PS2 Games That Hold Up Brilliantly

[@CulturedVultures]

here's the first video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZzGfoZqi9pprdU also, is it time to change the intro song for PlayStation videos? let me know! - Jimmy

[@blackenedheart9592]

I don't know why this channel won't let me comment without replying to another comment but I just wanted to say that whole era of gaming had a lot of cell-shaded graphic games and I love that style! They don't do it as much anymore obviously but back there in the PS2 era so many amazing games had that graphical style and they just stood out! It's like they exploded off the screen I loved it!

[@mrjpsycho10]

I really missed ps2 games, man. They have a wonderful games library.

[@CulturedVultures]

it just keeps going and going!

[@dumbstruckempire]

Agreed!

[@Cloud_Strife0811]

So now we're calling consoles "they"?🤣🤣

[@stavidjenkins]

@Cloud_Strife0811 at this point I can hardly tell between broken English or bot English

[@sharksocks8130]

Different era of gaming man

[@tico481]

Your channel has been a HUGE help while I'm setting up my Retroid Pocket 5. My games library is all the games you've recommended. Thank you!

[@---nd2yx]

Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time holds up remarkably well and still looks and plays well today. Honorable mention Okami if I’m allowed to cheat and name two games!

[@Cloud_Strife0811]

If you're gonna play it; play it on the PS2 or PS4 cause it constantly crashes on the PS5😢

[@hybridvigga]

@@Cloud_Strife0811 Plus I think it's full 4K on PS4 pro, it is on the One X and Series consoles. I own it on PS2 disc, it was the second game I bought and downloaded on my PS3 (after Wipeout) just to play it again, then bought it again on One X to play it in 4K. One of my favourite games ever, while I admit it's not technically as good I enjoyed Okami more than most 3D Zelda games.

[@gaspump]

I'll never get over that people actually love this game. It is far and away the worst Star Ocean game. I'll never convince the die-hards so I won't even try. Just know that I find your collective cognitive dissonance quite fascinating!

[@Cloud_Strife0811]

@@gaspump I'll bet. Kinda hard to think getting asspumped constantly. 🤣🤣 Our coterminous cognitive collective far exceeds your nanoscopic short-sightedness. Station.

[@BladeEXE67]

I'd say games like Zone of the Enders 2 and Rogue Galaxy have held up pretty well too, but there are so many games on the PS2 that it's too hard to choose. Kingdom Hearts 2 will forever be my favourite.

[@seoulgt86]

I made it, shark! Bro I have enjoyed your videos the past couple of months. They have been extremely entertaining and a joy to watch. Keep going, man. Your channel has become one of my new favorite channels to watch. I tell my friends about you guys. Can’t wait to see you guys grow.

[@CulturedVultures]

thank you so much! lots of videos still to come this year

[@netogermano4483]

Tenchu fatal shadows my beloved... Not only has beautiful grafics but had for me the best and more refined gameplay of the entire franchise.

[@CulturedVultures]

Wrath of Heaven is always gonna have a place in my heart

[@returnofmerenguespersempre]

Both Castlevanias, Shadow hearts covenant, SH 2 and 3 plus Origins, Shinobi (not the 🤮sequel Nightshade), Kingdom Hearts, Devil May Cry, Transformers and Maximo.

[@IIOver9000]

Onimusha 3 is art 🗣️

[@mandibiedermann2246]

one of the best games ever made

[@pharmcat8484]

Everyone, it’s worth watching to the end this time. Trust me.

[@nickdaulton7340]

I have an explanation for 'Looking a gift horse in the mouth'. In history, people would bring kings or rules gifts for hearing out their problems. They would usually load a horse with gifts of gold or spices, whatever was valuable at the time, and bring the horse to the ruler. They would give both the horse and the gifts to the ruler and if the ruler was a jerk, he would go check the teeth if the gift horse to make sure it was healthy and not a bad horse, insinuating that he didn't approve of the actual gifts. It's kinda like getting a Christmas present and being a dick about the wrapping paper. Hope that helps!

[@mattiac8734]

Wait what? You're not an animated talking vulture? My world is in shambles... I made it, Shark!

[@tomjones6347]

A gift horse would be a horse gifted to you and you wouldn't check if it's teeth were all there before accepting as it would be bad manners and largely unnecessary seeing as it was free.

[@ominae1]

LOL There is a spanish saying, "A gifted horse don't looked up the teeth."

