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Game Profile
INFO BOX
PLATFORM:
PlayStation 2
PUBLISHER:
SCEA
DEVELOPER:
Insomniac Games
GENRE: Platformer
PLAYERS:   1
RELEASE DATE:
November 11, 2003
ESRB RATING:
Teen
IN THE SERIES
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

Secret Agent Clank

Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty

More in this Series
 Written by Chris Reiter  on September 01, 2004

Special: At first you think 50 gamesаaren't a big deal. But thenаafterаtwo weeksаofаdesigning a project based around each individual one, all of a suddenаit's like, "18 f***ingаpages?!"


It's September 2004. Nearly four years in running, the PlayStation 2 launched on October 26, 2000. It doesn't seem like it, but it's been a long time. At this point each of the big three systems are closing in on an empty tank, but nevertheless are still in the game. Once this year is over, it's expected that we'll start seeing at least some of the next in everything. From Microsoft's tentatively titled Xenon up to Sony's PlayStation 2 successor called...::insert dramatic drum roll:: the PlayStation 3. Though its term isn't over yet, it's been almost four years since the PlayStation 2's time has arrived. Now is a good opportunity to take a trip back through history in a glance at The Certain, Definite, and Exact 50 Best PlayStation 2 Games of All-Time by Me.

Yes, this is another "best of" list. But, it's one I'm doing alone. With 50 games in total to compile and describe, I've also chosen to divide this list into two parts so that the reading doesn't become too overbearing for thine eyes. So, look for Part II next week. In choosing my all-time favorite PlayStation 2 games, I kept in mind the scores I've graded games, but also just in general what I thought was preferable based on the content each title carried. If I liked one game more than another, I would put that ahead and try to balance the marks for which all games would fall under according to my thoughts about them. Also note, these are all only ones I gamed with in their full version embodiment. No demos here! Enough about that, though. Here they are, the 50 best...

50. Manhunt
Publisher:
Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: November 18, 2003

Gorier and gorier as games become, none were ever as sickly grotesque as Manhunt was. Manhunt is Rockstar's first crack at the stealth genre, and it's also a good one. The plot follows James Earl Cash who finds himself torn from death row and stuck inside a hollow urban jungle where only the scums of the Earth exist. As a killer it's up to you to kill them. The catch is you can't let them know you're coming. If you make too much of a racket, these hunters will be all over you like white on rice. And I've seen white on rice...and it's not as pretty as putting soy sauce on it is. In addition, you're also being watched at all times by a sultry mad man of sorts. Similar to the movie The Running Man, he's the guy watching your every move. If you don't come up with kills, he'll bark at you through James' ear piece. You can even put on a USB headset to use with the game for an extra flavor of realism for this or creating noises via shouting into the mic. Some well-rounded visual effects (very dark, gritty, and blood-ridden) and noises too helped to provide Manhunt for a different type of stealth game that isn't as epic as something like Metal Gear Solid, though essentially a good game enough to chart the very bottom of my list. LOSER...of winning!

49. Maximo: Ghosts to Glory
Publisher:
Capcom
Developer: Capcom Digital Studios/Capcom Production Studio 6
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: February 13, 2002

Valentine's Day that fateful year was an odd occasion celebrated by all types of lovers: human and gamer alike. Promoting the return of the Ghouls 'n Ghosts series and its new hero Maximo's heart-patterned underwear, Capcom released the game on that day, and even stranger was that Blockbuster rented out Maximo before the game even hit store shelves. As different as these dealings were, the game itself was more different from any of it. Maximo, in the Ghouls 'n Ghosts name, honors the tradition of a hero who would be stripped of his armor as time moved on. Battling against the undead, it was up to Maximo to defeat the very wizard that's stealing these lost souls from under the Grim Reaper's very nose. Leaping over obstacles, defeating minions and challenging bosses (such as a Frankenstein monster), and collecting power-ups amongst other things was all the rave to go with the game's interesting style of super-deformed visuals. Maximo was also an adventure game that came the closest to being one of the only titles to utilize a heavy dose of platform abilities other than the most acclaimed platformer at the time, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.

