You Won't Believe Which PS2 Games Have the Best Stories

Summary

The PS2 revolutionized storytelling in video games by offering diverse narratives and enhanced graphics for immersive experiences.
Titles like God of War, Metal Gear Solid 3, and Silent Hill 2 showcased compelling and unforgettable stories on the PS2.
From epic quests to psychological horror, the PS2 offers a variety of storytelling experiences unmatched in the gaming industry.

Following the enormous success of the PlayStation 1, Sony pushed forward with their next-gen successor with a keen eye on the future, as the second iteration of their console would improve on every aspect of the original when it launched on March 4, 2000. Thanks to massively improved hardware, developers would be able not just to improve the fidelity of their games, but also the way that narratives were presented.

While the PS1 was home to some absolutely incredible stories, the enhanced hardware inside the PS2 was able to power some of the most fabled tales in the history of video games. Ranging from postmodern spy thrillers to games that almost felt like interactive novels, the variety of different games and styles of storytelling on the PS2 is still unmatched to this day. These games have been ranked based on their writing and voice acting, as the console was the go-to place for good storytelling during the sixth generation of video game consoles.

12. Ico

Breathtaking Cinematic Adventure Game

Taking inspiration from various anime and manga, director Fumito Ueda and his immensely talented team set out to create a game that felt very different. In a market that was built around highly cinematic, dialogue-heavy stories, Ico was focused on vibes and a sense of place that still, even twenty-four years later, is unrivaled in contemporary times.

Ico is the story of a young boy and a princess named Yorda, two people brought together through fate, as they attempt to escape the castle and free themselves from an approaching darkness that haunts them at every turn. Ico and Yorda are bonded through touch and physical contact, as the world relies heavily on symbolism and would later go on to influence games like Dark Souls and No More Heroes.

11. The Mark Of Kri

Innovative Action Game Features Impressive Story

Developer: San Diego Studio
Platforms: PS2
Release Date: July 30, 2002

After a merger between 989 Sports and Red Zone Interactive that resulted in the creation of San Diego Studio, a first-party Sony studio, the team went to work on what would become their first game. Drawing from various forms of Indigenous and Inuit culture, The Mark of Kri is a story of ancient magic and encroaching darkness, set in a land where bloodshed and brutal executions come fast and furiously.

But it’s the way that The Mark of Kri presents its story that is the most fascinating, as it uses an absolutely gorgeous paintbrush visual style. Each cutscene sees lush, dynamic artwork come to life first as pencil drawings, then filled in with ink and color, all backed by some stellar voice acting and simple, clear writing. It is still one of the most innovative games ever released for the PS2, with a unique combat system based on assigning face buttons to enemies, and it is currently available on PS5 via backward compatibility.

10. God Of War

Kratos’ Quest For Revenge Is One Of The PS2’s Best Stories

The Greek era of the God of War franchise started with a bang, as it depicts a desperate Kratos on the verge of ending his own life, only to show the player just how he reached the lowest point in his life, using that as a framing device to tell one of the most outstanding stories on the PS2. This bloody, gritty revenge tale is set in Ancient Greece, as the gods of Olympus task Kratos with killing the increasingly unhinged Ares in order to be free of the memories that saw him kill his family due to the God of War’s trickery.

God of War features a bombastic story and is one of the most epic journeys seen on the PS2, as Kratos travels to numerous famous locations and battles legendary monsters from Greek myth. Kratos’ raw, unrelenting fury is fantastic, as he is still one of Sony’s most prominent mascots and one of the biggest icons in gaming. The combination of tragedy, revenge and violence helped to elevate God of War as one of the most outstanding releases on the PS2.

9. Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening

Devil May Cry Prequel Reinvigorates The Franchise

After the disappointing critical reception of Devil May Cry 2, which was seen as a downgrade from the first title, Capcom, and director Hideaki Itsuno, took the series back to its roots with the third entry by making it a prequel and re-establishing the tone from the first game. Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening is set ten years before the events of DMC1, where Dante’s complicated relationship with his brother takes center stage, as Vergil looks to open a portal to the underworld and unleash chaos.

