PS2 News
News PS Plus Classics Patapon 3, Dropship Add Full Trophy Support
Trophy hunters on notice
One of the highlights of Sony’s refreshed PS Plus Classics approach is that all first-party games tend to include Trophy lists. And the platform holder’s maintained that commitment with the addition of PSP threequel Patapon 3 and PS2 curio Dropship: United Peace Force today. Both games have Platinums to earn, and you...
News Classic Indiana Jones Scavenges a PS5, PS4 Platinum Trophy
Unlock it before the Great Circle arrives
We’re huge fans of Sony’s retro game initiative, which has seen classic PS1, PSP, and PS2 titles re-released on PS5 and PS4 with upscaling and quality-of-life features. But we understand not all third-parties want to play ball, and certainly don’t want to invest in the addition of Trophies. We really...
News A Decade Later, Director Says Shadow of the Colossus Film Still Happening
Running up that hill
The first whispers of a film adaptation of the already cinematic Shadow of the Colossus began in 2010. After several creative reshuffles, The Flash director Andrés Muschietti was hired in 2014. Over a decade later, Muschietti claims it's still happening. Speaking on Radio TU's program
News This Awesome LEGO PS2 Set Will Be Officially Considered for Production
Getting emotional
A user-submitted LEGO PS2 set has gained enough support to be considered by LEGO to be made official and put on sale. This comes from the LEGO Ideas site, where anyone can submit their dream LEGO project and hope to gain supporters. If they get 10,000 within a certain time frame, the project moves into a review phase at the Danish...
News As the Switch Closes in, Sony Confirms PS2 Sold 160 Million Units
Up from the 155 million previously assumed
For over a decade, the PS2’s official sales total sat at 155 million units, as Sony stopped reporting sales of the system in 2012. It was always assumed the final number was higher, as the console wasn’t officially discontinued until a year later, and there would have been leftover inventory that...
News Outstanding PS2 RPG Dragon Quest 8 Is Now 20 Years Old
Remaster, anyone?
At the time of writing this article, it just turned 12am in Japan — and that means Dragon Quest 8 is officially 20 years old. The PS2 RPG first launched on the 27th November, 2004 — but the West didn't get to experience this franchise-defining adventure until later. Dragon Quest 8 dropped the following year in the US, but us...
Random PS2's Iconic Operating System Becomes Survival Horror in Upcoming Indie
Please insert disc
For everyone reading this article, PS2’s operating system will be a source of nostalgia. It also could be quite a frightening place – especially when your favourite game failed to boot. Usually a quick breath over the back of the DVD and a rub on the shirt could fix even the most scratched copy of GTA: San Andreas, but it was...
News Sony's Porting PS2 Horror Siren to Its New PS5, PS4 Emulator
And that's actually huge news
Sony is adding Siren to PS Plus Premium from 15th October, which is potentially huge news. This is because the PS2 survival horror is actually already part of the subscription, as it was ported to the PS4 in 2016. The Japanese giant pulled the plug on its ill-fated PS2 on PS4 programme after fans complained of shoddy...
News PS5, PS4 Fans Think Something May Be Afoot with Sony's Siren Series
But it's likely just better emulation
A mysterious rating for Sony’s underrated survival horror series Siren has emerged in Korea, prompting some PS5 fans to ponder whether the franchise could be making an unexpected comeback. In all likelihood, this pertains to an emulated PS2 version, which is already available in most regions and hasn’t...
Mini Review Mister Mosquito (PS2) - Sony Classic Sucks in All the Right Ways
Buzzin'
You only need to press the start button to know Mister Mosquito graduated from an era of PlayStation that’s long been lost. As the camera pans around the densely detailed exterior of the Yamada family’s estate, a dramatic voice over does its best David Attenborough impression, describing the precarious lifecycle of a mosquito. Your goal...
News Don't Sleep on PS2 Secret Gem Sky Gunner, Coming to PS5, PS4 Next Week
Anime-style dogfighting sim
Your eyes may have glossed right over Sky Gunner when you looked at next week’s PS Plus update. That’s understandable, as big-ticket titles Mister Mosquito and Secret Agent Clank were always going to attract greater attention. But don’t write off this PS2 gem from PixelArts, as it’s absolutely worth your time...
News Zany PS Plus Oddity Mister Mosquito Is an Unmissable PS5, PS4 Addition
Sucking your subscription dry
There’s been much reminiscing among PS5 owners of late, as Astro Bot stirred fond memories of a bygone PlayStation era for fans. Well, if you’re the kind of person raised on a diet of Vib-Ribbon and Ape Escape, you absolutely should be playing Mister Mosquito, an outright barmy PS2 exclusive developed by Japanese...