[@Paekabou]

OK, I assume you are questioning the saying for the comedy value. If nobody mentioned trojans to u ever I would be shocked and appalled at our education system. 😅

[@tomjones6347]

@@Paekabou Trojans have nothing to do with it. Im a Russel Group linguist who specialises in etymology. The saying comes from not questioning good turns of fate, such as receiving a gift horse.

[@Paekabou]

​@tomjones6347 ah... my history teacher was a d1ck apparently lol.

[@thelearner7389]

I made it, shark! keep up the good work, you're one of my new favorite channels!

[@VorkKnightOfGood]

I see what you did with the thumbnail, you... you... man of culture!

[@CulturedVultures]

listen I am but a man of the people, I give three different thumbnails with a mixture of characters from the games being discussed for the algo and then you lovely people decide which you like best (usually the most "cultured" ones lol)

[@gaspump]

They definitely "hold up" (presumably with a brutal under-wire)

[@GoblinSlosher]

Dude, have you ever walked down the street to the beat of the Jak and Daxter soundtrack? Now that’s a vibe. Speaking of soundtrack. That bully background music gets me every time 🥲

[@pharmcat8484]

A guy named AnimeBros chose a DBZ game?!?! 🤯🤯🤯

[@AnimeBrosAMV]

Hey thats me! xD

[@mjdf122]

PS2 RPGs hold up brilliantly

[@thefinestbean]

I made it, shark! I've been enjoying your videos quite a bit recently👍👍

[@IXArcanine]

Oh man I love the song In the Shadows by The Rasmus. Thanks for reminding me about them I'll have them on the playlist for tomorrow.

[@AzureCrook]

Awh man Onimusha was amazing 🤙 If you ever make another one of these bad boys here's a list for you 1P -Shin Megami Tensei (Nocturne is 10/10, Digital Devil Saga is pretty cool too, Devil Summoner is also solid) -Rogue Galaxy - .Hack// (2 stories, 6 games) - Monster Hunter - Yakuza - Viewful Joe 2P / couch co-op - Digimon World 4 - Jackass - MK Armageddon And made it to the end 😂 don't want nada, just letting others know it's time well spent on KZbin

[@RainyNightGamer]

Smooth af transitions boi, I made it shark!

[@XanderCrease]

@15:40 I used to pronounce it "Polly Fonny" for years too😉It's "poe lif oh knee"...or the mispronunciation is purpose and the jokes on me 🤔 Viewtiful Joe 1 & 2 aged great too!

[@CulturedVultures]

it's weird, I think it's a very British thing to get it very wrong! never heard anyone here call it anything different until recently

[@Lauren_C]

I’m going to recommend Ratchet Deadlocked here. Lots of fun with visuals that look quite good today (arguably even better with higher resolutions enabled by PCSX2). The water ripple effect on Shaar were quite advanced for the time.

[@MARSandtheGang]

I made it shark! Been really enjoying your content. Cheers from a new subscriber

[@giannis8568]

I believe the reason that Soul Calibur 3 stayed at the shadow of the more populars 2&4 was probably the notorious bug with its save file - ever I experienced it a couple of times (DAMN).

[@anivmoreno9612]

Funny thing, Xenosaga has had 4 games, the origins of the series where in the PSX game Xenogears, which in its intro crawl called itself Xenosaga Episode 5. Xenosaga is one of those series with such a deep lore and potential that didn't pan out because of lack of publicity and sales. I loved the series since I played Xenogears on the PSX and would have wished they had made the whole saga

[@RedouaneArabi-g4o]

Pro Evolution Soccer 6 is still receiving fan mods to this day. It's an eternal game.

[@hybridvigga]

The first few on 360 were basically identical with better graphics, but yeah some of those PS2 and 360 ones are some of the best football games to this day, destroying the concurrent FIFA releases.

[@CulturedVultures]

you're gonna *love* a video we got coming soon!

[@AshBates93]

@@CulturedVultures call us certified PES dispensers the way we talk about Pro Evo

[@F1ghtGam3r]

According to many fighting game KZbinrs, the U. S. port of Soul Calibur 3 was glitched. Ur save data can get currupted at any time

[@davidtharp2125]

I thought I was crazy. I remember his pissing me off…

[@ObsessedGeorge]

Yeah man! Champions Of Norrath Return To Arms! You sent me almost 20 years back! We need a new Champions game.

