this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2025
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I got through phases of games, and right now I'm in the one I like to think of everything-modern-is-making-me-angry-so-I'll-turn-back-to-vintage-games - and that's in the form of PCSX2 on my Steam Deck.

Playing the PS2 generation on the Steam Deck is kinda the 'perfect' generation: I can upscale the resolution without a performance hit, I can apply HD texture packs, Retro Achievements and I can drop the TDP to extend the battery life.

Anyway, I never had a PS2 (it was just a touch before my time), so there's so many games I'm yet to discover there. I'd love to hear any suggestions you might have for what I can play on there:

Just a couple notes:

  • No GTA games because they're better with the PC versions. While I've bought the games, the account that Rockstar demands people have to play their games makes me angry on principle (a single-player game forcing an online check each week to be able to play it? No thanks), so I've got cracked versions to play.

  • No Final Fantasy because I'm not even sure where to start!

So if anyone was around back in the PS2 era, and has some recommendations for games they've loved, I'm all ears. I've been having such a fun time playing these.

Some big thanks to my friends who made and run RetroDECK (my choice for emulating on the Steam Deck), and to the PCSX2 team (who I'm chatting to right now actually, so keep an eye out and in a week or so I'll share that chat with them all about creating and maintaining the PS2 emulator!)


Also, if you do have a Steam Deck, and want to play with the HD texture packs I do, then it's really simple. Just download the pack, and name then according to their game's I.D. code - SLUS-20743 for example, then place it in the texture_packs folder:

From there, go into PCSX2, then right-click the game, select properties, graphics, texture replacement and tick the two boxes I have:

Then you've got the games looking the best they can be!

Here's a link to a stack of pre-done HD textures for a lot of PS2 games, to help you on your way!

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[–] NelDel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I love the ps2 era of games! Here are some suggestions:

  • ICO: Minimalist game about a cursed boy & a girl with mysterious powers trying to escape a castle together. An absolute classic.
  • Shadow of the Colossus: Another Team ICO game, this one you've probably heard of. You play as a young man who sets out for the Forbidden Lands, finding and slaying 16 colossi to resurrect his deceased love.
  • Silent Hill 2: One of the greatest survival horror games ever made. Introspective, tackles mature themes, and deeply chilling. A game I truly feel is haunted.
  • Persona 4: High schoolers solving a murder mystery in a rural Japanese town. I prefer the vanilla ps2 version to the revised Golden edition, it graphically preserves the fog & spookier ambience - with better pacing from less bloat.

For some more obscure games:

  • The Adventures of Cookie & Cream: A brutal co-op/singleplayer puzzle game developed by Fromsoft. Has a fun art style & interesting levels.
  • Tak 3 - the Great Juju Challenge: Works best in co-op but still a blast in single-player. 3D platformer with varied levels & a fantastic voice cast (Patrick Warburton as Lok is the highlight).

Btw if you're playing mgs3 on the ps2 make sure it's the Subsistence edition! It has a 3D camera that works way better than the top-down the og game shipped with.

[–] bryndos@fedia.io 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Every time I'm walking with someone and come across a sofa out on the street I force them to . . .

spoilersit down on it for a moment with me. Just in case they played ICO.

Also F for agro

spoilerprobably the most tragic death scene i ever played

[–] Wrufieotnak@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Regarding your second spoiler: that colossus kill definitely felt personal after that. I mean... It's not even their fault, but I was determined afterwards.

[–] NelDel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

That fight is so incredible, I could gush about it all day. The ambience, the visuals, the environmental storytelling, just amazing.

Spoiler for 16th colossusThe only colossus to feel so direct in its attacks towards you, you can feel its anger at watching its fellow colossi die. Especially since when you reach the top you realize the 16th faces out from the bottom of the map, so it saw every colossus be slain one after another.

Also holy shit having to snipe its hands/shoulders then jump onto it was so exciting, even if it was a bit jank.