Mini Review TimeSplitters (PS2) - A Fantastic Foundation with Flaws
Running out of time
Despite releasing just two years prior to TimeSplitters 2, TimeSplitters finds itself noticeably lacking in a number of key areas. It’s not dissimilar to how the gap between 2 and Future Perfect felt, though that was of course three years. Just as Future Perfect pulled a lot of content from its predecessor, 2 would in turn...
Future imperfect
Despite launching just three years later and on the same hardware as TimeSplitters 2, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect looks like a title from a completely different console generation. This is both a good and a bad thing. Visually, things are substantially better, with far cleaner textures, more complex environments, and so on...
News We're Already Mourning the GTA Tokyo Game on PS2 That Never Was
The Japanese dream
Did you know that Rockstar briefly considered releasing a Grand Theft Auto game set in Tokyo? Speculation about a Japanese edition of the crime sandbox caper has been rife for several years, especially after Take-Two famously filed trademarks for a game based in the city shortly after the release of GTA: San Andreas in 2004...
Make like a banana and split
The first-person shooter has gone through many changes over the years. It took a long time to perfect the formula on consoles; we didn’t receive Call of Duty right out of the gate, oh no. There were fundamental experiences that shaped the course of history for the genre, be it Wolfenstein 3D, GoldenEye, Halo, or...
Rob it Raccoon
Sly Cooper returns! Everyone's favourite kleptomaniac raccoon is finally here on PS5, albeit in port form rather than in a brand new title. Still, we'll take what we can get when it comes to Sly, and so it's a pleasure to see the first game in the series, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, as a PS2 Classic, available for a...
Review Ghosthunter (PS2) - Overlooked Supernatural Shooter Should Be a Cult Classic
The ghost with the most
What a difference a twenty years makes. When Ghosthunter released in 2004 for PS2 it was met with poor sales and mixed reviews from the critics of the time. Generally, reviewers thought it looked great, but it was too linear and at a mere ten hours or so in length it was far too brief. Today, Ghosthunter looks like a bag of...
Review Summoner (PS2) - Ambitious RPG Remains a Relic of the Past
They sure don't make 'em like this anymore
Summoner is a party-based CRPG that launched on PS2 in 2000, and it was recently given a new lease on life thanks to a re-release on PS5 and PS4 via PlayStation's Classics push. Developed by Volition (later Deep Silver, of Saint's Row fame), the studio's ambitious and expansive effort was marred by a lack...
News Cult PS2 Genre Blender Killer7 Could Be Resurrected for PS5, PS4
Make your voice heard
Killer7 is a game unlike any other. If you didn’t play the legendary PS2 shooter, then it’s almost impossible to introduce: it has elements of first-person shooter, rails shooter, and point-and-click gameplay. Developed by Grasshopper Manufacture in collaboration with Capcom, it perhaps deserves to be appreciated by a...
News One of the PS2's Most Overlooked Soundtracks Has Finally Arrived on Music Streaming Services
The Digital Devil Saga continues
The full soundtracks for Digital Devil Saga and Digital Devil Saga 2 are now on music streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. Both games are collected under one album called Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1&2 Original Soundtrack, which spans 139 songs. Search for...
News Forgotten PS2 Launch RPG Summoner Resurrected for PS5, PS4
You could say it's been summoned
What game did you get with your PS2? Tekken Tag Tournament, perhaps? Ridge Racer 5? FantaVision?! We’re going to go out on a limb and assume not many of you picked THQ’s Summoner, an ancient WRPG with a penchant for reams of text and some scruffy visuals. Developed by Volition, this is likely one of the forgotten...
News PS5, PS4's New PS2 Emulator Fails to Pass Tech Test
"A distinct lack of care"
Tech know-it-alls Digital Foundry are not impressed with the latest PS2 emulator on PS5 and PS4, which debuted earlier this month. It compares the experience to “someone booting up an emulator with default settings and handing you the controller”. The experts brutally conclude: “Sure, you can play the game, but...
News Sly Cooper PS2 Is PS Plus Premium's Biggest Classic Hit So Far
Really snuck in there
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus almost immediately became the most popular classic game released on PlayStation's PS Plus Premium service, quickly overtaking the previous PS1 champ, The Legend of Dragoon. Spotted by PSLS, Sucker Punch Production's 2002 action platformer took the top spot, according to gameplay analytics
News TimeSplitters PS5, PS4 Rated for Release, PS2 Classic Likely Slated for PS Plus Premium
Blast from the past
Free Radical Design's seminal shooter TimeSplitters looks like it's coming to PS5 and PS4, likely as part of the next phase of PS Plus Premium's classics push. Overnight, ratings for modern platforms appeared on the Taiwanese ratings board, which is good news for fans of the now-defunct developer.
News Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition Confirmed for Limited Run Games Showcase
Fancy that, a flying pig
We had a feeling Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition might rear its head soon (despite missing its anniversary year), reassured by the Trophy list that recently popped up online. Well, it's official now: Ubisoft has announced it will share news about the game during tomorrow's Limited Run Games showcase on 20th...
News Classic PS2, PSP Campaigns Ghosthunter, Daxter Add Platinum Trophies on PS5, PS4
The master of unlocking
As is commonly the case with first-party releases made available with Sony’s PS Plus Premium service, inventive PS2 shooter Ghosthunter and legendary PSP platformer Daxter will ship with Platinum Trophies. The former game will pack a total of 21 gongs, and will largely require you to beat a variety of bosses, and work your...
News Soon, All of the Main Jak and Daxter Games Will Be Playable on PS5, PS4
Eco-nomical
Platforming fans can rest assured knowing that from 18th June, you’ll be able to play every single mainline Jak and Daxter game on PS5 and PS4. The release of PSP platformer Daxter – arguably one of the best entries in the series – will round out the selection, with Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak 3, and Jak X:...
News One of PS2's Most Overlooked First-Party Games Is Coming to PS5, PS4
No longer ghosted
You probably never played Ghosthunter, but you should have done. Developed by Cambridge Studio – the UK-based team that would later renamed Guerrilla Cambridge, before being shutdown following the release of PS Vita’s excellent Killzone Mercenary – was published in the United States by Namco, such was the mistreatment of the...
News Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus PS4 Reportedly 'Runs Almost 10% Faster Than It Should'
Gotta go fast
We've never actually encountered a raccoon in reality, but we'd believe they're speedy little beasties. Perhaps the most famous raccoon of all just returned on PS5 and PS4, with Sly Cooper and the Thieivus Raccoonus being re-released on modern platforms, available for subscribers of PS Plus Premium. Like Tomb Raider Legend, however,...
News Tomb Raider Legend Unearths 480p, 30fps Performance on PS5, PS4
PS Plus Premium bringing the heat
Tomb Raider Legend arrived on PS Plus Premium today for PS5 and PS4 users, or it can be purchased for $20 outright. While it's awesome to have PS2 games previously stranded playable on modern platforms, this title's performance reportedly leaves much to be desired, especially if you're paying upfront. On Twitter,...
Hands On They're Rough Around the Edges, But It's Awesome to Have PS2 Games Back on PS5, PS4
Retro revival
Let’s try this again, eh? Sony originally released a batch of PS2 games on the PS4, but they were buggy, performed poorly, and lacked quality of life features. Now, with its well-established PS1 and PSP emulator, it’s giving the strategy another go – and including the releases in its PS Plus Premium subscription. But how are its...
News Three New PS2 Games Now Available on PS5, PS4 with PS Plus Premium
Sly Cooper! Tomb Raider! Star Wars!
The exciting age of updated PS2 emulation on PS5 and PS4 is now upon us, potentially opening the door to an enormous catalogue of classics – assuming platform holder Sony is willing to put in the leg work. The first three titles – Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Tomb Raider Legend, and Star Wars: The...
News PS2's Tomb Raider Legend Plunders an Unexpected PS5, PS4 Platinum Trophy
Star Wars: The Clone Wars, too
Generally speaking, the emulated third-party games made available as part of Sony’s retro PS Plus Premium push have skipped Trophies, simply due to the sheer amount of work involved adding them in. Classic PS2 platformer Tomb Raider Legend is bucking that trend, however, with a silvery-blue accolade available for...
News Legendary PS2 Platformer Sly Cooper Will Have a Platinum on PS5, PS4
We're hell Bentley on getting it
Sucker Punch’s iconic stealth action platformer Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus will have a Platinum Trophy when it re-releases on PS5 and PS4 later this week, as part of Sony’s expanded emulation offering. Up until now, the Japanese giant has only offered upgraded PS1 and PSP titles as part of its PS Plus...
News PS5, PS4's Brand New PS2 Emulator Features Up-Rendering, Rewind, Quick Saves, More
Quality of life
Sony’s already revisited a number of the classics from PS2’s catalogue on PS4, but the emulator was a bit of a disaster and the platform holder eventually pulled support. Following a successful string of PS1 and PSP re-releases, however, the Japanese giant is now bringing more PS2 titles to both the PS5 and PS4 – and it’s...
News Sly Cooper, Tomb Raider, Star Wars Revealed as Surprise PS2 Games on PS Plus Premium
Slyly does it
As part of its annual Days of Play promotion, PlayStation has revealed that three PS2 games are heading to PS Plus Premium next month — and one of them's bound to go down well with fans of a certain platforming franchise... That's right, Sly Cooper is finally coming to PS5, kind of. Sucker Punch's 2002 title Sly Cooper and the...
News New PS2 Emulator Appears to Be Imminent on PS5, PS4
Uprendering! Rewind! Quick saves!
