On October 26, 2000, the Sony PlayStation 2 was launched, delivering not only one of the single best software libraries to the world, but also cementing a slew of features as commonplace items in every system hence: backwards compatibility, online gaming, multimedia functionality. That none of these was originated by Sony itself is a testament to the console’s legacy.

To commemorate the occasion, TotalPlayStation has gathered some of the best and most influential journalists, from either in-house or outside publications, to discuss one of their most cherished games from the PS2’s long lifecycle.

Ten authors and ten years in ten days. Let the celebration begin.

Author: Jeff Haynes [Gaming Guru]
Game: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Release date: November 17, 2004

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Metal Gear Solid fan. I played the original on the PSX over and over again for about three days straight, but I’ll admit that I was on the fence when it came to MGS2. It wasn’t because I didn’t like the stealth action, which was improved by the squad-based AI that forced additional care when infiltrating the tanker and plant within the game. It also wasn’t because of the expansion of the MGS mythology, which veered into complex conspiracy theory, abstract philosophical memes, and other complicated storytelling scenes. No, it was because of Raiden – the whiny, annoying character that effectively hijacked the game and, compared to Snake, was a mere shadow of a super soldier.

So I was apprehensive when I found out that 2004’s Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater wouldn’t scrub the unpleasant memories of Raiden from my mind or address most of the questions raised by 2001’s MGS2. Kojima and his team intentionally chose to leave these issues to linger as they returned to the roots of the franchise. Snake Eater would explore the origin of Naked Snake, better known as Big Boss. It didn’t matter if you were an old-school NES player or had only discovered the series on Sony’s consoles; the fact that you would be given the opportunity to play as this influential character, discovering who he was and what shaped his tale, was incredible.

What was also stunning was the inclusion of game mechanics that evolved the stealth action genre in ways no one had ever seen before. The concept of melee combat had been completely redesigned into the close-quarters combat battle system, or CQC. In many ways, you felt more like a warrior trained in hand-to-hand combat, as you could choke or threaten enemies. The first time that you leapt onto an unsuspecting soldier and took him out felt much more powerful than previous games in the series.

Thanks to the jungle environments that dominate a large portion of the game, sneaking and stealth took on a completely new dynamic through the camouflage index. As you acquired different face paints and camo patterns, Snake became much more invisible to the naked eye. If you planned your disguise just right, guards would blindly walk past your position, allowing you to get the drop on them without a sound or a shot fired, which was awesome. Besides, how many games would allow you to use a crocodile head as an effective means of hiding? The addition of camo boosted the realism of the game.

Snake Eater also changed the way we look at game heroes, thanks to the injury and stamina systems. Typically, when we play games, we think of our characters as indestructible dynamos that can’t be harmed regardless of the heights they fall from or the wounds they receive; as long as they eat food or grab a bandage, they’re fine. Snake Eater changed all of that. Snake could receive significant damage from a fall, breaking a rib or a leg. If he waded into water, he could emerge with leeches on his skin that drained his blood. Getting into gunfights with guards could result in a series of nasty wounds that poured blood with each step. Each ailment had to be fixed, or Snake would suffer from different effects, such as not being able to fully heal himself with rations. You were alone in the field with limited equipment and healing supplies, and you had to save yourself or risk endangering your mission with your weakened skills. The first time that I had to operate on Snake to remove a bullet, followed by wrapping the wound, I was blown away. Outside of a Trauma Center game (which, while fun, is unrealistic at best), this wasn’t something that I expected to see. I have to admit that since Snake Eater delved into the philosophy of warfare, fighting, and the cost to the soldier, I don’t expect to see it repeated in other games in the future, either.

Stamina was also handled in a unique way thanks to the food system. Since Snake was essentially out in the field for days, he had to find a way to feed himself to keep his energy up. Killing and eating snakes, frogs, and other animals provided a burst of energy, allowing him to focus when he needed to aim at enemies or run through the jungle. Different kinds of animals provided different amounts of energy, so figuring out how to hunt became a skill you acquired. It was a matter of pride to say that you could stab a snake as soon as you saw it, take down a croc without damage, or nail a rabbit with one shot. But you also had to watch your stores, because they would quickly turn bad if you weren’t careful. I hated going into a boss battle, thinking that I had plenty of rations and food, only to discover that half of the items had gone bad.

