The PlayStation 2 is the one of the most iconic video game consoles ever. Despite the success of the Wii and the PS4, the PlayStation 2 still stands supreme. This is largely due to its catalog of games, many of which were critical successes and fan-favorites.
The PS2 represented an era of videogames where developers were pushing graphics and game design to the next level, leaving players in awe of how far technology had leaped in just a few years. While modern graphics blow the early 2000s out of the water, some PS2 games were such graphical feats that they still hold up well today.
8 Ico
Ico was released at the turn of the century as an adventure puzzle game. This cult hit was essentially the precursor to Shadow of The Colossus. The game was a classic rendition of a ‘boy meets girl’ tale but with one caveat: minimal dialogue.
Ico lets its visuals do the storytelling for it. This magical game features beautiful designs, great lighting, and all around unique and breathtaking aesthetics. While the environments aren’t hyper-realistic, they hold up well because of the art direction and striking style.
7 SoulCalibur 3
SoulCalibur 3 pushed the PS2 to its limits graphically. The hit 3D fighting game was one of the most renowned of its time, featuring clean fighting game mechanics, a unique setting, lots of different playstyles and characters for players to sink their teeth into, and finally, a solid story.
What really set SoulCalibur 3 apart was its graphics. While 3D graphics don’t usually age well, the ones in SoulCalibur 3 still look decent. The characters’ actions and special abilities all flow well and lack the rough and janky feel many fighting games at the time had. The stage designs are brilliant and blend well with the character models and special moves, making for a good visual experience.
6 Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus was a revelation. This action-adventure game featured stunning visuals, bolstered by the massive colossus enemies that players must fight through.
The Colossi were truly a spectacle, but what truly pushed this game to its status as a cult mainstay was the large sprawling empty environments, almost haunting in their appearance. Despite the recent remake, the original PS2 title still holds up well.
5 Metal Gear Solid 3
The MGS series is renowned for pushing boundaries and being truly innovative. Kojima and company truly paved the way for storytelling and character development in this espionage thriller series. MGS3 was also famous for its amazing graphics, which truly pushed the limits of graphical fidelity at the time.
The cutscenes, character models, and CGI were all top-notch. This was amplified by the motion capture the game used to draw out characters and environments realistically. The developers paid attention to everything about the background environments and pushed the game into feeling like a blockbuster spy movie. It has definitely aged well.
4 God Of War 2
The God of War series has risen to new levels of commercial and critical success with the last two installments. But the original trilogy was no laughing matter either. God of War 2 in particular was one of the most iconic games of the PS2.
God of War 2 featured solid massive spectacles of boss fights with huge, sprawling environments. The entire game was cinematic on levels not seen before in video games. The sound, art direction and design were all top-notch. This game paved the way for a new era of video game graphics and set pieces.
3 Gran Turismo 4
Gran Turismo is a mainstay PlayStation series and has been on nearly every PlayStation device since its inception, even though the series might not be as flashy and popular nowadays as Forza. Most entries in the franchise were excellent, and Gran Turismo 4 in particular was one of the best racing games on the PlayStation 2.
Many players consider this the best game in the series. It features over a hundred years of automotive history, and cars from every era are featured. They are all designed to perfection, with attention given to every detail. Many cars had their own distinctive looks and feels, which was unheard of at the time. The key thing, however, was that the racetracks, the environments, and the cars all looked amazing for the time, and they still hold up to this day.
2 Silent Hill 3
Silent Hill 3 is a terrifying game, arguably the scariest in the series. The game follows Heather, who has now grown up, and how she deals with her nightmares around the town of Silent Hill. Players must escape the order cult and escape the hilltop, among other sequences.
The entire game is a massive trial for Heather as she is tormented in this psychological horror masterpiece. The monsters are truly terrifying and hold up very well, and the characters are also well-designed. Each room, hallway, and crevice lurks with beautiful danger. This game was special, and part of that was because it was a graphical marvel.
1 Okami
This action-adventure game features a Japanese Goddess of the Sun on her quest to save the land from Orochi, an eight-headed demon. The game took a ton of inspiration from Japanese folklore. Okami had a unique art style, especially at the time featuring cell shading and traditional Japanese scroll art.
While the game was somewhat restricted by the PS2’s limitations, it made the best of it, featuring a unique Japanese watercolor art style that made the visuals vibrant and memorable. The graphics were a part of the game through the celestial brush as well. Okami remains one of the best-looking games ever made, and the recent remaster made it even better.