The PlayStation 2 was an iconic platform known for having some of the most famous games ever. The longest-running console of all time also spawned some disastrous games that not many players have even heard of. As time passed, a lot of these games became so rare that acquiring them has become close to impossible, raising their value.
10) Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land
Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land is a smaller game lost to the sands of time. Released back in 2001 by Atlus, a Japanese publishing company well-known for series like Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, Wizardry never managed to reach the heights of its other series. The game was a spin-off to the original Wizardry series of games that inspired classic RPG series like Final Fantasy.
The game revolves around the fictional kingdom of Duhan which was struck by a disaster called The Flash. It left the land frozen, separated from the rest of the world. Wizardry is first-person-oriented and involves the protagonist traversing the Labyrinth of Duhan to find answers about the kingdom’s past and their own.
Getting a fresh copy of this game is almost impossible and most sellers price their used versions over $100 online.
9) Futurama
While this game is quite obscure in its own right, fans of Futurama should be familiar with the titular game. The PlayStation 2 version of Futurama is a 3D platformer and the plot focuses on an unreleased episode of the series that never made it to air.
This long-lost episode has players step into the shoes of Bender, Fry, Leela, and Zoidberg. The aim of the game revolves around taking down a myriad of enemies for the Sun People after learning that the Sun is habitable. Eventually, a time machine is constructed and a critical decision must be made at the end of the story.
Even though the Futurama show was canceled in early 2003, the production of the game went on till it was released in Aug. 2003. New copies of the game are non-existent and sellers price their versions for over $300.
8) Ibara
Going back to lost media produced by Japanese developers, we have Ibara, a long-forgotten game developed by Cave Interactive and published by Taito Corporation. For enthusiasts of old-school side-scrollers like Battle Garegga, Ibara would be right up your alley. Often touted as a spiritual successor to games like Battle Bakraid, Ibara adds more depth to side-scrolling shooter games.
Released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2, Ibara follows the now-classic formula of loot collection to make your character stronger as you go through progressively harder levels of bullet hell. The game was only famous in circles of players that favored the genre and, as such, is quite difficult for other players to get their hands on.
And that rarity is reflected in its asking price. The few copies that are available online easily sell for over $500 a copy with not many sellers offering the game online.
7) Blood Will Tell
While everyone knows Sega and Sonic the Hedgehog, some of Sega’s games have flown under the radar, such as Blood Will Tell. Released in 2004 and based on the manga Dororo, it’s one of the company’s most obscure products.
Blood Will Tell is a nine-part story that revolves around samurai. Naturally, it involves a lot of fighting, but was very common for its time and, as such, was quickly lost in the shuffle of other, more successful games released that year.
The few copies that are available online are listed at anywhere between $400 and $700, with the prices occasionally fluctuating even above those levels. If you are a fan of relatively unknown classic Sega games, Blood Will Tell is worth picking up.
6) Ocean Commander
Ocean Commander is an underwater exploration game created by Cyberplanet Interactive, a Dutch company that initially released the game only in Europe. Ocean Commander was initially released on Nintendo Wii and was better known as Underwater Attack, a submarine-themed underwater shooter.
The plot centers on a special forces commander taking charge of a submarine in the dystopian future of the year 3011. After global warming destroys the polar ice caps, the sea levels have risen to unmanageable levels and you will have to navigate through the treacherous oceans full of danger.
Very few players even know about the existence of Ocean Commander on the PlayStation 2, but the game was in fact, ported to the console. It is one of the rarest PlayStation 2 titles out there and, even though it was being sold for cheap at one point, the game is now sold for upwards of $500 online.
5) ObsCure
ObsCure is a survival horror game released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004. Developed by Hydravision Entertainment and published by Dreamcatcher Interactive, ObsCure is a more well-known title compared to the other games on this list. Even though it had a better reception than most of the games here, its overall poor sales performance means it’s hard to get hold of.
ObsCure places you in the shoes of five teenagers who are stuck in high school with a swarm of infected students. As you progress through the game, you uncover a deadly plot around 100 years in the making while you cut through swathes of enemies.
While the game eventually became quite well-known on PC, initial sales on the PlayStation 2 weren’t as great and the game didn’t sell all too well. Now the rare copies on the internet sell for anywhere between $300 to $500, with some copies going even above that.
4) Time Crisis 3
Time Crisis 3 is the third main installment in the Time Crisis series that was ported to PlayStation 2. While the series is quite well-known, Time Crisis 3 was a weaker entry that wasn’t as well received back in 2003 when it initially launched.
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The lack of sales of Time Crisis 3 created a game that was hard to acquire and became rarer as time went on. Now it’s regarded as one of the hardest PlayStation 2 titles to get your hands on, with each copy selling for a minimum of $500 to $600.
3) Kuon
FromSoftware has been known for releasing one masterpiece after another. Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring have all outperformed each other since their release, but even successful companies have bad games. The one we are talking about is Kuon, a rare title by FromSoftware that barely saw the light of day outside Japan.
Kuon is a survival horror game developed in 2004 that takes place in Japan’s Heian period where you control three protagonists surviving a monster outbreak in Kyoto. The game relies heavily on elements from older FromSoftware titles and some of its mechanics eventually became the foundation for the later Soulsborne games to come.
When it comes to sales, the game did quite poorly, not being well-received outside of Japan. But its ties to FromSoftware have only helped increase its price, with a single copy selling for over $700 these days.
2) Haunting Ground
Haunting Ground is a survival horror game developed by Capcom in 2005. The game revolves around a young woman who wakes up in the dungeon of a castle following a car accident. Haunting Ground was initially hyped well upon release but that did not translate into great sales. The game struggled to find its identity and audience despite having great graphics and stellar gameplay.
After several mixed and negative reviews, Haunting Ground was finally taken out of circulation and quickly became a rare PlayStation 2 gem. It didn’t take long to catch the eye of enthusiasts and collectors everywhere, increasing its value. This collector’s item now easily goes over $500 for a copy, with mint-condition copies even going up to $1,000.
1) Rule of Rose
The top spot in our list goes to Rule of Rose, a survival horror game published by Atlus in 2006. Unlike most games on this list, it was quite well-known in the West, but it was quickly banned or outlawed from several stores. This is because players spread rumors the game showcased of underage eroticism, though those claims were quickly put to rest.
Rule of Rose revolves around 19-year-old Jennifer—you thought I was going to write Rose, didn’t you?—in England in the early 1930s. The world here is ruled by young girls, and psychological horror ensues.
Because of how hard it eventually became to acquire a copy of Rule of Rose, it quickly became a collector’s item. When it comes to value, it is undoubtedly one of the most expensive games currently circulated in the market today. Especially since the copies being sold are few and far between, each one is priced at a minimum of $1,000 with some copies going as high as $1,500.