48. Silent Line: Armored Core
Publisher:
Agetec
Developer: From Software
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: July 15, 2003

The Armored Core game that stopped the tradition of working in numbers and putting Armored Core ahead of the rest is really the expansion to Armored Core 3, like Armored Core 2: Another Age was the expansion to Armored Core 2. Like Armored Core 3, this edition's focus is to expand on what was already built, only it adds and changes a number of things. New missions, new parts, and new forms of play are all here naturally. The biggest alterations are in the AI Arena, where you could now train a computer robot to perform like you in order to practice your skills, and also the option to now view combat in a first-person view if you so chose to. Although, these changes didn't really have a major affect on the importance of upgrading the actual gameplay or gameplay options better. They were kind of more there just to be there, which is why I rank this edition lower than some of the others. Still though, Silent Line was a really good game of its own, and I'm glad to have included it on my list.

47. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
Publisher:
Vivendi Universal
Developer: Black Isle Studios/Interplay
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: January 20, 2004

Let it be known that I was a newbie before I ever ventured into Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II. But then when I began to play the game, I was totally immersed. My newbie ranking disappeared and I became a...Level-2 Newbster. Seriously though, this edition of the Baldur's Gate series is a really addictive game once you get into it. It doesn't have a strong storyline, or even a new and different type of gameplay system. There aren't any particular hot chicks you'll fall in love with. This is a PC styled hack-n-slash action/RPG that laid out a row of six different characters from you to choose from, and then a city called Baldur's Gate where you can buy new weapons and items to bring with you on the missions you'll also find out about from many of the city's inhabitants. The game was addictive in finding all new weapons and armor types, and building up your abilities to strengthen yourself against the many different foes you'll meet along in cavernous and forestry playgrounds. A second player could join in the fun as well. And though the graphics and sound areas of the game weren't technology as impressive as you'd expect from what it could have done, the game was still a lot of fun to play.

46. SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs
Publisher:
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Zipper Interactive
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: November 4, 2003

With its best-selling online game behind it, Sony and Zipper Interactive took the obvious step to bring gamers an update to the PlayStation 2's Network Adapter launch title of SOCOM. Though, I don't think anyone expected SOCOM II to come out so soon. SOCOM wasn't the greatest game, but then it was one of the better ones for the squad-based shooter genre. Taking a step up from its predecessor, the second SOCOM didn't do so much difference gameplay-wise (as its mission structure was very similar). However, its overriding of the PlayStation-like graphics finally looked like they belonged on the PlayStation 2. The sounds were great as usual, even with more variation in languages. With new upgrades to the online play too (in which Zipper made it possible for people to stop cheating), SOCOM II is essentially the better of the two versions of SOCOM, and is the only one that made it to my list.

45. Spider-Man
Publisher:
Activision
Developer: Treyarch
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: April 16, 2002

I don't think anyone can forget how major the first new generation Spider-Man movie was for cinema buffs, comic buffs, and gaming buffs alike. The movie itself produced the highest grossing average ever for the current time frame. And the game itself was a smash success, as this was arguably the best movie-to-game translation ever made. Activision and Treyarch, quick to the chase, actually released the game weeks before the movie came to the picture. For gamers this was big. In the game, like never before, the authenticity of Spider-Man had never been as real. You could do whatever a Spider-Man could do through various indoor settings and in outdoor aerial combat situations with villains like Vulture, Shocker, and the Green Goblin. Graphics for the game were finely tuned to the next level, with sound values being high as some of the actors from the film lent their talent -- which wasn't common at the time for Hollywood actors to step into the roles for the game adaptation too. Spider-Man 2 having released this year was also a good game, but its much higher repetitiveness values can't be matched with the best Spider-Man game ever...this one.

