The 10 WEIRDEST PS2 Horror Games
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00:00 "There are thousands of ghost stories, tales of suffering, loss, and rejection.
00:05 Into a few, in true delicacy."
00:10 Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we're counting down our picks for the 10 weirdest PS2 horror
00:16 games.
00:17 For this list, we'll be looking at some of the most bizarre and off-kilter horror
00:21 offerings on PlayStation's beloved second console.
00:24 So be sure to step out of the shadows and let us know in the comment section which horror
00:29 games on the PS2 you think are the strangest.
00:33 Before we begin, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring
00:37 the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
00:41 Silent Hill Shattered Memories
00:51 While many, if not most, Silent Hill games could be considered weird, it's Shattered
00:56 Memories that truly takes the icy cold cake.
01:00 This more experimental Silent Hill game features moments where you interact with a therapist,
01:04 Dr. Michael Kaufman, to flesh out the direction of the story, one revolving around Harry Mason,
01:10 once again searching for his daughter, Cheryl.
01:13 In tangent with that, the game avoids traditional enemy encounters and instead throws Harry
01:18 into these linear running sections where you must grapple with baddies and choose routes
01:23 out of these nightmarish sections.
01:26 Shattered Memories acts as a sort of spiritual reimagining of the first game, once set in
01:31 a frozen, snow-laden version of the titular horrific town.
01:35 It's a weird game because it often gives off the feel of a traditional Silent Hill
01:39 game but deviates from the series' more grounded gameplay.
01:50 Kuon Venerable, prolific developer FromSoftware
01:59 has truly covered a wide gamut of game experiences.
02:03 Enter Kuon, a truly terrifying and bizarre third-person survival horror game set in Kyoto,
02:10 Japan, specifically the Fujiwara Manor and its surrounding areas.
02:14 The game centers around three distinct playable characters, with each part of the game broken
02:18 up into exploration, combat, and puzzle solving.
02:22 What makes this game so weird is that each character must be utilized at different times
02:26 in the story to successfully progress.
02:29 There's a disturbing story at play in Kuon that revolves around spirits, supernatural
02:34 elements, rituals, sacrifices, and more, all with a Japanese flair.
02:40 On top of the game's spooky nature, it's also one of the most rare and expensive PS2
02:45 games out there, often coming in way over the $1,000 mark, at least at the time of writing.
02:51 If you can find and afford this weird horror gem, then it's sure to keep you up at night.
03:02 Fatal Frame Fatal Frame, also known as Project Zero, is
03:13 weird for one central reason.
03:16 It took the combat element of many survival horror games from traditional weaponry to
03:21 a completely non-traditional weapon/item, that of a camera, the camera obscura to be
03:27 exact.
03:29 This unbelievably terrifying horror game turned the genre upside down with this new mechanic
03:34 way back in the start of the 2000s.
03:37 Fatal Frame leans all the way into its Japanese horror influences, from the macabre haunted
03:41 mansion setting, to ghost girls with long hair, to the surreal and ominous musical cues.
03:47 However, it's the camera obscura that truly takes the stage in this game since you quite
03:52 literally have to get up close and personal with the supernatural entities haunting the
03:57 Himmorial Mansion and surrounding areas.
04:00 Snapping photos of these ghosts is oddly effective, but requires you to wait for the perfect snapshot
04:07 to deal the most damage and, hopefully, as the game title implies, a fatal frame.
04:18 Obscure The sheer idea of playing as a host of high
04:27 school pals exploring their own now very much monster-infested high school is incredibly
04:33 strange, at least at the time.
04:35 Add in the fact that you can swap between characters on the fly while exploring Leaf
04:39 Moor High, solve a host of tricky puzzles, and battle all manner of creepy crawly baddies,
04:45 many who were once students at Leaf Moor, and you quickly realize that Obscure isn't
04:50 just your typical run-of-the-mill horror game.
04:54 Yes, there is a strong amount of cringeworthy moments in this game from the stilted dialogue
04:59 and campy jokes, but these factors add to the uncanniness and weirdness of the game.
05:05 Back on the PS2, it wasn't often that you could find a couch co-op horror experience,
05:09 but Obscure offered up just that for those who wanted to share the academic horror together.
05:21 Siren Siren, also known as Forbidden Siren, proves
05:32 that the PS2 horror game catalog is brimming with weirdness.
05:37 Siren takes place in a fictional Japanese town where a group of strangers seemingly
05:41 share a unique ability, that of sightjacking.
05:45 Sightjacking gives each playable character the ability to see through the eyes of others,
05:49 specifically of the various zombie-like townsfolk in the game.
05:53 This in turn helps with moving about stealthily, eavesdropping, and learning enemy patterns,
05:59 since, well, the combat isn't all that great in this game.
06:03 The supernatural disaster that is woven into the very fabric of the game's narrative
06:07 and character motivations keeps the pace up throughout this slower-paced game.
06:11 Now, it won't be for everyone, but Siren blends high spook factor and stealth into
06:16 a strangely enjoyable horror game.
06:24 Primal
06:25 Primal is a bonkers PS2 horror game that most certainly leans into action and adventuring
06:37 more so than outright scares.
06:39 However, it's in the game's story, characters, imagery, and ambiance where things get pretty
06:44 creepy.
