IGN: The Top 10 Best Looking PS2 Games of All Time

A testament to Ken Kutaragi's Engineering savvy, the PS2, much like the PS3 today, was a system initially lambasted for being hard to code for. Unlike today, the PS2 at this point in the lifecycle was well past being the de facto platform for games releases in its generation, and as such some of the more prolific and tech-heavy developers were capable of making absolutely gorgeous games that managed to supplant even IGN's original 2005 picks in the years that would follow.

[-Alpha]

Ah, back when Playstation fanboys only cared about sales and Xbox fanboys only cared about graphics.

Okami deserves to be on this list and it isn't. Once again artistic graphics are superior to technical graphics. Art never ages. Lack of Okami on this list is embarrassing.

@Aphe

The Xbox was laughed at for even entering the market and was threatened with certain extinction because of PS2 sales domination. On the other hand the Xbox fanboys would argue their machine was the strongest. The tables have turned this generation.

Edit: Of course not, the internet community has grown rapidly since then. The internet is surprisingly young and gaming sites were never as big.

[Aphe]

Eh? Sales weren't an issue back then. That's a recent thing.

EDIT:Maybe in a minor way Alpha, but not on the scale that things like that are argued about now.

EDIT2: I've been online since 1996 Alpha, they didn't argue as much then about petty things, that's a fact. It's only in this last generation that sales have been a topic to argue about.

[RageAgainstTheMShine]

from the 16-bit era of Genesis/SNES to the 128-bit PS2 it was the GAMES that mattered the most!
GAMES define a consoles success not units sold.

Back then everything was in BLACK & WHITE between Sony, Nintendo and Sega and even Microsoft.

But now in the "INFORMATION WARS ERA" everything is GRAY since M$ knows it can't fight on Sony's level so does Nintendo so they became more "creative" to win against Sony.

But it will be hard for both to break a 15 year old "PlayStation tradition." It will take more than the Wii or 360 to break that.

GAMES define a consoles success not statistics. Is more of a physical & spiritual definition. I am glad the PS3 & PS3 gamers are keeping up with this tradition.

[RememberThe357]

It's funny how things change.

But my biggest beef with gamers to date is that none of them picked up Okami. It is my favorite game last generation and deserved to sell much more than it did. I'm glad I was able to have such an enjoyable experience, but I wish I could have shared it with more people.

[The Wood]

clocked the pirate last gen (dont shoot)

great game...can i say wonderful without looking soft...trust me i put hours into that... Did anybody pick up the triple bomb...I only managed to get the double bomb

[Hakimy]

Like aphe said,sales weren't an issue back then.same as the days of the SNES/Genesis. This whole sales/graphics thing came out this gen.But I agree with you about Okami.It should have entered the list.Okami is art ;)

Edit:Alpha,it seems that you forgot that there was another console,the Gamecube (didn't mention Dreamcast cus it died early) and the Gamecube had better graphics than ps2 so are you going to say that ps2 fans used the sales argument with gamecube fans? then what did gamecube fans and xbox fans said about each other? like I said back then it was all about games your console had ;)

[HolyOrangeCows]

You WOULD go and make the first comment about TEH FANBOIS!! and throw the comments section off-track, Alpha. GTFO.

[-Alpha]

That wasn't my intention. You're the one dwelling on it and making it into a big deal Cow. I stated a simple observation. Don't blame me if other people are going to make off-topic replies about it. Why are you so angry over it?

@Aphe

You may have been online since 1996 but a large majority of the world wasn't. I never said that it was a big deal back then, so what's up with your comment? I'm saying the shoe was on the other foot last generation yet your saying it wasn't on the same level. I never denied that, so what's your point in relation to what I'm saying?

[Simon_Brezhnev]

Well that is just like him he acts like a Sage.

[Aphe]

I'm saying that fanboys weren't talking about what you said they were talking about because as you said the internet wasn't as big as today Alpha, they weren't talking about stuff like that, because today is a different kettle of fish.

Back then there wasn't the fanboyism of today, people just talked about the games. There wasn't as much talk about graphics and sales, there was rivalry but nothing like now.

The differences are quite major, so I was saying that I've been online since then and have noticed how it has changed. In ps2 times there wasn't as much mud slinging as there is now. Sales just didn't come into it.

So really, how can you say what Playstation fanboys and Xbox fanboys cared about?

[HolyOrangeCows]

You wanna know why it makes me angry? Because people like you are why every discussion about games on the internet turn into console war crap.

Get your mind out of the gutter and think about something that isn't fanboys and the console wars for ONE ARTICLE.

[-Alpha]

@Aphe

Why are you acting as if fanboyism didn't exist last gen? You are telling me that I can't say what PS/Xbox gamers cared about as if what I'm saying is wrong. Let me direct you to the history of forums for gaming communities like Gamespot where gamers labeled Xbox gamers Lemmings-- why? Because it stood for something not lasting long. Xbox was meant to die because sales were poor. Are you really denying that fanboyism didn't EXIST or are you saying it didn't exist AS much? which one is it? Your comment continues to be completely irrelevant to what I'm saying. Your assuming Xbox and Playstation wars didn't exist as if all that was talked about was games. That's not true at all, I hope that's not what you are saying.

