The Sony PS2 turned 20 on March 4 and while that’s a remarkable achievement in and of itself, a gaming console isn’t really anything without any, well, games.
That’s why it was interesting to find out what gamers thought was the greatest game that had ever been played in the legendary console. With a selection of eight games spread across two semi-finals, it turned out that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas takes the cake.
The other choices were a few classics like Grand Theft Auto, FIFA, and Need for Speed; also in the running were such games as SSX Tricky and Rayman, including Rockstar action-adventure Bully.
A bit surprisingly, The Simpsons: Hit & Run made it to the finals although it must be admitted it’s the Simpsons’ best-franchised game.
But in the end, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas took the top spot.
Perhaps it really shouldn’t be surprising as the game is the best selling of all PS2 games to date and is even considered as among the best console games of all time. Romping through a fictional San Andreas and leaving carnage in one’s wake was enough to garner 58.6 percent of gamers’ nods.
When it was released in 2004, the gigantic, open-ended city of San Andreas fascinated gamers who had never experienced a game like it before. It also helped that the game was leagues ahead of its predecessors when it came to graphics quality.
While the carnage of previous GTA games was still evident, it all happened within a tightly written narrative, helped along by excellent voice overs. Fans absolutely fell in love with the humor seamlessly combined with the swagger.
But just like its GTA brethren, San Andreas also had its fair share of controversy. The wanton violence and its graphic nature kind of guaranteed it. But it still became a rousing success with no other game besting it until the arrival of Grand Theft Auto V which debuted in 2013 on the PS4.
Replaced!