Current Situation

More than 80 million PS2s sold worldwide in roughly five years—yeah, we’d say Sony has done a few things right with its current home system. “I think the biggest challenge that I face—right now, really—is the unprecedented demand for PS2 after the price dropped to $149 [last May],” says Sony Computer Entertainment America President Kaz Hirai, “and trying to play catch-up with the demand.” Whether you’ve just picked up Sony’s console or have owned one since launch, you’ll have several new high-profile titles to choose from this spring, including the ultimate driving sim Gran Turismo 4 (finally!), plus the action games God of War and Rise of the Kasai.

Looking Ahead

As our tarot card clearly illustrates, PS2 will be overflowing with triple-A caliber games throughout the year, many of which are exclusive to the console. Square Enix will grab the spotlight on more than one occasion, thanks to its tripled-headed RPG monster (Final Fantasy XII, Kingdom Hearts II, and Dragon Quest VIII) and the first FFVII spin-off, Dirge of Cerberus. For those who desire something a bit...err, make that really different, keep an eye out this fall for Wanda and the Colossus, the next project from the team behind cult-classic Ico. And while nothing has been confirmed, don’t be surprised to see some PS2 titles whose game saves are compatible with a PlayStation Portable version.

But everything ain’t perfect. PS2 online gaming remains way below Xbox Live standards (in terms of feature set and ease of use), with no clear indication from Sony that things will improve anytime soon. Plus, the PS2 hard drive is quickly becoming a collector’s item, as Final Fantasy XI is currently the only title that requires this pricey piece of hardware, with no other big games on the horizon.

Notable Games

Dirge of Cerberus: FFVII • Fall ’05

Vampiric antihero Vincent Valentine assumes the lead role in Square Enix’s third-person action game.

Dragon Quest VIII • Fall ’05

Square’s Enix’s other gigantic RPG franchise gets a major graphical upgrade.

Final Fantasy XII • Fall ’05

FF Tactics creator Yasumi Matsuno puts his own unique touch (like a new combat system) on the blockbuster RPG series.

Kingdom Hearts II • September ’05 The wonderful worlds of Disney and Final Fantasy collide again in this action-RPG.

Resident Evil 4 • Fall ’05

Let’s hope Capcom’s survival-horrorfest looks as damn scary on Sony’s machine.

Wanda and the Colossus • Fall ’05

The makers of Ico deliver an adventure in which you climb on top of creatures that dwarf the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Electronic Gaming Monthly.