Top 15 Best PS2 Hidden Gems

On the PS2 hidden gems were aplenty. The console had such a huge library with some of the biggest titles ever released. Of course some games were going to be overshadowed, and with so many to choose from it can be tough to pan out the hidden gems from the shovelware. It is after all one of the most popular pieces of video game hardware of all time. The PlayStation 2 is one of my most played video game consoles of all time and I’ve amassed a huge collection for it. In this case I was always a fan of the more obscure because I wasn’t the biggest fan of Sony’s first party efforts, Grand Theft Auto, or even the more mainstream RPGs of this era. That’s why today I’ve decided to highlight what I consider to be the best PS2 hidden gems of all time.

Before we get started I’d like to outline some rules I made for myself when deciding which games to include:

• I’ve purposely omitted import games from this list. This is because if included they would absolutely dominate it due to being universally unknown in this part of the world. The games here were all released in North America.
• I gave it my best shot to include games that are still relatively unknown here. Some (God Hand for example) have huge cult followings now and can’t really be considered hidden gems. Others may have recieved a fair amount of hype around the time of release but have since been forgotten.
• Licensed games were also omitted. A few may have slipped through the cracks, but by and large I tried to skip them because they cater more to fans of the specific intellectual properties than gamers in general.

With that out of the way let’s jump in and get going! These are the best PS2 hidden gems in alphabetical order.

Extermination

Survival horror was the new golden ticket by the time the PS2 rolled around. Extermination was an early game released for the platform and tried to monopolize the market by being one of the first of it’s kind on the system. The results were mixed, but I really like Extermination. This game takes place on an Antarctic base overrun by monsters mutated by a virus. This is a third person shooter where you explore the environments, solve light puzzles, and of course fill enemies with bullet holes. The jump to more powerful hardware allowed the developers to ditch pre-rendered backgrounds here. This is both a blessing and a curse. You have no camera control and it simply follows your character leading to some awkward controls. The auto target system alleviates some of the frustration, but Extermination clearly shows it’s age. It’s definitely one of the best PS2 hidden gems.

Gitaroo Man

The PS2 had a lot of quirky and crazy games. Gitaroo Man is the first of these to make this list. It’s likely to be included on any list of the best PS2 hidden gems because it’s fun and had a low production run. This is a rhythm game based on, you guessed it, playing a guitar. It’s particularly interesting because this one predates Guitar Hero by a fair margin. Unlike the aforementioned title this one isn’t designed around any kind of specialty controller. Instead you press the face buttons in unison with the on-screen indicators. Gameplay is set to absolutely crazy action in the background and a great mix of unique music. Seriously, the range of genres is staggering and it all sounds fantastic. I also really like the zany graphics. Gitaroo Man uses a style all its own.

Grandia Xtreme

To be honest I had to use some self restraint to not include all the Grandia titles on this list. I settled on Xtreme because parts 2 and 3 have their fair share of fans, but almost no one even remembers this one exists. Grandia Xtreme ditches the previous focus on storyline and instead is primarily a dungeon crawler. These are such a focus that there’s very little exploration outside of them. They’re also full of puzzles and treasure. The focus here however is on the battle system. Grandia Xtreme uses a more refined version of Part II’s engine. Basically you can attack, and also cancel enemy’s commands in turn based combat. You can even see whose turn is coming up next on a circle gauge at the bottom of the system. It’s the battle system which pushes this one into consideration as one of the best PS2 hidden gems.

Haunting Ground

It’s very interesting that Capcom had their huge Resident Evil series but still decided to release an entirely original survival horror game for the PS2. This is Haunting Ground, and it’s more frightening than anything else they’ve released. You play as a young girl trapped in a dilapidated castle. You gather keys, items, and solve puzzles like in Resident Evil, but combat is entirely different. Thing is the protagonist cannot really fight back. She must hide instead of fight. The enemies will search for her and give chase. This is downright disturbing and anxiety inducing. You do have a dog companion (which you must also train as you play) but in combat he can only distract enemies. It’s a shame Capcom never made this into a series because it’s one of the best PS2 hidden gems of all time. In some ways it’s even better than most Resident Evil titles.

Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil

The Klonoa series has been mostly forgotten. It’s a real shame because 2.5D platformers were a breath of fresh air back then. Klonoa 2 is the greatest title in the series, and clearly one of the best PS2 hidden gems. This game has you playing as the titular fox/skunk character. You have to grab enemies using an orb he throws at them. You can either toss them at other foes, or throw them downward in mid-air for a double jump. There’s a neat focus on puzzles that’s uncommon for this genre. This means some backtracking is required, but it’s never a slog to play. The graphics hold up remarkably well thanks to the cel shading style and colorful art style. Klonoa 2 is easily one of the best PS2 hidden gems. If you haven’t already picked it up Namco actually released a collection of Klonoa titles on modern consoles.

Lifeline

Sometimes I hate Lifeline, but other times I absolutely love it. There’s a good reason for that. Survival horror games were defined by their clunky controls but Lifeline takes this to a new level. You don’t directly control the protagonist. Instead you issue commands to her using the PS2 microphone and watch her carry out the actions. This makes Lifeline the most unique survival horror experience of all time, and also one of the PS2’s hidden gems. Unfortunately Naomi (the protagonist) doesn’t always listen. She tries her best, but the technology just wasn’t there. This makes gameplay ultimately frustrating, but there’s something really addicting about it. The concept is incredible and I hope developers re-visit the idea. For now Lifeline is a one of a kind video game that’s still worth playing.

