10 PS2 Games That Still Blow Our Minds
4. Resident Evil 4
This is a unique entry of course because Resident Evil 4 famously isn't native to the PlayStation 2. In fact, if anything, it exists because of Capcom's at first aversion to the system's specs. They elected to take the survival horror franchise to the Nintendo GameCube but found out quickly the system's reach was limited.
So, as such, the fact that Resident Evil 4 got ported over to the PS2 is miraculous since it was originally designed in spite of it.
Regardless, it's pretty common knowledge that Resi 4 changed the action shooter genre in a myriad of ways with it's over-the-shoulder aiming and interactable environments. It gave players more room to move, but in turn allowed their enemies to approach them from any angle. It was a stroke of genius that completely changed the industry, even moreso when it landed in front of the PlayStation 2's huge audience.
It's style inspired the Gears of War series, it's atmospheric storytelling had a huge effect on Uncharted and we wouldn't have modern classics like The Last of Us without it.
Additionally, of course, it's a game that inspires awe for Capcom having the brass to make such a huge shift away from the established formula in the first place, regardless of the platform one plays it on. It was a massive risk to completely change everything about the wildly popular franchise that, as time has repeatedly proven, paid off.