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15 Amazing PS2 Games That No One Remembers

Ravi Sinha — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 12:27:05 +0000

Among the hallowed eras of console gaming, the PlayStation 2 is considered one of the greatest. It brought us so many acclaimed titles in series like Metal Gear Solid, Grand Theft Auto – the list goes on.

However, several other titles, some underrated and others outright ignored, deserve to be remembered. It could be the port of a PC title or that one legendary movie tie-in that no one else remembers. Let’s dive into them.

The Thing

Trying to make an impact in the survival horror genre, especially with juggernauts like Silent Hill and Resident Evil around, is no easy task. Nevertheless, The Thing had interesting hooks, like the Fear/Trust system. If an NPC believes you were The Thing, they could attack, but even if unsure, they’d remain distrustful and ignore orders. They can also become scared, lash out, commit suicide or die from heart attacks. It wasn’t perfect, but The Thing presented a tense atmosphere with strong environmental variety.

10 Games from the 2000s That Deserve A Remake

Shubhankar Parijat — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:32:11 +0000

The games industry as a whole seems to have suddenly realized that remaking games is, more often than not, a successful venture. Like any idea that catches on, that has led to a little bit of saturation, with a number of examples of games getting remakes even if they don’t need one, but more often than not, the remakes that do end up getting made are exciting reimaginations of classics. The 2000s decade is quickly becoming the prime era for companies to look at games that can be modernized and brought forward to contemporary audiences, and here, we’re going to take a look at a few games from that period that we feel should get remade. Given the nature of this feature, we’ll obviously be avoiding talking about games that are already strongly rumoured to be getting remakes or remasters, so if you notice omissions like Metal Gear Solid 3, Silent Hill 2, Metroid Prime, and the like, that’s why.

DEUS EX

The Embracer Group will soon finalize the acquisition of the vast majority of Square Enix’s North American business, which will include the Deus Ex IP and the studio responsible for it as well. And while that acquisition is, of course, going to lead to a new Deus Ex game down the line, the Embracer Group has made it clear that it might develop remakes in its newly acquired franchises as well. And a remake of the original Deus Ex would, honestly, be perfect at this point in time. The game was absolutely legendary when it came out and remains an all-time classic to this day, but like any game from that period, it hasn’t aged particularly well. Remaking it from scratch with modern-day visuals, a large world to explore, and gameplay mechanics that are more in line with Human Revolution and Mankind Divided, would be an exciting prospect.

Ico is a Game “That Changed My Life,” Says Hidetaka Miyazaki

Usaid — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 11:03:58 +0000

Sony Japan’s incredibly ambitious Ico was released in Japan 20 years ago, and on the occasion of the game’s 20th anniversary, a Famitsu article has detailed the impact that the game has had on many of industry’s finest talents, including but not limited to Hidetaka Miyazaki, FromSoftware’s head honcho and director of the likes of Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and the upcoming Elden Ring.

Miyazaki says that the game was a moving experience for him, which ultimately motivated him to leave his job at the company he was working for at the time and begin working for FromSoftware. The Famitsu article also includes similar tributes from other renowned developers of the industry such as Yoko Taro, Masahiro Shakurai, and a few others.

“On a personal note, after graduating from university and starting a new job, I was away from games for a while when I happened to play Ico at a friend’s house on a recommendation,” Miyazaki said (as translated by VGC).

“It was a beautiful, untold experience and story that I had never imagined, and I’m very sorry to my friend, but I was quietly moved and silent. And that’s when I left the company I was working for at the time and started working for FromSoftware. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was the game that changed my life, and I’m proud that it was Ico and it was Mr. Ueda’s game. Congratulations on the 20th anniversary of Ico, Mr Ueda. As a fan, I’m looking forward to your new games. The mythology that runs through your games, including Ico, has always been a goal of mine.”

Legendary game director Fumitu Ueda – who directed Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian – is most famous for his design-by-subtraction philosophy, which entails ruthlessly chopping any and all elements of a game that don’t resonate with its core goal. When Ico was in development at the now-defunct SIE Japan Studio, the game had a more complex combat system, dedicated progression mechanics, and other things that were cut out in favor of making a tight game.

15 Best Games of 2001

Ravi Sinha — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 12:07:22 +0000

Video games have gone through their share of changes and evolutions over the years. Nevertheless, it’s always nice to look back and appreciate the games of old which either shaped genres as we know them today or provided unforgettable experiences. So two decades later, let’s take a look back at 15 of the best games from 2001.

Halo: Combat Evolved

From being a third person shooter on the Mac to a first person shooter exclusive to Xbox, Bungie’s IP saw its fair share of changes. When it debuted, it presented incredible gun play, well-crafted missions and large sandbox-like levels that rewarded all kinds of play-styles. All of this along with Marty O’ Donnell’s stellar score turned Halo into a juggernaut and Microsoft into a venerable gaming force for years to come.

15 Most Underrated PS2 Games of All Time

Ravi Sinha — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 11:51:17 +0000

The PlayStation 2 is one of the most successful consoles of all time, selling over 155 million units in its lifetime. It was home to a number of classic franchises, from Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo to God of War and Grand Theft Auto. However, there are a number of titles from the PS2 era that either didn’t perform well commercially or aren’t really appreciated in the present day. Let’s take a look at 15 of them here.

