PS2 games, what to get, what to get
 

Okay, so I traded in a couple games to Gamestop yesterday, and got 3 used games as part of their 3 for 2 deal.

The problem is, the 3 games I got really don't interest me. Rocky was fun for a half hour, then you finish it, and it's not fun anymore. GT3 just isn't my style (nor are most racing games). Finally, Onimusha 2 was too repetetive, and wouldn't hold much replay value.

So my question is, what 3 games should I get when I take these back? I need ideas from you guys. What are your favs? What games have killer replay value, and take awhile to finish or have lots of side quests or whatnot? I don't like racing or fighting games, RPG's are my favs, but I like FPS also.

Here is a list of the games I have so none of these are suggested:

GTA 3
GTA Vice City
Kingdom Hearts
Final Fantasy X
Max Payne
Splinter Cell
Dead to Rights
NFL 2k3
NBA 2k3
WSB 2k3
Simpsons Road Rage
MGS 2
Ace Combat 4
Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry 2
The Sims
The Getaway
Stuntman
Dot Hack

Hopefully I can get some good ideas from everyone. Thanks :)

It may be time to take a break. You've got a lot of games. Maybe you could try SOCOM, Burnout 2, Mark of Kri, and/or Frequency/Amplitude.

I thought of Socom, how good is that?

Socom is good, but if you're going online, beware of all the cheaters... and if you're not, you'll probably be better off getting something else.

As an rpg fan, I'm sure you've tried Xenosaga? If that's not your cup of tea, you can wait a little while for .hack 2 to come out later this month. Dark Cloud 2 is also supposed to be good, though I haven't cracked mine open yet (it's behind Xeno, Kingdom Hearts, and .hack 1 on the playlist)

NBA Street 2, if you liked the first one, just came out today.

Personally, after the TRU deal, I've been playing Dynasty Warriors 4, which is mindless fun with a lot of unlocking characters and stuff, and Midnight Club 2, which is pretty fun and pretty difficult.

Def Jam Vandetta? I hear its good. But yes, you have lots of games. Maybe you should try a different system if you have the funds. Even the older systems are worth the look if you havn't played them, like dreamcast, saturn, n64. They have some really really good games, if you don't mind the dated graphics.

I thought of getting a Gamecube, but I'll probably wait for the price drop.

I didn't really like Dot Hack, I couldn't really get into it.

I never played NBA Street, nor the first Dark Cloud, let alone the sequels. How are those?

Xenosaga is something I considered, but I'll wait for a deal on that. I was thinking more of the under 25 bucks category, new or used, it doesn't matter to me.

Suikoden III (OOP) and Wild Arms 3 for RPGs.

Ico
Medal of Honor: Frontline
Jak and Daxter
Ratchet and Clank
Sly Cooper

I was thinking about MOH Frontline.... I played Jak and Daxter, great game. I heard Ratchet and Clank was great, too. What's Sly Cooper about?

Hmm, Wild Arms 3? Should I play the first 2 games before playing this?

Ico

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance

I already tried BG Dark Alliance, it was good. Any simiiliar games?What's Ico? I have never heard of it.

I was thinking of keeping GT3. I may not like racing games much (because I suck at turning on tracks and always crash lol) but does it become easier to drive when you upgrade cars? Or is it not much of a difference?

"Okay, so I traded in a couple games to Gamestop yesterday, and got 3 used games as part of their 3 for 2 deal."

What 3 for 2 deal are you referring to? I've searched the forum and only found the buy 2 get 1 free deal at gamestop. Please elaborate, thanks.

yeah that's the deal....I just reworded it....buy 2 get 1 free = 3 for the price of 2 :)

What has already been mentioned -I second them:

Midnight Club 2 (kicks ass online)
Burnout 2
Ratchet and Clank
Spy Hunter
Virtua Fighter 4
ATV Off Road 2
Sly Cooper
Hot Shots Golf 3
Tony Hawk 4 (I don't like 3)
Need for Speed 2

And its not very popular but I LOVE State of Emergency. Just don't do the missions. Play the Chaos games.

what's burnout 2? Is midnight club 2 a racing game?

I started a thread about Burnout 2 recently... both it and Midnight Club 2 are racing games. While I'm here, I'll give two big thumbs up to Ratchet and Clank as well... best platformer I've ever played. And you actually like both main characters, unlike other PS2 platformers. Freakin' Daxter.

Ace Combat 4 was a total surprise for me. I bought it blindly for a Toys R Us buy 2 get one free deal and I thought it was amazing! I NEVER finish or play ANY games all the way through and I got to say that I was able to go all the way through it and finish it. I think it was challenging, but not frustrating enough to make me just give up.

