20 Best PlayStation Games Of The 2000s

19. Silent Hill 2 (2001)

Claustrophobia is the word that comes to mind when thinking about Silent Hill 2. It’s a theme evident in the environment, gameplay and music, which makes for a psychologically disturbing game that stays with you long after you turn off the console.

The story follows James Sunderland as he receives a call from his dead wife Mary, begging him to find her in the town of Silent Hill. The player controls James the second he arrives at the town, which is where the fun really starts. Right from the get-go, there is thick fog everywhere, reducing the player's visibility and enabling many characters or monsters to literally appear out of nowhere. You don't know where you're going or how to beat any of the monsters, you're rarely given any health or weapons and you're constantly being hunted by Pyramid Head.

What’s more unnerving is the game's control and third-person camera system. The only way to have James move forward is by having the player tilt the analog stick upwards. This becomes difficult to master when you have Sutherland running away from enemies and towards the screen, as the directions are reversed and makes for many panic-induced confrontations.