Apart from the mechanics of Snake Eater, the characters of the game were extremely vivid. The Metal Gear Solid games have always had striking characters, many of whom have boasted about launching nukes from Metal Gears. Volgin uses a nuclear warhead to cover his getaway at the very start of the game. Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore. This shocking development draws you into the game like few other titles will, and from the supernatural battles with the Sorrow to the surreal fights with the End (complete with the multiple ways that he could be killed), each character seemed more fleshed out and unique than the others. By the time you eventually face off with your mentor, the Boss, you’re witnessing a showdown between two titans. And while you already know what the outcome has to be, the battle is no less incredible or striking. Snake Eater also introduces characters that play significant roles in other MGS games, like recurring villain Ocelot.

Another thing that’s impressive about Snake Eater is the story itself – as a prequel, MGS3 answers a large number of questions that have surrounded the series since its days on the NES. What is Outer Heaven? How did Big Boss become Big Boss? Questions like these and others are answered over the course of the game in an intelligent way that makes sense. I finished the game feeling like I understood more about the earlier beginnings of the franchise than ever before, which is quite a feat.

The original game was incredible, but when you also consider that Snake Eater was “remade” two years later as Subsistence, the importance of the game for the series was undeniable. Given the story implications of Snake Eater, the addition of the first two Metal Gear games allowed players to experience the roots of the franchise in chronological order for the first time. The inclusion of Metal Gear Online was merely a precursor for what was included in MGS4, and the extras, videos, and an enhanced camera rounded out the overall package. The lucky few that managed to get the limited edition even got an expanded movie created from all of the game’s cutscenes, which ran almost four hours in length. Needless to say, the package by itself was phenomenal, but the remake only served to highlight just how vital the original game was.

Looking back, all of my concerns about Snake Eater as an origin story of an established and respected franchise were completely unfounded. The addition of the camouflage, stamina, and healing systems placed an indelible stamp on the stealth action genre, which hasn’t been touched since. Besides, I eventually got all the MGS2 answers that I was hoping for out of MGS4 (and Raiden eventually made up for sucking). Kojima’s decision to return to the roots of the series was ambitious, but completely awesome.

On October 26, 2000, the Sony PlayStation 2 was launched, delivering not only one of the single best software libraries to the world, but also cementing a slew of features as commonplace items in every system hence: backwards compatibility, online gaming, multimedia functionality. That none of these was originated by Sony itself is a testament to the console’s legacy.

To commemorate the occasion, TotalPlayStation has gathered some of the best and most influential journalists, from either in-house or outside publications, to discuss one of their most cherished games from the PS2’s long lifecycle.

Ten authors and ten years in ten days. Let the celebration begin.

Author: Andy Curtiss [TotalPlayStation Staff Writer]
Game: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
Release date: August 14, 2007

I love a game that makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger. If the writers have done a good job, then there’s usually that moment (in my kind of game, at least) where you survey your troops… or your kingdom… or your allies… and realize the grand scope of what you’ve accomplished. I love that feeling, and this is probably why I’m such a fan of RPGs; there’s just something about that chance to fit into the role of someone else who can become more epic then I could ever aspire to be. And the RPG that made a bigger impact on me than any other is Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3.

When it was released in 2007, Persona 3 was a surprise for many reasons. While the series was successful in Japan, the first two games didn’t do quite so well here in the USA, making the release of the third installment Stateside a surprise in and of itself. An even bigger surprise was when the game turned out to be good – and not just “good,” but “holy shit – this is amazing!” Developer Atlus had given the series a total makeover, and it worked superbly: the art was amazing, with bright, believable, and animated sprites that were accompanied by detailed character portraits. The soundtrack was simply amazing. No boring instrumental music that faded into the background here; instead, each song was well-placed and evocative, and the vocals were expertly mixed in. (It was so good that I, who never splurge for special editions, made it a point to buy a copy of the game that came bundled with the soundtrack.)

But there is one element that shines through more brightly than all the others: the games’ ongoing concept of what a “Persona” is. All of the main characters in the (sub) series have the ability to summon a Persona, which appears to be a ghost or spirit of some kind – an ethereal being that possesses great power. It is explained several times throughout the games that these Personas are other aspects of the characters, channeled from deep within themselves. They are the different masks we as individuals wear, reflecting the different roles we play in day-to-day life. And we’re not just talking random spirits here; for some characters, their Personas take on the form of actual historical or mythological figures, such as gods and legends from Indian, Greek, Norse, and Japanese lore, among many others.

