The best PS2 games with widescreen support

summary

  • The PS2 supported widescreen and 480p, making games look better years later.
  • Like the early PS2 games
    Jack and Daxter
    Hardware used for crisp visuals on widescreen.
  • Like games
    god of war
    and
    Final Fantasy 12
    Optimized for a cinematic experience on PS



The PS2 It was a forward-thinking console in many ways. It shipped with a DVD player which was one of the cheapest ways to get a DVD player at the time. It later supported Internet connections and a custom hard drive to store memory. Also, many of the console's games, even early in its lifespan, support widescreen.

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Some games even supported 480p projections, making them still look decent decades later. It would be nice if more of these games were remastered or at least received ports on modern consoles to enjoy more than just widescreen support but that's a topic for another day. Let's rank these games based on how cinematic they still feel On PS2 with widescreen adjustment.


8 Jack and Daxter

A new trilogy of Naughty Dogs begins

Promo art featuring Jak and Daxter in Jak And Daxter


Platformer

work

Adventure

systems

Playstation-1

issued
December 4, 2001

Publisher(s)
Sony Computer Entertainment

Jack and Daxter The PS2 was one of the earliest platformers, and Naughty Dog used the hardware well. Players can enjoy a crisp platforming experience on their new console in widescreen. This made it easy to scale for different HD collections, including the recent native upgrade to the PS5 hardware.

Every series entry on the PS2 supported widescreen, but also with the possibility of 480p enhancements. It's hard to believe that Naughty Dog used to make dramatic action games like platformers unknown and The last of ustherefore Jack and Daxter A nice reminder of the studio's early days.

7 Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

A platformer with RPG elements

Ratchet and Clank Promo art featuring Ratchet and Clank in Going Commando

Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando

Third-person shooter

Platformer

systems

Playstation-1

issued
November 11, 2003

Publisher(s)
Sony Computer Entertainment

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Another great platformer on the PS2 and second to none Ratchet and clank series. This sequel features many visual and gameplay enhancements over its predecessor. On the visual side, it looks good graphically, plus it supports widescreen and 480p options on TVs.


It was also the first entry to include RPG elements, allowing players to increase Ratchet's health and upgrade his weapons. It's still a great game in widescreen or not, and the sequels that followed on the PS2 even had complementary video support.

6 Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King

Cell Shaded Masterpiece

Promo art featuring the characters in Dragon Quest 8

systems

Phone transparent Playstation-1

issued
November 15, 2005

developer(s)
Level-5

Publisher(s)
Square Enix

OpenCritic rating
the mighty

Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King It was a big step up from the previous mainline Dragon Quest A game that uses simple graphics on the PS1. This sequel added voice acting for the first time and created a magical world filled with artistically designed cel-shaded characters.

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This is one of the reasons why this game still looks great natively on PS2, and widescreen support doesn't hurt either. The turn-based gameplay, story, open world, alchemy system, and more also contribute to why this entry ranks so highly for fans, and possibly why it was later supported on the 3DS.


5 god of war

A father mourns with blood

Promo art featuring Kratos in Gods of War

God of War (2005)

systems

Playstation-1

issued
March 22, 2005

Publisher(s)
Sony Computer Entertainment

OpenCritic rating
the mighty

god of war The PS2 was a late entry, but because of that, the team at Sony Santa Monica was able to squeeze a lot out of the console's performance. It also supports widescreen and 480p projections. It is an epic game that demands the best to help the players get involved in the engaging story and bloody gameplay.

Kratos is a father wronged by the gods, and instead of dealing with grief, he seeks revenge. Not the best way to experience the PS2 version god of war, Because there was a remastered version for the PS3 that made everything look better, but it still looks amazingly good on the PS2.

4 Final Fantasy 12

Square Enix's PS2 Swan Song

Promo art featuring characters from Final Fantasy 12


Final Fantasy 12

issued
October 31, 2006

Final Fantasy 12 Easily the best looking JRPG on the PS2, and the game had the advantage of launching so late on the system. In fact, in North America, it was released a few weeks before the PS3 came out, so compared to the new console's graphics, it was technologically behind. but, Final Fantasy 12 Square Enix was such a swan song for the PS2 era thanks to their supportive sound system and widescreen adaptation.

It was not celebrated on the same scale worldwide final fantasy 10, Like Final Fantasy 12 A bit odd with its MMO-like combat and connection to Ivalice. It's another PS2 game that's been given the benefit of an HD remaster, giving players who missed it the first time around another chance to jump in.

3 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Immerse yourself in the streets

A San Andreas policeman talks to the protagonist in GTA San Andreas


issued
October 26, 2004

Final Fantasy 12 Has a great soundtrack and does the PS2 justice. However, when it comes to soundtracks in games on the PS2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas The system has every game on the beat. Its mix of 90s hip-hop and pop tracks is amazing, and they sound great in-game and through the PS2.

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Besides the great sound design, the game supported widescreen, making it an attractive experience for those who wanted to kick the road in the 90s. The HD Remaster is one that initially failed to meet the expectations of PS2 fans, but eventually, it got there through several patches.

2 Resident Evil 4

Leon's new mission

Leon Kennedy Resident Evil 4 on PS2

Platform(s)
PS4, PS3, PS2, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Switch, Wii, Nintendo GameCube, PC, Android, iOS

issued
January 11, 2005

OpenCritic rating
strong

Resident Evil 4 The soundtrack isn't as good, but the actual sound design is unmatched for horror games on the PS2. It made every zombified villager's moans even more terrifying, and it looked fun too, thanks to both widescreen and 480p support.


Every pop of Leon's gun echoed off the walls, especially for those with good sound systems attached to their PS2s. All things had grain to help Resident Evil 4 Feel like a 70s movie, and even though it got a gorgeous remake on modern consoles, some still prefer the original look on PS2 or GameCube.

1 Shadow of the Colossus

A cinematic experience through and through

Go up against the third colossus in Shadow of the Colossus for PS2.

systems

Playstation-1

issued
October 18, 2005

Publisher(s)
Sony Computer Entertainment

Shadow of the Colossus One of the most cinematic games on the PS2 and perhaps even on any PlayStation console. It's simple in execution, as players aren't given much story beyond the mission: kill giants to revive the one you love. These encounters made any boss battles that came before them seem smaller in size and scope.


The sound design, widescreen options, and 480p support helped it stand out, but even without all the bells and whistles, it still looked great on old-school 4:3 monitors. When people discuss video games as experiences, that's what they're talking about. Shadow of the Colossus Despite its errors in the video game dictionary next to the word “experience”.

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