10 Rare And Expensive PS2 Games
Retro video game collecting is more popular than ever. Many people are going back and trying to collect games from their childhood. One of the video game systems that people are going back and collecting for is the PlayStation 2. A lot of these games are not that expensive or hard to find but there are some that have become very rare and expensive. Here are 10 PS2 games that are worth more than you might think.
1. Echo Night Beyond
Echo Night Beyond is an unusual sci-fi adventure/horror game released in 2004. You play as a man named Richard Osmond who is traveling to the moon with his fiancé to get married. The spaceship crashes while landing killing many passengers causing their spirits to wonder the ship. You are knocked out during the crash but when you wake up, your fiancé is nowhere to be found. You try to find your fiancé and figure out what caused this strange crash.
The game is not action-packed like most modern sci-fi/horror games. There are no gun fights and the game is very slow-paced. This caused many horror fans to skip out on the game. Since the game did not sell very well and was made for a very small audience, Echo Night Beyond fell into obscurity. The game is now sought after by collectors and demands a price around $85.00 for a complete copy. If you are into obscure horror games and don’t mind a slow-moving plot then the game is worth checking out if you can find one for cheap. If you are more into action games and want a bunch of gunfights and explosions, you might want to pass on Echo Night Beyond.
2. Obscure
Obscure is another strange horror game (probably could have figured that out by the title) that many people passed up on when it was released in 2005. The game is very similar to the late 1990s movie The Faculty. You play as 1 of the 5 characters who are all students at a school being overrun by mutant-like creatures. It is up to you to figure out why these mutants are coming from and stop it.
The game was originally released as a budget title so many people probably looked at the game as a cheap cash grab. This led to poor sales even though the game is actually pretty decent. It is one of the only horror games that has a co-op story mode where you can play with a friend. The game now is worth around $80 for a complete copy and is considered one of the holy grails for PS2 horror collectors.
3. Futurama
This is an action/platformer game based off the popular TV series Futurama. You play as Fry, Bender, Leela and Zoidberg, depending on the level, where you try to save Planet Express and the world from the evil Mom. The cutscenes in the game are actually a lost episode of the TV show making it very sought after by both Futurama and video game collectors.
The game had mixed reviews upon its release so only die-hard Futurama fans bought it. As the years went by the game become more and more rare. Since playing this game is the only way to watch/play the lost Futurama episode, the game is worth quite a bit of money. Futurama is now worth around $90 for a complete copy.
4. Xenosaga 3
Xenosaga 3 is the last game in the Xenosaga trilogy on the PS2. It continues the story from the last 2 games (3 if you want to include Xenogears for the PS1) which is extremely complicated and confusing. To explain the story, it would take pages to describe but it is basically an epic sci-fi JRPG where you control a team of heroes and must save the universe.
The game is said to be the best game in the trilogy and since it finishes up the epic story, the demand for it is very high. The Xeno franchise has a very loyal cult following which causes the price of the game to rise. Xenosaga 3 now costs around $85-$90 for a complete copy. There is also a copy with a holographic cover that sells for over $130. In order to understand what is going on in this game you have to play the first 2 which are much cheaper, so if you are thinking about picking up this game up, make sure you have played the original 2 first.
5. Samurai Western
Samurai Western is a hack and slash game that was released back in 2005. You play as a samurai that travels from Japan to the Wild West in order to find his brother. Once you arrive, you find out that a Tycoon named Goldberg is wreaking havoc on the small towns. It is up to you to stop him and save the townspeople all while searching for your brother.
Although Samurai Western is a good game, it didn’t sell very well. This could be because of the unusual theme of a samurai going to save a wild west town. Regardless it is viewed as a hidden gem on the system by many people today. The game has become very popular with collectors in the last 5 years or so making the Samurai Western skyrocket in price. The game is now worth around $80-$85 for a complete copy. The game is very well done so if you are a fan of hack and slash and find Samurai Western for a decent price, you definitely want to pick it up.
6. .Hack//Quarantine
.Hack//Quarantine Is the 4th game in the .Hack series. The game series is based off an anime of the same name. It is a JRPG that continues the storyline from the previous 3 games. The plot is very complex but at its core, it is about a group of friends who get trapped in a video game called The World and are trying to escape by fighting a vast number of evil foes.