The Personas are the only tie that binds the series together – in total honesty, there really isn’t anything similar from the first game to the third beyond this one concept – but they aren’t the only component to take center stage in Persona 3: the Dark Hour is introduced here, and it plays a major role in the story. At midnight, when one day ends and the next begins, the Dark Hour cometh, a period of time in between time. Most humans sense absolutely nothing; the clock ticks from 12:00 to 12:01, like it always does. But for a select few, the world becomes dark, everything stops moving, and the shadows come out to hunt. And these aren’t just shadows – they’re personified darkness, manifested absence. They come to feed on the unlucky souls who, for some mysterious reason, do not freeze like every other normal person during the Dark Hour. And while many of these individuals can summon a Persona from the “sea of their soul” to defend themselves, there are those who cannot. They are completely helpless and are targeted by the shadows and, when the Dark Hour ends and the next day begins, they are left comatose and delirious – mere husks of their former selves.

This is where Gekkoukan High School comes in. During the day, it is a normal school, replete with two floors, a gym, music and art rooms, etc. During the Dark Hour, however, the building contorts and grows, metastasizing into a dark, foreboding tower called Tartarus – the place where, it seems, the shadows are coming from. Noticing this, a group of students band together to research the Dark Hour and fight the shadows. They call themselves SEES (the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad), and they plumb the depths of Tartarus each and every night. They soon discover that, for some reason, the shadows become stronger and much more agitated every full moon, including one particularly large and nasty shadow.

The story may be convoluted, but it grabs your attention and really hooks you in. And as if all the night-time theatrics weren’t enough, you still play the part of a high school junior during the day. You attend classes, where you decide to sharpen your skills or sleep through the lesson. When those are over, you decide what to do and where to go next, but you only have so much time. Should you go check out that bookstore in town? The elderly couple who runs it is quite friendly. Or should you go join the kendo team? Perhaps you could go home and play that new, hot MMO, Innocent Sin? Regardless of what you do, each action forges Social Links. You see, each Persona corresponds with a category called Arcana, and each Arcana corresponds with a particular Social Link. If you become better friends with a Social Link, it increases the power of his coupled Arcana. For example, the elderly couple at the bookstore is linked with the Hierophant Arcana; by befriending and visiting them, all of your Hierophant Personas will become stronger. As one of the characters in the game explains, your power lies within your ability to form these friendships.

And let me assure you: if the story hasn’t sufficiently drawn you in up ‘til now, it will once you start developing your Social Links. You don’t simply visit Bunkinchi and Mitsuko, the infamous elderly couple. It may start like that, yes, but you eventually become friends with them, learning that they’ve recently endured the death of their son, who taught at Gekkoukan High. You find yourself with the opportunity to affect these kind people in a benign way, should you continue to spend your days with them. And so this goes with all the Social Links; you form bonds stronger than mere friendship. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say that, at the end of the game, you find yourself reaping the benefits of these relationships with several tear-inducing moments.

As the game plays out, you discover (of course) more secrets as to why the Dark Hour exists and where everything is heading. Then you inevitably discover (of course) that you have the unique position to prevent a disaster of apocalyptic proportions. The excitement and pressure are well-built as the game goes on, coming to a fever pitch on New Year’s Eve. By this time, you and your friend have been through the emotional wringer – betrayed, consoled, loved, and hated; Persona 3 really takes you on an epic rollercoaster ride. And at the end, you have that moment where you look back and see what you’ve accomplished – the good things you’ve done, the people you’ve helped. And somehow… even though the ending usually makes most players angry, I feel it’s the only thing that fits.

I love Persona 3 because it’s a game that grips you and pulls you in. You find yourself pushing it. “Just one more day, then I’ll save and quit.” Or, “Just one more floor in Tartarus, then I’m done.” And during the whole last 10 minutes of the game, I found myself short of breath. It was one of those corny moments where I’d been holding my breath and not aware of it – that’s the kind of effect that Persona 3 has on you.

If you just want to go beat shit up or kill stuff, you can have your Mortal Kombats and your Halos. When you decide you want the whole immersive experience, come try Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3.

On October 26, 2000, the Sony PlayStation 2 was launched, delivering not only one of the single best software libraries to the world, but also cementing a slew of features as commonplace items in every system hence: backwards compatibility, online gaming, multimedia functionality. That none of these was originated by Sony itself is a testament to the console’s legacy.

