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The Best PS2 Games on PlayStation 4 (PS4) Now
Was the PlayStation 2 the best console ever? Too bad, it’s gone! But here are some PS2 gems that you can still play today via PlayStation Now.
While it isn’t quite as good as Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Now is still a fantastic service.
One of the many benefits of both services is the ability to go back and play games from previous console generations. In the case of PlayStation Now, this means you get a nice—albeit limited—selection of PlayStation 2 games to play.
Of course, not every PS2 game on PlayStation Now is fantastic, but many of them are definitely worth playing.
Not sure which ones? Here are some of our favorite PS2 games available on PlayStation Now. (And if you don’t have PlayStation Now, consider buying and playing these games anyway!)
1. Red Faction
Red Faction is one of those games that seemed cool when it came out, then didn’t seem so cool in retrospect. Now, nearly 20 years after it was released, this is absolutely a game worth revisiting.
What would’ve otherwise been a generic FPS is uplifted by Geo-Mod technology, which lets you destroy the environment in a way not seen in many shooters of the era.
2. Wild Arms 3
The PlayStation 2 was one of the best RPG consoles of all time. While people might focus on Final Fantasy X and XII, there were tons of other great JRPGs back in the day, including Wild Arms 3.
This game combines JRPGs with a Wild West-inspired world and magical firearms that serve as the base of the game’s combat.
3. Star Wars Racer Revenge
Yeah, people go on and on about the pod racing segment in The Phantom Menace, but it was the basis of a few fun games.
This is one of those games that didn’t review well at the time and you never see pop up in gaming media, but I’ve got tons of friends who still cite it as one of their favorite games of all time.
4. Hot Shots Tennis
While more known for golf, the Hot Shots series made for some of the most enjoyable casual sports games on the PlayStation 2. Hot Shots Tennis is an arcade sports game through and through.
You’re not going to find any sim-style elements here, but if you’re looking to kick back and unwind with a game you don’t have to think about, this is perfect.
5. Rogue Galaxy
Rogue Galaxy was released toward the tail end of the PlayStation 2’s lifespan, so was somewhat overlooked.
This is a criminally undercooked RPG that follows Jaster Rogue and his friends on a galaxy-spanning adventure. With action-based combat and great weapon synthesis, this is still worth sinking your teeth into even now.
6. Ape Escape 2
Ape Escape was originally designed to show the power of the then-new Dual Shock controller for the original PlayStation.
With the second in the series, that gimmick was no longer anything new the team had to focus on making the game itself better than its predecessor.
With the aim squarely on making the best game they could, Ape Escape 2 turned out far better than the game before it and ended up something of a high-water mark for the series.
7. Dark Cloud 2
GameStop
While the original Dark Cloud was somewhat of a Zelda rip-off, Dark Cloud 2 took the series in a more original direction.
With a major focus on crafting and nearly sim-style city building elements, the game features gameplay mechanics you don’t normally see in RPGs. Like many Level-5 games, this still plays well even now.
More Games on PlayStation Now
While the games we’ve just looked at are great, they’re only a small portion of the fantastic games that were released on the PlayStation 2. There are plenty more great games, but you’ll need to actually buy physical copies of them in order to play them.
But you can always take advantage of your PlayStation Now subscription, which grants access to many more games.
