What are some good Playstation 2 games? (preferably action, but any genre is fine)

Thirith on 29/9/2008 at 11:21

Quote Posted by gunsmoke

Yes. A lot of people I know don't really care about stuff like that. That's all I am saying.

The phrase "That says more about you than it says about X" is usually negative, e.g. "You like Britney Spears?! That says more about your taste in music than it does about her..."

Clearly Shadow of the Colossus isn't everyone's cup of tea. Just like there are people who find Kurosawa's films or Bach's Goldberg Variations boring. I like all three and I can live with what that says about me. :D

snauty on 29/9/2008 at 11:47

Quote Posted by Sulphur

My dear man, it's really quite simple.

We're talking about platformers here. Comprendez-vous? Parlez-vous anglais? Non?

Let me simplify this so you can understand:

Take a game, regardless of it being 2D or 3D or extruded into so many dimensions that it manages to wind up back into your ass, that contains a series of raised and/or suspended platforms.

Hang on, we're not done yet. I know this is difficult, but do try to wrap your head around this:

If this game contains said 'platforms', and its core gameplay revolves around negotiating said platforms via whatever acrobatic feats to get to the end of the level/goal required, it is called a platformer.

Now here's a doozy for you: Okami is not a platformer because, while it has platforms, jumping around them IS NOT THE CORE GAME MECHANIC.

It's utterly post-genre, which means that you can't fucking pigeonhole the game because it does not conform itself to any one particular genre. It has a whole bunch of stuff from a whole bunch of games from different genres, so calling it purely an 'RPG' because it has XP-based stats, or purely an 'action' game because it has combat is UTTERLY FUCKING MEANINGLESS. You can't meaningfully prioritise one bit over the other.

Which means, you utter twit, that you and your blinkered view of games have been completely incapable of seeing the entire picture.

I shall now write a loose haiku in praise of you and yours:

the rain, it does not
wash away the yellow stains
of shit-tinted glasses.

o my, and I thought I signed up to a smart and sophisticated board. :(

EvaUnit02 on 29/9/2008 at 14:16

Quote Posted by snauty

o my, and I thought I signed up to a smart and sophisticated board. :(

Koki's is just purposely acting like an obtuse prick to bait people. The problem is that they usually fall hook line and sinker for it, or knowingly choose to indulge him.

june gloom on 29/9/2008 at 14:26

Yeah I think I liked Koki better when his English wasn't as good and he was more polite.

io organic industrialism on 29/9/2008 at 16:52

You guys have ruined an otherwise good thread ...

But seriously, there are something like 2,000 games for PS2. Certainly there has got to be something else you can recommend me?

Sulphur on 29/9/2008 at 17:16

Quote Posted by EvaUnit02

Koki's is just purposely acting like an obtuse prick to bait people. The problem is that they usually fall hook line and sinker for it, or knowingly choose to indulge him.

Yes, I indulge him. But only because he's my koki-poo. :o

Look, I'm all for ignoring willful ignorance. This time 'round, though, it seemed more like abject cluelessness than willful trolling. Anyway, what is the internet without some crass argumentation over semantics, huh? :cheeky:

Oh, fine. I'll stop.

snauty: I'm dismayed that you didn't like the haiku. It was supposed to have been brimming over with meaning. :(

Seriously, though, I'm sorry if my posts offended your sensibilities. They weren't aimed at you.

snauty on 29/9/2008 at 17:41

Quote Posted by Sulphur

snauty: I'm dismayed that you didn't like the haiku. It was supposed to have been brimming over with meaning. :(

Seriously, though, I'm sorry if my posts offended your sensibilities. They weren't aimed at you.

I was aware of this and I didn't take anything personally. Au contraire actually, since I'm beyond taking things seriously from a (especially videogamers') internet forum. Being rather new here I don't know any backstories and maybe personal real life connections amongst you people. So I take it as the typical non-humorous, nerdy lecturing and trolling from basement dwellers as someone else put it very nicely somewhere else. And this makes me sad, I must admit. :(

But please go on with the topic.

Sulphur on 29/9/2008 at 20:38

Quote Posted by io organic industrialism

You guys have ruined an otherwise good thread ...

But seriously, there are something like 2,000 games for PS2. Certainly there has got to be something else you can recommend me?

Oh, but you must be aware of the bi-monthly TTLG shit-slinging festival. You've been around long enough.

