Sony PlayStation 2 is the best selling console in the whole world. Though being 15 years old, there has not been any other game console that has surpassed its sales. In our country, PS2 is still a good choice if you want to play some good 3D games at a price of as low as ₹5,000. It is still a cheaper option than any smartphone for playing some awesome games. While finding a new PS2 is difficult in 2020, you can use an emulator on PC to enjoy some of the best PS2 games out there.
In this article, I am going to give you the best PS2 games list that will include some of the best PS2 games that you can enjoy with your friends as well as alone.
Best PS2 Games List
Let’s begin our list of some of the best PlayStation 2 games:
Tekken 5
This game franchise needs no introduction. Almost everyone reading this article has played/seen Tekken 3 in their childhood. This game is a refined version of the same game. You have better graphics, more moves and amazing background music to accompany your gameplay in Tekken 5. The game is a treat for veteran Tekken players.
You can play the Story Mode to unlock newer players or enjoy unlimited rounds in Arcade Mode. Playing Tekken 5 with your friends is also pretty fun unless they start beating you in matches, that hurts!
If you want to play Tekken 6 on Android, you can check this article.
God of War 1&2
No list of best PS2 games is complete without the God of War franchise. The seeds of this humongous franchise were sown on PlayStation 2 in 2005 with the launch of first God of War game. The game is an adrenalin-pumping single-player action game where you hack and slash your enemies with your awesome weapons. The game is rated 18+ and to be honest, you will appreciate this game’s artistic brilliance only if you are mature enough.
The game’s story revolves around the Greek gods and you control Kratos, who is the one who kills them. The game, even being of the early 2000s, isn’t easy and is very challenging even for an adult.
Shadow of The Colossus
It is one of the most beautiful games available on the Sony PlayStation 2. It is a single-player game where you are a boy with a sword and a horse. This boy, with his sword and arrows, now goes on to kill 16 gigantic as well as not-so-gigantic beasts aka colossi made up of magical trees and stones.
The game has fun-yet-challenging gameplay that does not let you breeze through the game and challenges you to use your brain and figure out how to defeat a particular beast. Each beast has its unique weak points and way of killing. If you like simple yet challenging games then this is the game for you. The game can be played by kids and adults alike.
Fun Fact, You can play Shadow of the Colossus with 10 times better graphics on PlayStation 5 that is going to release soon in India, no wonder it is one of the best PS2 games of all time.
SmackDown Here Comes The Pain
Irrespective of the fact whether you play video games or not, SmackDown Here Comes The Pain is a game that you can enjoy alone, and enjoy a lot if you are playing it with your friends. The game is an old WWE game featuring some of the best WWE wrestlers like Undertaker, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle etc. The game has a Season Mode where you play a selected story of a wrestler till the grandest stage of ‘em all, Wrestlemania. If you love watching WWE then, you should not miss this game at any cost.
Burnout Revenge
If you are looking for some good racing game, then Burnout Revenge is the one for you. The game is really fun to play and has hundreds of varieties of cars. The game has a variety of car-related modes. There is a Racing Mode, a Traffic Crashing Mode and a Grand Prix Mode. The developers of this game have ensured that you don’t get bored playing this game.
Downhill Domination
Racing is not only about cars, sometimes it can be bikes coming down the hills, Downhill Domination is just that. In this game, you choose a biker (cyclist) who competes with other cyclists racing down the hill. The game is fast-paced and is quite enjoyable. The game also has a multiplayer mode where you can participate in a race with your friends or siblings for a fun time.
What are the Minimum Requirements for Playing PS2 Games on a PC?
Though PlayStation 2 is a 20-year-old game console, it’s emulation is not that easy. You need a decent PC to run PS2 games on the computer. To play PS2 games on your PC, you will need a PlayStation emulator. The PS2 emulator is called PCSX2 and can be downloaded through this link.
Here are the minimum requirements that I suggest you should refer to play PS2 games on PC at a decent framerate in HD or full HD resolution.
In our opinion, it is far better to buy a used PlayStation 2 of ₹5000 than to assemble a PC with components mentioned above. However, if you own a PC/laptop already, then you can use this emulator to enjoy the above-mentioned classic PS2 games on your PC and have a fun time.
You can buy a used PS2 from Olx or famous electronic markets such as Ghaffar Market, Lajpat Rai Market, Palika Bazaar etc.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Are the mentioned PC components for PS2 compulsory?
The components I have mentioned are for a good HD gaming experience. You can also play the mentioned games at a lower resolution than HD resolution. You can opt for a good AMD APU (APU is Processor+GPU on one chip) and save money by not purchasing a GPU. However, the performance will not be very good as the GPU that I mentioned above is very good for HD gaming at a budget.
2. Why waste money on a PC? Why Not Buy a Cheap PS2 instead?
This is a legit right thing to think about. Why opt for a PC when PS2 costs near to ₹5000. The issue with buying a PS2 now is that it won’t be easily available in a good condition.
You will have to buy all the components along with it, like Memory Card, Controllers etc. Along with that, you will need to buy game CDs or will have to modify the game console, this will cost you money again.
The components you buy will also be either used or copy of the original, as new components are no more in production. Along with that, you won’t be able to play all games in HD, as you can do on PC. Also, for PC, you can download games from many sites.
3. From where can I get games for PS2?
There are many sites that let you download PS2 games for free. Some of the sites that are famous for PS2 games are romsforever, portalroms etc. You can always search for the game name with the word “ISO” (file format of PS2 games available online). For example, you can search for “God of War PS2 ISO” for downloading “God of War” for PS2. While it is very easy to play PS2 games on a PC, to play games on PS2 you need a disc or you can play using these ISO files if you modify your PS2.
4. How do I play PS2 games using PCSX2 (PS2 emulator) on PC?
Playing a PS2 game on PC is pretty easy. You can download PCSX2 from this link and set it up as shown in this video.
5. What are the best and cheapest PC components I can buy for playing PS2 games on PC?
As per the details mentioned above, here are the best and cheapest components we recommend for playing PS2 games on PC:
CPU: Intel i3 9100F (Needs GPU to function) or AMD Ryzen 3 3200G APU (APU can be used without GPU also)
Graphics Card aka GPU: Zotac GeForce GT 1030 2GB GDDR5
RAM: Crucial 4GB DDR4 2666 MHz
Concluding Words
PS2 games still look amazing and in the next 5 years, you will be able to play them in your smartphones also. However, that’s for the future, for the present, you can either build a budget PC or you can buy a used console and have some fun time gaming with friends or alone.
So, what PS2 games do you like to play? Do share them in the comments section below.