[@LogicDictates-s6m]

I made it, shark. Interesting that the _Xenosaga_ trilogy and _Soul Calibur III_ were included in the same video, since the character creation mode in the latter includes parts specifically put there to let you recreate KOS-MOS in the game, making her a hidden character of sorts. Also, I recommend playing the undub of _Yakuza_ over the default version. The game is much more immersive when the characters are speaking Japanese rather than English with American accents. Plus, it makes for a less jarring transition to _Yakuza 2,_ which never received an English dub.

[@ScottMakesGames]

I've been playing a lot of ps2 again lately such fond memories and a lot still hold up today for me

[@AshBates93]

Getting my pick of Ape Escape 3 in now in case there's a threequel. Or did we cover that already?

[@mctapoutos7426]

DC , PS2 , Xbox and GC was probably the best time to be a gamer saying that I love my PSX and Saturn back in a day

[@miasma82]

I've been thinking about getting a new ps2. I really want to play tales of the abyss since i never had the game when i owned a ps2. I regret selling it but that's life i guess. Love your channel btw. You make great content ☺️

[@bignobit905]

Genji needs some recognition as well. One of the most beautiful ps2 game I ever played. I always plays the game when I wanna feel like having a ps3.

[@deadsharkisart]

a horse would be an expensive gift, so checking it's teeth as a general sign of health would potentially be seen as ungrateful by the giver.

[@BagofSchmidt]

I was not ready for a Zohan reference

[@shadowbullets24]

I made it, Shark. I got gifted a horse once. Technically it was a Foal and was from an old man in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature (Great game BTW) but I never looked it in the mouth. It did make me a lot of gold in the horse racing though

[@mintfresh]

I made it, shark! Good list, never played a couple of these, might have to check them out.

[@primaroxas]

Yes! Soul Calibur 3! the massive characther creation suite and the chronicles mode made me play the heck of it back then

[@TerbInYourFace]

YES! CHAMPS 1&2! and I'll add Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

[@Outrack]

Man, Burnout Takedown and Revenge are pretty much perfect games. I played both back in the day and did a full run on them again earlier this year and they've held up amazingly well. Stellar Entertainment (who remastered Paradise) are currently working on a new racing title with hints dropped on Twitter that it may be something Burnout-related, so there's hope! The quote at 9:23 is a line by the Landlord from Smiling Friends, for anyone that didn't get it ;)

[@sargesmash1]

I started the Jak series with Jak 2, and wasn't terribly impressed by it. But I finally sat down a few years ago with the original, and holy smokes, it really is a fantastic game.

[@newtable2580]

My local game shop has a copy of Xenosaga. I'm very tempted to pick it up. I'm a sucker for anything turn based.

[@backonurporposeclips]

Multiplayer games will always hold up well look at goldeneye still thriving and surviving and you and 3 friends will have a blast

[@jmac79ers]

Loving your content, thank you for all your hard work Here's to 100k before June 2025!

[@KerenskyTheRed]

I made it, shark. I know it wasn't exclusive to the PS2 but the original Star Wars Battlefront had 2 was a blast. In high school, I had it for Xbox and my friend had it for the PS2. Whoever's house we were over at, we would be playing that game constantly. I ended up mastering all the challenges on both consoles. I missed those days and that game design.

[@hybridvigga]

It's impossible to make a PS3 video like this without having it be more than half full of inferior versions of 360 games, PS2 has enough bangers to not need to do that.

[@martok2112]

I wish my old systems were still working. I miss playing the Champions games. Sony needs to expand its emulsion for more PS2 games in their Classics Catalogue. I miss games like Champions, MTV Music Generator. Glad they put the three TimeSplitters games up on the catalogue. TimeSplitters Future Perfect is hilarious, and one of my all time favorite FPS games.

[@mariowario5945]

whats the song in your intro? starting at 0:05 (Just wait and see how I get the answer 20 years from now....)

[@CulturedVultures]

Rift Beats - Final Fantasy 7 theme

[@Skip2TheEnd]

If their is ever a part 3 on this topic, you've gotta put Dark Chronicle somewhere on that video, still looks incredible 20+ years later!

[@hybridvigga]

Been playing it at 4K in widescreen on emulators recently, but would still NEVER get rid of my PS2 copy. One of my favourite non-Squeenix RPGs ever alongside Grandia 2 and KOTOR. The first one is painful to play as when your weapon breaks, it's gone for good like Breath of the Wild instead of just getting repaired, but still looks awesome (especially through emulators, most cell shaded games do to be honest.)

[@Ushotmygoat]

Love the Bully music in the background

[@FunKyMonkEy022]

Love your videos. Great list of games 🦈 I made it, Shark!

