I Just Got a PS2, Tell Me the Best Games! :)

Happy to help! If you end up liking the series, you should definitely consider getting Armored Core 2: Another Age... not only is it a continuation of the storyline, you can actually import your data from Armored Core 2 into Another Age. It's kinda neat, and helps get rid of the 'oh god, my AC sucks' feeling that staring a new AC game tends to give people.

Also, at some point, you may want to crack open an online guide... there's a lot of hidden stuff in the older Armored Core games. I'm not going to say what, exactly, but I will give a little hint to one of the things, which will be relevant to both Armored Core 2 as well as the PS1 titles: Sometimes, failing horribly can be beneficial.

ARmored Core is kinda hard to get into, but if you buy one of them then you pretty much buy all of them (in that none of the sequels improved anything at all).

Zone of the Enders is awesome but it's more of a 3rd person action/brawler game than a mech game. But it's also one of the best ever made. Get the second one if you want to get into it.

True, true. Then again - in my opinion - it's tough to really improve on a series that's basically been all about the premise "You are a merc piloting a highly customizable giant stompy robot and destroying other giant stompy robots." I will say though, that playing the older titles has reminded me of one of the best things to happen to the franchise: analog stick functionality. I mean, I've been playing the series since it began, so I'm used to using the D-pad, but it still feels awkward to play like that. I guess AC4 spoiled me a bit.

So my girlfriend's sister REALLY wants to play Dynasty Warriors 3, so I picked up a copy (I LOVE how cheap these games are) and tried it tonight. Holy SHIT that was fun. I barely knew what I was doing in this Mosuo mode or whatever it was called, but getting better at the charge attack and seeing 4-5 guys flying off? Great stuff. Gotta play more.

Ok, first off, I'm gonna summon Matt Bowyer to the thread, as I seem to recall he's another fan of the DW games, and can supplement my response with his own knowledge.

You will be happy to know (or possibly saddened) that the later games in the series don't stray too much from the general formula. There are also spinoff titles for the series called "Xtreme Legends" and "Empires".

The Xtreme Legends games basically flesh out the characters a bit more... either by retelling events as written in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, or by just making up 'What If' scenarios.

Empires, on the other hand, plays like a combination of the basic DW formula and a basic strategy game. In between taking and defending territory (which plays out like the normal battle modes) you have the kindom mode, where you encat policies to keep your troops happy, acquire stuff, and get new officers.

Welcome to the rabbit hole that is the Warriors franchise.

On that note, if you ever want 'Dynasty Warriors, but set in Japan during the Warring States period', check out Samurai Warriors. If you want 'Dynasty Warriors, but set in Japan during the Warring States period, but even more batshit insane and awesome' you can try Capcom's take on the genre with Sengoku Basara. Both are great games; despite Sengoku Basara basically starting as a Warriors clone, it has blossomed into it's own unique creature.

On another note, how's Armored Core 2 treating ya?

Oh my god. *faints*

That is freaking nuts, but I like the idea for Empires. It looks like there's a lot of gameplay in DW3 so I should be great for now.

And I've not touched AC2 since that first time. I might need to get a later one that uses sticks. I dunno if I can work with it otherwise.

I just looked up some of those other games. Holy crap there are so freaking many. Samurai Warriors looks cool. Empires really looks up my alley.

There's ALSO Samurai Warriors: Empires ALONG with Dynasty Warriors: Empires?! ACK.

...and this is where I tell you that, excluding the numerous (and I do mean numerous; there's also a Gundam-based spinoff, a spinoff based off of Fist of the North Star, and a spinoff series that combines the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai warriors franchises) spinoffs, there are currently 7 Dynasty warriors titles. 6 and 7 are for the PS3... I don't particularly recommend 6, though. Like I said, welcome to the rabbit hole that is the Warriors franchise.

Also, if you fall in love with the strategy side of DW: Empires, you may consider trying out the Romance of the Three Kingdoms game series. It's a bit more hard strategy.

Hmm. That's a shame, but it's completely understandable. I believe analog stick support was added in AC: Nexus, so you might try that. As an added bonus, Nexus also does a neat little retrospective on the older titles with the Revolution disk (or so I'm told, as Nexus is one of the few Armored Core games I haven't played).

Holy holy shit. How can ANYONE keep track of all that?

Which Empires game should I get?

AC: Nexus looks like it might be the most "newb" friendly, yes.

Hmm... Of the PS2 series, I'd recommend DW 5: Empires.

FINAL FANTASY XII IS THE BEST PS2 -- what's this now?

The Warriors games are fantastic. For the PS2, you've got a few games to get.

Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires is the best of the PS2-era DW games. The regular one (plus XL addon if you can) is also quite good -- good blend of story and gameplay. I never felt the Samurai Warriors games did well on the PS2, and I did my SW2ing on the 360. However -- HOWEVER -- if you don't have a 360, you need to get Warriors Orochi on the PS2. Let me go find what I said about this Some Other Place.

Here we are.

Holy crap the story is stupid and the voice acting is bad. I mean bad for a Warriors game. Magoichi sounds absolutely hammered, Keiji Maeda sounds like a crazed wolfman, and Zhao Yun is reading his lines off a teleprompter slowly and carefully. I think a number of the voice actors changed from SW1 to Orochi, as at least Keiji is different (no longer Steve Blum, FF7's Vincent and Cowboy Bebop's Spike Spiegel). They're not going to put a lot of money into the voice acting, of course, but I kinda miss the consistency. (And if that IS Steve Blum, he was sick that day.)

The story is a hoot, and really is a huge loving man-fest as they journey.

Zhao Yun: "Oh no! Sun Ce is in trouble! Normally we are enemies but now we must be allies! Quickly!"

Yukimura Sanada: "Yes! Let us go aid him, as you aided me before and for which I thank you!"

Sun Ce: "Normally we would be enemies, but your spear is very strong and I thank you for your aid."

Zhao Yun: "And I note your strength as well! Apart we may struggle, but together we will triumph!"

Sun Ce: "May I join you on your quest, please?"

Zhao Yun: "Of course! Together we will triumph over all adversaries!"

Yukimura Sanada: "It is true! As long as we are together, no one can stop us!"

Zhao Yun waxing poetic about Zhang He's beauty doesn't really help matters.

This is all part of the charm.

Only have the PS2. :) Thanks!

'Allo guys, questions for ya. First, real quick, which one game in the series would y'all say is the best Dynasty Warriors game for the PS2? My girlfriend's sister thought the one she wanted to play was DW3, but when we actually played it, she said the one she played back in the day had way more characters and maps, so any advice would be helpful.

Also, what are some of the best 4 player games for the thing? I'm eying Timesplitters and the X-Men and Marvel Alliance games, but more suggestions would be awesome.

Thanks!

The only four-player game I've played for the PS2 was Tekken Tag, and I thought it was excellent button-mashing fun. The tag-team system also means that it's more amenable than some games to a mix in player skill levels; I was terrible at it, but got to be on a team with the best player, so I would flail wildly, then tag him in before my inevitable demise. Worked pretty well.

Is the full name Tekken Tag Tournament?

Oh, yeah, that'd be the actual game with its actual name and all.

*coughs*

My memory is like one of those things with holes in it.

Hahah, no worries, was just making sure. Thanks!

You know Brian, come to think of it... you might like the Warship Gunner games. Build WW2-style ships from the keel up in astonishing detail, then take them out and fight them in real time 3D. It's like ... the old Mail Order Monsters, but instead of making monsters you make destroyers and cruisers and battleships. Really nothing like them out there. Not sure of how big of a WW2 naval grog you are though :)
).

I'm a sim nut, so WWII naval shit totally falls under that umbrella. :) Thankyew!

Just figured I'd suggest the game Psychonauts, it hasn't been mentioned in the thread yet and it's a really good game. Very quirky and original, one of the most underated games out there.

I have it from GOG but sadly have yet to play it.

So today Twisted Metal Black arrived! Can't wait to try it! I also snagged copies of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Maevel: Ultimate Alliance REALLY cheaply on ebay. I'm also getting a copy of Champions of Norrath from a friend on another forum! Yay! Can't wait to get some party gaming on.

So Twisted Metal Black was crazy, had no idea what the hell I was doing, but damned I had a good time. That'll be fun 4-player.

Baldur's Gate crashed really early on, which doesn't leave me hopeful about continuing to play it, sadly. :/

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance was REALLY fun, can't wait to get more folks into that one.

Wheeeeeee!

Swiss Cheese.

This was my favorite ARPG on the PS2.

Yay! I am really excited to play it, especially with friends.

So yay, Champions of Norrath arrived today! Can't wait to try it. Also, I'm looking for a fun, simple racing game, and Crash Team Racing came up. Is that a good one, and there are any other suggestions?

Thanks!

The Burnouts and EoD (which you already have) are all you need for PS2 racing :)

Well yes, but I don't think they do 4-players at once. :/

Ohhh, it looks like Burnout Revenge DOES do 4 players. YES!

Also, Star Wars: Racer Revenge is great. :)

NO

No? What no?

Star Wars: NASCAR is great: NO


Then again I don't like anything associated with Star Wars fanfic, remember? ;)

True. I did love the first Racer game though, and this one appears even BETTER, so I'm happy with it.