06:45 I mean, heck, you play as a character named Jennifer who just wants to find her boyfriend,
06:49 but does so by searching through various demonic realms.
06:53 You know, normal stuff.
06:55 However, you aren't alone.
06:56 You get to take on this fantastical horror quest with a gargoyle-like creature known
07:01 as Scree, who also just so happens to be a playable character.
07:05 Utilizing both Jennifer and Scree is vital to solving tricky puzzles, platforming sections,
07:10 and battles.
07:11 Interestingly, Jennifer is able to take on various Primal-like demonic powers to aid
07:16 her in her quest, with her appearance very much showing these changes.
07:20 The game certainly isn't all that polished, and there's a strange feeling of fantasy
07:25 that permeates the game world, but being able to play as Scree, who by the way is actually
07:30 invincible, opens up new gameplay options, whereas Jennifer explores about and pummels
07:35 baddies like most other action horror titles.
07:43 Shadow Hearts
07:54 The idea of a horror-themed RPG sounds pretty crazy, right?
07:58 Well, in the case of the JRPG Shadow Hearts, it works perfectly, and more developers should
08:04 take note.
08:05 For the uninitiated to this niche series, the first Shadow Hearts is all about Yuri
08:10 and Alice, who explore nightmarish locales in the early 1900s.
08:15 Yuri is a unique character, since he can absorb and turn into all manner of monstrosities
08:20 to utilize in the Judgment Ring-based battles.
08:23 These turn-based battles utilize a ring system where you must line up a spinning arrow over
08:28 points on the Judgment Ring to dictate the power of certain actions.
08:33 The horror in this game comes from the myriad supernatural elements that revolve around
08:37 various specters, monsters, and even divine beings.
08:41 Heck, there's even a central location that Yuri returns to that is known as the Graveyard.
08:47 While the sequels to this game, Covenant, and From the New World ditched the horror
08:51 elements, they at least retained the quirky characters, alternate history settings, and
08:55 Judgment Ring battles.
09:04 Gregory Horror Show
09:16 This Japan and Europe exclusive PS2 horror-adjacent game definitely fits the weird moniker.
09:22 Fans of the anime series will likely feel right at home in the PS2 version of Gregory
09:27 Horror Show, since it has a similar feel, style, and vibe.
09:32 What's most interesting about this strange game is that it blends mystery, stealth, and
09:36 survival elements together where your character must explore and learn the patterns of Gregory
09:42 House, the hotel you find yourself in after getting lost in a deep fog.
09:47 The name of the game here is spying on and sneaking around hotel guests in order to obtain
09:52 their soul bottles.
09:54 The game and hotel will open up further for more exploration as you gather more bottled
09:58 souls and interact with more guests.
10:01 Now it's a bizarre premise for a game, and while it isn't outwardly scary, it's more
10:06 uncanny and bewildering, again, especially for fans of the anime.
10:10 Running and hiding is certainly an option in this game, but playing things stealthy
10:14 can mean the difference between success or failure.
10:17 After all, it's Death, who you meet in a dream, who tasks you with this bonkers quest.
10:22 Just beware of Niko Zombie's true intentions.
10:34 Echo Night Beyond One of the truly weirdest horror games just
10:46 so happens to also delve into the sci-fi arena.
10:50 Echo Night Beyond might have one of the craziest opening premises of a game.
10:55 You see, this sci-fi ghost story quite literally involved a honeymoon to the actual moon.
11:02 Given that it's a horror game, you can bet your bottom dollar that things don't go
11:05 quite as planned.
11:07 And you guessed it, you get stranded on a creepy space station to fend for yourself
11:11 off to find your missing spouse.
11:14 One of the very few first-person horror games on the PS2, Echo Night Beyond often feels
11:19 like a walking simulator tossed in with a jump scare factory.
11:23 Coming across ethereal specters will keep you on the edge of your seat and you must
11:28 utilize the ship's monitoring system to track activity and find items that are keys
11:33 and areas like that.
11:35 If you have a penchant for all things sci-fi and horror, then this one could be up your
11:39 alley.
11:46 Rule of Rose Hmm, where should I start with this one?
12:00 Rule of Rose not only happens to be one of the weirdest PS2 horror games, but is also
12:06 one of the most controversial.
12:08 Oh, and also again, one of the rarest and most expensive as well.
12:12 In Rule of Rose, you take on the unfortunate role of Jennifer, who finds herself bound
12:17 to a frankly disturbing group of children known as the Red Crayon Aristocrats.
12:23 This creepy cult of kids is hell-bent on taking control, much to Jennifer's chagrin.
12:28 To address the crudely drawn elephant in the room, Rule of Rose wasn't well-received by
12:33 many since it leaned too heavily into psychological/moral issues, over-the-top and out-of-place violence,
12:41 and even obscene moments of various unfiltered content.
12:44 This, of course, led to the game being banned in many places.
12:48 The game itself played out like most other similar third-person horror titles like Silent
12:53 Hill or Clock Tower, for better or for worse at times.
12:57 This one really gets its weirdness though from the moral issues and controversies surrounding
13:01 it.
13:02 Regardless, the Red Crayon Aristocrats make this horror title one that can't easily
13:06 be forgotten.
13:15 Do you agree with our picks?
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13:24 Thanks for watching.