44. Mega Man Anniversary Collection
Publisher:
Capcom
Developer: Atomic Planet/Capcom Production Studio 2
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: June 22, 2004

I've played many a great compilation, and Mega Man Anniversary Collection is definitely one of the best of them. Celebrating Mega Man's 15th birthday (even though his first appearance was in Mega Man circa 1987), this game carries 10 Mega Man games in all. Mega Man one through eight and two bonus games never released before in the states: Mega Man: The Power Battle and Mega Man: The Power Fighters. Also on this disk contains some nice unlockable extras, from a history of the Mega Man series to those Mega Man cartoons from the mid 90's. This collection works well with the PlayStation 2 controller in tow, considering that most of its games are based off the simple NES controller. While the games haven't changed any (not even for you graphic nuts), they don't need to as they were all classics for their time frame, even into today. Obviously, revisiting the past has made for one of the best times I've had on the PlayStation 2 so far.

43. Armored Core 2
Publisher:
Agetec
Developer: From Software
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: October 26, 2000

Being not only the very first Armored Core sequel, this is also the very first next-gen Armored Core game in the long-running mech series. This is where the franchise began to change some big things, though not everything, including in its wider array of parts and weapons. In the game, it was possible now to stow inside parts into your mech design's stomach such as deployable decoy orbs that would attract incoming fire. Graphics and sounds that were improved upon made the definitive benchmark for later Armored Core games to use as their basis. The PlayStation 2 launch didn't have too many refining software titles. However, Armored Core 2 I'd say sat amongst the best of them.

42. Oni
Publisher:
Rockstar Games
Developer: Bungie Software
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: January 30, 2001

I remember waiting a long time for Oni to come out. It felt like decades at times. My skin was crawling with anticipation. This was all because the PlayStation 2 launch had a small handful of great games, and too few of them at that. The "bigger" games that had yet to arrive like The Bouncer and Onimusha: Warlords weren't coming out until March. So basically, Oni to me was the most interesting game that would release before then and would hit stores at the end of January. Oni is an anime-inspired action title that was actually the first and last project from Bungie on the PlayStation 2 before Microsoft bought them. They're the creators of Halo by the way. The great thing about Oni is its uniqueness in that you could perform a number of different combos on enemies, including a move that would steal their gun right from out of their hands and use it on them. Some moves were hard to pull off, though there were lots of interesting science fiction types of weapons and other awesome maneuvers (like flip kicks and such). Graphics for the game weren't high profile, but then again they didn't really need to be. The game's strengths worked on its own gameplay merits, which were both cool and innovative for its time.

41. Soul Calibur II
Publisher:
Namco
Developer: Namco
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: August 26, 2003

Soul Calibur is widely touted as the best fighting game of all time. I haven't played the game, but after enduring the second, I'm not so sure I want to. It's not that I wasn't impressed by Soul Calibur II. However, I wasn't totally satisfied as one might be by a newcomer to this "revered" franchise. Soul Calibur II to me felt more like a base fighter than a highly evolved one. Its levels: small. Its fighting system: not innovative (with its focus being on vertical combat...which to me didn't seem very revolutionary). Its characters however are interesting, with some pretty neat weapon combat. But the gameplay overall -- even with a number of gameplay modes -- didn't keep my interest for long. The graphics here were pretty good, though. As were the sounds. All in all, I'd say this was a good fighting game. Not my favorite, but decent enough to reach a spot somewhere on my list. Oh, and one shout out to Namco: Jin is a hell of a lot cooler than Heihachi!

40. ATV Offroad Fury
Publisher:
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Rainbow Studios
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: February 7, 2001

From the moment I started playing ATV Offroad Fury, I knew it was sort of like the Tony Hawk of racing games. Not a car racer, but instead an ATV one, Offroad borrows the Tony Hawk engine and uses it to make balance of landing ATV's up from the air down. Vaulting your vehicle through the air and landing it was a skill to be mastered in this game. At its time of release, ATV also kind of stood out from other racers since there weren't as many offroad type games back in 2001. At least from what I was aware of. The racing physics were solid, and the courses were fun and great looking as well. Some kicking rock tunes filled the background in addition to all of this. Though not close to being one of the best racing titles of all time, ATV Offroad Fury is one of the best on the PlayStation 2 that I've ever played.

