8 PS2 Games Deserving Of A Spot On PlayStation Plus

The PlayStation 2 brought us some of the greatest games ever made, which is why it’s heartbreaking to see so few of them currently available on the PlayStation 5.

With PlayStation Plus Premium offering the Classics Catalog alongside existing games we thought it’d be prudent to name nine PS2 games deserving of a spot in that line-up. We don’t want to cloud-stream them either Sony, make them playable the old-fashioned way like the PlayStation 1 games.

8. Burnout Revenge

Burnout Revenge earns a spot on our list over its predecessors for its emphasis on destruction and high-octane racing.

Speeding through the rush-hour traffic makes every race feel tense, as players’ vehicles collide in an attempt to knock each other out of the competition.

It deserves another chance to shine, especially since Xbox players are able to play it through backwards compatibility.

7. The Warriors

Based on the 1979 film of the same name, The Warriors is a criminally underrated beat-em-up developed and published by Rockstar Games.

Technically speaking you can play this game on your modern PlayStation console but for some reason it doesn't actually show up in the PlayStation Store, at least in the UK. It's also for whatever reason not part of the PlayStation Plus Premium line-up, even though it absolutely should be, it'd be a great fit.

Rockstar Games

Unfortunately Rockstar Games is far too busy with Grand Theft Auto VI to care about that at the moment, so this is our call to get this game the attention it deserves. It's heartbreaking seeing it rot in the digital store where no gamer can find it.

6. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

The Prince of Persia fans are owed something after having the Sands of Time remake cancelled.

It was a devastating day especially when it’s said the remake was practically finished before it was unexpectedly canned.

Despite the outcry from fans it seems it’ll never see the light of day, so the least Ubisoft could do is re-release the OG Sands of Time game on modern platforms.

5. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

There are a lot of great Lord of the Rings games out there, and there are also quite a few bad ones (we’re looking at you Gollum…), but arguably the best of the bunch in our opinion is The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

For those who haven’t had the pleasure, it's a third-person hack-and-slash game that caps off a trilogy of tie-in adaptations. Players become some of the most iconic characters in the franchise and play out some of the film’s pivotal scenes, like the battle for Gondor with Aragorn and co. or Frodo and Sam’s horrific experience in Shelob’s lair.

Electronic Arts

While it’s perfect for long-time fans who want to be part of the action, it’s also fitting for those new to the series and don’t fancy sitting through 12+ hours of film just yet…

If this game ever gets re-released on modern platforms and becomes part of PlayStation Plus Premium’s line-up, it’ll be a return of the king indeed.

4. Silent Hill 2 (2001)

This is a tricky one because the remake of Silent Hill 2 is arguably leagues ahead of the original, but hear us out.

Story-wise both are the same, but the PlayStation 5 version sports more endings, better combat, and of course looks a whole lot better.

However the Silent Hill 2 remake lacks the Born From A Wish storyline, a bonus story following Maria that was first included in Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams. This was an enhanced port of the game for Xbox which was later released on the PlayStation 2.

For this reason alone the OG Silent Hill 2 deserves some love on the PlayStation 5, and even without the Born From A Wish story it’s just nice to have the option of playing the original, like how Resident Evil fans can play both the OG and remade PlayStation 1 titles.

3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

We know, we know, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the best GTA game on the PlayStation but hear us out.

We’re about to head back to Vice City for the first time in over two decades. That’s quite something, so what better way to get prepared than to revisit the iconic video game location as it was before experiencing it as it is now.

Technically you can already do that with Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, but that collection is anything but definitive. Sure the post-launch updates have cleaned it up a bit, but the “upgraded” visuals just don’t suit the game’s geometry.

Re-release the game in its original state, so when we finally dive into GTA VI we’ll have an up-to-date point of reference for what’s new.

2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Insomniac’s Spider-Man games stand as some of the best PlayStation exclusives out there at the moment, yes even Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

Activision

But just like how you can’t beat the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, you just can’t beat the film tie-in games that were released alongside them.

Spider-Man 2 is the best of the bunch with web-swinging that actually had some momentum to it. It also explores other villains the Raimi films couldn’t, like Mysterio, Black Cat and Rhino.

The PlayStation 2’s open-world games almost feel like a lost art nowadays, and Spider-Man 2 is a standout example of this era at its best.

1. The Simpson’s Hit & Run

Finally earning our number one spot is a game that needs no introduction. All the real gamers know about The Simpson’s Hit & Run.

A Simpson’s game in the style of a PG Grand Theft Auto, what more could you possibly ask for?

The fans have been begging for this gem to return for years now, with some going out of their way to remake the game themselves on PC. To add insult to injury many of the original devs have come out since the game’s launch and confirmed sequels could have happened were it not for some mismanagement behind the scenes. As a series it had so much potential but alas it just wasn’t meant to be.

While the chances of getting a remaster or remake feel slim to none, the least that could be done is a port of the game to PlayStation 5. Hell, shove it on Xbox too for good measure.