20 PS2 Games We NEED on PS5

The PS2 Games We NEED on PS5

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 20 PS2 games that we desperately want ported over to PlayStation 5! Now that Sony has brought forward Sly Cooper, Lara Croft, and “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, it’s time we start digging into this massive catalog from the sixth generation of console gaming.

“Ratchet & Clank” series (2002-)

It’s safe to assume that the Lombax and Warbot’s original adventures are coming to PS5 very, very soon now that Sly has snuck his way onto the platform. And with the “Jak & Daxter” franchise being available on PS4 and PS5 with some backwards compatibility, all that’s left from the PS2 trio of mascots is Ratchet and Clank. The first game, “Going Commando”, “Up Your Arsenal”, and “Deadlocked” only have their PS3 HD ports playable on PS5, and it’s only playable via cloud streaming, which, as most of us know, is not the most efficient way to play video games. That especially goes for a high-octane platformer-shooter like “Ratchet & Clank”. And given how complex it has been for Sony to re-engineer PS3 games for modern consoles, it’s unlikely that they’ll bring the HD ports forward when they just figured out how to make PS2 games run on their new hardware. That said, when Ratchet and Clank make the leap to PS5, we’ll probably be playing the original versions. And yes, they are still fun to play today.

“Ico” (2001)

“Ico” has not withstood the test of time. That’s just the honest truth. The controls can be a tad cumbersome for some players, and the hand-holding might frustrate others. However, we are recognizing this title for its importance in the PlayStation ecosystem. Thanks to the efforts of Japan Studio and other Japanese developers, the PS2 saw a treasure trove of unique experimental games, “Ico” being one of them. “Shadow of the Colossus” has already been preserved a handful of times over, but “Ico”, the game “Colossus” was tied to during the PS3 days, hasn’t been preserved for the modern era. Plus, with the more accurate controls of the DualSense controller, perhaps the advancements in technology will make “Ico” more bearable for those who have gone back and found a poorly aged gem.

“Gran Turismo 4” (2005)

In 2017, former PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan made a remark about why anyone would want to play the older “Gran Turismo” games, stating “They looked ancient. Why would anybody play this?” Well, Jimmy, first off, GT7 isn’t like the older games in any stretch of the imagination. Take GT4, for example. Yes, it does look ancient when you’re comparing it to the latest game in the franchise. However, do you know what some folks love most about video games and replaying older games in a series? It’s about seeing the evolution. It’s about seeing how far we have come since 2005 and before. That’s why we need GT4. And as players rediscover unique modes like the B-Spec mode where you get to play the role of a racing crew chief instead of the driver, your developers like Polyphony can revisit old ideas or come up with new ideas for future titles. So, yes, it may be old, but give us GT4 on PS5! And if not that, then give us “A-Spec” at least.

“Xenosaga” series (2002-06)

Today, JRPG developers are at the top of their game. Really, this genre has never been as big as it is in this day and age! So, Bandai Namco, what is keeping you from retreading old ground? What is keeping you from reintroducing the “Xenosaga” games? For those who don’t know about this series, we won’t lie - it’s about as heavy in the cutscenes as “Death Stranding” is. But like “Gran Turismo 4” and “Ico”, “Xenosaga” kind of became synonymous with the PS2. Yes, it was because all three games were primarily PS2 games before the first two games were remade for Nintendo DS. Still, this was another series that showcased the visual and audio fidelity the console was known for at the time. And with so many new players in the JRPG scene, maybe now is a good time to see how folks today would react to a game like this. Who knows, maybe this was just the PS2’s own “Order: 1886” and we’re too caught up in nostalgia.

“Twisted Metal: Head On - Extra Twisted Edition” (2008)

“Twisted Metal” is in a unique position where it does have some of the public’s attention thanks to the TV show and the PS4 and PS5 ports of the first two games. The first PS2 game in the franchise, “Twisted Metal: Black”, is already available. But the PS2 port of “Head On” should be brought forward for more reasons than just “it's the only other Twisted Metal on PS2 we don’t have”. The port not only brought a PSP classic over to home consoles, it also came with an abundance of behind the scenes stuff that spans the franchise’s history. First, you had “The Dark Past”, which was a roughly 30-minute documentary featuring series creators David Jaffe and Scott Campbell as well as other veteran devs who have worked on the games. Then, you had the Sweet Tour mode, which gave us a glimpse of a canceled “Twisted Metal” game while showing players concept art, photos, and models used in previous titles. And lastly, you had “Twisted Metal: Lost”, which took four scrapped levels from TMB2 and made a bite-sized game out of it. Basically, this game could be used to wrangle in new fans and bring them up to speed on the IP’s history while offering them a really great port of a really great PSP game.

“Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King” (2005)

Much of the “Dragon Quest” franchise is fragmented. As new titles come in, old ones get left behind on the platforms they launched on. And if there is one “Dragon Quest” game that needs to be brought forward ASAP, it’s “Journey of the Cursed King”. With an imaginative world, captivating story, and memorable characters, “Journey of the Cursed King” quickly established itself as one of the greatest video games to grace the PlayStation 2. Unfortunately, the only time it has ever been re-released was when it was ported to the Nintendo 3DS back in 2017. Square Enix, it’s time we truly preserve this classic. Let’s get this working on PS5!

“Bloody Roar 4” (2003)

To ask Konami for a new ‘Bloody Roar” game is like asking them for an impressive port of “Metal Gear Solid” - it just ain’t happening. We do have some faith in the possibility of getting “Bloody Roar 4” onto PS5, though. With the fighting game scene being way bigger than ever thanks to the efforts of EVO and various FGC streamers, now would be a good time to reintroduce this IP to new audiences, and “Bloody Roar 4” is the best game for the job. Both the visuals and controls hold up surprisingly well despite its age, and you don’t really have any other fighting games with the concept of “Tekken but everyone can turn into animals”. Problem is convincing Konami that they have other IP worth their attention, not just “Metal Gear”, “Silent Hill”, and “Castlevania”.

“Burnout 3: Takedown” (2004)

One of the saddest moments of gaming history is how some IPs became homogenized and absorbed into bigger IPs, such as the case with “Burnout”. Once a force in EA’s portfolio, the destructive arcade racer has seen its mechanics get absorbed into the “Need For Speed” series, which has been struggling to get a decent game out since its reboot in 2014. Perhaps more folks preferred the aggressiveness “Burnout” brought. So, what better way to conduct that litmus test than “Burnout 3: Takedown”? After all, this was one of the last games in the franchise to come out before the brief pivot it made in open world gameplay. It could remind folks what made the series great in the first place and possibly renew interest in the IP. Or, you know, it could be brought forward to PS5 just for preservation’s sake.

“The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Game” (2004)

The amazing Mister Absorbency has been seeing a stellar resurgence into video games with the 2020 remake of “Battle for Bikini Bottom” and 2023’s “The Cosmic Shake”. If we are to get another SpongeBob game for modern consoles, we would love to see the game based on the 2004 movie make a grand return. While it wasn’t as non-linear as the games before it, “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Game” was still a blast to play in how SpongeBob and Patrick had their own movesets. These moves helped open the doors for fun puzzles and combat encounters, too. And if not this, then it’d be neat to just have the original “Battle for Bikini Bottom” available on modern hardware.

“Sonic Heroes” (2003)

Sonic has already seen a few of his classic 3D games revamped for today’s consoles. “Sonic Colors Ultimate”, “Sonic X Shadow Generations”... So, when can we enjoy “Sonic Heroes” with modern tech? So many of us cherished the original game for its unique mechanics and concept of controlling a trio of characters with different powers. Only problem is that the controls aren’t as tight as they could be. Thanks to the accuracy of the DualSense controller, many action-platformers such as “Sly Cooper” and “Daxter” have become even more enjoyable than they were back then. “Sonic Heroes” would greatly benefit from the PS5 and other platforms’ capabilities. It’s just a matter of hoping SEGA recognizes how many of us would love to see this game reintroduced for new audiences.

“ATV Offroad Fury 2” (2002)

While we do have a few motocross games these days, they are rather scarce and way too focused on product placement than making a quality game. Looks like we need to bring forward the “ATV Offroad Fury” series, specifically “ATV Offroad Fury 2”, to show everyone how it's done. With its entertaining physics and how they play into maintaining and increasing your speed, “Offroad Fury 2” offered up dozens of hours of fun in both its campaign and multiplayer modes. There’s just one issue that’s probably preventing this game from returning: all that licensed music. But this is a Sony-published game, and the original developers, Rainbow Studios, are still around. Rainbow even spent well over a decade on THQ Nordic’s “MX vs. ATV” series. So, they have the experience. Sony’s just gotta figure out the costs to reinstate those music licenses or attempt to get the music replaced with something else.

“Metal Arms: Glitch in the System” (2003)

Look, we know we’ve been advocating for this game a lot. Like, A LOT. But trust us when we say this game is worth your attention. “Metal Arms” was a third-person shooter focused entirely on absurd, robotic destruction. As Glitch, you’d collect various weapons that could lodge buzzsaws into enemies and incapacitate them, a rocket launcher that could turn one rocket into three, and even a tether that would let you possess certain enemies! Plus, you had ridiculous yet cool moments like driving through scrap yards while shooting enemy vehicles and venturing through a wasteland haunted by zombiebots. It's crazy, it's hilarious, and if this somehow ever gets brought forward to PS5 in any capacity, it’ll be a miracle. Sadly, its hard to figure out who owns the IP anymore as developer Swingin’ Ape Studios shut down shortly after the games launch.