The .Hack series has a huge cult following making the demand for the games very high. .Hack//Quarantine is the final game in the series that wraps up the epic story. These 2 factors caused the game to skyrocket in price in recent years. The game now cost $150-$160 for a complete copy and around $105 just for the game disk! It is important to know that a complete copy also comes with a DVD so if you are trying to pick up a complete in box copy make sure it has the bonus DVD disk.
7. Haunting Ground
This game another survival horror game that has been dramatically increasing in price. You play as a young woman named Fiona Belli who wakes up in a dungeon after being in a car accent. After escaping the dungeon, you enter a large castle inhabited by many strange people and creatures. You must outsmart these enemies as they hunt you down in order to escape the castle.
Much like Echo Night Beyond, there are no weapons available for you to use against your enemies. You do have a dog that can bite the enemies but that is used more as a distraction so you can get away from your enemies. You must find hiding places and wait for openings to run past your foes.
The game had very low reviews when it was first released causing the game to sell terribly. Horror games are already a niche market so Haunting Ground did not have a very long print run so the game already had limited copies available. Over the years many people found out the game to be a lot better than the critics had said making it high in demand. The game is now worth around $175 for a complete copy.
8. Blood Will Tell
If you are read my previous article titled 10 Awesome PS2 Games You Might Have Missed, then you are already familiar with this game. Blood Will Tell is a strange hack and slash game that has been growing in popularly in many PS2 collecting circles. It is based off a manga series called Dororo that is popular in Japan. You play as a hero who is hunting down his body parts that were stolen by 48 fiends that are terrorizing the land. The weird thing about the game is your body parts have been replaced by weapons. For example, your arms have been replaced by swords, your elbow is a Gatling gun, your knee is a cannon, and many more.
Unfortunately, the game did not sell well and got lost among the many action games that were released for the PS2 at that time. Many people view Blood Will Tell as one of the biggest hidden gems for the console. This, plus the rarity of the game, caused Blood Will Tell to be one of the most expensive games for the console. A complete in box copy can cost more than $175. A disk-only copy is around $80. The game is very well done so if you see Blood Will Tell for cheap, you will definitely want to grab it.
9. Kuon
Kuon is a dark horror game that flew under the radar upon its release in 2004. It is based on ancient Japanese ghost stories called Kaidan. The game takes place in a small village in feudal Japan where you can choose between 2 storylines. In one story you play as an exorcist and the other, a shrine maiden. Both storylines make you investigate the strange occurrences taking place around the premises of an ancient manor.
The game had an extremely low print run and sold horribly went it hit store shelves. This could be due to the mixed reviews it received or the unfamiliar Japanese story the game has. The game now is one of the rarest games on the system making it one of the most valuable games to own for PS2 and horror collectors. A complete in box copy costs anywhere from $285-$320. The disc alone cost more than $150. The game is very creepy and is a good horror game but has terrible combat and other small issues. This game is only for hardcore horror fans and collectors so if you are looking for a simple horror game this one is not for you.
10. Rule of Rose
Rule of Rose is the most sought after video game on this list. It is viewed as the holy grail for PS2 collectors. It is survival horror game that received a lot of controversy around the world back in 2006. It was so controversial that it was almost not released in North America. In the game, you play as a young woman named Jennifer who is trapped in an orphanage during the 1930s. The orphanage is ruled by a group of small sadistic little girls who call themselves the Red Crayon Aristocrats. You must bring these little girls an offering each month if you want to leave the orphanage alive.
Since the game deals small children and gruesome subject matter, it caused much outrage here in the United States. The publisher knew it was going to be controversial, so they only made a limited number of copies. Horror games already target a small audience (at least back in the early 2000s) so making a horror game in a limited supply will make the game very rare in later years.
The game sold poorly as well causing the game to become even more rare. Now a complete copy of Rule of Rose sells between $325-$350! A disc only copy still sells for around $210! This game is similar to Kuon by being only for the hardcore horror fans and collectors. Its not the best game in the world but the unique experience is enjoyable if you are really into horror games.
