Summary
Over two decades after its launch, thePlayStation 2still firmly remains in the minds of many players, who fondly remember the all-timeclassic games in its stellar library. The first-person shooter genre is itself very well represented on the juggernaut console, with many great series likeCall of DutyandMedal of Honorhaving multiple entries, but the vast majority of these were playable on other contemporary consoles. The same can be said of many licensed games in franchises such asJames BondandStar Wars.
Other exemplary games likeTimeSplittersandKillzonewere initially exclusive to Sony’s best-selling console, but have since been released on more modern hardware, also making them ineligible for this list. Here arethe best FPS gamesthat remain trapped on the PlayStation 2, and may be worth dusting off for another playthrough, ranked based on their overall quality and popularity.
A peculiar spin-off game,Call of Duty: World at War – Final Fronts, was released thanks to the PlayStation 2’s continuous high sales, despite the next console generation being in full swing. Development was outsourced to a different company (Rebellion Developments) than those who createdWorld at War, the seventh console generation counterpart, meaning that the campaign and general gameplay are completely different, even if the setting of thefinal days of World War Twois similar.
The 13 missions are split between four different playable characters from both the U.S. and British Armed Forces, set in various locations on the Western Front in Europe and in many key battlegrounds in the Pacific campaign. Unlike its PlayStation 3 counterpart,Final Frontsfeatures no multiplayer options, which was a gripe for many players at the time, but the main grievances are aimed at the poorly programmed friendly troops, who frequently push the player out of cover or run directly into the player’s firing line.
While it may reside in the shadow of the PS2-exclusive third-person mech shooter,Armored Core 2,Gungriffon Blazeis still regarded by many as a game worth playing. Its predecessors are acclaimed Sega Saturn-exclusive titles, so the fun and fast-paced gameplay inGungriffon Blazecaused somedivision among fans and criticssince its short runtime and general lack of content left players wanting more.
The game is set in 2015 during the Third World War, putting players on the ground in various worldwide locations to battle invading forces with mechs, and rescue civilians who are being terrorized. The AWG mechs can move at incredibly fast speeds, which is useful for avoiding incoming rockets and zooming across the battlefield to thwart any hostiles. The controls are satisfying, and there is a good amount of strategy involved in the missions, which have many ways to be completed, but a lack of multiplayer options is a missed opportunity.
Largely designed with online gameplay in mind,Tribes: Aerial Assaultis anotherfirst-person mech shooterand the third entry in the popularTribesseries. There are five main game modes for players to engage in: team-based modes in the form of Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Capture and Hold; and single-player modes in both Hunter and Deathmatch. Though the servers closed in 2008, there is still a dedicated fanbase that keeps this game alive.
Though online battling is the main focus,Aerial Assaultdoes feature a narrative-driven campaign mode, but it adds little to the overall story of the series. Set in the year 3945 in a region of space known as the Wilderzone, a new genetically modified race called the BioDerm has invaded this tribal area. It’s up to the protagonist, J. Ransom, to battle alongside other space tribes to defeat these enemies in missions that are the same as the game modes found in multiplayer.
A solid game that largely flew under the radar due to its lackluster graphical presentation,Cold Winterfeatures an enthralling narrative andsome very innovative gameplay elementsbut is missing the vivid colors and crisp visuals that would attract a bigger audience. Controlling Andrew Sterling, a James Bond-esque former SAS soldier now working for MI6, players are dragged into a worldwide conspiracy involving arms deals and a shady organization seeking to bring about nuclear winter.
The story itself came in for particular praise from most reviewers, as it contains much more substance and intrigue than many of its FPS contemporaries. Enemy AI was ahead of its time, intuitively reacting to player actions and showing more tactical nous than in most games, even nowadays. Realistic ragdoll physics and the ability to move objects to create cover is incredibly innovative, with objects even reacting to gunfire and explosions as they would in real life.
While it may be an amalgamation ofQuake 3 Arenaand its expansion,Quake 3 Team Arena,Quake 3 Revolutioncontains enoughunique elements to stand out, including a brand-new single-player campaign. This campaign is much more linear than inArenaand seemingly takes place after the events of the PC variant, split into five tiers with five arenas that players must tackle and win in the set order. Match types are more varied too, rather than deathmatches only.
There are five characters to control inRevolution, and successfully beating all the tiers earns the player a battle for freedom against the Vadrigar. Many players lamented the lack of online play, which was not a service offered on the PS2 at the time, but four-player split-screen was and still is a very popular feature among some dedicated fans. New match types inRevolutioninclude Single Weapon Death Match and a Capture the Flag variant with only one flag.
A standalone campaign on theHalf-LifePS2 port,Half-Life Decayis a separate story that occurs simultaneously with Gordon Freeman’s adventure, best enjoyed in co-op. Intended to beenjoyed in split-screen by two players, though with a single-player option where one can swap between the two characters, there are nine missions to complete, featuring some puzzles that require good teamwork and a bonus mission for those who earn an A rating on every mission.
Controlling Colette Green and Gina Cross, two of Gordon Freeman’s colleagues at the Black Mesa research facility, the goal is to contain the outbreak of the invading Xen creatures in the labs. While many feel that it’s not as enjoyable asHalf-Life,Decayis a rather unique experience in the series. An official PC port was in development but never materialized, so it’s worth setting up the old PlayStation 2 to enjoy again over two decades after its release, especially with a friend.
