PS2 PS2 Hidden Gems

[themoon]

Automodelista is a beautiful and overlooked arcade racer

 

[RebelofDaNeonGod]

Lemme give you some REAL shit. some ACTUAL obscure games, like Tsugunai, Yanya Caballista, Azumi, Iru..., and Septerra Core.

 

[thanonyx thanonyx]

Dual Hearts is an amazing action adventure game that didn't get the attention it so richly deserved.

 

[Eclipse14]

Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land. An early PS2 game, but definitely my favorite one from that period.

 

[RedNin3]

- Front Mission 5: I will never forget when I found out, as a teen, that my favorite Strategy Mech game had a sequel (Front Mission 4), and that it was not even in English at that moment.
- Jak X: really fun kart-style racing game that everyone seems to forget when it goes away from their sight.
- Ar Tonelico, Mana Khemia, and Atelier Iris: they aren't THAT hidden, but people just completely ignore them most times when you talk about PS2 JRPGs, it's all FFX and KH (ugh) or nothing.
- God Hand: can this one be considered hidden anymore?
- R-Racing Evolution: Weird physics sometimes, but a good GT-like try, also it has nice -plots-
- Naval Ops: Warship Gunner and Warship Gunner 2: both start like a weird proto-World of Warships and end up as Naval Dynasty Warriors.
I might have more, but these are the ones on top of my brain all the time.
Edit: GLADIUS: how could I forget that random Lucas Arts RPG? Might not be the best, but damn it had some nice stuff in it.

 

[themoon]

[...]
Edit: GLADIUS: how could I forget that random Lucas Arts RPG? Might not be the best, but damn it had some nice stuff in it.

Gladius was dope.

 

[GrimRiven]

Not necessarily a hidden gem in Europe, but largely unknown outside since it was PAL exclusive is Asterix & Obelix XXL 2. The first game , which is also great, was released in the US, but not this one. It is an excellent action-adventure game with tons of colourful environments, fights against loads of Romans, and video game references. It was remastered, alongside the first one, for current consoles and PC, and is available to buy in all regions. I highly recommend it!

 

[Auriiya]

Orphan
Tears to tiara
Dark cloud

 

[thanonyx thanonyx]

Not necessarily a hidden gem in Europe, but largely unknown outside since it was PAL exclusive is Asterix & Obelix XXL 2. The first game , which is also great, was released in the US, but not this one. It is an excellent action-adventure game with tons of colourful environments, fights against loads of Romans, and video game references. It was remastered, alongside the first one, for current consoles and PC, and is available to buy in all regions. I highly recommend it!

View attachment 10120

I like how the enemies in that game were parodies of other video game characters.

 

[Viviana Santos]

Post automatically merged: Jan 10, 2025

 

[nachito]

 

[ThatsNotRich]

Uhm. Frequency , Auto Modellista , Tokyo Extreme Racer Zero & 3. Twisted Metal Black. Capcom vs SNK 2

 

[KillerJesusXo]

Ok, so I know the series as a WHOLE is popular now but this game in particular I feel is a hidden gem.


Tales of Legendia, I literally never hear anyone talk about this game even when the Tales series is mentioned. The main 2 I hear all the time from this era is Abyss and Symphonia

 

[Glimbo]

I will continue to shill these two games.

Drakan: The Ancients' Gates
Open world action-adventure with a little RPG. Explore on foot and with a dragon. One of my favorites.

Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat
Like Drakan but instead of flying a dragon you sail a ship.

 

[Auriiya]

Stellar deus the gate of eternity

 

[Tonberry]

Gregory Horror Show is apparently still slightly obscure, especially if you're not from Europe or Japan since it was only ever released in those two regions, I think?
In any case it's a fantastic, weird survival horror game based on a japanese TV show. It has a really cool atmosphere where your objective is to collect souls of various guests trapped in the same hotel as you, while avoiding their wrath, in order to escape.

As a kid it was really mysterious and eerie, and felt gigantic.

 

[themoon]

Gregory Horror Show is apparently still slightly obscure, especially if you're not from Europe or Japan since it was only ever released in those two regions, I think?
In any case it's a fantastic, weird survival horror game based on a japanese TV show. It has a really cool atmosphere where your objective is to collect souls of various guests trapped in the same hotel as you, while avoiding their wrath, in order to escape.

As a kid it was really mysterious and eerie, and felt gigantic.

View attachment 11406

We weren't lucky enough to get this in North America. I didn't play it until adulthood. It's a good one though, truly bizarre and a staple of the era. Heard there was a mobile sequel.

 

[Viviana Santos]

 

[Auriiya]

I dunno if zero/fatal frame series counts but one of my favorite series of all time.

 

[ThatsNotRich]

I was thinking

Shadow of the Colossus
was one of those games I kind of wished they would have waited for PS3. The game was huuuuge. You seemed as big as an ant compared to the enemies you face. Great Game

 

[Seishiro]

 

[Bakuma1997]

Nobody has mentioned it, so behold, perfection

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

Not sure if it's a great game but I enjoyed it

Nobody has mentioned it, so behold, perfection

I'm glad there's a remake of the first two but the series' still in hiatus...

 

[Lee__Kanker]

It's got an orchestral remake of the super famicom soundtrack!

English patched version is on the repo
Ofc this is only "hidden" to non jap players

Post automatically merged: Jan 17, 2025

I'm glad there's a remake of the first two but the series' still in hiatus...

8 games but still no Klonoa 3

Oddly theres now two remakes of Klonoa 1, at least the switch one doesnt have the god awful voice acting? (who decided Klonoa should sound like a nasal 13 year old??)

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

It's got an orchestral remake of the super famicom soundtrack!
View attachment 13743

English patched version is on the repo
Ofc this is only "hidden" to non jap players

Post automatically merged: Jan 17, 2025

DQ IV and V on the PSX and PS2 deserved a western release.

I do love the DS remakes but they're "crunchier" (I don't mind that though).

I'm wondering why DQ VI didn't get remade tho.

8 games but still no Klonoa 3

Oddly theres now two remakes of Klonoa 1, at least the switch 1 doesnt have the god awful voice acting? (who decided Klonoa should sound like a nasal 13 year old??)

I dislike English in the game too, phantomilian is a better language for whimsical worlds about dreams.

Same with Nights, Journey of Dreams having fully English voiced dialogues and cutscene kinda killed the mystic aspect of the series to me...

I'd love a proper remake of the WonderSwan + the first two GBA games too. Or maybe Heroes.

Or a simple compilation, anything is fine.