“The Simpsons: Hit & Run” (2003)

Much like SpongeBob, “The Simpsons” once had a storied career in video games. Unlike SpongeBob, they have been given no opportunity to bounce back. None whatsoever. And for the last several years, fans have been clamoring for “Hit & Run” to get ported, remade, or remastered for modern hardware. It’s not hard to see why so many love this game with its fun mission structure, hilarious writing, and plethora of vehicles to unlock from the show’s history. Unfortunately, the closest we’ve ever gotten to this game returning was when the soundtrack suddenly appeared on Spotify in 2022 only for it to become unavailable to the public roughly a month or two after. The soundtrack is available again, but we gotta say the activity is sus. Is something happening with “Hit & Run” after all? And why has no one been saying anything?

“Ape Escape 3” (2006)

So far, we have almost every “Ape Escape” on PS5. We have the first game, the abysmal PSP remake, the “Ape Academy” spin-offs, and “Ape Escape 2” even though it's a graphical mess on PS5. Does anyone else find it weird that “Ape Escape 3” isn’t available yet? One would quickly point towards the “Metal Gear Solid” crossover possibly forcing Sony to seek Konami’s permission to re-release the game. There’s just one thing: “Ape Escape 3” was rated for PlayStation 4 all the way back in 2016. And this came straight from the ESRB. So, where is this thing?? Maybe this was planned before Sony abandoned the PS4’s now ancient PS2 emulator. Maybe the new team is reworking it with the new emulator. Who can say, but it’s weird how the final game in the franchise continues to elude us while the rest of the franchise is now available.

“The Getaway” (2003)

It was the greatest game Team Soho ever developed. It was also the last game Team Soho ever developed. Not to hype it up too much, but “The Getaway” was one of the coolest action-adventure games we had seen on PlayStation at the time. It still holds up in some ways, too, mostly in the visuals and driving. Shooting and gunplay is a different conversation; not one of the game’s strongest suits. And while the script is kind of hit or miss, “The Getaway” was a major step forward in the types of games Sony was looking for to define the PlayStation name. That said, this one is more for dorks like us who like seeing the evolution in games.

“TimeSplitters 2” (2002)

Just as we were putting this video together, Taiwan’s ratings board leaked information regarding the first “TimeSplitters” coming to PS4 and PS5 in July 2024. Well, if this is Embracer Group’s way of trying to keep the franchise alive after closing down Free Radical, so be it. Let’s go all in and get “TimeSplitters 2” on PlayStation before 2024 ends! After all, Xbox players can already enjoy both the acclaimed sequel and the third game, “Future Perfect”. Plus, all three “TimeSplitters” games were released on PS2. So, let’s not leave PlayStation players behind, eh? This is one of the best FPS series to have come out in the early 2000’s. Folks deserve to experience these games!

“Silent Hill 3” (2003)

You know, everyone talks about “Silent Hill 2” so much, and we can understand why. But did we all forget there were two other games released on PS2? We’d love to see “Silent Hill 4” brought forward, of course. However, how about showing some love for our girl, Heather? “Silent Hill 3” was just as spectacular with its creepy environments, uncomfortable themes, and stellar sound design. We all know that James and his problems helped create one of the best stories in horror games, but let’s not forget that Heather’s tale is equally excellent in every way. We aren’t holding our breath too much on this one either. Just like with “Bloody Roar”, Konami needs a lot of convincing to focus on anything that isn’t Pyramid Head or Dracula.

“Tales of the Abyss” (2006)

It’s a bit ludicrous how most of the “Tales” games are missing from modern hardware. Yes, we can all love “Berseria” and “Arise” all we want, but there are many other installments stranded on ancient platforms. “Tales of the Abyss” is the one game in the franchise we’d give anything to see ported over to PS5 as it boasted some of the most breathtaking visuals and compelling storytelling we had experienced in the PS2 days. And to this day, it has only ever been ported forward to one platform…the Nintendo 3DS. What gives, Bandai Namco?

“God of War” (2005) & “God of War II” (2007)

It is an absolute crime that both of these games are not available on PS5 (yet). At the time of this video, the first two “God of War” games are playable on PS5, but only through their HD ports that were made for PS3. And like every other PS3 game, you can only play them through cloud streaming. Unacceptable! Perhaps the internal team responsible for PS5’s emulators is already working on this, but Kratos’s first adventures need to get on PS5 as soon as possible. With “God of War” becoming Sony’s biggest first-party franchise in the company’s history, preserving the games before 2018 and “Ragnarok” should be top priority. Let’s hope the franchise makes the jump before Kratos’s twentieth anniversary.

“Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest” (2004)

Alright, if no one is going to really advocate for this game, then we will. Before everyone lost their minds over “Elder Scrolls” and “Baldur’s Gate”, we did have an action RPG on PlayStation 2 that was equally outstanding. “Champions of Norrath” has been largely forgotten by both hardcore and casual PlayStation fans, and it’s a crying shame. From the deep character customization to the thrilling combat to the wondrous environments, “Champions of Norrath” was basically “Baldur’s Gate III” for the PS2. And Sony, guess what - you own this game! You own “EverQuest”! We need this game on PS5 while the RPG train is still blazing down the railway!

Which PS2 game would you like to see added to PS5? Did it make our list? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!