Ico is the most under-rated game EVER. It is short, but it is damn near perfect, too. Check out the review score summary page over at gamerankings.com -

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages4/3678.asp

It is available new for $25 - $30. Used copies can be had for as little as $10.

I'd say, considering the Internet hype for Ico, it's over rated.

I have to admit, the graphics are beyond pretty.

However, lots of the things people rave about aren't that great.

1. Not just anyone can pick up the game and enjoy it as a work of art. A casual gamer, or a gamer more inclined to other genres [not adventure/platformer] will probably have to reset a few times. The level of difficulty, really keeps it from being as breathtaking as people claim it to be.

2. Ico and Yorda are not that perfect of characters. Whoever said they have a "romantic charisma" is pretty wrong. Ico doesn't hold Yorda's hand gently and walk her across: he holds her tightly and yanks her across the stage. Ico and Yorda don't sit and embrace when you go to a save point, they bump into each other laze around, not even looking at each other. And Yorda seems to be only concerned with shadows, not Ico..she'll only cry if there are shadows..if she's safe..she won't care about you at all..unless you are constantly calling her or pulling her..and that bird call noise can get annoying.

3. The camera angles are not perfect all the time, one key example of this is the windmill stage, the camera here can be quite dizzying and doesn't adjust to the objective of the scene that well. If you have motion sickness or any problems with your vision, this game will hurt.

4. If you've played "Legend of Oasis" or "Parasite Eve", you've heard the "ambience" in this game....it's not THAT brilliant..

It is a good game, probably one of the best rentals available, but unless you sincerely believe it's the greatest game ever, I'd only purchase if you rented it and seemed to agree with others.

And various stores have Xenosaga for $25. At this price, it is worth it to most anyone. At $50, it is worth it to story driven RPG fans. The game will take at least 30 hours, has a good story, and is very pretty, can be fun if you want it to as well.

Other games, I'd suggest DDRMAX [maybe moving around will be more fun than sitting around?] or Shinobi, I'm not that interested in action games..but it's good. Maybe it'll get repetitive, but the level of challenge/difficulty will keep you coming back..and it has ninjas...ninjas are cool.

Ico is more under appreciated than underrated (ratings have been more than kind to it.), I appreciate the game and thought it was absolutely stunning, but found myself tiring of it before it ended. Still, it's one game you've got to check out at least once.

Midnight Club 2 is simply the best racer I've played, dethroning the excellent Wipeout XL in my book. It's focus is on racing - not tricking out your car or getting licenses - it has a killer sense of speed and is NOT confined to a track. You have an entire city of open roads, parking lots, and buildings to bust through - instead of beings tuck on course, you hit check points - how you get to the check points is entirely up to you (think Crazy Taxi.)

I recommend Frequency and Amplitude, they're oddly addictive little games, tho I do think $40+ for either would be a bit excessive.

DDRMAX is cool if you want to buy the pads with it.

Shadow of Destiny is a pretty cool old-school style adventure game. Basically, death grants you a second chance, as it has a "bigger" plan for you (good? bad? the voice is rather ominous), but can only do so much - and you have to figure out why you were murdered and prevent it.

Dark Cloud 2 is supposed to be a really good Zelda-style game, I didn't care for the original though and haven't had a chance to check out the sequel (The first was perhaps the most generic game ever made in terms of graphics, story, atmosphere, combat, and characters.)

Dynasty Warriors 4 is surprisingly good considering how tired I was of the gameplay system after DW3.

Klonoa 2 - I personally hate this game and series, but a lot of people seem to have some serious love for it, may be worth checking out.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is short but sweet. Metal Gear Solid 2 is convoluted but fun.

MDK2: Armageddon is just as fun as it's dreamcast original, if a little easier (and doesn't look quite as good but still good enough.) Definitly worth checking out.

http://dcmedia.ign.com/media/reviews.../mdk2/bg49.jpg

-Rich

Thanks for the ideas guys. If Ico is around 10 bucks, I might try that. Maybe I'll check out Midnight Club 2 also.

Who sells Xenosaga for $25? I have never seen it below $45

If you like RPGs you have to try Suikoden 3, it's really a great game.

Ratchet & Clank is great, though, I like Sly Cooper better, too bad it was so short.

I rented MOH Frontline today. So far it's great, awesome soundtrack. I might pick this up when it gets a little cheaper, hehe. I am thinking of trying Xenosaga byt I need a good price first :)

I heard Dark Cloud 2, Midnight Club 2, and NBA Street 2 are all good, but what about the first ones? How are they? All 3 are greatest hits, and cheap, right up my alley.

I don't mind paying 50 bucks for a game, it just has to keep me busy for awhile (ie GTA VC, WSB 2k3)

NBA Street was pretty good.

Dark Cloud and Midnight Club were subpar games imho (their sequels improved greatly on 'em)