Top 40 PS2 Games

[C-Game]

http://www.beardsmen.com/playstation_ii.htm



Final Fantasy XII Playstation 2 Video Game $40

I clicked the pic above and ordered Final Fantasy XII as soon as I could and I must say I counted down the days on my calendar till it arrived on my doorstep. When I got home from work I ripped on the packaging and dusted off my PS2 that had sat dormant since I beat Kingdom Hearts II.

I watched the opening scenes and was amazed, the graphics were excellent, the characters were already quickly described and had depth beyond the traditional FF characters. I was riding high, and it was not until the first battle that this feeling of Final Fantasy Perfection left me.

Ladies and Gentlemen, you'll hear it from everyone but the main problem with this game is the BATTLE SYSTEM. called "Active Dimension Battle" or ADB FFXII is an extreme departure from every other FF title except perhaps FFXI. This however is the problem.

I personally refused to play FFXI because I refuse to pay someone for the right to play my game beyond the initial cost of the game. Apparently the Folks at Square Enix thought that because FFXI took off, that this applied to all FF gamers; that if THEY liked the battle system then everyone would. This however is a false point. Final Fantasy XII is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

The ADB system is a problem because it makes the game harder and more boring at the same time. It is harder because you will find very early on that you can be swarmed by monsters very quickly all of whom can attack you though you cannot attack more than one of them. While some diehards would say "that's the challenge" and "you just have to learn how to be tactical." I would disagree. this goes into my second complaint.

The battles themselves are now passive affairs. your characters now automatically attack the enemy and you don't need to select any commands. I thought this was best summed up by another individual who said with the new system you can set up gambits, go to the bathroom or go to work, come home, and your characters would be just fine. I totally agree and I don't like the idea you don't even need to be PRESENT to actually defeat portions of the game.

The ADB was enacted because it was stated to provide strategy to the game. this is also false. Short of sneaking up on sleeping targets, running behind a target for example provides no more additional damage nor does it provide any additional protection from the monster's attacks as they just randomly whip around and strike you anyway. Ranged weapons might be different, but this basically holds true for a long time into the game.

I am still rather early on and while I have hope for this game, it has a lot to do before it earns my respect. And while fun, this is not a true final fantasy, and may be my last purchase in the series if it continues along this vein.



Bully Playstation 2 Video Game $40

Bully may very well be one of the most controversial games of all time. Looked down upon by many groups, parents and politicians as a "Grand Theft Auto in a high school," or a "Columbine Simulator," simply based on Rockstar's reputation of putting out adult oriented games. Especially when stacked with the controversy surrounding the Hot Coffee Mod found in San Andreas last year. The game suffered long before its release when Rockstar only had a name to their game. Now that it's finally out we can see just what this game is, and what it isn't.

So what is Bully? Well, first, it's NOT a Columbine Simulator. There's no blood, no guns and most importantly, no dying. Second, it is NOT a game that promotes school violence. The game is not Grand Theft Auto inside a high school. But enough about what Bully isn't. Let's talk about what Bully is: A damn fine game.

You assume the role of Jimmy Hopkins, a boy trying to survive at Bullworth Academy. Despite the title of the game, Jimmy is not the bully. He's basically your run of the mill student. Your task inside the school are the same as they are for just about every student in high school. Pass your classes and stay out of trouble. Going to class actually is enforced for a time. Your classes are mini-games that you'll play. Classes are enforced, but after a while you'll find you don't really have to go to class as an integral part of the game. You're allowed to try and ditch class but there are consequences for not going.

However, in this game you'll want to go to class just because participating in said class is actually fun. The mini games are fun and addictive. After a while it's no longer enforced, which I actually found rather sad. The aspect of going to class doesn't get nearly enough attention, but the mechanic works. Bully is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

Outside of class, however, is where the game really begins to shine. If you're familiar with the gameplay of Grand Theft Auto, then you'll easily adapt to Bully. For starters, each and every student at Bullworth Academy has a distinct personality. You'll make friends and you'll make enemies. You also have points to maintain with certain groups (the nerds, greasers, jocks, bullies, preppies, townies etc.).

Helping one group raises the respect that group has for you. Helping one group might also consequently lower the respect another group has for you. It's quite interesting to mess around with. The missions are fun and quite an experience. The game is original. Even better, the story sequences are filled to the brim with fantastic humor.

In addition, you can also venture outside of the school. Jimmy can get a job to help him buy food and money. Help out the people in town. He can also pick up girls, do errands for the neighbors (like mowing the lawn), and much more. There's even an arcade for Jimmy to go to and play some games. Yes, you DO get to control these games.

Jimmy isn't without a supply of weapons. He's got firecrackers (which you can't kill anyone with--think Bart Simpson), a bat, a slingshot, stink bombs, eggs and fire extinguishers. None of these can be used in lethal ways. In fact, they all break or run out of ammunition eventually. So if you're thinking you can go up to someone and beat them to death with a baseball bat you're wrong. After a while the bat breaks. The game won't let you get away with beating up kids for the hell of it anyway. You'll get in trouble by administrators. Besides, part of the point of the game is actually to make friends, not enemies.

There is hand to hand combat as well, and it's very fluent. Again, you can't just go and beat someone up because you feel like it. Most missions won't have you fighting hand to hand, but you'll be involved in some fist fights anyhow (such as taking on a bully). You're not just limited to kicks and punches, you actually get to pull off some pretty nifty moves with the games sensitive controls. Again, it's a fun aspect of the game and just like everything else, there's no way you could pummel a student to death. Also, going to certain classes enhances your skills. Going to Gym class, for example might improve your combat skills.

