generation of systems. As great as the graphics are, the moral ambiguity of slaying each of the colossi is what will stay with you, even haunt you, well after the game is over.