Final Fantasy XII, Okami, and Bully all turn 20 in 2026. Put together, they’re a pretty good reminder of what 2006 looked like on PlayStation 2: a late-generation high point, even with Sony launching the PlayStation 3 that same November.
By then, developers knew exactly how far they could push PS2 hardware, and Sony’s massive install base kept big releases coming. That’s why these games didn’t feel like leftovers from an aging console generation. They felt like milestones. Final Fantasy XII brought together its political story, Ivalice, and the Gambit system, then backed it up with a 92 on Metacritic and 2.4 million first-week sales. Okami hit a 93 on Metacritic thanks to its sumi-e look and Zelda-like structure, then went from modest sales to Game of the Year status and a permanent spot in the “games as art” conversation. Bully had to get past all the pre-release backlash, but landed an 87 on Metacritic, sharper boarding-school satire than many expected, and a reputation later critics argued was more anti-bullying than exploitative.
If you want to go back to the PlayStation 2 at the edge of what it could do, these are still easy picks, and their legacy feels bigger than basic anniversary nostalgia. Remasters, years of retrospective praise, and the never-quite-dead Bully 2 chatter all help with that.
You can still play Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age and Okami HD on modern platforms, while Bully is still one of Rockstar Games’ most requested dormant titles.
Author: Jesús Bosque
{
"de-DE": "Ich bin Journalist mit über 30 Jahren Erfahrung in Videospielen und Technologie. Obwohl Videospiele schon immer mein Fachgebiet waren, habe ich begonnen, auch die komplexen Strukturen von Projektmanagement-Tools wie Asana sowie die Automatisierungen mit Make.com und N8N zu entdecken und zu genießen.",
"en-US": "I’m a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in video games and technology. Although my specialty has always been video games, I’ve recently started enjoying exploring the intricacies of project-management tools like Asana, as well as automations with Make.com and N8N.",
"es-ES": "Soy periodista con más de 30 años de experiencia en videojuegos y tecnología. Aunque mi especialidad siempre ha sido el videojuego, he empezado a disfrutar también de descubrir los laberintos de los programas de project management como Asana y las automatizaciones de make.com y de N8N",
"fr-FR": "Je suis journaliste avec plus de 30 ans d’expérience dans le jeu vidéo et la technologie. Bien que ma spécialité ait toujours été le jeu vidéo, j’ai commencé à prendre plaisir à explorer également les méandres des outils de gestion de projet comme Asana, ainsi que les automatisations avec Make.com et N8N.",
"it-IT": "Sono un giornalista con oltre 30 anni di esperienza nei videogiochi e nella tecnologia. Anche se la mia specialità è sempre stata il videogame, ho iniziato a divertirmi anche a scoprire i meccanismi degli strumenti di project management come Asana e delle automazioni con Make.com e N8N.",
"ja-JP": "",
"nl-NL": "Ik ben een journalist met meer dan 30 jaar ervaring in videogames en technologie. Hoewel videogames altijd mijn specialiteit zijn geweest, ben ik ook begonnen te genieten van het verkennen van de ingewikkelde wereld van projectmanagementtools zoals Asana en van automatiseringen met Make.com en N8N.",
"pl-PL": "Jestem dziennikarzem z ponad 30-letnim doświadczeniem w grach wideo i technologii. Choć moją specjalizacją zawsze były gry wideo, ostatnio zacząłem również czerpać przyjemność z odkrywania zawiłości narzędzi do zarządzania projektami, takich jak Asana, oraz automatyzacji w Make.com i N8N.",
"pt-BR": "Sou jornalista com mais de 30 anos de experiência em videogames e tecnologia. Embora meu foco sempre tenha sido os videogames, recentemente passei a gostar de explorar também os labirintos de ferramentas de gestão de projetos como o Asana e das automações com Make.com e N8N.",
"social": {
"email": "jesus.bosque@softonic.com",
"facebook": "",
"twitter": "",
"linkedin": ""
}
}
View all posts by Jesús Bosque