Devil May Cry 3’s story is slick and full of trademark one-liners and catchphrases, as the charisma and energy between Dante and Vergil is one of the highlights. It would also introduce Lady to the series, who would become a permanent fixture of the franchise, having players fight her in an epic boss fight before she joins with Dante. Devil May Cry 3 is easily the best story in the entire franchise, as it brought the series back to prominence and set the stage for the future in some outstanding ways.

8. Kingdom Hearts

Star-Studded Crossover Between Disney And Square-Enix

The merging of Square-Enix’s roster of incredible JRPG characters and the huge cast of Disney characters still seems like a fever dream that never existed, but despite its oddball premise, Kingdom Hearts has gone on to become one of the most beloved and influential JRPG franchises of all time. And well before the series was flush with spin-offs and tie-ins, the original Kingdom Hearts was a standout title on the PS2, seeing a young boy named Sora team up with some of Disney’s most incredible characters.

Sora’s journey is filled with twists and turns, as his adventures with Goofy and Donald Duck take him to numerous worlds from the wonderful worlds of Disney. Seeing characters like Winnie the Pooh and Jack Skellington in 3D with Sora and the crew is still an absolute treat, and the way the story weaves humor, heart and the trademark Square-Enix melodrama is fantastic. Kingdom Hearts 1 still feels like the most complete and well-conceived story in the franchise, and is readily available on modern hardware.

7. Final Fantasy 10

Next-Generation Final Fantasy Is One Of The Best Stories On PS2

After flexing their creative and technical muscles on every previous console generation, Square was looking to continue their dominance in the JRPG genre on the PS2. And their first order of business in doing so was creating a next-gen entry in their ravenously popular Final Fantasy series, using the power of the PS2 not just to increase the visual fidelity, but the ability to craft an even more compelling, technically masterful story to go along with it.

With Final Fantasy 10, Square introduced voice acting to the series for the first time, which was huge for the heroes and the villains. Their stories got more complex, as instead of reading text boxes and imagining how a character might feel or sound, these characters had identities and feelings of their own. As players follow the journey of Tidus, a young man escorting a summoner named Yuna on a pilgrimage, their conflicts with a duplicitous man named Seymour and the monstrous Sin, this complicated tale of mortality and the importance of living for the good of others shines as one of the console’s most compelling stories.

6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

The One Who Survives Will Inherit The Title Of Boss

After leaving fans with a devious cliffhanger at the end of the previous entry, Hideo Kojima took the Metal Gear franchise into the past with Snake Eater, chronicling the early days of Snake’s father Big Boss as he begins a slow descent into villainy. Set in the 1960s, during the height of tensions between the US and the USSR in the middle of the Cold War, Snake Eater is a high-stakes spy thriller that deftly blends real-world military history with fictional history.

Before his turn as the franchise’s most iconic villain, Big Boss was a young soldier named Naked Snake, sent on a mission to retrieve a Soviet scientist without creating an international incident, which leads to his betrayal at the hands of his former mentor, The Boss. Now on a mission of revenge to prevent an all-out nuclear war, Snake’s journey sees his entire worldview challenged and causes him to rethink everything he’s ever known. It is still an absolute masterclass in storytelling, as the themes of war and the way allies can become enemies, is just as poignant today as it was in 2004.

5. Silent Hill 2

One Of The Greatest Horror Games Ever Made

The town of Silent Hill has tormented its cast of characters for years, as the fog-drenched hamlet is the central location of Konami’s twisted psychological horror franchise. And while the first game explored the sinister machinations of a doomsday cult known as The Order, Silent Hill 2 took the series in a decidedly different direction, casting the town almost as a living presence that beckons a man named James Sunderland to answer for his horrific crimes.

Drawn to the town by a letter written by his wife Mary, who passed away years prior, James’ trip through Silent Hill is wrought with unspeakable horrors and a sense of imminent dread that other horror games would kill for. Silent Hill 2 was a landmark release for the horror genre, as its focus on trauma and grief was revolutionary, paving the way for more games to do the same, as well as serving as the basis for a complete remake by Bloober Team in 2024.

4. Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver 2

The Epic Saga Of Kain And Raziel Continues

After a legal dispute over the rights to create a sequel to Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen, Crystal Dynamics won the case and went on to create Soul Reaver for the PS1, a third-person action-adventure game that is still impressive to this day. Its commitment to large-scale, complex mythology and spectacular voice acting was commendable, which they sought to improve on the PS2 follow-up that launched in 2001.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 picks up immediately where the first game ended, as Kain and Raziel ponder the weight of their choices and how it may affect their futures. Taking a slightly meta approach, Soul Reaver 2 positions the two leads as architects of their own destruction, as the story relies heavily on the theme of predestination and creates multiple timelines during the game’s final act. It is a game unafraid to let characters just speak, as the Shakespearean writing and impeccable voice acting is still top-notch. And thanks to the recently released Soul Reaver 1+2 Remastered, this masterpiece is readily available on all modern hardware.

3. Silent Hill 3

Silent Hill Returns To Its Roots

After taking the series into a bold new direction with Silent Hill 2, the team at Konami decided to revisit the themes and concepts seen in the original game, as well as bring some closure to many of the loose story threads. Silent Hill 3 feels like one of the most complete and structured entries as a result, and despite being made in less than a year, is still one of the most incredible horror games ever made.

Starring the adopted daughter of Harry Mason, the protagonist from the first game, Silent Hill 3 is still the best story that the franchise has ever told. Focusing on the themes of parental responsibility, motherhood and isolation, Silent Hill 3 was a revolutionary game for the time, as it tackled some pretty dark themes and featured a female protagonist that was unlike the majority of the ones seen in horror games at the time, who tended to lack agency. The writing feels mature without being too edgy, and Heather’s interactions with the charismatic high priestess of The Order, Claudia Wolf, make up some of the most compelling interactions in the series.

2. Final Fantasy 12

The Most Incredible Final Fantasy Story Of All Time

The Ivalice Alliance, a subseries of Square’s epic JRPG franchise, has developed its own cult following ever since it first appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics in 1997. But while it had featured prominently in Tactics and Vagrant Story, it would finally take center stage with Final Fantasy 12, where the fascinating kingdom would be fleshed out even more. Set during a time of war between the global superpowers Rozarria and Archaida, Final Fantasy 12 is the tale of Ashe and Vaan, who reside in Dalmasca, which is situated firmly in the middle of the escalating conflict.

As many Final Fantasy games do, this outstanding title relies on the themes of rebellion and tearing down tyrannical governments, as the alliance forged by Ashe and Vaan leads to them meeting even more fighters for their cause. The undeniable chemistry and charm between the cast is sparkling, as characters like Fran and Balthier go on their own unique journeys throughout the game, and is easily one of the best casts ever seen in a Final Fantasy game. The writing has a sense of weight to it that other games in the series don’t have, as these characters all feel real and their plight has even more stakes as a result. Final Fantasy 12 is readily available on all modern platforms.

1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty

A Postmodern Masterpiece

After the runaway success of Metal Gear Solid for the PS1 in 1998, a sequel was a no-brainer, as series creator Hideo Kojima looked to use the power of the PS2 to supercharge his next stealth-action adventure. But the next chapter of Solid Snake’s story wasn’t just going to be a simple sequel, as Kojima had a plan in mind that would result in one of the most fascinating, endlessly compelling examples of a postmodern video game that one could find.

Taking some influence from Paul Auster’s City of Glass, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty sees Solid Snake and newcomer Raiden go on an odyssey through New York that took some huge chances after the success of MGS1. While another spy thriller in the same vein as the 1998 classic would have been wise, Kojima and his crew concocted a mind-bending trip with the themes of societal change, information control and even swapped protagonists, as Snake was relegated to the sidelines while Raiden took the lead. It is a game steeped in conspiracies and twists, and is easily the most thrilling story that the PS2 ever produced.

2025-03-17 13:44

You Won’t Believe Which PS2 Games Have the Best Stories