Six Lesser Known PlayStation 2 Games I Want to See on Modern Consoles

The recent rumours circulating (again) that Sony is gearing up for a PlayStation 2 emulator for the PlayStation 5 — thanks to an accidental listing of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on PSN — got me thinking. What lesser-known PS2 titles would I love to revisit on the newer hardware? If the monthly PlayStation Plus Premium offerings (which include a variety of PS1 and PSP games) are soon to include the best-selling console’s library with the addition of quick saves, rewind, and even trophies, should I dare to get my hopes up with the following games? Probably not, but still, here are some titles that I’d personally love to see make a return in some shape or form!

As a side note, I know that there was a time when Sony was porting PS2 games to the PlayStation 4. But with only 55 titles across all regions (with a few ports being less than stellar), there’s definitely room for improvement!

Steambot Chronicles

Get ready for… STEAMBOT CHRONICLES! If you’ve played this one, then you’ll have that main menu voiceover burned into memory, for better or worse. This action RPG that lets players pilot customisable mechs, known as Trotmobiles, in a semi-open world is criminally underrated, and it’s a real shame it didn’t get more recognition. Want to ignore the story and partake in a spot of busking? Go for it!

Its charming nature, fairly light-hearted narrative, and endearing characters (seemingly named after various herbs and spices), combined with a fun battle system, really make for a great videogame. There’s a lot to love about Steambot Chronicles, and I’d love to see it resurface in some shape or form one day!

Drakan: The Ancients' Gate

How does wielding a wide array of weapons and spells to vanquish the forces of the Desert Lords sound? Or exploring a fantasy land atop a dragon whilst raining fiery death from above? Pretty great, right? The dynamic duo of Rynn and Arokh can do all of this and more in Drakan: The Ancients' Gate, and what a blast it was to play back in the early 2000s!

The simple, yet still very enjoyable, combat system while controlling Rynn combined with the aerial dogfights (dragonfights?) with Arokh helps to mix up the gameplay and keeps things engaging. With plenty of sidequests, optional areas to loot for treasures, and towns to explore, those devious Desert Lords may have to wait for the final showdown!

Dog’s Life

There aren’t enough games that let you play as animals, and there are even fewer that let you play as the best type of animal: the dog! In Dog's Life you play as Jake the foxhound. All is well until his love interest (also a dog, no Sonic 06 weirdness here) is kidnapped, so he sets out to rescue her from the dognappers!

Taking players on a journey to a small farmstead all the way to the big city, these small, yet detailed, open areas are full of places to explore, items to collect, and humans to help out! Whilst the plot does get surprisingly dark when the reason for all the canine abductions comes to light, Dog’s Life is nevertheless a cheery, heart-warming tale about one dog’s courage in the face of danger. Oh, and there’s a poop button. Good boy, Jake!

Shadow of Rome

Combining visceral gladiatorial combat with some clever stealth-based sections, Shadow of Rome is one I’ve heard a fair bit about online, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who's played it. Although it may not be for those of you averse to gore, Shadow of Rome has a genuinely engaging story that will keep you hooked between brutal arena massacres and sneaking through the streets of Rome.

With two playable characters — Agrippa and Octavianus — the plot follows a fictionalised version of Caesar’s assassination, blending real-world history with some fictional twists and turns. If you like decapitating opponents with a wide variety of weapons before sneaking your way through enemy territory, this is definitely one to check out!

Spy Fiction

Okay, this one may be slightly unpolished, with unintentionally funny dialogue and rough voice acting, but in my opinion, Spy Fiction is a lot of fun to play! Even if it is named after a genre of films and books.

Playing as either Billy or Sheila, you’ll sneak through each level with the standard peaking around corners and choking out goons, but things get a bit more interesting when disguises come into play! Snap a quick picture of any NPC in the game and you have the ability to become them. Why not pose as a janitor and mop the floors whilst a patrol strolls unsuspectingly past you? If identity theft isn’t your deal, then the optic camo and silenced weapons may be more your thing. Or, just go in all guns blazing and hope for the best!

Orphen: Scion of Sorcery

Based on the light novel series, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, I distinctly remember this one from my childhood as a game that had a lot of different mechanics packed into one anime-heavy package. From platforming, to puzzle solving, and even turn-based battles, Orphen: Scion of Sorcery was a game that I had very little idea as to what was happening.

Perhaps this one is a bit of a stretch to put on this list, but I do remember enjoying the game quite a lot. Undoubtedly one for fans of the series who already know who's who, revisiting this one after watching the anime or reading the manga would go a long way in understanding just what exactly was going on. Still, the simple yet fun battle system and some flashy aesthetics did just enough for me to remember this one for my imaginary wishlist.

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Those were my picks for PlayStation 2 games I’d like to see make a return in some shape or form! Now, these are mainly fuelled by nostalgia and maaaaaybe they’re not quite as good as I remember them. But I’d love to know what games you’d want to see! Drop a comment down below and let's get reminiscing!