And Cows, please show me where I turned it into a WAR. I stated one simple observation and YOU decided to interpret the wrong way, so get YOUR mind out of the gutter buddy. I pointed out how the tables have turned since last gen, I never once picked a side or said, "look at these fanboys here". Don't get pissy just because I start a conversation that you have a problem with.

[kjordanreyna]

so whats your point...here?

[redDevil87]

Why start the first comment off by talking about fanboys :|

I remember seeing a gigantic Ares smashing Greece for the first time in GOW1. I never thought i'd see something like that in video games.

[Solidus187-SCMilk]

If you like video games being an extreme fanboy is counter productive.

[cmrbe]

if thats the case then why do you find every PS fan here at least hyping TLG?.

ICO sold less than 500k last gen and yet it didn't matter because SALES NEVER MATTERED TO PS FANS!!.

Its not PS fans that hyped how many copies of GT3 sold in 1 day.

Its was not PS2 fans celebrating Halo 2 first day sales being the biggest entertainment opening in 1 day back then. I still don't know what the big f*king deal is. Halo 2 was still crap.

No it was folks like you that are still celebrating useless figures and now you have the nerve to pin it on PS fans?.

Go take your bullcrap somewhere else.

[Jack-Pyro]

The fact that Okami, which is arguably the best looking game "artistic wise" of the last generation, and hell, maybe even of all time, isn't present, is nothing short of an embarrassment.

The watercolor effects and overall art style of Okami are still in my mind superior to just about everything that's been put out in recent memory.

Shame on you IGN, where the hell is your brain, perhaps up your rear end where your integrity is as well. >= (

[Nicholas Cage]

god of war 2. manhunt. shadow of the collosus, ico, gta vice city, devil may cry 1, resident evil code veronica, resident evil 4, final fantasy 13, killzone, killswitch, and socom 2.

[Nicholas Cage]

i remember it was all about the games. not teh sales!

[Slimshadyn]

oops

[Redempteur]

MGS3 is really better looking the mgs2 ...

EDIT : anyway they missed some other game in this LIst IMO

[Tempist]

Good call.... As it's their list and their opinion. How about you make your own list and have your own opinion.

[Sir_Ken_Kutaragi__]

+ I can think of LOADS more to. Ahh...the PlayStation Brand ALWAYS delivers!!! ;)

[sikbeta]

Glad to see you here Ken...

O-T:

GOW2
SoTC
MGS3
MGS2
RE4 [can't be compared to the GC version, but looks Good]
ICO
...

[BaronBullion]

I hate IGN

[SKCShifty]

Great list.

[gersh]

Ico was amazing. I still need to pick up Odin Sphere.

[Relientk77]

Wait their top 10 list does not include Final Fantasy XII

how? the graphics in that are ridiclous

[boysenberry]

The PS2 was a beast!

[Akagi]

I'm gonna throw Sly Racoon up there and I don't care what you think.

[Aphe]

I've never played Shadow of the Colossus, I'd love an HD update for that. I hadn't played GOW until this year when I got the collection, I've heard a lot about this game, would be worth updating if it's anything like the quality of GOW.

[C L O U D]

Those days were good.
SDTV's I will never forget about you...

[Marceles]

Kinda surprised Kingdom Hearts isn't on the list

[kjordanreyna]

It's easy to make a great looking game, if you try hard enough. Making games that exude uniqueness in its art and with the world IT creates is tough. Games like Okami and Sotc are were probably some of the most impressive display of graphics.

[Abriael]

Yakuza 2 should have definitely been in that list.

[-MD-]

I remember Manhunt looking particularly good last gen...

[Qbanj69]

ZOE2 should be #1 in my opinion.

This game blows anything out of the water, even GOW2 in terms of particle effects.

[Solidus187-SCMilk]

I thought the first one was good but the 2nd was a huge improvement still.

[Homicide]

Valkyrie Profile 2 looks amazing especially when you're in a town.

Why is FFX on the top 10? Sure the CGI cutscenes look great, but the game's graphics aren't the best, not even top 10. FFXII or Kingdom Hearts 2 should take its place.

[wissam]

IGN is a joke. and in the age of ps2 I didn't care about sales. but the ps2 has a library of games that was able to put 2 consoles to shame and that's what I cared about.

[tunaks1]

no Okami?
how about Kingdom Hearts 2? The Pirates level looked gorgeous

[George Sears]

I remember playing Xenosaga for the first time and the graphics were pretty good.

[jalen247]

Shadow of the Collossus and GOW II are show piece titles for the PS2. They put a lot of current gen titles to shame in terms of visuals, gameplay, story, and scale.

[burst1]

man those mgs3 weeds were amazing, just amazing...

[cmrbe]

Most if not all are PS2 exclusives.

New gen, same story.

[Figboy]

on the PS2 graphically

God of War 2
Metal Gear Solid 3
Ico
Shadow of the Colossus
Kingdom Hearts 2
Final Fantasy XII
Resident Evil 4
Odin Sphere
Okami
Ratchet and Clank (in particular Up Your Arsenal)

those are just a few that i thought were really great looking games, and encompassed what the PS2 could pull off graphically.

[NnT3291]

Only Exclusive ? i think Black and Re4 are the best looking games on ps2

[BannedForNineYears]

Ehhhhhh, I wouldn't have put FFx on there. xD
The CGI scenes were great, but you might as well play a movie and say the graphics are great. -_-

[jjesso1993]

and just remember all this was done 333mhz processor and 32mb ram.