Holiday Buying Guide 2005 Continued..

PS2

The PlayStation 2 continued its reputation for delivering a broad range of games. There's usually something for just about everyone if you look hard enough, and here are some ideas to get you started if you're shopping for somebody (or yourself) who owns Sony's home console.

God of War
Developer: SCE Studios Santa Monica
Publisher: SCEA
This year saw a few games which proved that the PS2 still has more graphical juice left than many expected. One of the more talked about such titles is God of War, from Twisted Metal designer David Jaffe. Set in mythical ancient Greece, the player as Spartan warrior Kratos is charged with killing Ares, the son of Zeus and god of war. The game has been universally lauded for its relentless and aborbing action, smart storytelling, solid art direction, and for basically just being a whole ton of fun.

Resident Evil 4
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
It took 10 months for Capcom's magnum opus to end up on PS2 as well as GameCube, but if you don't have a Cube and haven't played Resident Evil 4, you owe it to yourself to put this game on your list immediately. While it remains true to the Resident Evil tradition in various ways, the gameplay is completely overhauled, putting the player in a gorgeous full 3D world that's absolutely packed with excellently-paced action from start to finish. This game does not let up.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Developer: Level 5
Publisher: Square Enix
In Japan, few game releases can come even remotely close to matching the frenzy of a new Dragon Quest, but the series doesn't carry quite the same weight in the West. That said, RPG fans have been quick to name Level 5's Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed Kings one of the best RPGs in years, from its clean and charming graphical style, sense of humor, and gameplay that's old school yet well-developed gameplay.

Guitar Hero
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: RedOctane
I struggle to determine just why veteran rhythm game developer Harmonix's Guitar Hero is such a fun and addictive title. The game is played with a large guitar shaped-controller, which clearly adds some novelty, but I already play real guitar--so why is this so much fun? I think the answer is that Harmonix has crafted gameplay that is the perfect blend of musical gratification--being able to "play" a whole roster of classic guitar-centric rock songs--and genuine challenge that ramps up at the perfect rate. The learning curve is just steep enough that you'll have to really work to improve, but you won't want to stop.

Shadow of the Colossus
Developer: SCEI
Publisher: SCEA
Among certain circles, Shadow of the Colossus was one of the most anticipated titles of the year. From the internal Sony team headed up by Fumito Ueda, the same team responsible for the critically acclaimed yet commercially unsuccessful Ico, Shadow of the Colossus pits the player against a series of intimidating yet breathtaking and somehow sympathetic colossi. The game shares many attributes with Ico: its solitary atmosphere, muted color palette, and "boy saving a girl" premise--though the skillfully woven world of Shadow of the Colossus leaves more room for moral ambiguity in that premise than was present in its predecessor. To anybody who wants evidence of the emotive power of games, or who wants to see gorgeous art direction, or who just wants something differnet: get this game.

Soul Calibur III
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Namco's flagship fighter made waves when it was announced that it would be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 2. Soul Calibur III doesn't really bring much new to the table, and it unfortunately continues to lack online play, but it certainly maintains the series' quality, which certainly doesn't suffer from any lack of high regard. Basically, if you need more Soul Calibur, you'll be picking this up.

We Love Katamari
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi didn't want to make a sequel to his acclaimed debut title, but considering Namco would have made it anyway, it's lucky for us that he ended up working on it. The game basically takes everything that was fun about its predecessor and adds more. While it's not the most groundbreaking sequel, it will no doubt please any Katamari fan looking for more and is still completely accessible to those who have never picked up safety pins and skyscrapers with a bumpy adhesive ball. I mean, really, who doesn't love Katamari?

Ratchet: Deadlocked
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: SCEA
Insomniac has won widespread acclaim with its Ratchet & Clank series of platformers for PS2, even working in a popular multiplayer mode, and the studio kept its reputation for gun-based platformy goodness with Ratchet: Deadlocked. It doesn't overhaul the franchise but it's another well polished adventure with a continued focus on the wacky guns that are the hallmark of the series.

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
Developer: Sucker Punch
Publisher: SCEA
With a few exceptions, the PS2 remains the platform of choice for interesting character-based platformers, and Sucker Punch delivers the third game in its sometimes overlooked Sly franchise of cel-shaded heist adventures. Critics and audiences seem to think the series is improving over time, so if you're in need of a family friendly platformer, this might be a good bet.

EyeToy: Kinetic
Developer: SCE London Studio
Publisher: SCEA
Sony's EyeToy series, which makes use of a USB camera to track users' movements as a control mechanism, isn't necessarily a massive hit among the hardcore segment, but its simple and straightforward gameplay (which frequently involves whacking imaginary stuff in midair with your hands) has a wide potential audience. EyeToy: Kinetic gets a little more specific. It provides its users with a fitness regimen that can be "played" on a one-off basis or as part of a 12-week program. It's obviously not for everyone, but it's pretty much the only thing like it out there.

Continue to the next page for the Xbox and Xbox 360!

Page One   Page Two   Page Three   Page Four   Page Five   Page Six   Page Seven   Page Eight   Page Nine   Comments