Summary
What is there to say about thePS2that has not already been said? It is one of the most popular and influential gaming systems ever crafted. It birthed numerous IPs that are still going today and some older franchises saw their most revered entries come out on Sony’s second console.
This topic is a little more nuanced, looking at some of the best characters players first met on the PS2. Most of the characters here were ahead of their time and showed that games could craft characters just as compelling as the best movies or books. Some remained in the generation while others showed up in numerous games afterward on future consoles.
Most gamers expected to play through the entirety ofMetal Gear Solid 2as Solid Snake. Some were left with a bad taste in their mouth when Raiden became the sole protagonist after the game’s opening Tanker sequence, but even they could not deny how greatMetal Gear Solid 2plays.
Raiden’s surprise appearance was intentional and played into the game’s themes of manipulating information to control the masses. It also helped players see Solid Snake from a different perspective. Most Raiden naysayers even admit he got a lot cooler once he became a ninja inMetal Gear Solid 4.
If Tidus was a little too whiny for people’s tastes, Lulu was there to be the firm backbone of theFinal Fantasy 10party. She and Auron are the stern, no-nonsense contrast to the naive and positive Tidus, Wakka, and Yuna.
Her character design seems incredibly uncomfortable for every climate the party travels through in Spira, but it does not matter as long as she looks cool. Lulu is the black mage of the party and something of a mother figure or big sister to Yuna.
Insomniac knows how to design a character that appeals to all ages. Spyro had the perfect amount of spunk to appeal to slightly older gamers while still being enjoyable to little kids. Ratchet fromRatchet and Clankis a little sassier, fitting in the game’s vibe constantly teetering on the edge of inappropriate.
Through the years it is interesting to see his relationship with Clank grow to a genuine brotherly bond, reflecting both the characters' growth and developer Insomniac’s maturing writing style.
As groundbreaking asGrand Theft Auto 3was, it left a lot to be desired in the narrative, especially with the silent protagonist lacking personality. Tommy Vercetti,voiced by Ray Liotta, greatly made up for this. He was loud, arrogant, selfish, and certainly deserved to be locked behind bars.
All of these attributes make for a greatGrand Theft Autoprotagonist.Vice Citytakes place in the 1980s, a decade known for its excess, and Tommy Vercetti indulges in every minute of it.
It is easy to hate Krato in the original 2005God of War.He ispurposefully dislikable. He is rude, merciless, and only cares about vengeance while failing to see how his actions led to his tragic situation.
All the same,God of Waris one of the tightest action games on the console, only beaten out by its sequel. In retrospect, the character is improved by the recentGod of Wargames, which show how much Kratos has grown and learned from his past mistakes.
Combining Disney andFinal Fantasyturned out to be one of the best collaborations since peanut butter and jelly on sliced bread. Players experience this inKingdom Heartsthrough the eyes of a new character, Sora.
Kingdom Hearts’protagonist is as naive as his eyes are wide, perfectly reflecting gamers' awe at seeing Donald Duck and Goofy together with Cloud Strife and Squall Leonhart. Even if the story becomes convoluted and hard to follow, it is a pleasure just to hang out with Sora and his friends.
4Dante
Devil May Cry
Character action games came into their true form on the PS2 with games likeDevil May Cry. Dante acts like these games feel to play; audacious, bombastic, and over the top.
He is not above the corny joke every once in a while. Even thoughDevil May Cry 2received a horrid critical reception,the series bounced back withDevil May Cry 3, letting gamers know that the series and Dante were gaming legends who would be around for a long time.
Unlike many otherMetal Gearbosses and villains, The Boss has no superhuman abilities. She is simply an incredible soldier; the best to ever live according to the game. Her relationship with Snake (who would become Big Boss) is complicated and at the heart ofMetal Gear Solid 3’sconflict.
On a first playthrough, players are driven by the mystery of her betrayal. The tragic revelation behind it lays the groundwork for the rest of the series and helps fans understand the impetus behind the events of the prior entries.
At the start, James Sunderland is a lot like the average survival horror protagonist. He does not understand where he is, he is terrified, and hisvoice acting is slightly off-kilter.
Deeper into the game players start to understand the immense guilt burdening him which reveals exactly why the threats and hazards inSilent Hill 2are what they are.Silent Hill 2was a revelation in video game storytelling, and James Sunderland is the perfect unconventional protagonist to lead it.
Carl Johnson left his life in Los Santos behind but was dragged back into it at the start of the seminalGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas.Once the story and missions take a wild turn from street gangs to government conspiracies and police corruption, his reluctance to do what he is told to do by many of the mission givers perfectly reflects the plot’s absurdity.
Carl Johnson is just one character in a cast of many memorable faces, some of whom are familiar to CJ and some of whom are new. Even though he does not show up in the franchise again, he remains a gaming icon.