Here’s some potentially huge news, unearthed by the eagle-eyed Gematsu: a new PS2 emulator appears to be imminent for PS5 and PS4. As many of you will already know, Sony has been gradually deploying PS1 and PSP titles on the PS Store as part of its PS Plus Premium subscription, with all releases boasting video...
Random Sydney Sweeney Reveals Which PS2 The Simpsons Game Was Her Favourite
And who she prefered playing as
Sydney Bernice Sweeney is an incredibly popular American actress best known for her performances in TV series like The White Lotus and Euphoria and films like Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Madame Web, and Anyone But You. She also recently sparked some intense (relatively speaking) speculation as...
News Outgoing PlayStation Exec Says Sony Must Continue to Entertain, Surprise, and Delight
"We're an entertainment business"
Jim Ryan is hanging up his DualSense and leaving PlayStation after a wildly successful 30-year career next month. While his misunderstood, deeply dry sense of humour has landed him in hot water with enthusiasts on numerous occasions, no one could criticise his achievements at the company, which has seen Sony become...
News PS2 Anthology Is a Set of Books Chronicling the Entire History of the Console and Its Games
Exclusive to Kickstarter backers
The PlayStation 2 is easily in contention for the title of best gaming system in history, so it makes sense to celebrate it in a suitably epic series of books. Simply titled PlayStation 2 Anthology, this upcoming tetralogy aims to tell the console's entire story across four volumes, and you can back it on Kickstarter...
Poll Which Persona Game Has the Best Opening?
Now it's personal
Atlus revealed the opening for Persona 3 Reload earlier this week, and it's so good that it got us wondering: which Persona game has the best title sequence? In case you don't know, each game in the series typically introduces itself with an animated opening, featuring a unique song and some gorgeous artwork. There's no doubt...
News Cancelled PS2 Game Daredevil: The Man Without Fear Surfaces Online
Blast from the past
It's not every day that you see an unreleased PS2 game emerge as playable almost two decades later, but that's precisely the case with 2004's Daredevil: The Man Without Fear. The Hidden Palace, which is a community dedicated to the preservation of rare and retro games, have published a playable prototype on PC. A third-person...
News Is Sony Working on a New PS2 Emulator for PS5, PS4?
Watch this space
With the frankly flabbergasting PS Plus price increases announced overnight, Sony is in need of a win for its subscriptions – and a big one at that! One way it could curry favour with long-time members is by upgrading its PS2 emulator, allowing it to bring back classics from the early noughties alongside the PS1 and PSP titles...
News Fans Vote Clive the Second Best Final Fantasy Protagonist
Guess the winner
Wow, people really like Clive Rosfield. The main character of the recently released Final Fantasy 16, the leather-clad hero seems to have really struck a chord with players, as he was voted the second best protagonist in Square Enix's mainline series. That's according to several thousand Final Fantasy fans, all of whom voted in our...
Poll Who's the Best Final Fantasy Protagonist?
There can only be one
Now that we've all had time to settle into a reality where Final Fantasy 16 exists, this is our chance to revisit a question that's reverberated around the Final Fantasy fandom for decades: just who is the series' best protagonist? Now, for the sake of this poll, we're going to streamline things and focus on mainline Final...
News Sony Will Celebrate Horror Series Siren's 20th Anniversary, Raising Hopes of a PS5 Revival
Back from the dead
Longtime PlayStation fans will recognise the name Siren, developed by a long-defunct offshoot of Japan Studio (Project Siren) and responsible for the three survival horror stealth games that comprise the trilogy. Sony is celebrating the series' 20th Anniversary, which has caused some to hold out hope for a revival. PlayStation...
Poll What's the Best PlayStation Startup Sequence?
PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5?
When you think of PlayStation, does a specific console startup come to mind? Sony's crafted some iconic system screens over the years — complete with some iconic sounds — but which one's the best? We know that's a potentially difficult question — and it might be wholly dependent on how old you are! — but it should...
News Capcom's Classic RPG Series Breath of Fire Is Now 30 Years Old
Come on, Capcom
Originating on the SNES all the way back in 1993, the Breath of Fire series is now 30 years old. It's one heck of a milestone, but then Capcom hasn't touched the franchise for what feels like an age. The Japanese company's last attempt at reviving the property came in 2016, when it launched the free-to-play, browser-based Breath of...
News Gran Turismo 4 Cheat Codes Discovered Almost 20 Years After Its PS2 Release
Pass the test
Gran Turismo 4 is one of the most iconic games in the PS2’s library, and it’s one of its best-selling too, topping over 11.5 million units throughout its lifetime. However, it’s taken almost 20 years for fans to find a bunch of secret cheat codes hidden in the game – but they really do exist. Originally posted by Nenkai on...