The game also takes on a more realistic feel. There's a clock in the corner that shows you what time it is. If you're caught wandering around the school after hours there are consequences. If you stay out too late, you'll actually get tired and pass out. Even more interesting is the game recognizes the seasons. The game actually does shift between fall, winter, spring and summer. The environments change accordingly.

The game looks and sounds brilliant. Fantastic voice acting along with some fantastic visuals. The school and environments look astonishing. There are a couple of frame rate issues, but they're few and far between. The game runs surprisingly smooth, and it's much sharper and crisp than your average PS2 game.

There are perhaps two gripes that do stick out a little more than others. One, the camera can sometimes be uncooperative. Usually in close quarters. Second, the game may be just a bit too easy for the hardcore gamer. Luckily, though, the game is a lot of fun to compensate for its ease, and it's huge and long. It'll take you maybe 40 hours to complete the game.

Bully is so big that this review couldn't possibly go into detail on everything. Let's just say the game is everything we weren't expecting. It's huge, and the vast majority of the game is played by doing good rather than bad. It's brilliant executed and highly innovative. In reality, this game contains none of what hasn't already been seen your average teenage TV show. The game is completely an interactive teen drama. I assure you, Bully is clean and quite an experience.



Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Playstation 2 Video Game $40

If there's one thing the Dragon Ball Z universe has no lack of, it's content. With hundreds of characters streaming forth from the manga, anime, and film DBZ properties, the world contains a wealth of material from which to draw when developing a video game. The first game in the DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi series found a decent balance between interesting gameplay mechanics and the massive Dragon Ball Z roster. Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is upping the ante considerably for the second game in the series.

The first place to start, of course, is the roster of otherworldly fighters that are featured in the game. Whereas the original Budokai Tenkaichi featured around 50 playable characters, the second game is upping the number to 70. What's more, characters each have multiple forms they can transform into--Goku, for example, can switch into two separate forms of his alter-ego Super Sayain. Also, because you have some ability to customize your characters, the total amount of selectable characters comes out to somewhere in the neighborhood of 120, quite a step up from the last game.

The variety isn't limited to the characters, either. The fighting environments have been upgraded--they are larger than in the first game, for one, and they feature a number of destructible items such as boulders and buildings, which can be broken apart during combat. One particularly devastating supernova attack can actually destroy the planet you are fighting on, transforming the fighting environment from a lush and green field to a stark and desolate wasteland. Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

Fighting in Budokai Tenkaichi 2 still plays similarly to last year's game--you still mix things up between close-quarters strikes and long-distance energy blasts, and the players have the ability to fly all around the environments. The camera angle, much criticized in the previous game, has improved substantially, resulting in a much more flexible camera that rarely seems to get in the way of the action and still lets you see everything you need to see.

A number of new moves and combos also are packed into the game, including a particularly cool teleportation combo that lets you sock your opponent a few times, toss him into the air, then teleport behind him and continue the onslaught. The ability to transform to a new form in the middle of the battle is another cool addition. What you change into has an effect on how you fight--one character's transformation into a giant fighting ape, for example, meant that he was slower and less agile than in his original form, but his attacks are much more powerful.

Another important addition to the fighting in BT 2 is the introduction of tag-team mechanics. Whether fighting with two fighters against one opponent or engaging in two-on-two battles, you are able to tag in your partner at any given time to keep dealing the pain to your foe. In addition to tagging in and out, characters can combine their powers into a fusion fighter who is more powerful than either of the original characters.

Budokai Tenkaichi 2 features a story mode that is played significantly different from that found in the original game. Instead of a mostly linear progression, BT 2's story mode--known as dragon adventure mode--plays more like a role-playing game, letting players choose from several missions on a world map to move the story forward. This flexibility lets you choose when you wish to move to the next crucial plot point or simply spend some time leveling the characters in your party by traveling to other points on the map and taking on opponents. In this mode, you are able to engage in minigames, interact with folks found in the many cities, or find customized items that you can buy and sell with money you earn from winning battles. In all, dragon adventure mode features approximately 60 hours of gameplay.

Other modes in the game include the obligatory training mode; multiple battle modes, including ultimate battle (which is a ranked battle system that has you climbing a ladder from the bottom to the top by beating foes), tag battle, and dragon battle; the Evolution Z feature, which lets you customize your character; the dragon library, which is an encyclopedia of the DBZ universe; an item shop; and a data-center option. By saving your customized characters in the data center, you receive a password that you can then upload and share with friends so that they can make the exact same customized character, if they wish.

In all, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 seems to be a worthy sequel to the original game--one that is bringing more to the series not just in terms of sheer content but also in terms of gameplay.



Guitar Hero 2 Bundle with Guitar Playstation 2 Video Game $80

This game is great, it is so much fun. I have nothing to compare this to because I never had a chance to play the first one. There is a funny thing happening here though, a lot of the reviewers are complaining that the songs are obscure and no one knows them, I completely disagree, the list is phenomenal. I never expected them to get so many copyrighted songs on here.

I am going to provide a list of the songs so everyone can check it out for themselves rather than have some kids who bitch because they don't know the classics (note: I am in no way calling all these songs classics, for example Avenged Sevenfold I personally think sucks and shouldn't be on this game but hey the guitarist can throw together a slick solo). Guitar Hero 2 is included in the top playstation 2 (ps2) video games reviews featuring new and cheap Play Station 2 video games.

1. Opening Licks

"Shout at the Devil" - M

[Deadishot]

looooong and my ps2 broke so idc

i did get final fantasy 3 for my ds tho and im playing it right now