Welcome to this article about the Must Play PlayStation 2 Games that you can play with a Premium Subscription. We have been hard at work trying to select some Must Play PlayStation 2 Games that you can enjoy with a Premium subscription. This time we look at some pretty well-known titles all the way to some you might have never heard of before, there should be something for everyone to enjoy from the mid-2000s.
Jak II
We wanted to kick this selection off on a high point and since we have addressed Jak 3 in our Heroes selection and Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy in our Kids Selection we felt that Jak II needed some attention. Set after the events of the first game Jak, Daxter and Friends are thrown into a futuristic city where Jak is captured and tortured for some time.
After being rescued by Daxter, the duo find themselves helping a young boy in the city and eventually find their way to the resistance. A Resistance that is fighting against the Evil ruler Baron Praxis, who has his Crimson Guard around the city. In the Resistances base, the heroes learn that they aren’t in the world they knew and they are some centuries into the lands they once called home. With a new determination to put an end to Baron’s plots Jak & Daxter set out to put an end to the misdeeds the Baron has been a part of. Concluding in them coming face to face with the MetalHead leader and learning truths that neither wants to know of.
Developed by Naughty Dog and published in 2005, this amazing sequel to The Precursor Legacy is worth a chance for no other reason than to hear Jak talk and see all the crazy ideas Daxter can come up with. Including an entirely new world and a new set of rules to play with, Jak II Renegade is an adventure to remember.
Dark Cloud
The prequel to the better-known Dark Cloud 2/ Dark Chronicles, this adventure tells the story of the Dark Genie who is the end boss of the second game. Playing as the sole surviving member of his village players take control of a hero whom they name and rebuild the world that the Dark Genie has devastated.
The game plays much like the sequel, if you are familiar with it, however, the mechanics are a little more dated and rough than what you get with Dark Chronicle. The core of the game is still about the rebuilding of the land after the Dark Genie has destroyed it, however, there are a band of heroes that assist the protagonist with this task.
Developed for the PS2 and released back in 2001 by Level-5, this addition to gaming history was interesting back when it first surfaced. The fact that the game is mainly an action RPG and emphasizes that throughout the adventure, it also has a strong core world-building foundation, both of these were relatively new ideas that got merged into a fantastic adventure.
Rise Of The Kasai
Technically the sequel to The Mark Of Kri, and released under the same premise where great warriors who protect the mark must prevent the world from falling. Unlike its predecessor, The Mark Of Kri, Rise Of The Kasai takes place over both the Past and the Future, which can be rather confusing to sit through.
The story revolves around the old and the new generation preventing the rise of evil forces using the Mark of Kri to dominate the world. The game plays out much the same as the original and although clunky for a game now, it is still enjoyable to play. Although it looks like a dated game, the graphics in this case where not the draw, the way the game plays is interesting and deserves some attention.
Developed by BottleRocket Entertainment, a now pretty unknown studio in games since its closure in 2009, this title was released in 2005, and stands as a pretty good game to play through even today. The addition of Trophy support for this fantastic title, and the fact it plays on the PS5 means you can enjoy the game even on the latest tech.
Rogue Galaxy
Much like our second selection, we have another game by Level-5, unlike Dark Cloud however this selection is a Sci-Fi adventure with an Action RPG aspect. Fantasy is alright but sometimes we need a sci-fi game, which isn’t a more Final Fantasy-type adventure.
The game plays out like Dark Cloud/ Dark Chronicle where you battle on your terms rather than taking turns like it appears. Much like any Level-5 game the draw for me, was the artistic style, Where it isn’t anything really special it does kind of feel anime-like. The animations of the face are handled separately from the typical opening mouth and blinking eyes that affect the rest of the face in other games, This is no different, however, the way it is handled feels more real to the character.
Developed by Level-5 and released in 2005 in Japan only, the rest of the world needed to wait a further 2 years for a chance to play this incredible tale in 2007. Luckily now it has been rereleased for the PS4 and the world over can enjoy the tale of Rogue Galaxy.
Okage: Shadow King
Our final selection is possibly the strangest one, originally only a Japanese and American-released game on PS2 this title in native Japanese, Boku to Maō, is translated to “Me and the Devil King”. It’s somewhat of a dark name for what seems like a lighthearted supernatural adventure really.
The game is split into chapters and events unfold like a story, being able to pick conversational options and progressing events. Confrontation in the game is encountered through similar means as Atelier where your world state is shifted to a combat state and you engage in battle. Much like the aforementioned Atelier series of games combat evolves through a Turn Based Strategy situation. Players can also pick whether or not to engage enemies in the world, locate treasure and upgrade characters to be more proficient in combat.
Whether it was just me or not, but the hero character of the game, Ari, kind of reminded me of Yoh Asakura from the Anime and Manga franchise Shaman King.
Developed by Zener Works and released in 2001 this game has finally come to the attention of EU players after nearly 15 years. Provided on the Subscription service thanks to Sony this game finally saw a return in 2016, If you have never played this before it might be time to attempt to enjoy an old game that shows promise.
Liked this article and want to see some more must-play games? Then check out some other games to play!
