PS2, we hardly knew ye

With all the recent buzz surrounding the PS3, Wii, and 360, it's going to become difficult to remember all the wonderful time we shared with the now seemingly obsolete PlayStation 2, the console that truly introduced us to the next generation of gaming. Sadly, the PS2 will be nothing but a memory, everyone having moved on to bigger (and better?) things. With that said, I am going to revel in the PS2's final moments of glory as I showcase some of the games I am looking forward to that are hitting the PS2 in the near future.

God of War 2
Release Date: February 2007








I'm practically drooling over this one, folks. Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few months, you know by now that God of War 2 is coming in 2007, and it's coming to the PlayStation 2. I absolutely cannot wait! After falling in love with the gore factor and sheer awesomeness of the original, March can't come soon enough to satiate my appetite for more Kratos-y goodness. With talk of new enemies, bosses, weapons, and magic, it's hard to stand the long wait. Let's just hope it lives up to the awesomeness of the original. You can watch the trailer here.

Lumines Plus
Release Date: January 2007
Noteworthy because I am IN LOVE with the original PSP version, Lumines Plus is coming to the PS2. FINALLY. Lumines Plus is basically the original Lumines adapted for the bigger screen and with some new skins (levels) from Lumines 2 thrown in for good measure. It's slated as a budget title, which gets me all excited because I don't have a PSP and I don't want to deprive my perfect boyfriend of its shiny goodness. Buena Vista Games is also planning to release Meteos: Disney Edition and Every Extend Extra in the same manner.

Ar Tonelico

Release Date: 2007
This looks simply divine, as Ar Tonelico is one of the first musically-driven RPGs since Rhapsody back in 1997. According to IGN, Ar Tonelico mixes gameplay styles, with RPG exploration and turn-based battles. The key to winning is to make use of the singing ability of the heroines. Another gameplay system allows you to dive into the minds of the girls and learn about what she is thinking -- you can also change her costume and customize her skills. I own a copy of the 30-minute anime special that it originally came packaged ith and the art style is gorgeous. Let's see if the game follows suit.

Shining Force EXA

Release Date: February 2007

Shining Force EXA is the upcoming entry in Sega's Shining Force series for the PlayStation 2. I haven't much to comment on regarding the gameplay, as I haven't gotten to see any in action, but it sure does look nice. I see it utilizes cel-shading in the same way that Dragon Quest VIII did. If it's anything like its predecessors it will prove an exciting and engaging RPG experience to whet our appetites until the next Final Fantasy.