10 Exclusive Games Still TRAPPED On The PS2

10 Exclusive Games Still Trapped on the PS2

Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re getting console blocked as we can’t experience these games anywhere else but the PS2.

“Extermination” (2001)

Extermination is one not only one of the earliest survival horror titles on the PS2 but tragically one of the most overlooked. Released in the early days of the console, Extermination has many of the familiar tropes you would expect from the genre, limited resources against overwhelming odds as well as a ridiculous narrative to tie it all together. Where Extermination deviated from the norm was in its mechanics. While the game featured the usual standard run and gun gameplay, it also featured a surprising amount of customization for the player’s main weapon which could augment not only the weapons abilities but also convert the weapon into a one-man arsenal. The game also featured a unique system in which if Sergeant Riley becomes infected by the virus he’s combating, he can eventually succumb to a game over if left untreated.

“Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny” (2002)

The Onimusha series originally began life as a ninja version of Resident Evil before becoming its own successful series and while the first entry was beloved, especially its protagonist Samanosuke, the second entry is treated as the black sheep. Samurai’s Destiny sought to differentiate itself even further by offering not only numerous playable side characters but also a branching storyline. The game largely featured the same familiar combat and puzzles for players to solve, but has since been mostly forgotten by the fanbase. The series’ final original entry Dawn of Dreams has also only ever seen a release on the PS2 and remains even more forgotten than Samurai’s Destiny.

“Transformers” (2004)

Years before the stellar High Moon Studios Transformers games, the best way to experience robots in disguise was on the PS2. While those later titles would allow players to experience both side of the Autobots and Decepticons conflict, Atari’s Transformers game focused on only the Autobots story, primarily Optimus, Red Alert and Hot Shot and their search for the Mini-Cons which could be used augment the Autobots with various abilities and power-ups. Their quest would have them cross paths with fan favorite Decepticons such as Megatron, StarScream, and even Unicron. Players had the ability to transform at the push of a button to quickly cover ground between conflicts or simply ram into their opponents, and the transition was especially impressive given the limitations of the PS2’s power. Sadly, with all the Transformers games recently becoming delisted from storefronts and Atari’s Transformers never receiving a port, the robots in disguise just might be hiding forever.

“Champions of Norrath” (2004)

Long before Diablo found its way to consoles, Everyquest was bringing cooperative hack and slash action to PS2 players with their Champions of Norrath spinoff. Building off the already wildly popular Everquest series. Champions of Norrath allowed players to fully customize their character before setting them loose to dish out all manner of pain across the land as well as the game’s many dungeons. The ability to team up with friends in the early days of online multiplayer also helped set the game apart from its couch co-op contemporaries and the servers remained active all the way up to 2013! Sadly, both Champions of Norrath and its sequel Return to Arms have never been ported off the PS2, and with servers being permanently shut down, the only way to experience one of the best dungeon crawlers is with a friend literally by your side and your dusty old PS2.

“Rumble Racing” (2001)

The PS2 was the golden age of arcade racers but unfortunately that also meant that many absolute bangers were overlooked during the deluge of classic racing titles. Rumble Racing took the arcadey nature of the genre and added powerups and stunts as well as a bevy of interesting and original vehicles to create something wholly unique for the time. Goaded on by the announcer, players would race around numerous tracks performing stunts for speed boosts. The more impressive the stunt, the better the boost. Players were also given several powerups akin to a kart racer albeit a bit more “realistic” than something you’d find in a Mario Kart. With inventive mechanics as well as track design and an announcer who is genuinely funny to listen to, it’s a shame more players won’t get to experience this arcade racer designed just for the sake of a good time that also sadly never received a follow up.

“.hack” franchise (2002-07)

There was no shortage of anime tie-in games for the PS2, but few were done on the scale of the .hack series. Tied directly in the series, it dropped players into an offline MMORPG style game in which they investigate The World, a “game within a game” and why some players have fallen into comas while playing. The series saw the entries “Infection”, “Mutation”, “Outbreak”, and “Quarantine” all release within mere months of one another and allowed players to carry over all their progress from the previous titles. The entire concept was unprecedented for the time as fans of the anime found a way to continue their adventures in the games and fans of the games were drawn to the anime to expand the universe. The .hack series continued for nearly a decade after its inception but to date only the sequel .hack/GU has seen a re-release on modern consoles.

“Downhill Domination” (2003)

At the peak of extreme sports games, where most other titles were focused on combo building, Downhill Domination took a decidedly more violent approach. The concept was simple: race down the mountain to the finish line as quickly as possible. However, players were given numerous ways to hinder or obstruct their opponents from doing the same. Not only could they kick rival racers, they could also hurl objects to take them down and claim victory. That’s not to say tricks weren’t still in the game however, and there were bonuses for landing stylish tricks such as increased attack power that could in turn be used against your fellow cyclists. While racing was still at the heart of the game, the sheer joy of knocking an opponent to the back of the pack with a well-timed kick remains some of the most gleefully satisfying moments in any extreme sports game.

“Wipeout Fusion” (2002)

Whereas Nintendo had F-Zero for the hyper fast futuristic racer, PlayStation had Wipeout. Unfortunately, both series have been dormant for far too long, although all the PSP and Vita titles were recently bundled together in the Omega Collection on PS4, the series’ best entry remains locked to Sony’s second console. Wipeout Fusion took the series to even greater speeds thanks to the boost of the PS2’s processing power and the sense of speed whipping around the tracks as your speedometer reached near the speed of light was exhilarating and the techno soundtrack perfectly synched with the futuristic vibes of the title’s many tracks and neon-soaked cityscapes. The sense of speed as players zipped around the tracks remains unparalleled and not only has Wipeout Fusion been lost in the past, but the entire series just might have crashed and burned.

“RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive” (2002)

The PS2 era was the peak of experimental game design and while many developers were creating mech games that gave players the biggest robots possible with the biggest weapons at their fingertips, Robot Alchemic Drive had a different approach. Instead of putting players in the cockpit, players control their mechanized monstrosity from ground level and must then control the mech from their viewpoint. With fully destructible environments, the story can also be shaped by which buildings you inadvertently destroy while trying to protect the city and some missions will be permanently locked off if the building is suddenly gone. Far more complex than a more traditional mech game, RAD was seemingly designed specifically for the die-hard giant robot fans with a unique approach to not only combat but also control, RAD was a brilliant concept that modern audiences unfortunately have no real way to experience.

“Xenosaga Trilogy” (2002-06)

Xenogears remains a cult classic of the PS1 era and has been ported numerous times to Sony’s follow up platforms, the same cannot be said for its spiritual successor which remains one of the biggest sagas on PS2, even with its originally planned 6 games cut down to a trilogy. Leaning even further into the themes of religion and humanism, these heavy themes likely turned off many players looking for a more standard JRPG, the series did find a loyal fan base. However, the series was considered far too ambitious for the time and the series saw diminishing returns with each subsequent entry. The Xeno series continues today with the Xenoblade Chronicles, however, the Xenosaga Trilogy remains a relic of the past and not only would players need to dig out their PS2, they would also need a small loan just to buy the complete trilogy as copies have become highly in demand collector’s items.

Which PS2 game would you like to see finally escape the clutches of the two decade old hardware for modern consoles? Share your picks down in the comments.