Ico

Are you tired about hearing how underrated Ico was (and still is)? Well, we’re not tired of saying it. Developed by Sony Japan Studio and Team Ico, the story of Ico and Yorda – told deftly through minimalist dialogue and incredible aesthetics – is still underappreciated. In terms of animation, presentation and puzzles, Ico was ahead of its time in 2001. It’s still a shame that it only sold 700,000 copies worldwide as of 2009.

15 Amazing Single-Player Games You Probably Missed

Ravi Sinha — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 12:35:29 +0000

Defining an underrated title can be tough, as some games review well without lighting sales charts on fire while others are underappreciated in the critical sense. There are also titles which remain under the radar due to the lack of marketing budgets but survive thanks to word of mouth. Let’s take a look at 15 of these games in the single-player space and what makes them special.

Nex Machina

Housemarque, better known for the arcade shooter Resogun, released an arguably superior follow-up in Nex Machina. The latter is more of a top-down shooter akin to Robotron and Smash TV, and had Eugene Jarvis – who designed both – as a consultant. The result was an intense, action-packed arcade title with heaps of particle effects, great bosses and excellent areas. Unfortunately, Nex Machina and Housemarque’s other arcade title Matterfall reaped so little success that the developer proclaimed the arcade genre dead and focused on more mainstream genres.

15 Most Unfair Checkpoints in Gaming History

Ravi Sinha — Mon, 13 May 2019 09:18:02 +0000

Checkpoints and save points in video games can be rather underrated. You don’t really notice their importance until they’re gone…or unless some they’re spaced, forcing you to go long stretches without dying. Let’s take a look at 15 of the most unfair checkpoints in gaming.

Blood Stained Sanctuary – Cave Story

The Blood Stained Sanctuary is truly the toughest challenge that Cave Story has to offer. It has three sections filled with death spikes, falling blocks and respawning Butes. By the time you get to the end of the third section, it’s a battle with the first boss Heavy Press. But wait, there’s more! You then proceed down a passage to face the toughest boss in the game, Ballos with his four phases. Now make sure you do all of that in one go or you have to start from the beginning.

15 Games That Are Unlikely To Receive A Direct Sequel

Ravi Sinha — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 07:00:49 +0000

Sequels, whether we like it or not, are the essence of pop culture. Where would the spectacle of Avengers: Infinity War be without all the previous Marvel movies? Such is the case with video games but not every game can see a continuation. Whether it’s development troubles, a focus on other projects or the story being wrapped with the last game, here are 15 games that may never get a direct sequel. Never say never but don’t hold your breath either.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Yes, we had Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain but those were prequels. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was a spin-off that focused on Raiden (and was somewhat confirmed as non-canon by creator Hideo Kojima). As it stands, Metal Gear Solid 4 offered the most complete ending for Solid Snake possible as he embraced the desire to live for himself despite all the trauma faced. There’s also all that jazz about the Patriots being defeated, Meryl getting married and everyone generally living happily ever after as well.

GenDesign Chose Kowloon Nights For Creative Freedom, Fumito Ueda Explains

Ashish Isaac — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 12:37:58 +0000

Fumito Ueda is best known for his workson games such as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, and he is leading GenDesign as they work on a new title that is funded by the game fund known as Kowloon Nights. We’ve already heard quite a bit about this game, including about how it wouldn’t have been possible to make it a few years ago, and about how it is quite an ambitious project. Ueda-san has now explained why exactly they’ve chosen to partner with Kowloon Nights for this project.

Speaking to EDGE Magazine (November 2018, Issue 324), Ueda-san explained that working with Kowloon Nights has granted the developers a lot of creative freedom for their next game. He stated, “We’re able to explore the core of our next game with a high degree of freedom. As a game developer, I want to concentrate on the creative aspects and not have to field requests from others about what type of game to make or what genre to pursue. We partnered with Kowloon Nights because they met my strict conditions surrounding creative freedom. Our aim is to create something of a similar scale to our previous titles, and to continue pushing the envelope.”

Kowloon Nights is an investment fund that provides financial assistance to independent game developers. However, GenDesign is still on the lookout for a publisher for their new game. That said, the most pressing concern for the team now is finding the required talent. Ueda-san stated, “One aspect that I’m not satisfied with at the moment is the struggles we have in finding new talent. While we have excellent staff that know how to work with me and help realise the ideas I come up with, we need to fill the ranks of the team. That’s our most immediate need.This creates a difficult climate for GenDesign to recruit top tier talent who want to make great games.”

If you are wondering why GenDesign didn’t just go with crowdfunding, it’s because it didn’t meet their specific needs. Ueda-san explained, “While it works great for some creators, I think the requirement to give backers frequent updates just wouldn’t fit my way of working.” Hopefully, we’ll get to know more about GenDesign’s new game soon enough.

15 Bosses That Will Never Be Defeated Unless You Use A Secret Trick

Ravi Sinha — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 12:18:57 +0000

Ever encountered a boss that you couldn’t beat by thwacking, slashing or shooting it a bunch? Did you ever need a eureka moment or the aid of some little trick to properly vanquish a foe for good? Such boss fights are more common than you’d think so let’s look at 15 bosses that you’ll never beat without a hidden trick or two.

Fool’s Idol – Demon’s Souls

Generally considered one of the easier bosses in Demon’s Souls, the Fool’s Idol has her fair share of tricks. She’s surrounded by prisoners and can create fake clones to throw you off. While the trick to beating her is to identify the right Idol, there is one more wrinkle to take care. There’s actually a prisoner who will keep healing the boss so it’s best to find and kill him beforehand before taking on the boss.