There’s been a lot of chatter about PlayStation 2 games in the wake of PS Plus Premium adding more games to its catalog for PlayStation 5. With the June 2024 update, a few classic PlayStation 2 titles are being made available for PS Plus subscribers who play any of the classics on the Premium tier of the service. It’s a massive deal for fans of PlayStation who have wanted to see more classics. But does this mean we could see more PlayStation 2 titles that haven’t been given enough spotlight finally added to the catalog for PS Plus subscribers to play?
While some of the bigger and more beloved PlayStation 2 games have received remasters or releases, there are glaring omissions thus far. And now that PS2 emulation on PlayStation 5 has gotten better, here are five PlayStation 2 titles that could, and should make their way onto PS Plus Premium in future monthly updates. Time to live in your world, and play in ours (their world) once again.
Def Jam Vendetta
A lot of gamers who remember the Def Jam series have consistently debated on whether we would ever see another game in the series, long after the release of the last game Def Jam Icon. And mostly due to a lot of rights issues and legal red tape, Def Jam has become a dead franchise. Legendary rapper Ice-T once stated that a new Def Jam game would be nearly impossible nowadays because of the cost of making it happen to everyone involved.
But would that same thing apply to the older games getting a rerelease on PS Plus? There are multiple third-party games on the service, or available for purchase, that were licensed back in the day. Given the popularity of the Def Jam games, it would get a lot of attention from fans to see Def Jam added to the games library, at least the first game in the series. Def Jam Vendetta was the one that started it all, so it would make the most sense. The sequels that followed might be tougher to make happen, but there is enough demand for someone at Sony to give this idea another look.
The Legacy of Kain: Defiance
Let’s be honest here, this spot can encompass all the Legacy of Kain games. But for the sake of simplicity, we’ll just go with the last game to be released on the PlayStation 2, The Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Many long-time PlayStation gamers have been vocal about seeing the series make a return in some way. And while it’s tough to see a new entry being made anytime soon, that doesn’t mean there isn’t potential for the previous entries to be made available for everyone.
Back in 2012, PS Plus subscribers were able to download The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver as part of their monthly subscription. Both that and the original Legacy of Kain PS1 game were also available for purchase on PSN. But it would be great to see the series have a bigger presence on the PS Plus Premium catalog, since there are multiple releases for the series on PlayStation 2. The story-telling and atmosphere of the series were heralded as some of the best experiences of the PlayStation 2 era, so it’s downright criminal to not have them playable for PS Plus subscribers now.
Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks
Mortal Kombat is a series with many titles that have explored a variety of new ideas. One of the most interesting spinoffs from the main series of MK fighting games was Shaolin Monks. It was a co-op brawler that took place during the timeframe of Mortal Kombat 2, putting players in control of Liu Kang and Kung Lao as they took on legions of Outworld enemies and Mortal Kombat fighters. It was fun, fast-paced, and full of the grit and gore that Mortal Kombat fans love to see. But more than anything else, it was a great new take on a familiar Mortal Kombat formula that worked out beautifully.
Unfortunately, Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks has never gotten a rerelease on the PlayStation Network, despite the overwhelming fan demand for it. Other Mortal Kombat games, including spinoffs, have shown up on the PSN from time to time, but this one has been absent. For many, Shaolin Monks was a highlight of the PlayStation 2 era for the series, which was still going through a period of experimentation making the jump into 3D gameplay and visuals. MK fans want to see a new version of Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks at some point, but they would also love to go back and play the original game on new hardware.
Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith
The PS Plus library has been showing a lot of love for Star Wars games on PlayStation. One of the most recent additions for the June 2024 update is the inclusion of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on PS2. It was an older Star Wars game that was out around the release of Episode 2: Attack of the Clones in theaters. But there’s another Star Wars game that was arguably much bigger of a release for Star Wars fans on the PlayStation 2. One far younger, and more powerful… Revenge of the Sith: The Game.
Although some players were able to experience the official Episode 3 game on the original Xbox, this Star Wars game was a massive deal for the PlayStation 2. It came out just before the release of the movie and was a solid package. It followed the events of the film loosely, had a co-op for two players, a lightsaber Versus mode, and tons of extras that satiated the excitement of Star Wars fans. While other Star Wars games like the Battlefront series would become much bigger deals for the PS2, Revenge of the Sith is one that has yet to receive a lot of love from PlayStation. And with so many other PlayStation Star Wars games making their way to the service, it would be ideal to see this one be added as well.
Soulcalibur 2
The release of Soulcalibur 2 was a massive deal for every gaming platform at the time. It was a game that ushered in the concept of guest characters into the series, giving every platform its own exclusive guest character. For many players, it was also the peak of the series for a very long time. In 2013, Soulcalibur 2 HD was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 but has since been removed from the PSN for unknown reasons. Some speculated it was due to the licensing of guest characters like Spawn in the game, but nothing official was ever confirmed.
This is all the more reason to bring the original Soulcalibur 2 to the PS Plus Premium catalog. One could argue the same thing for its sequel, Soulcalibur 3, for the same reasons. But having what many consider the absolute best in the series that was on PlayStation 2 would give even greater value to the subscription service, and get the attention of a lot of fighting game players who remember how fun it was playing it. Both PlayStation and Bandai Namco have a great relationship and there are other various Bandai Namco titles on PlayStation Plus, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility that something like this could happen.
BONUS: The Bouncer
Here’s a bonus game to mention that would make a great addition to PS Plus Premium. One of the earliest releases in the lifecycle of the PlayStation 2 was a game from Square Enix (known as Squaresoft at the time) called The Bouncer. It was a 3D brawler that leaned heavily on pushing cinematics blending into gameplay at the time, something that was meant to show off the power of the PS2 back then. And while it may be dated by today’s standards, it is still an early PS2 game that is liked by Square Enix fans.
Often the game gets brought up in conversations with the Kingdom Hearts series, mainly because its creator Tetsuya Nomura also worked on The Bouncer. The design of the main character in The Bouncer, Scion, has many similar qualities to that of Sora in Kingdom Hearts. Although the games are in no way connected, it’s a fun thing to notice and discuss for fans who play a lot of Square titles. The game itself has 3D combat that is standard to most brawlers of the era, with multiple playable characters and reason to replay through the story mode. Chances are, newer PlayStation Plus subscribers have never played The Bouncer before on PlayStation 2, so it would offer a lot of value to the catalog for those who are curious about this early PS2 release.
