ITT underrated, overlooked, or Japan-only PS2 games The last

>>385071348
mite b cool
have a bump

>>385071348
bumping for interest

I'm waiting, OP.

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OZ: Over Zenith was released only in Europe as The Sword of Etheria. It's a Konami action game that takes place in a fantasy world. You play as the sword-wielding hero and are accompanied by two AI-controlled companions who change depending on the choices you make in the story.

The combat system is really fun (and challenging) because you basically have to bounce enemies around with your allies in order to rack up combos and get better rewards; you won't get anywhere in the game if you don't abuse this system. That's how you also build up meter to deal powerful Deathblows.

The story's your typical fantasy anime plot with random references to The Wizard of Oz thrown in. There's also multiple modes other than the main quest, including one where you play as the protagonist's cute little sister Dorothy, and another that takes place in a contemporary setting with Super Sentai-style transformations.

The graphics are a bit ugly, but character designs (handled by the Suikoden guy) are great, and the game has a unique look.

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ChainDive is a simple but tough action game developed by an obscure studio called Alvion that later helped PlatinumGames develop Metal Gear Rising. You're a futuristic dude in a power suit with a plasma sword and a grappling hook, and you make your way through stages by grappling on to midair "anchors" which you auto-lock on to.

The game has very nice 3D backgrounds but all the action is 2D, and it can get intense pretty fast. Keeping up your momentum is required to avoid death traps, and you handle waves of enemies by swinging around wildly on the same anchor.

The game is pretty short and lacks extra modes, but what's there is really fun, and it's clearly an arcade-style action game, with minimal story or cinematics. It has some frustrating boss battles but is otherwise a great little game and runs at a smooth 60 FPS.

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Area 51 is a forgotten PS2 FPS where you, unsurprisingly, shoot your way through the hordes of aliens contained in the US government's infamous secret base. This game looks somewhat generic from screenshots (and I guess it is), but in terms of simple gameplay it's really tight and fun. Probably the best thing about it is the variety of weapons and the fact that you can dual-wield guns. In terms of shooters that make you feel like a badass, the game delivers.

My main issue with the game is that it's really short, and that aside from some cool-looking alien monsters it looks like any other FPS of its generation. Still if you can pick it up for cheap you're unlikely to be disappointed.

>>385072434
>area 51
>forgotten
huh?

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Michigan: Report from Hell is a fucking weird game developed under the guidance of suda51, obviously. You play as a cameraman, part of a news crew caught in Michigan when all hell literally breaks loose, monsters appear, and people morph into grotesque abominations.

It's a first-person game where you can't do anything but run away from monsters and interact with your teammates. The interesting thing is that it's more adventure than survival horror: by focusing your camera on different things and making different choices, the game and its endings change.

One of your companions is always a female news presenter, but depending on what you do she will meet a grisly death and be replaced with another character with a different personality. The game clearly has a pervy angle as well, as you can even spy on the girls as they shower in a certain part of the game. (Or you can proposition your black male friend instead, but he sadly doesn't swing that way.)

The inane script and terrible voice acting are just the cherry on top for this game. If you appreciate suda51's sense of humor or just weird Japanese games, you're likely to appreciate Michigan.

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Everblue 2 is a fantastic diving game that strikes the right balance between addictive and relaxing. You play as a salvage diver on a tropical island who explores sunken vessels, underwater caverns and the like, with largely relaxing synth music in the background. Your objective is to find treasure that you can sell for better equipment on the shore, allowing you to venture further out into the sea.

There's not much of a combat or action element to the game, though you will have to avoid sharks and the like occasionally. But it's mostly about diving, looting, selling, and doing it all again while enjoying the sunny atmosphere. The graphics also hold up pretty well today.

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BCV: Battle Construction Vehicles is a stupid vehicular combat game where hot-blooded anime men duke it out with... construction vehicles, like tractors and cranes. Combat takes place in relatively small arenas with toon-shaded graphics.

The game received a very limited PAL release in I believe mostly the UK, and it wasn't even a blip on the gaming public's radar. To be honest it's not a very good game: it's clunky and lacks content. But it's worth trying out just for how wacky it is.