[@lakrakthewhitegoblin3881]

I think game like fatal frame series,star ocean 3,Valkyrie profile 2,rogue Galaxy still looks good

[@aking-plums6985]

I didn't realize that Jimmy was Jay Kay from Jamiroquai. I suppose that's does explain why there is a lot of car based games on Cultured Vultures.

[@AshBates93]

That's why he loves the bad Godzilla film so much. Deeper Underground is a real whipper.

[@aking-plums6985]

@@AshBates93 LOL, the evidence is mounting =)

[@CulturedVultures]

that's a new one, hahaha

[@Cautious_Gamer]

Shadow of the Colossus looks insane on PCSX2 with an HD texture pack running at 1440p. So does Tenkaichi 3.

[@bakuiel1901]

I love BGDA and really wish I had played Champions of Norrath

[@glucoza4089]

Rasmus's still rocking man

[@kendallmasterssank369]

Nice list. More Dreamcast and Wii pls

[@CulturedVultures]

Dreamcast soon!

[@nordinreecendo512]

3:39 What about Soul Reaver? I thought that was the first 3D game without load screens?

[@Valdivia9494]

No that The Rasmus roast 😭😭😭

[@wrena79]

I made it shark. I'll also throw in Gradius V for a future vid on the same topic.

[@IIOver9000]

I played Champions 2 way too much, such a fun game

[@FranklySean]

You look at a horse's teeth to gauge its health and age. So its about not criticizing a gift too much.

[@steveleavell114]

I made it, shark. Jak series was awesome. I was playing those games not to long ago.

[@pharmcat8484]

“Verbal horse” sounds different when you’ve just woken up.

[@adamlach6572]

Gran Turismo 3 is in my top 3 best looking games ever - mind you i don't care about how new the game is, but how awesome and atmospheric visuals are. And GT3 looks like a charm, strong colors, pretty effects, and the game itself is again among the very very very best ones, so it's not only a shiny trinket but one of the best games ever made. Also the menus are sheer perfection, it's beyond me how much good design of the menus adds to the game. Then you have NFS Underground 2 another example of masterfull design and top notch atmosphere. And my two favourite forgotten games - Enthusia Professional Racing, and Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero. EPR can easly stand alongside best Gran Turismo games (maybe it had the best driving model in this particular niche), and TXR:Z while at first might not be that impressive, is easly my favourite non-realistic racing game, that plays like nothing else - you feel like an anime character taking on the whole racing scene of tokyo. Legendary game.

[@Doomfan98]

I made it, shark. Personally, I like Baldurs Gate better than Champions.

[@CulturedVultures]

you're gonna enjoy a BIG BOI we got coming soon

[@DaniiMarsh]

Monsters inc scare island! My first ever game complete as a kid 😅

[@sonicblast19]

I loved the horse thing. It's used a lot in Romania

[@mctapoutos7426]

I finished Yakuza 1 and 2 on PS2 and it was amazing

[@beepboopkendo4206]

Anyone who enjoys champions and needs a little more similar gameplay you can look for fallout brotherhood of steel for basically a reskin of the game.

[@briangarvin8867]

YOU MADE IT shark, it’s a Roman horse reference gift horse in the mouth!! HAPPY 2025!! Love the content and the channel always

[@HeroesLeftInMan]

Funny you keep using audio from Bully, but didn't mention it here. I'd say the game still hold up really well today. I played it for the first time a few years ago, and I enjoyed it more than GTA 4 which came out shortly after it.

[@CulturedVultures]

Bully features prominently in a vid coming soon!

[@1murra]

Love the honesty 🚬🌿🌿🌿

[@goober_D]

I made it shark! I was hoping to see the Sly Cooper games get some attention here

[@CulturedVultures]

one just did in a PS3 video! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqS8YqiVaKyfhpYsi=LxcOgw_TsuJxem7v&t=878

[@rodneyabrett]

There's an undub version of PS2 Yakuza which you can patch an .iso image with which I highly recommend. The game obviously just feels so much more natural with the original Japanese voices.

[@hybridvigga]

Or there's a MUCH improved remake that lets you choose the voiceover on PS4/5 and One/Series consoles at 1440p 60.

[@rodneyabrett]

@@hybridvigga I like that version too, but sometimes I want the OG Gen 6 console look before normal maps and dynamic lighting.