To commemorate the occasion, TotalPlayStation has gathered some of the best and most influential journalists, from either in-house or outside publications, to discuss one of their most cherished games from the PS2’s long lifecycle.

Ten authors and ten years in ten days. Let the celebration begin.

Author: Aram Lecis [TotalPlayStation Senior Editor]
Game: Twisted Metal: Black
Release date: June 18, 2001

When I brought home my launch-day PSX and popped in the demo disc that came with it, the one that jumped out at me more than anything, by far, was the non-interactive demo for a little game called Twisted Metal. I must have watched that video 50 times and showed it to every one of my friends, swearing it was going to be the best game ever made. When release day came, I picked it up along with Warhawk. My roommate and I got home that night, popped in Twisted Metal, played for about 10 minutes, threw in Warhawk, and became so engrossed that we played it for a month straight. When we finally got tired of the game (how did that take a month!), we remembered TM and gave it another go. For the next 18 months, we played it for two hours every night. We finally stopped when Twisted Metal 2 came out, and we spent another year playing that every night. (It’s also fair to point out that I love demolition derbies, the pen-and-paper RPG Car Wars, and fantasizing that I have a rocket launcher mounted on my hood every time someone cuts me off in traffic – so the TM series is right in my wheelhouse.)

Twisted Metal: Black, the fifth game in the franchise, is a return to roots. The original two entries were developed by SingleTrac before the reins were turned over to Sony’s internal 989 Studios. SingleTrac went on to create two underrated and overlooked vehicle combat games, Critical Depth, which moved the genre out of cars and into submarines, and Rogue Trip: Vacation 2012, which was a refined TM with a few new gameplay elements and excellent level design. Several of the developer’s founding members then left the company to form Incognito, Inc., and Sony turned the new, PS2 iteration of its fading demolition series back over to them.

Firing up the game, you are immediately greeted by a much darker menu than in previous incarnations – reminiscent of David Fincher’s gritty film Se7en – while the haunting intro to “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones plays softly in the background. This theme continues into the character selection screen, where the contestants and vehicles have a decidedly more ominous look. There are 10 vehicles immediately playable, and another five are silhouetted and unlockable. There is the usual mix of returning favorites, including Sweet Tooth, Outlaw, and Mr. Grimm, and some intriguing new faces, like Brimstone, a preacher in an El Camino; and Manslaughter, a mysterious figure driving a very imposing dump truck.

If you have played previous franchise installments, the gameplay isn’t going to hold any surprises. You drive, you shoot your machine guns (not too much – they overheat!), and pick up the usual variety of fire, homing, and power missiles. There are a few new weapons, such as the ricochet mine, which gains power the more walls it bounces off of before hitting its target (careful not to shoot yourself), and a devastating satellite missile strike. Of course, every vehicle has its unique special attack, and these are uniformly awesome in TMB. When you see Sweet Tooth coming at you and he transforms into a robot (while still driving around on wheels) and fires off 20 swarm missiles, you will shit yourself in some combination of terror and joy.

The real strength of the game, though, lies in its level design. Black features some of the most innovative and just plain fun levels ever seen in a vehicular combat game. They all carry the same dark themes that pervade the rest of the title, and to great effect. The levels are far larger than in any previous Twisted Metal (although there are also the classic tiny arenas, as well) and contain much more interactivity in their environments. Some of the locales include a drive-in movie theater, skyscraper rooftops, and an absolutely massive suburbia area, as well as one of the most incredible levels in any game to date: “Prison Passage,” which starts with two combatants in a tiny locked room that soon opens to reveal a large cargo ship with more combatants. After fighting them for a while, the ship docks at the courtyard of an asylum, and more enemies appear. Soon the asylum and surrounding roads open up, as well, revealing still more opponents – now you are fighting nine other cars that are spread all around the institution, the roads, and the ship. Lest you think this would lead to lulls in gameplay, rest assured that the action never stops coming fast and furious.

Another hallmark of the series has always been the over-the-top noir-horror stories surrounding each of the contestants, and TMB improves upon this, as well. While earlier titles told the story through the instruction manual and a few animated images accompanied by scrolling text after the final battle, Black raises the bar with intro, mid-point, and closing cutscenes (some featuring FMV) that provide far more narrative than in the past. Several of the stories would have to be classified as “mature,” and I found quite a few parts to be downright disturbing.

