Odin Sphere

The most gorgeous PS2 game is a 2D side scroller? You better believe it. This Norse mythology inspired side scroller from Atlus is unlike anything you have ever played. Those expecting typical RPG elements will be disappointed at first, but once they really delve into the world of Odin Sphere they will become lost in its addicting beat em up action. Unlike most RPG's where you level up automatically after you gain a certain amount of XP (experience points), in Odin Sphere, you level up your weapon skill and hit points separately by consuming Phozons (souls) from fallen enemies. In order to level up your weapon skill you need to directly consume Phozons. If you want to level up your hit points you need to imbue your food with Phozons. Consequently, your inventory will always have food based items in it like spices and eggs. Although it seems like you have limited inventory space at first you will quickly learn that you will be using your inventory items very regularly so the limited space isn't a real concern. Not only do the gameplay and graphics really shine in this game, the storytelling is fantastic. This is one of those games where you really get involved in the plot. The only complaint about this title is the horrendous slowdown when you encounter a lot of enemies or a huge bosse. The frame rate really chugs but this minor flaw can be looked past because everything else about this game is so polished. This may be the last great game for the Playstation 2 and arguably be the greatest ever released for the system.