39. Smuggler's Run 2: Hostile Territory
Publisher:
Rockstar Games
Developer: Angel Studios
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: October 30, 2001

Almost precisely a year before Smuggler's Run 2 came into the limelight, Smuggler's Run brought some driving goodness. With Angel Studios' second attempt, they upgraded their system that beforehand while good was messy. The extremely difficult levels posed annoyances nearly every step of the way with outlaws and law officials barring your progress ahead in mostly everything you did. You really had to give 100% every time you raced. The second game eased up this problematic process, added a larger variety of vehicles, and even attached these vehicles with offensive tactics like deploying a mine so that followers stop, drop, and roll out of the way. Heightening the graphics engine too, Smuggler's Run 2 pushed more power into its open-ended environments. Smuggler's Run 2 improved on the first, luckily enough to have made it into one of my PlayStation 2 best spots.

38. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2
Publisher:
Eidos Interactive
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: October 31, 2001

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver on the PlayStation was something of a drag. It's not that the gameplay's idea to have to solve puzzles and combat enemies between two realities wasn't brilliant. It's that the puzzles were awkwardly strenuous. Luckily, that's been fixed when it came to the sequel, Soul Reaver 2. Puzzles here are less severe and more equally balanced to be competent enough for players aching to get to the next area. Things like graphics and sounds are now brought up to speed too, with amazingly surreal realness in the gothic-inspired mood this game pulls off. A boat load of extras also came packaged with the second Reaver, which rounds out well with the game's story of the slain vampire Raziel returned to life to find and defeat his undoer, Kain, who was once his master.

37. Ape Escape 2
Publisher:
Ubisoft
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: July 1, 2003

Originating on the PlayStation before the PlayStation 2's time, the sequel to Ape Escape actually escaped North American gamers for a while. There was a sequel in Japan called Pipo Saru 2 that wasn't actually the "real" Ape Escape 2. This now is that sequel. Ape Escape 2 essentially borrows the concept of catching apes in its predecessor's ways, but adding to that, it introduces things like new tools to trap the apes with, all new ape types, and many new themed levels to explore. Though simplistic, the graphics for Ape Escape 2 are finely tuned for this kind of cartoony platform. Sounds were also on the cute side, with squeaky voices and such. I've never played the original Ape Escape, but this one has a very entertaining and innovative platform concept that I can't help but like.

36. Armored Core 3
Publisher:
Agetec
Developer: From Software
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: September 10, 2002

If I had to choose the best title among all the many Armored Core sequels and expansions available, I'd choose Armored Core 3. This is an Armored Core that sees a lot of new. There is a boatload of extras in weapons and story missions, but more than that, there are now four player gameplay venues and the option to cruise through a mission with selected AI partners. The Arena challenges have also returned, which were strangely removed from the Another Age expansion the year before. To go along with all this, possibly the greatest FMV intro was placed into this version, and as always the graphics and sounds fit right into the stuffed goodie bag this sequel was.

35. Shadow of Destiny
Publisher:
Konami
Developer: Konami TYO
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: March 6, 2001

One of the earliest "really original" games for the PlayStation 2 is Shadow of Destiny. You play as a young man named Eike, who dies in the present, and meets a strange being of time and space, that sends you back through several stages of time to collect clues about your mysterious murder. This is a "whodunit?" murder mystery with plot twists and multiple paths to how the story progresses. You could, for example, use a lighter to scare villagers in the 1800s in one scenario. Or in the same situation you could choose to use a cell phone. Splendidly rendered graphics at the time made this one a winner. Voice work wasn't too shabby either as I recall. Shadow of Destiny was one of the system's first highly overlooked titles. However, this fascinating adventure certainly hasn't slipped my memory bank.

34. Tony Hawk's Underground
Publisher:
Activision
Developer: Neversoft Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: October 27, 2003

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater died. And then, Tony Hawk's Underground came alive. Changing formats, Neversoft (the developers) departed from the "pro" life and went back to the street life where skaters are skaters before they are known. Underground for a first sets its sights on making YOU the star. YOU get to create a character with your own storyline, and YOU get to go from nobody to somebody. Lots of other things made this game cool, where you can now get off your board to climb up to the tops of buildings to perform even more moves, as well as a bunch of create-a-things that have been added...and the ability to slap your own picture onto your skater's face via the Network Adapter. Like any Tony Hawk game, the graphics here worked well. As do the sounds...but then again, Underground's compilation of hip hop and rock classics really depends on the songs you prefer, though -- which can be turned off individually as always. Though I wouldn't say Underground is the best effort Activision has had in its series, it's definitely a unique one that was able to add some freshness toward ridding the fear of the series' stale nature.