On the downside, however, the controls don’t seem to be quite as streamlined as they could have been. There are varying control layout options, but all of them have their shortcomings; using turbo, for example, is a total crapshoot – if you even have any charges left, since it is very easy to drain it all by mistakenly activating it. And the developers continue to try to shoehorn their awkward “special” system into the gameplay, which consists of pressing combos on the d-pad much like shooting a fireball in Street Fighter II. Although the combos generally do cool things like making you jump straight in the air, firing a missile to the rear, or generating a shield around your car, the system always feels clunky. I guess it’s lucky you can play through the entire game without ever touching it.

If you enjoyed previous Twisted Metals even in the slightest or if you like fast-paced, non-stop, action-packed combat and driving – or videogames and fun at all – then TMB is for you. There are so many little interesting nooks in every level, branching paths, vehicles that play wildly differently, and fascinating stories, that you will come back to this game again and again. It’s impossible to describe the feeling you get when following Roadkill when he is shooting flaming oil cans at Spectre while attempting to line up a kill shot with your homing missile. And just as you are about to hit the switch, Sweet Tooth comes screaming in from one side, firing a spread of missiles right at you, as Outlaw starts machine-gunning you from behind. Your precious life starts draining away – and you realize that health is just a few seconds away, if only you could make it. It’s a blast.

Twisted Metal: Black was released early in the PS2’s life, but it remains one of the system’s very best games to this day, nine long years later.

On October 26, 2000, the Sony PlayStation 2 was launched, delivering not only one of the single best software libraries to the world, but also cementing a slew of features as commonplace items in every system hence: backwards compatibility, online gaming, multimedia functionality. That none of these was originated by Sony itself is a testament to the console’s legacy.

To commemorate the occasion, TotalPlayStation has gathered some of the best and most influential journalists, from either in-house or outside publications, to discuss one of their most cherished games from the PS2’s long lifecycle.

Ten authors and ten years in ten days. Let the celebration begin.

Author: Scott Rodgers [TotalPlayStation Sports Editor]
Game: Kessen II
Release date: September 26, 2001

Kessen II doesn’t make a lick of sense. As someone who has read through every word of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it is kind of insulting to think that this is how some people could have been introduced or reintroduced to the source material.

But, holy cow, was it fun.

Most know the RotK lore from the Dynasty Warriors franchise, but the two could not be more different. Whereas DW is based on hacking and slashing, fighting officers, and running from Lu Bu, Kessen II requires that you control an entire army. From its movements to its placement to its officers’ special abilities, you are required to control every detail of the battlefield.

The story would appear, on first blush, to be a form of fan fiction. Liu Bei and Cao Cao are going head to head – great. Makes a lot of sense, right? But what are they fighting for, exactly? Land? Power? Prestige? Well, all three, but the swerve comes in the fact that Diao Chan is Liu Bei’s love interest, and she also protects the Mandate of Heaven. Oh, and Cao Cao’s best officer is Himiko, an obscure Shamanic queen. Xun Yu is also a woman, for whatever reason, and she has feelings for Cao Cao. Because of this, she has it in for Diao Chan, and there is a hilarious – yet awkward – love triangle that bastardizes the history and the lore of RotK.

Cao Cao’s army is obviously much, much larger than Liu Bei’s. Where Liu Bei holds the advantage, however, is that Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, and Zhao Yun are easily the second through the sixth best officers, respectively, in the game, behind Himiko. That lends itself greatly to helping the player, as you have to complete Liu Bei’s story mode before unlocking Cao Cao’s. Without having this imbalance to counter the sheer size of the Wei army, it’d be very easy for the AI to just overwhelm the player (which it still sometimes does).

After scraping by and leveling up your units throughout the story mode, the two groups are roughly even by game’s end. And when the final confrontation takes place, Liu Bei’s army is actually superior to Cao Cao’s. The only difference is that Himiko is basically a one-woman wrecking crew, a la Lu Bu at Hu Lao Gate in the Dynasty Warriors franchise.
When you unlock Cao Cao’s story mode, it’s as though you have turned on cheats. His army is just so massive; you thump Liu Bei over and over. Of course, it’s suicidal to rush any one officer into battle against the “Three Brothers,” but with the Wei army at your fingertips, you can pit three or four officers against one “sibling” and systematically pick them off.