Mister Mosquito

Yes, this is a video game where you play as a mosquito. With that out of the way it’s easy to see why most gamers passed on this one, and why they still do. That’s part of why this one is a PS2 hidden gem. You can fly in 3D space and the stages are enclosed rooms within a house. Your goal as Mister Mosquito is to suck the blood of the home’s human inhabitants. The problem is you’re a mosquito and as such as prone to be swatted. You have to rely a bit on stealth, and wait for them to get into the best possible positions for you to drain them of their life energy. It’s certainly a unique concept, and the gameplay holds up remarkably well because there’s nothing else quite like it. Give Mister Mosquito a spin if you’re looking for something obscure and off-the-wall crazy.

Radiata Stories

In my opinion the PS2 generation is where Tri-Ace started to go astray. Star Ocean 3 was a huge bummer for me and I started to lose faith in them. I almost didn’t even want to bother with Radiata Stories, but the unique art style and combat system drew me in. Turns out it was great, and the game is still one of the best PS2 hidden gems. This story doesn’t take itself too seriously here. It’s full of jokes that are hit or miss, but I found myself chuckling a few times. This RPG uses a lot of traditional mechanics such as exploring dungeons and traveling to towns, but the battle system is more like Tri-Ace’s typical offerings. Instead of being turn based you can move freely during these encounters and hack away at enemies. It’s similar to, but much better than Star Ocean: Til the End of Time.

Rule of Rose

Rule of Rose was never given it’s fair shake, but now exists as one of the best PS2 hidden gems. Thanks to being released late in the console’s lifespan it had a low print run and now costs a small fortune to acquire. The game throws you into the shoes of 19 year old Jennifer at the turn of the 20th century. You’re tasked with exploring an otherworldly orphanage full of disturbing monsters. The storyline is downright strange and given a lot of exposition here. Because Jennifer is just a regular person she’s not particularly good at fighting. Combat is entirely done in awkward fashion with makeshift melee weapons. Heck, it wouldn’t be a survival horror game if it didn’t have clunky gameplay. There’s nothing else out there quite like Rule of Rose. I just wish it wasn’t such an expensive endeavor.

Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love

This game has the honor of being the first Sakura Wars game localized for North American audiences. Unfortunately it was doomed in the market because it was released long after the PS3, and with no advertising behind it. For all intents and purposes this is actually Sakura Wars 5. It’s a strategy RPG that takes place in an alternative steampunk world. The setting this time is New York City, and it’s your job (as the main character) to whip an old performance theater into shape. By day the characters put on performances, but by night they board giant mechas and do combat with otherworldly demons. I absolutely love the story, setting, style and combat of this one. You move in real-time but take turns during battle. It’s also part dating sim which is weird, but somehow it all works. This is definitely one of the best PS2 hidden gems.

Samurai Western

The Wild West is kind of a boring setting for a video game in my opinion. So how do you spice it up? With samurais, of course! This game is a unique melding of Samurai action pitting you against gun slinging cowboys. This is a 3D hack and slash where you run around well designed environments slicing and dicing foes all the while dodging their shots. The flow of the action and amazing combat system are what make this one a PS2 hidden gem in my opinion. It even has RPG elements and these add a ton to the experience. Between stages you can select which weapon you want to use and they’re fairly different in terms of functionality. Just experimenting with this mechanic was a real treat. If you’ve been looking for the best wild west game on the PS2 this is absolutely it.

Shadow Hearts

The sequels to this game gained some major traction among RPG fans. Unfortunately the original is often overlooked. While it’s not as good as the titles that followed it’s still well worth playing, and can easily be considered a PS2 hidden gem. This is actually a semi-sequel to the PS1 game Koudelka. It takes place in the same world, and even shares some of the characters/events. The focus here is less on survival horror however. The combat system has been completely changed and revamped. It’s more traditional this time around with strictly turn based combat ditching the strategy elements of its predecessor. What’s unique is that to attack you have to perform timed button presses. An indicator goes around on a circular wheel and you have to stop it at just the right time to deal damage. It’s a pretty unique mechanic but works surprisingly well.

Skygunner

Now here’s something a little different in this list. Skygunner is a 3D airplane dogfighting game. You fly around arenas in your ship and blast away at foes. Surprisingly this is the best title of it’s kind on the platform, and it’s easily one of the best PS2 hidden gems. It uses a hyper deformed anime style and the world is absolutely vibrant and colorful. It’s fair to say that Skygunner doesn’t take itself too seriously and honestly that’s one of its greatest strengths. Gameplay is disorienting at first but incredibly fluid. It takes almost no time to get the hang of. The combo system is an absolute treat allowing you to rack up chain attacks. Speaking of attacks you can select one of three characters and they’re armed with a veritable arsenal. This includes machine guns, missiles, and they even each have their own specialty attack.

The Thing

I’m breaking my rule of licensed games, but it’s worth it for The Thing. This is based directly on John Carpenter’s classic horror film and picks up where the original story left off. You play as a group of army grunts sent in to find out what happened to the team on Antarctica. This is a squad based third person shooter where you and a team of NPCs work together to put down the threat. The thing is, every one of your teammates can be taken over by the Thing. You won’t know it until you test them at which point they become a terrifying mutated monster. It adds real tension to the experience, and is more technical than just about every other survival horror title out there. I really like the old movie, and I’m happy to report that the game carries on the same spirit of it.

Vampire Night

In a rather odd move by Sega they released a horror based light-gun game that isn’t House of the Dead. It doesn’t make much sense in my book, but then again nothing they’ve ever done has. Vampire Night is a PS2 hidden gem featuring over the top action, beautiful graphics, and some serious b-movie grade voice acting. The opening sequence with the lake is absolutely beautiful and drew me in immediately. Instead of gunning down zombies and infected animals vampires are the target of this adventure. Vampire Night doesn’t quite reach the same heights as House of the Dead 2 but it’s one of the better light gun offerings made for the PS2. If you’re a fan of Sega’s brand of pew pew action then Vampire Night is a shoe-in.