The PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling console of all time, which means a lot of games were released for the system. Playstation 2 launched some excellent franchises and featured many great single and multiplayer games. With all the PS2's being out in the wild, it's no wonder that some seriously strange games made it onto the system.
The Best PlayStation 2 Games Ever Made
Every developer saw the goldmine of PS2 games and created any trivia, supernatural thriller, or mosquito-based platformer they could think of. If you get a hankering for a weird trip down memory lane, check out these strange PS2 titles
10 50 Cent: Bulletproof
Curtis "50 cent" Jackson became a staple in the early 2000's hip-hop scene after the release of his seminal debut album Get Rich or Die Trying. The rapper made a name for himself with his braggadocious rhymes, crime stories, and survived murder attempt. After music and film, 50 moved into video games, telling a fictionalized story of his rise to fame. The story begins with 50 Cent being shot nine times and left for dead in NYC, mimicking the real-life attempted killing that left 50 with lifelong shrapnel and a new set of dimples.
The reason 50 Cent: Bulletproof is so strange is that it features a multi-million dollar professional musician committing murder over the course of its campaign. It's hard to imagine any celebrity now using their likeness to recreate real-life violence, but 2005 was a different time. Aside from the strangeness of it all, 50 Cent: Bulletproof is actually a pretty fun shooter and worth a play today if you can find a copy.
9 Drakengard
The Drakengard series began on the Playstation 2 with the first game being released in 2003. The game features several combat modes, shifting you from ground-based beat-em-up to aerial combat. The gameplay isn't the only strange thing with this title, as there are several endings only unlocked by continuing to play after the credits roll. Creative director Yoko Taro did most of the writing for the original script, introducing the world to his dark themes and unique writing style.
Drakengard isn't just strange for its innovative gameplay and storytelling tactics, it's also the introduction to this strange fantasy world that would lead to the mega-popular Nier series. This high fantasy game is still fun to play today, and while there are better entries in the series, looking back on Mr. Taro's original innovation is a delight.
8 Demolition Girl
The premise of Demolition Girl is pretty standard. A young bikini-clad woman is bitten by a radioactive crab, causing her to grow hundreds of stories tall. Your goal then becomes researching the woman by gathering her dimensions, attempting to subdue her with anesthesia, and finally finding the antidote to bring her back to normal size.
Pokemon With Weirdly Spooky Backstories
The game, all in all, is pretty bad. The animation team focused solely on the woman, leaving the rest of the world flat and lifeless. None of the vehicles are fun or feel-good. And the entire first mission where you are tasked with studying the woman's anatomy is pretty gross. There is little redeeming value to this title, but it is certainly one of the strangest games to release on the Playstation 2.
7 The Bible Game
The Christian faith has a long weird history of creating its own specific entertainment aimed at churchgoers. It's no surprise then that a Bible trivia game for the Playstation 2 was released in 2005. The Bible Game features bad graphics in a game show-like aesthetic, where players are asked to answer questions about the Old Testament. There are also Mario Party-esque mini-games scattered throughout the rounds to break up the Bible trivia.
The popularity of the Playstation 2 system made it possible for games like this to exist, as there was bound to be a large crossover of Christians and Playstation 2 owners. The game still makes our list because it's so odd to see a fully religious title released on a major system.
6 The Guy Game
Acting as an antithesis to The Bible Game, The Guy Game is an FMV trivia game shot on location in South Padre Island during spring break. The game features rampant nudity and was the subject of a lawsuit due to one of the contestants being underage at the time of shooting. The young woman won the legal battle and the game was forced to be pulled from store shelves.
It's strange this game was given a place on the PS2's lineup despite the nudity and overall crassness of the game. Due to the lawsuit The Guy Game is now illegal to own and is not allowed on the twitch platform. It's all the same as this exploitive strange Playstation 2 game is better left as a one-off experiment.
5 Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy)
Fahrenheit, or Indigo Prophecy, the considerably worse name it was given in its North American release, is David Cage's second game released by parent studio Quantic Dream. The game has one of the most iconic beginnings to any video game, forcing you to stash a body you don't remember murdering before the police arrive. From there, the story only gets stranger.
Fahrenheit isn't just a strange game because of its bonkers story. It also relied on unique gameplay mechanics utilizing the Dualshocks' thumbsticks for menial tasks. If you can get past the bad graphics and unintuitive control scheme, the story of Fahrenheit is a solid one, even if the ending leaves a lot to be desired.
4 Killer 7
Killer 7 is your standard first-person shooter, except your elderly wheelchair-bound protagonist can physically transform into one of seven different assassins. The game also takes place in an alternate earth where every nation fired its nuclear warheads into the atmosphere setting off a tremendous fireworks display for those below.
Killer 7 has become a cult classic in subsequent years, partially because of its weirdness. It's highly stylized, boundary-pushing, and as weird as it gets. The GameCube version may run better, but Killer 7 on Playstation 2 definitely deserves a spot on our list.
3 Under The Skin
Under the Skin has you controlling a child alien from planet mischief as he crash lands on earth and causes, well, you guessed it, mischief. Cosmi, the baby alien, can beam humans up to his spacecraft and wear their bodies as a disguise while he causes havoc.
The gameplay itself is fine, but it's the comic relief and homage to old Capcom games that make Under the Skin so strange and special. One hit while in your human form will revert you to wearing only underwear, a clever homage to the Ghosts and Goblins series, and there is an entire level based in Raccoon City. Under the Skin may not be the highest-quality game on our list, but it certainly delivers the strange.
2 Mr. Mosquito
Mr. Mosquito puts you in the wings of a Mosquito flying around an unsuspecting family's house, attempting to drink the inhabitant's blood. The hook of the game was that only certain body parts are available for leeching at certain times. This puts you in some precocious situations, forcing you to be mindful of how you attack your victims and how long you are visible.
Mr. Mosquito wasn't a huge hit in Japan or abroad, but its strangeness has given it cult status. There aren't many games that allow you to play as an insect, let alone one that kills over a million people every year. But Mr Mosquito does, and for that, it's one of the strangest games ever seen on the PlayStation 2.
1 Gitaroo Man
Gitaroo man is a rhythm game where you take control of U-1 as he turns into Gitaroo Man, wielder of the Last Gitaroo. You'll play the Gitaroo, fighting different enemies and attacking until their life bar is depleted. The enemies are as crazy and diverse as its setting. You'll fight small floating devils, large UFO pianos, and giant space robots on the roughly five-hour adventure.
The rhythm game mechanics aren't as fun as other classics like Parappa the Rappa, or as funny as something like Trombone Champ, but the weirdness is through the roof. The strangeness and rarity of this one make it difficult to find for classic video game collectors.