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Online Game "Focus" List |
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When this website first launched, the Playstation 2 only had a small handfull of online games. At the time, I was nowhere close to predicting the tidlewave of online titles that would hit this console. Over the years it was brutal trying to figure out which games to focus on as a community. With each new release and each game termination, I was shuffling forums on our Message Boards on a near weekly basis. You also have to realise the PS2's game list is a mine field. Features such as keyboard/headset communication, buddy lists, cross region support, framerate performance, gameplay, platform exclusivity, art direction, game design, and most importantly LAN support; all play important roles in seperating the good from the bad. Unfortunatly hand testing this information for hundreds of games has been extremly laborious.
After all these years, I have finally reached a decision as to what games the PS2 OC community will focus on. Because the PS2 has so many online games available, a large number of online titles will be depreciated; encouraging community members to play only the best-of-the-best. One good example of this, is World War II FPS's. Instead of scattering players across 5 different games, we decided to focus everyone solely on Call of Duty 2 (which is online forever via LAN).
This page is intended to steer you in the right direction, and to buy the right games to play with this Playstation 2 community. Remember this is not a complete information list for every PS2 online game. For full information on network features, cross region support, and more; see our Online Game Lists for each region.
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OUR TOP ONLINE GAMES
These games will retain the most online focus above all other online titles here at PS2 OC. Every "Top" Online game here, can be played with just 2 Human players. Either they are 1vs1 style games, or have bot support to fill in the rest of the roster. |
| ARMORED CORE (NEXUS, NINE BREAKER, LAST RAVEN) |
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Developed by Japanese studio From Software, the Armored Core franchise is not one you can simply jump right into. These games provide you with hundreds of unique parts to customize your own mech. Combat is 1-on-1 arena style, pitting players against each other in intense battles that require strategically fast reactions to come out victorious. You will often spend just as much time in the AC Garage as in battle. This is a very in-depth game series. One that is rewarding if you take the time to immerse yourself in the world of Armored Core.
- LAN Tunneling Required for Online Play
- Japanese Developed
- 60 frames per second
- PS2 Exclusive
Note: We will be focusing on the North American versions of Armored Core Nexus, Nine Breaker, and Last Raven which each support LAN play for tunneling online. The PAL versions oddly do not feature LAN support despite some instruction manual misprints.
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| JAK X: COMBAT RACING |
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Based on the Jak & Daxter platforming games, Jak X is a futuristic combat racing game where players drive tire-tread buggys over various terrains. With so many online racing games these days using realistic representations of real world cars, its great to have a game like Jak X that has creative vehicles and environments.
- LAN Tunneling Required for Online Play
- Keyboard Chat
- Headset Chat
- Splitscreen over Network (2p)
- In-Game Bots
- PS2 Exclusive
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| MORTAL KOMBAT DECEPTION |
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This game is not online forever, and has no LAN options because it is obviously a fighting game. However, this is still a top featured game here because of its gameplay variety. With Deception, not only do you get the standard online arcade fighting, but also online Puzzle Kombat and Chess Kombat. Deception take priority here at the site, due to Puzzle/Chess Kombat being removed from its sequel, Armageddon. Plus Armageddon removed preset fatalities in favor of a much more simplistic "custom fatality system". Which frankly, is pretty bad. Deception is the better overall package.
- Pad Input Text Chat
- Online Win/Loss Tracking
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| STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT 1 & 2 |
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With Star Wars Battlefront, a 2 player experience can be just as exhilirating as playing with 16. The game allows for online bots. So even if you are short on rallying support for an online match, playing 1-vs-1 is still a blast! In addition to bot support, the PS2 versions support PC based software for dedicated servers. Very few console games have this capability. We currently provide servers running 24/7 for each game. They are on dedicated bandwidth and features roughly 50 bots in each server! It would be impossible to run this off of a home broadband connection.
- LAN Supported
- Dedicated Server Software (OC Provides Hosted Servers)
- Headset Chat
- In-Game Bots
- Map Rotation
Note: Unfortunatly due to complications, our SWBF community is best seperated between PAL and NTSC. Our NTSC players focus online play on our dedicated servers. Since the game does not support cross region play for online or LAN, PAL users would have to import and LAN tunnel the game. The problem is, our NTSC dedicated servers are not accessible via LAN tunneling. So, for this title we are recommending that PAL users and NTSC users each forge their own seperate online player bases.