33. Quake III: Revolution
Publisher:
Electronic Arts
Developer: Bullfrog
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: March 27, 2001

Quake, one of the PC's greatest of all franchises, had ported its way onto the Dreamcast and then from there onto the PlayStation 2. Though unlike the version Dreamcast owners had, we weren't blessed with online capabilities at the time. Still, Quake III was certainly a revolution with or without that. The same type of rule applied to this iteration. Quake III was the first game in the franchise to take the leap into arena-styled shooting, where the previous two started out in the standard and straightforward line of duties. In the game's arena mode, eliminating enemies around generated maps was the idea, which makes the gameplay a lot more frantic, and fun as well. Graphics and sounds were also a treat as far as I can recall. There was also four-way multiplayer for much friendly competition at the time, which the game in general was a blast just before the PlayStation 2 started seeing the big games of summer in 2001 and beyond.

32. Midnight Club: Street Racing
Publisher:
Rockstar Games
Developer: Angel Studios
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: October 26, 2000

Here's where it all began for underground street racing in video games. Where Rockstar began its road to fame, publishing instant classics like this one right here. As one of the first two titles to ever be brought to the PlayStation 2 system by Rockstar, and both being developed by Angel Studios, I always felt that Midnight Club was the better of the two. Where Smuggler's Run was an interesting racer and action hybrid, letting you traverse across vast land terrain and delivering illegal packages, Midnight Club took to the streets where you had to earn respect from the leaders of the underground Midnight Club. But Smuggler's Run was more annoying, as its difficulty and irritation levels went through the roof. Midnight Club was a hard game to master, sure, but it wasn't as troublesome as having idiot law enforcement violently attempting to block your every escape route. And with some sleek visuals and sounds too, Club hopping was more fun than being on the Run.

31. Red Faction II
Publisher:
THQ
Developer: Volition, Inc.
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: October 16, 2002

Following up on its explosive predecessor a little more than a year later, Red Faction II hit the PlayStation 2 with a bang and a hole in its middle, then the game walked right through this door. Continuing the innovative Geo-Mod technology system, the second game leads on into the future five years after the first game with new blood Alias, a demolition's expert. You take his part in a six-person team of super soldiers, out to destroy the man that once was a leader to these six and now fears their powers. This man is the Chancellor of Earth's democratic force, named Sopot. But when he is destroyed and your team leader and the rest of the crew turn out to be disloyal against Alias' beliefs, he'll join up with the Red Faction to help rid the world of this new evil. Red Faction II is a great game like the first, with marvelous gameplay, graphics, sounds and everything, but things such as the storyline and the fact that the game autosaves at awkward moments make this one less enjoyable an experience. Though, the second Faction still remains a tremendous effort put forth by THQ and the talented people at Volition, Inc.

30. Silent Hill 3
Publisher:
Konami
Developer: Konami TYO
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: August 5, 2003

The scariest video game franchise? You betcha. Konami's Silent Hill started late in the game, following the footsteps of Capcom's Resident Evil that already had two stellar hits in the bucket before Silent Hill came to dump that bucket on the floor and create its own mess. Where the previous two Silent Hill installments had male leads and a more open-ended arrangement of progression, Silent Hill 3 changed that with its first female protagonist, and one with a story that tied into the original's Harry Mason. With the most descriptive visuals yet, and cool new weapons and creatures like the game's first automatic and the tall and flesh-covered things with hammer-like limbs, Silent Hill 3 flows through a linear channel that for another first begins outside the town of Silent Hill and eventually works its way through for a descending reality turned alternate reality. Deciding to take away from the open spaces of the series made the game a little less scary, though. Puzzle solving was also in a way more simplified. But, with a more comprehensive storyline that had interesting plot twists and the series' usual disturbing depth of creepy sounds, aspects like these didn't really affect the game too much.