But back on track: you'll have to be clear about what exactly is it that you want. So far, we've gotten that you don't like brawlers/hack 'n slash titles, have a distaste for mainstream (derivative, boring?) fare.

The PS2 has a massive amount of mainstream titles, which is what any thread about PS2 games will exhaust first. Like this one here. But - a lot of what's been mentioned so far has been the cream of the crop. It's up to you to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Anyway, other genres: shooters are obviously not your thing, else there'd be the gimmick-y Second Sight/Psi-Ops/Gungrave to talk about. Resident Evil 4, as well, but that'd be too mainstream-y, right?

So what about RPGs? JRPGs? There are metric tons of those that are quirky and strange that one could suggest, but would you find them fun?

Platformers? Most of them land up in the 'mainstream' segment. Except, say, Cho Aniki. But you wouldn't want to know about that one. Trust me.

Psychonauts fits the 'quirky and fun' bill to a tee, though. Forget all the hyperbole you may have heard about it so far. Have you tried it yet? If not, I suggest you do so.

io organic industrialism on 29/9/2008 at 21:07

Quote Posted by Sulphur

Oh, but you must be aware of the bi-monthly TTLG shit-slinging festival. You've been around long enough.

I only visit on occasion when something piques my interest. I've seen a couple of shit slinging fests but didn't know it was bi-monthly ;)

Quote Posted by Sulphur

But back on track: you'll have to be clear about what exactly is it that you want.

I have a keen interest in Marble Madness clones. For real I do. Puzzle games, or puzzle hybrids combined with other genres can sometimes be cool. But not those "blocks falling from the ceiling" games with multicolored blocks that you are supposed to match, which bore me.
I like racing games but I tend to be pretty picky. Realistic rally simulations (Richard Burns rally), and then on the opposite end of the spectrum, Trackmania :) Driving puzzles are good... Gripshift, and Scramble mode from Rollcage 2

I have been interested in checking out some of the ps2 exclusive first person shooter games as well, since I bought a "maxx 2 shooter" adapter for my PS2 which lets you use keyboard and mouse controls with any game :) Gonna try out "Black" sometime, are there any other good ones?

Honestly I'm not sure WHAT kind of newschool gameplay types I like, because I haven't played very many of them. But it appears the vast majority of new school games have gone to boring 3rd person perspective hack & slash.
Which is not to say I don't like that as well.. Drakan, Rune, Enclave, have all been some of my favourite games. But the difference there is that the camera angle was fixed, and you could back up to dodge attacks at will. But this free flowing camera system where you "lock on" targets and then execute a million hit combos which require button memorization... No thanks :(

So ... Basically I think newschool games must not be for me in general.

So yeah, what are some good ball rolling games (for real. I have mercury meltdown remix and play it with a motion sensing controller :) the poor man's kororinpa), puzzle games, driving games, and are there any FIXED CAMERA 3rd person action melee combat games? (unlikely... I didn't even like how they massacred the controls on Drakan 2)

Also I did try Psychonauts a while back on PC. Played about 30 mins into it but it didn't really tickle my fancy a lot.

EvaUnit02 on 30/9/2008 at 00:14

Yakuza
A truly under-appreciated gem. A highly cinematic adventure game, with an engaging plot, that paints an accurate portrayal of the Japanese underworld.

The game very much follows in the tradition of Shenmue, where you have a semi-sandbox adventure game with linear story progression. You can wander around the streets of Tokyo doing side-quests; discovering lost locker keys that unlock items for use in combat or winning the affection over girls at the hostess bars. People (eg underling Yakuza, street toughs, etc) randomly walk over to you pick fights with you, after you've kicked their arses you'll get some cash or an item.

Combat has a simple button masher friendly system, you can still string together combos and the like though. I was never reallly a huge fan of Shenmue's combat model, which was the very same highly-technical one imported from Virtua Fighter 3 (The VF series has a reputation for having the most accurate/realistic models of real world martial arts styles.). The simplified combat model was a very welcome change for me, as I'm not into fighting games. You can pick up objects (tables, chairs... even bikes and signposts) and use them to bash in enemies. You can even drag enemies over to wall and where Kazuma will unleash some sweet animations. I.e. bashing their skull repetitively against a wall; pinning them against a wall and repetitively kneeing them in the chest.