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| TRIBES AERIAL ASSAULT |
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Back in the golden era of First Person Shooters, the PC was home to 3 games that would influence all other shooters to follow: Quake 3 Arena, Unreal Tournament, and Tribes 2. While each of these games improved upon formulas set forth by franchise predecesors, these were by far the most polished deathmatch experiences found on the PC at the time. It can be argued that these games are still the best frag based shooters to ever grace the PC.
Roughly a year and a half after its PC release, a port of Tribes 2 was released on the Playstation 2 as "Tribes Aerial Assault". If you are a fan of fast paced shooters with ammo the size of trash cans, then this is a must buy. The PS2 version has a solid framerate, brand new textures, and virtually of the features found in the PC version.
- LAN (Supported)
- Dedicated Server Software (Supported)
- In-Game Bots
- Map Rotation
- PS2 Exclusive
Note: While PC dedicated server software is supported, it does not support bots. In order to use bots you must host from your PS2. All online games dwindle down to just the hardcore fanbase and TribesAA is no exception. In order to facilitate the best online experience, we at OC promote hosting from the PS2 console where you can use bots to fill in the ranks.
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| TWISTED METAL BLACK: ONLINE |
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This is probobly the best Deathmatch game available for the Playstation 2. Originally the online servers were seperated, but when tunneling this game over the internet using the LAN option, the PAL and NTSC versions can link up to play online. The art direction, coupled with tons of game options, great gameplay and a fantastic Keyboard Chat, make for one of the best games the PS2 has to offer for online. TMBO should be a top priority purchase for anyone interested in PS2 Online.
- LAN Tunneling Required for Online Play
- PAL vs NTSC
- Keyboard Chat
- In-Game Bots
- 60 frames per second
- PS2 Exclusive
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SECOND-TIER ONLINE GAMES
These are other great online games we dedicate serious time towards. |
Project Snowblind was chosen due to its futuristic setting and unique weapons. It is much more original than your average first person shooter.
TimeSplitters Future Perfect supports PAL vs NTSC over LAN. Future Perfect was chosen above TimeSplitters 2 because it supports custom maps over LAN.
Rainbow Six Lockdown has LAN, Splitscreen Online, and has a surprisingly high framerate. In addition to this the player movement is very fast. The closest thing to counterstrike you will find on the PS2.
The SOCOM Series needs to introduction. LAN Support, PS2 Exclusive, and 1-on-1 head-to-head in wide open maps is still a fun time if you can't round up some other players.
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory was chosen above Pandora Tomorrow. The multiplayer in each game is identical, however Chaos Theory has 4 new maps. Chaos Theory was chosen above Double Agent, because Double Agent has Spy vs Spy, and the Spy vs Merc scenario in Chaos Theory is much more interesting.
ATV Offroad Fury 4 was chosen above all other offroad games for its superb production values, and feature set. CLIMAX Racing Studios took over the ATV franchise with ATV Offroad Fury 3, however with ATV4 they added 3 more vehicles and overhauled the game engine.
Final Fantasy XI Online - If one pay for play MMO was to be chosen it would be FFXI. Due to the immense popularity of this title, it should be online for a very long time. Since this game requires a HardDrive, is NTSC only and requires a monthly fee, expect our community here for this game to be small, but loyal. Our chosen server for FFXI is HADES!
Midnight Club 2 was chosen over Midnight Club 3. MC2 has a better interface and framerate. In LAN, Midnight Club 2 supports car traffic which Midnight Club 3 does not. Midnight Club 2 is more like an arcade game with its original car designs. Midnight Club 3 has licensed vehicles. MC3 also has car customization. For this type of game we feel an even playing field is best.
OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast - This site has very strong ties to the SEGA we all know and love from their glory days during the Saturn and Dreamcast. Original arcade games from Sega were many of the most memorable online games over at the Dreamcast site. So an online forever Sega Arcade game on the Playstation 2 is certainly something special. This game does have a few drawbacks such as no PAL vs NTSC over LAN, no car traffic, and no communication features. Despite this, any SEGA fan should pick this up.
Phantasy Star Universe, while not as good as PSO is still a decent extention of the Phantasy Star brand. PSU will exist under Second Tier until the game goes offline. Once that happens it will be shifted to our special "Fallback Games" area on the message boards.
