Top PS2 Picks

GameCore is CBSNews.com's video game column written by William Vitka, Chad Chamberlain, Lyndsey Hahn, and Alejandro K. Brown.

These are the Playstation 2 games we like the most.

Guitar Hero
Rated T for Teen

This game is awesome in countless ways. The satisfaction you receive while grinding out intense solos easily beats pulling off headshots in Half Life 2. It's large, unlockable library of great songs will keep you rocking out for hours on end, and you get your own pseudo-guitar to do it with. Even folks who would otherwise turn up their noses at rhythm games should give this one a try. Its versatile controls and multiple difficulty settings adjust to both newbies and experts alike. It's fantastically inventive and original.

Peter Jackson's King Kong
Rated T for Teen

Kong is king. There really isn't much use in arguing with that. Especially when the thing you're arguing with could grab you and hurl you to an entirely different coast. You get to experience the game as both Kong and human Jack Driscoll. Fight dinosaurs, stalk through exotic locales and be wonderfully and totally immersed. Kong is, after all, the eighth wonder of the world.

Ratchet: Deadlocked
Rated T for Teen

A fun way to pass the time and blow away tons of enemies either alone or with some local or online friends. The humor that has made the series great is present, even if Clank is relegated to giving mission briefings. If you like blowing stuff up and want a large arsenal to do it with, Ratchet: Deadlock will provide the action, comedy and adrenaline that you might be looking for on your Playstation 2.

Shadow Of The Colossus
Rated T for Teen

In Shadow of the Colossus, you take the role of a young man seeking the truth of an ancient tale of power hidden in a mystical world. The game is a majestic journey through ancient lands to seek out and destroy monstrously huge mythical beasts. The uneasy task of defeating a Colossus relies on intelligent puzzle solving and action oriented gameplay. This is a brilliantly executed adventure game.

Sniper Elite [Read Review]
Rated M for Mature

Arguably the greatest sleeper pick ever. Whether you like military games or not this is just an amazing title. Based on a the German-Russian battles during World War II, you sneak around Germany completing missions to help prevent bomb technology from falling into the hands of the Soviets. Great multiplayer and extremely solid gameplay, make this a great pick.

Soul Calibur 3
Rated T for Teen

Soul Calibur 3 allows one to play as your favorite classic character and follow how their fate unfolds in the Tales of Souls mode. You can battle it out against your friends in the Vs. Standard mode. The best part of the game, however, is the new character creation system. And not only did Namco improve upon the original cast but even saw fit to introduce three new characters to the mix. Zasalamel, Tira and Setsuka wield their specialty weapons to join the classic cast for a total of over 25 playable characters.
By William Vitka, Chad Chamberlain, Lyndsey Hahn, and Alejandro K. Brown