By Mark Sammut & Musaab
Roughly two decades ago, the PlayStation 2 was gearing up for its final 18 months in the sun, its legacy as one of the most successful consoles already written. As the years pass, the PS2 drifts further and further away, gradually becoming a historical artifact rather than a relevant piece of tech. There will come a day when nobody will boot this system up... but today is not that day!
While plenty of titles from this era have aged like milk in the hot sun, a few graphical powerhouses are still remarkable today. If we were to put together a "best-looking PS2 games list" in 2006, it would have most of the same entries as this article, as these technological marvels are eternally gorgeous.
Ico
A Minimalist PS2 Masterpiece That Still Looks Great 25 Years Later
Mostly overshadowed by Japan Studio's other PS2 masterpiece, Shadow of the Colossus, Ico deserves just as much praise, especially since it came out all the way back in 2001. Wisely, the developers opted for atmospheric minimalism rather than texture-heavy environments, resulting in an aesthetic driven by a strong voice and art direction rather than technical power or realistic graphics (for the era).
Ico utilizes soft lighting, open areas, muted colors, and silhouettes to craft a world that feels truly alien, which allowed the visuals to age gracefully since they aren't forever compared to similar-looking games. As cliché as this phrase might be, Ico really does look like an art piece rather than a traditional game, and Japan Studio even went out of its way to avoid UI clutter as much as possible. If it were released as-is in 2026, Ico wouldn't be mistaken for a new AAA game, but it could pass for a prestige indie title.
SoulCalibur 3
Probably The Best-Looking Fighting Game On The PS2
SoulCalibur 3 pushed the PS2 to its limits graphically. The hit 3D fighting game was one of the most renowned of its time, featuring clean fighting game mechanics, a unique setting, lots of different playstyles and characters for players to sink their teeth into, and finally, a solid story.
What really set SoulCalibur 3 apart was its graphics. While 3D graphics don’t usually age well, the ones in SoulCalibur 3 still look pretty darn good, as long as you are not expecting them to look as good as SoulCalibur 6. The characters’ actions and special abilities all flow well and lack the rough and janky feel many fighting games at the time had. The stage designs are brilliant and blend well with the character models and special moves, making for a good visual experience.
Shadow of the Colossus
Even With The Remake's Existence, The Original SOTC Still Looks Impressive
The existence of 2018's Shadow of the Colossus kind of turned the 2005 original into a historical piece rather than a must-play, and it is impossible to ignore the latter's age when comparing it with the former. However, let's try to eliminate the remake from our minds and view Shadow of the Colossus through fresh eyes: Is it gorgeous? Well, yeah, it is comfortably one of the most visually impressive games of the 2000s. Sure, it looks worse than a project that came out 13 years later, but that is the case for every PS2 game.
While very small by modern standards, the world still manages to feel big thanks to the use of open space, massive structures, and emptiness. The Colossi are majestic behemoths that would not look too out of place in many modern Soulslikes, even if they might need a texture boost.
Metal Gear Solid 3
Kojima And Konami's MGS Is Nearly Always Among The Cutting-Edge For Graphics
The MGS series is renowned for pushing boundaries and being truly innovative. Kojima and company truly paved the way for storytelling and character development in this espionage thriller series. MGS3 was also famous for its amazing graphics, which truly pushed the limits of graphical fidelity at the time.
The cutscenes, character models, and CGI were all top-notch. This was amplified by the motion capture the game used to draw out characters and environments realistically. The developers paid attention to everything about the background environments and pushed the game into feeling like a blockbuster spy movie. It has definitely aged well, and I would still recommend the original game even following the debut of MGS Delta.
Kingdom Hearts 2
These Disney Worlds Have Never Looked Better
For the most part, PS2 games with anime graphics have aged far better than their more realistic counterparts, but they tend to look pretty similar. While taking elements from that art style, Kingdom Hearts carves its own stylish identity. The art style blends Final Fantasy and Disney, striking a mid-point that complements both while also being unique. With a massive roster of characters, KH2 really needed to nail its models, and it did just that. Seriously, pretty much all the Disney staples, originals, and cameos look fantastic and, for lack of a better word, clean.
The franchise's biggest selling point is the many worlds that we get to visit, and nearly every game shines in this area. Kingdom Hearts 2's worlds are relatively big, distinct, vibrant, and cohesive. You do genuinely feel like you have been teleported into each movie's universe. Finally, and most importantly, the combat is still incredibly smooth, satisfying, and seamless.
Read the full article on GameRant
This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