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THIRD & FOURTH-TIER ONLINE GAMES
All of the games Third & Fourth tier are titles we play from time-to-time. Often, we play these as pickup games, after we put serious hours into our Top/Second Tier games. |
Third Tier
Heroes of the Pacific
Area 51
Cold Winter
TimeSplitters 2
Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One
Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm
Champions of Norrath: Realms + Return
EverQuest Online Adventures + Frontiers
Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows
Conflict: Global Terror
TOCA Race Driver 2 & 3
Midnight Club 3 DUB Edition + REMIX
Godzilla: Save the Earth
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Fourth Tier
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Ratchet: Deadlocked
Robotech Invasion
XIII
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
Sniper Elite
Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
Full Spectrum Warrior: 10 Hammers
Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain
Hot Wheels Stunt Track Challenge
MotoGP 4
Deer Hunter
Risk: Global Domination
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
Tony Hawk's Underground
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DEPRECIATED GAMES (A)
games we will rarely play, there are no PDB's for these games |
| Killzone |
serious game design defects |
| Serious Sam: Next Encounter |
character models too tiny, unbalanced weapons |
| Urban Chaos: Riot Response |
no comment |
| Delta Force: Black Hawk Down |
superceded by - Battlefield 2: Modern Combat |
| Delta Force: Black Hawk Down (Team Sabre) |
superceded by - Battlefield 2: Modern Combat |
| Splinter Cell: Pandora Tommorrow |
superceded by - Splinter Cell Chaos Theory |
| Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 |
superceded by - Call of Duty 2 "BRO" |
| Brothers In Arms: Earned In Blood |
superceded by - Call of Duty 2 "BRO" |
| Call of Duty: Finest Hour |
superceded by - Call of Duty 2 "BRO" |
| Call of Duty 3 |
superceded by - Call of Duty 2 "BRO" |
| Full Spectrum Warrior |
superceded by - Full Spectrum Warrior 10 Hammers |
| Rogue Trooper |
4 co-op levels, gets stale quickly |
| Test Drive Unlimited |
no comment |
| Flatout |
no comment |
| Flatout 2 |
no comment |
| ATV Offroad Fury 2 |
superceded by - ATV Offroad Fury 4 |
| ATV Offroad Fury 3 |
superceded by - ATV Offroad Fury 4 |
| Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball Max'd |
no comment |
| World Championship Paintball |
no comment |
| MTX: Mototrax |
superceded by - ATV Offroad Fury 4 |
| MX vs ATV Unleashed |
superceded by - ATV Offroad Fury 4 |
| MX vs ATV Untamed |
superceded by - ATV Offroad Fury 4 |
| Mortal Kombat: Armageddon |
superceded by - Mortal Kombat: Deception |
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DEPRECIATED GAMES (B)
games we will probobly never play, there are no PDB's for these games |
| 25 to Life |
uninspired |
| Commandos Strike Force |
horribly simple deathmatch levels |
| Ghost Recon 2 |
developed by Rainbow Six 3 team |
| Ghost Recon: Advanced War Fighter |
extremly sub-par, shovelware |
| Rainbow Six 3 |
broken game |
| Ford Versus Chevy |
no comment |
| Juiced |
redundant street racer |
| Street Racing Syndicate |
redundant street racer |
| The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift |
redundant street racer |
| Crash n' Burn |
no comment |
| Fight Club |
no comment |
| ALL WWE WRESTLING GAMES |
no comment |
| ALL MISC GAMES |
no comment |
| ALL SPORTS GAMES |
no comment |
| ALL EA GAMES |
no comment |
| PAL EXCLUSIVES |
NTSC users cannot import these, due to 50hz |
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BUYING TIPS FOR PAL PLAYERS
If you are a PAL PS2 Online player, and are looking to connect with NTSC users in North America, here is a key shopping list for cross region play here at OC |
Some good PAL Region PS2 releases that can be officially played online, or LAN tunneled against NTSC players:
- Project Snowblind
- TimeSplitters Future Perfect
- Twisted Metal Black Online
- TOCA Race Driver 2 & 3
If you can setup your PAL PS2 for imports (modchip or boot disc), buy these North American versions to play online with NTSC players. Tribes Aerial Assault does NOT go through Sony's DNAS authentication system. So you can import TAA and play it online like normal. The other games however will require LAN Tunneling.
- Armored Core: Nexus
- Armored Core: Nine Breaker
- Armored Core: Last Raven
- Jak X Combat Racing
- Tribes Aerial Assault
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