PS2 Games That Felt Like Perfect Masterpieces in 2004

2004 was a big year for gaming. Nintendo launched the DS worldwide, the PS2 got a slimmer redesign worldwide, and Japan got the PSP. In terms of big video games, this was also the year of Halo 2, Half-Life 2, and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Those were all games that didn't hit the PS2, though, so what was Sony cooking up now that they had newer hardware?

Between third-party and first-party support, it could be argued that 2004 was one of, if not the best, year of the PS2's lifecycle. Let's go through ten of the best games that came out this year, and see whether or not they hold up as must-play experiences.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Rolling Up In The 90s

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was a throwback to the 90s, taking place in the titular San Andreas region on the West Coast. Players got to play CJ, a retired gangster who just got back home, only to get roped into his old gang shenanigans.

In terms of size and gameplay mechanics, this was a big step up from previous Grand Theft Auto entries, including letting players go outside of city locations and including stat progression depending on what CJ did and ate. Additionally, there was a territorial gang war feature that was reminiscent of an RTS, and it was one of the standout aspects of an overall stellar package.

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

The Conclusion To The First Trilogy

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal was the end of the original Ratchet & Clank trilogy, ending with a bang as the two titular heroes get roped into an ongoing war. While there are some big battle set pieces, it’s more of the same for this duo as players can fly across the galaxy, landing on new planets to help the colorful locals.

Platforming remained solid, and the weaponry was as bizarre as ever, including a gun that could duck up enemies or a bomb launcher that dispersed into tinier baby explosives. The lighthearted story and often silly puns also made it one of the funnier games of the generation.

Jak 3

Mad Max As A Platformer

Jak 3 set itself in a desert wasteland, sort of as an homage to Mad Max. Jak and Daxter could ride dinosaur-like mounts to get around the semi-open-world environment, or they could race their buggy around for both combat and exploration purposes.

There was still plenty of platforming across diverse levels, too, and Jak’s weapons grew as his gun evolved with attachments from a normal rifle to a part that shot explosives. The difficulty was fixed from the previous game, making it a more balanced adventure and a great end to the original Jak and Daxter trilogy.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

What A Thrill

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was the first prequel in the series, which told the origins of Big Boss back when he was just Naked Snake. Set in the 1960s, players had to infiltrate a forested base in the Soviet Union to prevent a group of terrorists eager to frame the U.S. for launching a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union.

Players could sneak their way through the jungle, painting on camouflage to blend in, and picking up animals to eat for sustenance along the way. There are a million little mechanics that made this game great, but what fans still like about it the most is the over-the-top story filled with men that shoot bees, ghost dads, flame-wielding cosmonauts, and more.

Katamari Damacy

Weird, But Enjoyable

Katamari Damacy is a hard game to describe, as it takes place in a world where there is a king of the galaxy, the King of All Cosmos, who one day destroyed the entire star system. He then sends his son to Earth with a magic ball that can clean up objects, allowing the King to turn that debris into stars.

It doesn’t make any sense, but it didn’t need to be to be fun. In each level, players had a goal set for their star size, and if they exceeded it, they would get bonus points. From paper clips to cones to birds to people, nothing was off limits for this ball destined for the stars, literally.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant

Fight For Europe

Shadow Hearts: Covenant was set during World War 1 and focused on a group of adventurers who somehow found themselves fighting a paranormal organization trying to take over the world. The game featured several key historical figures, like Grigori Rasputin, but twisted them into the most bizarre JRPG ways possible.

The combat system was turn-based, but active as players could time their attacks with a wheel system to get bonus damage. Besides the other games in the series, there’s nothing else quite like Shadow Hearts: Covenant on the PS2 as far as alternate history RPGs go.

Def Jam: Fight for NY

A Hip-Hop Fighter

Def Jam: Fight for NY is the second game in the series, which upped the roster and the list of hip-hop tracks to an incredible level. Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Ice-T, Xzibit, Ludacris, and so many others participated in the arena, lending both their faces and their voices in most cases.

Who would have ever thought a wrestling game about rappers would be this compelling? Somehow, the teams at AKI Corporation and EA Canada made this sequel better than its predecessor in every way possible, and it’s just sad there is no way to play it nowadays legally on current systems.

James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing

The Gang Is All Here

There were a lot of Bond games on the PS2, some original, some based on movies, but they all lacked one thing: star power. That’s where James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing differed, as it used the likenesses and voices of such Hollywood talent as Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Heidi Klum, and many others.

It was more than a big-budget story, as the gameplay was also great, with perfect set pieces more explosive than the last, literally in some cases. While it was more of an action game than a stealth game compared to other spy games on the PS2, including Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing is still one of the best Bond games ever made.

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

If Master Chief Had Jedi Powers

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy was an obscure but great third-person shooter that also had one heck of a gimmick. Beyond normal weapons for a spy game, players could learn to control various paranormal powers, such as telekinesis to throw enemies around and pyrokinesis to light them up like Christmas trees.

Other powers included a way to take over enemies to stir the pot in heavily guarded rooms. Players could use some of these powers outside of combat, too, to solve light puzzles, but it was primarily an action-focused game.

Burnout 3: Takedown

Racing Never Felt So Good

While the PS2 was known more for its exclusive racing series, Gran Turismo, there were also great third-party racers like Burnout 3: Takedown. It was a more arcade-style racing game where the camera stopped and zoomed in whenever a car crashed in the most brutal wrecks ever.

The adrenaline players could feel as they raced their cars around was unmatched, making Burnout 3: Takedown an instant classic. Even non-racing game fans couldn’t deny how fun it was to get wrecked or to wreck others during a match.