With its twists and turns, fan service appearances, and complete disregard for history, Kessen II provides a fantastic experience. The RPG elements of leveling up your officers give a constant sense of growth (though you’ll curse and throw controllers to see the magician on the other side use spell after spell, killing not only your army, but your morale), and watching the map turn green or red, depending on your affiliation, is satisfying – unless you’re a Wu fanboy. In that case, enjoy your one or two appearances and turn away while the demolition takes place.

Despite all this, though, I have to say that my favorite thing about the game was not necessarily the story, the characters, or the gameplay, but, rather, simply engaging in battle and just observing the results. (It really showcased the power of the PlayStation 2 – and this was in 2001.) Koei’s games are renown for their ability to have hundreds or thousands of combatants on the map, and Kessen II was no different, save for the removal of button mashing, which allowed the player to become a spectator of epic (quasi) historical scenes.

Nothing drove this home more than the dueling mechanic. When challenged to a duel, your warrior’s fate is completely out of your hands. It’s totally up to who is the stronger character, though you never know who the stronger officers are (although you can make an educated guess by the time you experience the game some more). It is suspenseful in a way that wouldn’t be possible if the player had control over the sequences.

Basically, it boils down to this: Kessen II is one of those rare games that get better the more you play. In a day where most gamers are one and done with single-player titles or campaign modes, Koei’s little game invites you to keep playing. As you get better and understand the mechanics more, the experience is unlike anything else out there – so much so that I will still pop it in my PS3 when I get in the mood for some strategy.

Kessen II never gets old, is still a heck of a lot of fun, and, in the end, isn’t that what we want from our games? There are so many great titles that came out for the PS2, but I think this is a hidden gem that still could surprise today’s PS3 audience.

On October 26, 2000, the Sony PlayStation 2 was launched, delivering not only one of the single best software libraries to the world, but also cementing a slew of features as commonplace items in every system hence: backwards compatibility, online gaming, multimedia functionality. That none of these was originated by Sony itself is a testament to the console’s legacy.

To commemorate the occasion, TotalPlayStation has gathered some of the best and most influential journalists, from either in-house or outside publications, to discuss one of their most cherished games from the PS2’s long lifecycle.

Ten authors and ten years in ten days. Let the celebration begin.

Author: Andre Segers [GameXplain Co-founder]
Game: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
Release date: October 1, 2002

Somehow, I doubt many people would cite Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 as one of their most memorable PlayStation 2 games. It doesn’t feature the open-world gameplay of Grand Theft Auto, nor an involved storyline like Metal Gear Solid, and it lacks the simulation and graphical detail of the beloved Gran Turismo. Oh, and it was also available on the Xbox and GameCube, too (though the definitive version belonged to PS2). Instead, it’s just an arcade racer that delivers a thrilling experience. And yet it became one of my favorite racing games not just on the the PlayStation 2, but of all time.

At its core, Hot Pursuit 2 seems like your standard arcade racer: high-speed races in exotic cars through a wide array of environments. However, as the name suggests, the game sets itself apart with its focus on evading the law enforcement officers who wish to put an end to your exotic parade. You’ll find their cruisers stationed throughout the race, with their looming presence hinted at by the on-screen radar detector. As soon as you fly by one, he’ll pursue you non-stop, first by trying to run your vehicle off the road, then by attempting more drastic measures, such as setting blockades, spike traps, and even calling in explosive-dropping helicopters.

Much of the game’s thrill factor is a function of its fantastically immersive presentation. While being tailed by the fuzz, you could listen in on their radio chatter as they collaborated to take you down. It was exhilarating to hear the cops actually reference your vehicle by color and manufacture as you blazed by at speeds a good distance north of illegal. Besides just adding that extra special touch of immersion, it also served an important gameplay use, providing a heads-up as to what traps to expect. And while you had no true defense besides evasion, you did have a couple of tools at your disposal. By tapping either of the trigger buttons, you could briefly halt the action and perform either a bullet time-esque 360-degree survey around your car, or perform a quick camera-zoom a few hundred yards up the street to see what the cops may have in store for you. These nifty camera tricks not only looked cool but were extremely useful, helping to level the playing field.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 is one of the most polished games for the PlayStation 2. Its brilliant take on high-speed thrill rides, combined with fantastic visuals and an eccentric soundtrack (how many games include Rush?) crafted an experience that has yet to be bested. And though the franchise is now in the hands of the beloved creators of Burnout, they have their work cut out for them if they truly wish to take out the pack leader, Hot Pursuit 2.