This PS2 rarity is the freakiest game I own; PlayStation Plus users get it free

As a fan of retro classics, I’m always on the lookout for new games to add to the ol’ shelf, but this recent addition to my PlayStation 2 is possibly the freakiest game I’ve ever played.

It’s not a survival-horror if that’s what you’re wondering. In fact, there’s nothing scary about it at all. When I say freaky I mean freaky.

Mr Moskeeto, or Mister Mosquito in U.S regions, is a PS2 stealth-action game developed by Zoom and published by Sony. It launched in Japan in 2001 before getting a worldwide launch in 2002.

The game’s a bit of a rarity nowadays, or at least in the United Kingdom. I got a copy from CEX for about £40 including delivery and while that’s nowhere near as expensive as other retro games (your Pokémons, Zeldas etc.) it wasn't easy to come by and had a price to match.

Fortunately, it can also be bought on the PlayStation 5 for £7.99, and if you’re subscribed to PlayStation Plus Premium, you can play it at no additional cost. I wasn’t aware of this when I spent nearly five times that price on a physical copy, though in fairness, I’d rather have the disc than a digital file. Lots of people would.

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Mr Moskeeto is a retro hidden-gem that

Anyway, Mr Moskeeto has been…an experience, so far. The goal is pretty simple. You fly around the Yamada family household waiting for an opportunity to suck and store their blood for the Winter.

If that wasn’t weird enough you then have to manage their ‘stress levels’. Gulping their blood down too quickly will increase your chance of being noticed, potentially leading to a confrontation.

Each level varies in terms of Yamada family members and what part of their anatomy you have to target. Without going into too much detail, one level in the bathroom asks you to retrieve blood from some sensitive areas…

Sony Interactive Entertainment

The noises some of the characters make as you retrieve their bodily fluid are also an interesting design choice from the developers.

But, it’s not just the bizarre blood-drinking mechanic that makes this retro title so memorable; it’s also the odd slice-of-life drama that unfolds around you as you play.

Mr Moskeeto finds himself in a home that’s slowly falling apart, and the mysterious bite marks appearing on their skin isn’t helping things either. This fly-on-the-wall, or in this case mosquito-on-the-wall gameplay makes things feel really awkward at times. I’ve never played anything like it.

It’s even weirder when you remember that Sony itself published this game. I’m glad it did because I enjoyed my time with it, though I can’t help but wonder how that initial pitch went down…

So if you’re looking for something fun, unique and cheap to play on your PlayStation 5 this week, I’d highly-recommend giving Mr Moskeeto a go. If you’ve got a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, it’s doing you no harm to try it.

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