State of Emergency (PlayStation 2, 2002)

State of Emergency is what happens when a video game looks at society and says, “You know what? Let’s just burn it all down.” Developed by VIS Entertainment and published by Rockstar Games back in 2002, this chaotic beat-’em-up throws you into a near-future America where a megacorporation controls everything—and the only way to fight back is by rioting in the streets. Yeah, it’s basically the 2000s version of social commentary with exploding vending machines.

You play as one of several resistance fighters in a city gone full anarchy. There are mobs of panicking civilians, cops with itchy trigger fingers, and enough on-screen chaos to make your PS2 fan sound like it’s about to take flight. The missions? Simple: cause as much destruction as humanly possible. Smash storefronts, start chain reactions, and make corporate goons regret ever clocking in. It’s dumb fun—and that’s exactly why it works.

The graphics were wild for their time, packing dozens of characters on-screen at once without melting your console. Combine that with a fast-paced soundtrack and ridiculous mayhem, and State of Emergency feels like a stress-relief simulator disguised as a rebellion. It’s part brawler, part riot sandbox, and all attitude—no filters, no brakes, just straight-up chaos.

If you’re looking for that early-2000s Rockstar energy that screamed “we can’t believe this got approved,” this is the one. Buy retro games on Retro Games eXchange and bring home the PS2 classic that defined rebellion before social media made it fashionable.