What are the best video game sequels on the PS2?
It’s easy to get lost in the power of the PS4 Pro and the sheer beauty of the PS4 Neo, but we mustn’t forget the consoles that came before. While the likes of Halo 2 and Halo 3 were being developed exclusively for Xbox, some of the best sequels were also born on Sony’s humble hardware.
We’ve picked out the very best follow-ups to the most iconic PS2 games, with Halo 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, GTA: Vice City, Assassin’s Creed 2, and Zelda: Majora’s Mask all making the cut. Other sequels tried their best to improve on what came before, while others upped their game with new features, such as The Last of Us, Portal 2, and Red Dead Redemption. Others still, such as the Jak and Daxter trilogy, expanded the scope of their series with more content.
Here are the best PS2 sequels:
Halo 2
It’s not just a case of being the most impressive sequel on the Xbox, Halo 2 is the most impressive video game sequel for the same console period, with the most significant improvements in both graphics and gameplay features.
With the success of the first game, Bungie was able to expand the scope of its shooter and enhance the already incredible gameplay of its predecessor. The graphics were improved to accommodate 60fps gameplay, while the gameplay features such as the dual-wielding system, the highly useful crouch, and the gravity hammer were all expanded upon.
With the groundwork laid by the first game, Halo 2 was able to improve upon nearly every aspect of its predecessor. It also helped that the game was a fitting end to the original Halo trilogy, with an emotional ending and incredible storytelling that put MGS2 and MGS3 to shame.
Majora’s Mask
While the majority of the games mentioned in this list are sequels to FPS games, Zelda: Majora’s Mask is an exception to the rule. With a simplified story compared to that of its predecessor, the Zelda sequel introduced a number of new gameplay mechanics and expanded content.
Majora’s Mask is praised for its incredible storytelling, with the emotional impact of Metal Gear Solid 2 not quite matching up to this. The game’s story is much more straightforward in comparison to MGS2, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective.
Metal Gear Solid 3
Metal Gear Solid 2 is a tough act to follow, with its incredible storytelling and multi-layered plot not to be matched by the sequels mentioned in this list. Still, despite the widespread consensus that the sequels in the comments are superior to their predecessors, Metal Gear Solid 3 does manage to improve on a few aspects of MGS2.
The most notable improvement is the simplification of the story. While MGS2 is widely regarded as one of the best games ever made, it’s fair to say that the narrative is quite complex, with the inter-dimensional travel and relationships between the characters somewhat difficult to grasp. In comparison, Metal Gear Solid 3 is a much simpler affair, but it still tells an incredible story and creates emotional connections with the characters in a similar way to its predecessor.
Pokemon Gold and Silver
The first two Pokemon games were fantastic, but the series really took off with the release of Pokemon Gold and Silver. The second generation of pocket monsters introduced a number of new gameplay features, including a fully integrated wireless mode, a host of new Pokemon, and a more dynamic world.
The original Pokemon games were great, but the second generation of monsters made the series what it is today. Gold and Silver introduced the concept of breeding and gave players much more control over the stats of their Pokemon, while also giving them a host of new monsters to catch. The Johto region was also a vast improvement over the original Kanto region, with a mountainous landscape, vast deserts, and a host of cool new areas to discover.
Assassin’s Creed 2
Assassin’s Creed 2 was a much-needed improvement over the original game, which was widely panned by critics. The sequel introduced a number of new gameplay mechanics to the series, including the addition of the grappling hook and a more dynamic combat system. The game also gave players the chance to play as Ezio, an improvement on the original game’s protagonist Altair, who felt a little stiff by comparison.
While not every Assassin’s Creed game has been better than its predecessor, Assassin’s Creed 2 is certainly the best in the series.