[@hybridvigga]

@@rodneyabrett I get that. PS2/GC/DC/PSP had something about them and look awesome upscaled in an emulator. I prefer the remake of Yakuza 1 & 2 to the OG versions though, I think it's the consistency thing if you go through all of them as Kiwami 1 & 2 are properly remade and there's no downwstep then upstep thing if you play zero first with the remakes and then carry on to 3. But each to their own, I understand your POV.

[@rodneyabrett]

@@hybridvigga Love the remakes. There's definitely massive improvements in terms of gameplay and quality of life, without a doubt 100% In fact, I'm playing Yakuza 0 Zero again right now at the moment.

[@hybridvigga]

@@rodneyabrett Not sure about playstation, but all the ones that weren't natively 60fps got FPS boosted on X-box. Not having to drop to 30fps for some games helps too. Need to work all the way through them myself but in the middle of something else right now. Got all the way to Like A Dragon and both Judgements on Series X, but if I'm gonna do em all I'd have to bust out my PS3 for Dead Souls at some point. It would only be proper 🧐

[@jamezuva]

I made it, shark! Love the content

[@matthewleblanc2451]

I made it shark 🦈 but no steam key needed mate , just happy fer da company atm power outage after work here on the east coast of Canada 🍁❄️ tokes/ ps vita n KZbin videos tis thee evening ! Hope you have an awesome Weekend tho!

[@Senumunu]

Really surprised with how much Onimusha 4 went under It is arguably the best one in the franchise

[@TheMoviesCult]

Loving Godzilla, no worries you're not alone!

[@Mr.X---47]

Love Burnout series and I think socom was a awesome series on PS2

[@kill_repeat8491]

I made it, shark I'd pay very good money for Champions to get the modern day port.

[@Doombot2point0]

I made it, Shark! :)

[@yeronsondreams]

PS2 is the goat. Ape Escape 3 is a nice example how the machine struggle the max capacity. Man, I hope the AstroBot award will make Sony re launch this franchise. Ape Escape is the best☕✨🗣

[@Asriazh]

I made it, shark. Who's the shark in this case? Probably doesn't matter... :D

[@mxrp77]

> no metal gear solid 2 or 3 mentioned

[@CulturedVultures]

check da pinned comment bossman

[@Rachimical]

I made it, shark! 😊

[@lucianovd]

I made it, shark. Great content.

[@adamlach6572]

Soul Calibur 3 is still stunning, it makes a bigger impression than the newest one, it looks impossible for ps2.

[@JoeDawesome]

I’ve been collecting ps2 for a few years now. I have 5 ps2s, countless games and accessories. Should I make a video?

[@karlmueller1980]

I’m hoping that Capcom does an HD port of OniMusha 2 and 3. I made it Jimmie.

[@BrothaKyo]

9:22 - I recommend watching Smiling Friends.

[@kaylee42900]

Xenosaga was so great. I do think Episode 2 was such a massive misstep though. It possibly ended the series early on its own. Changing well loved voice actors (that they would change back in XS3)? - Check. Changing character designs because it seems they were embarrassed of anime graphics (which is hilarious today)? - Check. Battle system that was entirely one note that required you to do the exact same thing over and over because of the weakpoint system? - Check. A notoriously difficult intro scene that requires you to play a long sequence over and over? - Check. XS1 had a greatest hits release fore XS2 to misstep so badly in the ways it did was baffling to me. Selling enough for Greatest Hits means you're on the right track not that you should change the whole damn thing. XS3 was awesome though.

[@savagescotsman6493]

Is that a Streets of Rage track in your outro?

[@CulturedVultures]

yep! Streets of Rage 2 - Under Logic kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZLYp4etd6mjqtE

[@rchassereau2]

I made it, shark! Good video

[@CulturedVultures]

Congrats! You won a Steam key! Email us at infoatculturedvulturesdotcom to claim your prize

[@Lupinia_the_Wolf]

Aww I’m Sad you didn’t mention the 2 Def Jam games that also hold up and are still only on PS2 and GameCube. I also sad you didn’t mention the 4 MK games that first gave the fighting game actual story modes that are still being used today in the more Modern MK tilted starting from MK vs DCU up to and including Mortal Kombat 1 for PS5 and Series X\S

[@SturmAH]

Recently beat Xenosaga 1 and absolutely loved it … the I started 2 up … ufff, well it is pretty, but the charm is sucked out from my early impressions.

[@BGID7]

The thumbnail ☠️

[@CulturedVultures]

listen the dudes won the last two video thumbnail showdowns but the DD-emocracy was very strong here

[@IIOver9000]

Old games were the future