>>385071348
Have a bump

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Forever Kingdom is an action-RPG developed by From Software (yes, that From Software) and is actually the sequel to Evergrace, an ill-received launch title for the PS2. Forever Kingdom is similar but improved; you wander around medium-sized environments, racking up points, collecting loot, and upgrading your equipment.

Much like Evergrace, FK has a fairly relaxing ambiance and slow-paced but challenging combat. You basically have to rack up combos with your two AI-controlled allies in order to use your strongest attacks and collect better rewards.

Probably one of the game's strongest points is the outstanding creature design and experimental soundtrack, which isn't for everyone but I think is amazing. In terms of movement speed and general combat flow, you may recognize how this game influenced the Souls series. Forever Kingdom isn't as good as Dark Souls, but it's also a different game, more for zoning out than for staying constantly on your toes. If you loved Phantasy Star Online, you'll probably like this one.

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Cold Fear is a horror TPS clearly inspired by Resident Evil 4, except you're exploring a derelict Arctic vessel where the crew has turned into zombies for mysterious reasons. The movement, shooting, and general progression of the game is very similar to RE4 but with a slightly more Western feel, and it has less varied environments because most of the game takes place on a ship.

Still, while it may not be super impressive in terms of story or graphics, it gets the job done, and most importantly it has that super-satisfying RE4-style gameplay that strikes the right balance between survival/ammo conservation and gory violence. It's never scary, but it's definitely tense and dark.

>>385074258
Plodding around that ship in the turbulant seas was atmospheric as fuck at the time desu senpai

Shame it got real boring and predictable when the zombies popped up

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Battle Gear 3 is an Asia-only racing game and part of a fairly popular game series in Asia. The game's races take place on real-world Japanese locations including some tight mountain road races (touge) like the ones seen in Initial D and similar anime series. The style here is realistic, though.

Something that makes this game stand out is the gorgeous graphics full of state-of-the-art effects which rivaled Gran Turismo at the time. However unlike GT, Battle Gear is an arcade racer focused on less realistic but intensely fun handling. The game supported online play, but obviously those servers have been dead for a while now.

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Raw Danger! is part of a fairly popular Japanese game series known as Zettai Zetsumei Toshi, where you're basically a regular Joe caught in the middle of a series of natural disasters and have to find a way to survive, usually while rescuing and escorting a female lead. The PAL-only Disaster: Day of Crisis for the Wii is also part of this series, but is a fairly different game.

Raw Danger! has some excellent set pieces as you run across crumbling bridges, avoid falling buildings, and gather supplies at disaster relief camps. It even has a romance subplot weaved into the middle of the all the chaos. The fact that these horrible disasters and juxtaposed with a more personal, small-scale story is kind of the charming, and the game is a lot less dark than the premise would make you think, with fairly colorful anime-style graphics.

The gameplay is great and keeps you on your toes by throwing you into different situations. The set pieces sort of remind me of Uncharted, which would come a generation later, but this game is more focused on arcade-style reactions than the cinematic, QTE presentation of Uncharted.

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Hokuto No Ken is a fucking amazing-looking 2D fighter developed by Arc System Works of Guilty Gear fame. It boasts their trademark fantastic sprite work and fast-paced combat system, plus a large character roster, great backgrounds, and even a bunch of context-specific super moves that function as references to the original manga.

There's not much more to say about this one other than it's an excellent fighting game. While the arcade version was officially distributed internationally, the PS2 port sadly stayed in Japan, but it's not like you need to know Japanese to play a fighter.

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Boku Wa Chiisai is a super cute Japan-only platformer where you play as a tiny robot running around the different rooms of the household, collecting chips and uncovering secrets. There's a bit of a story as well, which relates to the family living in the house, but it's not integral to the gameplay, which has you running, climbing, and jumping on toy trains, bookshelves, and ceiling lamps while being adorable. It's not a hard game, but it's a very enjoyable one, with clear similarities to Nintendo's Chibi-Robo series.

>>385075410
>HnK
>obscure
Pick one