Summary
Thanks to its massive library of incredible software, thePlayStation 2has remained thebest-selling video game consoleof all time. Perhaps one of the key reasons that the software was so good was thanks to its protagonists, as its impressive roster of RPGs, survival horror adventures, racing titles, and action-adventure games is packed with outstanding lead characters.
Among some of its finest was an assortment ofchild characters, as the PS2 boasted some remarkable protagonists in that regard. Whether they were fending for their young lives in the console’s numerous survival horror games or going on a grand JRPG adventure, the kids of the PS2 easily ranked up there with some of the best protagonists on the console. They were a brilliant mix of plucky young heroes and survivors, starring in what many still consider to be some of the PS2’s best games.
If there’s any style of game that thrived on the PS2, it was survival horror, as the console was home to some of the genre’s best. One of the most overlooked survivalhorror games on the PS2wasClock Tower 3, which placed players in control of Alyssa Hamilton, a schoolgirl on the run from both her murky past and horrific monsters.
Clock Tower 3is largely different from the original games in the franchise, but it’s ultimately for the best, as it makes great use of the PS2’s hardware. It plays more like Capcom’sHaunting Ground, mainly focused on escaping conflict, with a protagonist who is unfit for combat. The 3D environments are excellent, and Alyssa’s journey to find the truth about her lineage makesClock Tower 3feel like an old-school horror film in video game form.
TheTalesfranchise wasthree games deep by the time the PS2 came around, and Bandai Namco was keen to take advantage of the new hardware to power the next generation of the series. WithTales of Symphonia, the second in the franchise released on PS2 followingTales of Destiny 2, they cast Lloyd Irving as its main protagonist. The end result was one of the genre’s most compelling heroes, and one of the greatest JRPGs ever made.
Tales of Symphoniais set in the world of Sylvarant, where magic is slowly dying out, sending Lloyd on an adventure to escort his friend Colette on a pilgrimage. Lloyd is a delightful lead, and he is also surrounded by other young child protagonists, making up one of the best JRPG parties the genre has ever seen.Tales of Symphoniais readily available on modern hardware thanks to an excellent remaster that launched in 2023.
Before creating the cinematic worlds ofThe Last of UsandUncharted, developer Naughty Dog was deep in the world of 3D platformers. Using what they learned from threeCrash Bandicootgames on the PS1,Naughty Dog crafted a new IPfor the PS2, resulting inJak and Daxter, a masterful 3D platformer with an imaginative, colorful world.
Starring a young boy named Jak and his pal Daxter, this excellent game features a fabulously designed world and pitch-perfect platforming. The relationship between the title characters is a joy to watch, as the silent, moody Jak plays the perfect straight man to Daxter’s charming, altogether frantic personality. Despite being abandoned by both Sony and Naughty Dog in recent years, the originalJak and Daxteris still one of the PS2’s best games and is readily available on PS5 today.
Continuing their desire to explorecontroversial topics and themes, Rockstar decided to create something new with their first game afterGTA:San Andreas. Set in the fictional Bullworth Academy,Bullyputs players in control of Jimmy Hopkins, a new arrival who immediately ruffles the feathers of the school’s most ill-mannered students, but in typical Rockstar fashion, the devil is in the details.
While it carries an ominous name on the tin, the role of Jimmy and the player in this PS2 classic isn’t to be a bully, but rather to punish the students who are.Bullyis all about getting revenge on the preppies, the jocks, and all of Bullworth Academy’s most nefarious characters, including the staff. Jimmy is a classic Rockstar protagonist, dumped into a dangerous situation, but it abandons organized crime for something a bit more down to Earth.Bullyis readily available on modern hardware, and Jimmy’s journey is one well worth playing today.
Dark Cloudwas one of the firstJRPGs to hit the PS2in 2001, and developers Level-5 created a unique town-building mechanic known as Georama. Just two years later, they would follow up withDark Cloud 2, set in an entirely new world and with Maximillian and Monica as its lead characters, with each of their stories taking place one hundred years apart from each other. They are brought together via a fun time travel story, asDark Cloud 2’snarrative is filled with all sorts of fun fantasy gimmicks and uses them expertly, with the trademark Level-5 charm.
The Georama system from the first game returns, and is better than ever. By exploring dungeons, players gather Geostones which are used in Georama mode to populate towns with buildings and living spaces. It is a fantastic mechanic, one that would be exciting to revisit with modern technology. This absolutely lovely JRPG is still one of the best available on the console, and is playable on modern hardware, making it easier than ever to revisit this fabulous experience.
Despite being best known forincluding a demo for Hideo Kojima’shighly anticipatedMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty,Zone of the Endersis one of the best mech combat games ever made, and one of the PS2’s most ambitious projects. Casting players in the role of Leo Stenbuck,Zone of the Endersexplores humanity’s expansion into the stars and follows a brewing war between the militaristic forces of Bahram and the mechs, known as Orbital Frames, piloted by civilians.
Leo’s dramatic journey inZone of the Endersis filled with action, trauma, and adventure, as this epic tale of war and betrayal remains one of the PS2’s most innovative and enjoyable experiences. Today the mech combat feels as sharp as ever, as flying around in an Orbital Frame has a sense of precise speed that is unmatched even by most contemporary games in the genre.Zone of the Endersis a deeply fascinating experience, and was also remastered for the PS3 in 2012.
Armed with a bold vision and incredible artistic integrity, Fumito Ueda conceived of what would becomeIcoin 1997, taking influencefrom cinematic platformers likePrince of PersiaandAnother World. This landmark release is still one of the PS2’s most impressive games, focusing on a young boy named Ico as he attempts to rescue a wayward princess named Yorda. Their immediate bond feels natural and organic, as their harrowing adventure to escape a mob of frightening shadow creatures forms the crux of this outstanding game.
Icoputs a strong focus on its atmosphere, vibes, and exploration, as well as the importance of bonds. Holding Yorda’s hand feels tangible, and the threat of losing her feels all too real when the sinister shadow creatures emerge to take her. With its stellar animation, unique world design, and absolutely beautiful art direction,Icois still one of the most impressive titles to come out during the sixth-generation of consoles. Although Team ICO’s second game,Shadow of the Colossus, was given a full remake by Bluepoint in 2020, this masterful title remains sadly stuck on the PS2. It’s not easy to play today, but it is absolutely worth it to experience Ico and Yorda’s epic journey.