29. Resident Evil Code: Veronica X
Publisher:
Capcom
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 3/Capcom Production Studio 4
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: August 21, 2001

Before the inevitable release of Devil May Cry, there was the game that packaged the tremendous demo of the game. Resident Evil Code: Veronica X is a port of the Dreamcast version that released a year before its PlayStation 2 outing. But this port is one that has updates, including 10 minutes more of story. It also came with the Devil May Cry demo, and for those that were lucky, a DVD collection of Wesker's log files that categorize his inner dwellings as a traitorous villain. Though not the best Resident Evil game, Code: Veronica was the first to hit the next-generation, and X is the first "official" one to arrive on the PlayStation 2. Its gameplay is similar but different to others, as it follows Claire Redfield escaped from Umbrella's prison on a zombie-infested island. Then into Umbrella Corp. itself. This game also having the first usage of 3D graphics instead of pre-rendered maintains glorious gory still. As the first and only real Resident Evil to follow the story that's come onto the PlayStation 2, it's also one of the best games on the system.

28. Final Fantasy X-2
Publisher:
Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: November 18, 2003

Compared to Final Fantasy X, I feel the first-ever Final Fantasy sequel is a disappointment. Not that Final Fantasy X-2 isn't a great game, it just doesn't meet any expectations I'd want from a Final Fantasy game. Where the first X had a storyline that trailed down a path of depth through all sorts of emotions, the second game's story is lightly touched on as the world of Spira is now light and friendly. And the story is only there if you make it happen, as the only way to get much of a plot in this game is if you continue to beat the game toward its 100% goal. This is because the series is taken into a nonlinear path, where you choose the missions you want to play aside from the few you're required to play. Really, this game can be beaten in only a few short hours if you're not one for wanting to endure the padded missions you may or may not decide to complete. Graphics in Final Fantasy X-2 are even better than the ones in the previous title, just not the sound. For another first, the series' longtime composer Nobuo Uematsu has not applied his talents to the soundtrack, thus weakening it by leaving the leftovers to come up with pop music. Still, Final Fantasy X-2 is a really nice RPG overall, and a must play for those who have already ventured through Final Fantasy X before it.

27. Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
Publisher:
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Insomniac Games
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: November 11, 2003

Now, I've never actually played the first Ratchet and Clank (I did head through the demo, however), so I can't count that in here. But the second game I have gone into the full version of, and the second one I think is Sony's second best platform series. More people it seems find Ratchet and Clank better than Jak and Daxter. I honestly can't see why, when Ratchet and Clank's humor is more kid-friendly and Jak and Daxter's goes all the way. The Jak and Daxter games also focus more on the platforming aspects than they do on the action (even though Jak II has tons more action than in the first). Nevertheless, though, Ratchet and Clank 2 is an excellent action/RPG/platforming hybrid. When I say RPG, I mean it. You get 41 guns to use in this game (considering the new upgrade system), which allows for gallons of originality in weapon designs. The challenges are also great, and the graphics and sound stuff is not bad either (though, the Jak and Daxter series does these things better I think). It's not Jak and Daxter, but Ratchet and Clank 2 is no doubt one of the finest PlayStation 2 games to have graced my system.

26. The Mark of Kri
Publisher:
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: San Diego Studios
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release: July 30, 2002

A surprise to many, The Mark of Kri popped onto the gaming grid from out of nowhere almost. Announced right around E3 time, The Mark of Kri was a new adventure game for Sony that brought gamers into a Conan the Barbarian-styled world. Using attractive cel-shading to give its game a close comparison to an actual cartoon, this bloody brawler also had a unique setup where the brawny warrior Rau had a pet bird that could strategically perch into distant spots in the levels that would allow Rau to see the upcoming dangers ahead. Plotting how to go about sneaking and attacking (in all different kinds of combos with a multitude of melee weapons), this system worked very well for the game, making it one of the year's very best sleeper titles. The same as ICO before it, The Mark of Kri is one of those amazing Sony games few are aware of.

25 Down, 25 More to Go...

Thus reaches the conclusion of the first installment of my very own 50 best PlayStation 2 games list. Tune into next week when Gaming Target bestows the second half upon arrival to find out just how low I can go!



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