20 Best PS2 Games of All Time

It all started in the year 2000. One of the best gaming consoles ever launched with titles like Evergrace, Gungriffon, Armored Core 2, and Eternal Ring. From then until its lifespan ended in 2013, the PlayStation 2 delighted players with a vast library of expertly crafted games, brought to life by brilliant minds and hardworking hands.

Sure, the PS2 had its missteps (looking at you, Little Britain: The Video Game and 25 to Life), but let’s not focus on any of the negatives that take nothing away from this cultural powerhouse. Instead, we’re here to break down the best PS2 games that showcase the console’s strengths. In a time before online multiplayer ran rampant, we were treated to deep stories, engaging characters, and solid gameplay that didn’t need to be enhanced with online purchases.

Wait. Do you hear that? Yeah, that’s the nostalgia train coming. Crack open a fresh memory card.

 

The Best PS2 Games

20. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Metacritic Rating: 91
Release Date: November 2nd, 2004

Cartoon duos were a popular sub-genre during the PS2 era, and with good reason. While Naughty Dog was finding success with Jak and Daxter, Insomniac Games delivered Ratchet & Clank a year later. While the first two entries were enjoyable and full of hilarious content, the third game in the series fine-tuned everything to near perfection.

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal puts a heavy focus on combat with an assortment of 20 different upgradable weapons. While platforming segments have been reduced, they don’t feel like an afterthought and Up Your Arsenal still feels like a balanced hybrid of the action and platforming. While the Jak & Daxter series has a bit more of an engaging story, Up Your Arsenal features tighter gameplay, action-packed combat, and an online multiplayer component.

As a testament to the range of video game developers, Up Your Arsenal was developed by the same studio that brought us Resistance: Fall of Man, Sunset Overdrive, and Marvel’s Spider-Man, three games that share so little (if anything) in common.

 

19. Burnout Revenge

Developer: Criterion Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Metacritic Rating: 90
Release Date: September 13th, 2005

Racing games can be pretty one-note. You jump behind the wheel of a high-speed vehicle, square off against other drivers, and maneuver through tight streets and open countryside toward the finish line. Burnout changed that formula quite a bit by tacking on a demolition derby aspect. And once you got your hands behind the destructive racing of the series, it was mighty difficult to go back to standard driving simulators.

Burnout Revenge is the peak of the series, offering a good mix of destruction and racing as you speed through rush-hour traffic, trying desperately not to crash while “manipulating” your opposition into oncoming traffic and walls.

No matter what you were doing, the game encouraged aggressive driving and taking revenge on anyone that bests you on the roadway. Or sometimes you just wanted to cause pile-ups and general destruction in Road Rage. Whatever the brand of octane you’re after, Revenge has you covered.

 

18. Sly 2: Band of Thieves

Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Metacritic Rating: 88
Release Date: September 14th, 2004

There was a time when platforming in the PlayStation ecosystem stretched beyond Ratchet & Clank. Series like Sly Cooper filled an important space, providing child-friendly games that could easily be enjoyed by a broad audience. Sly 2 is the revered sequel to the stealth platformer from Sucker Punch Productions, and it proves that sometimes changing the formula is best for the series.

Not every component of the original Sly Cooper changed for Sly 2, but the dev team brought on many new gameplay elements, including a variety of new characters to control, each with their own quirks and pitfalls.

Sly 2 is simply bigger and better than its predecessor, which was already an enjoyable game for players of all ages. The sequel remains the best in the series and captures the joy that once came with PS2 platformers, and it also holds up beautifully to this day thanks to its visual style.

 

17. Soulcalibur II

Developer: Project Soul
Publisher: Namco
Metacritic Rating: 92
Release Date: August 27th, 2003

Four years after the chronicles of the Soul Edge culminated in the creation of Nightmare, Soulcalibur II returns familiar fighters to 3D arenas to duke it out with series newcomers. Arguably the height of the series, Soulcalibur II was a technical improvement over its predecessors without having to sacrifice the core of the series.

Improved controls made the fighting more fluid and added several new elements, including arena walls and the three-tiered Soul Charge system. The result is a solid fighter that relies on the diversity of its fighters and not some throwaway gimmicks.

The best part of Soulcalibur II is its roster, which features a menagerie of characters like Ivy and her sword-whip, the hulking Nightmare, the swashbuckling Cervantes, and Voldo the contortionist. For the PS2 version, players could stomp through the arenas as Heihachi Mishima from the Tekken series, who joins the ancestor of Tekken’s Yoshimitsu.

 

16. Psychonauts

Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: Majesco Entertainment
Metacritic Rating: 86
Release Date: June 22nd, 2005

Put Tim Schafer and the team at Double Fine Productions in charge of something, and you can bet the end product will be nothing short of whimsical. Psychonauts, however, goes beyond whimsy for a world that’s equal parts fascinating and horrifying.

As Razputin “Raz’ Aquato, players get to see the interior of the Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp, a government facility used to train children with psychic powers. Throughout this fanciful tale, Raz slowly begins to unlock his true potential, bringing him closer to his goal of becoming a Psychonaut, or an elite evil-fighting agent.

It may not have initially sold well, but Psychonauts went on to become a cult classic, with fans clamoring for a sequel for years. A sequel that, thankfully, was just as good, if not better.

 

15. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Metacritic Rating: 87
Release Date: March 29th, 2005

It took a few entries for the Splinter Cell series to realize its true potential. Chaos Theory, the game that made it a trilogy, found the middle ground between punishingly difficult and accessible. Though it still wasn’t quite as easy to pick up and play as its rival, Metal Gear Solid, Chaos Theory sacrificed some of its difficult gameplay and intricate stealth for a larger audience.

The addition of noise meters, altered AI alert statuses, close-quarter combat, and a slew of new gadgets balances Splinter Cell without sacrificing its core gameplay that fans of the series have loved since the original. Competitive multiplayer returns from Pandora Tomorrow, but Chaos Theory adds a cooperative mode that tests the PS2’s system link capabilities. For the most part, it worked.

In Chaos Theory, Sam Fisher returns as the protagonist and is still expertly brought to life by Michael Ironside. While the story is the expected cliche narrative of a global conflict tackled by one skilled soldier, that doesn’t take away from the whole experience of Chaos Theory.

 

14. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Metacritic Rating: 90
Release Date: December 4th, 2001

The same studio that brought you the drama of The Last of Us and the heart and adventure of Uncharted is also responsible for a popular PS2 title featuring a cartoon duo. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy may not be some heart-wrenching tale, but the journey of Jak and his best friend-turned-ottsel (an otter and weasel hybrid) earns its spot among other great PS2 titles.

After proving it could handle platforming with the Crash Bandicoot series, Naughty Dog returned to the genre with the sandbox format of Jak and Daxter. The result is a surprising experience that does a lot with its gameplay to keep things fresh from beginning to end. Like so many 3D sandbox platformers, Jak and Daxter features an assortment of quest-giving NPCs and unlockable powerups to drive the game forward.

The experience is amplified with Naughty Dog’s grasp on storytelling and character development, which may be a weird combination to shine in a game featuring a talking otter-weasel.

 

13. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Metacritic Rating: 92
Release Date: November 10th, 2003

In a way, Prince of Persia feels like a precursor to Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series. The mix of parkour and combat is very much in line with the skills of the Assassin’s Guild. The only thing they’re missing? A dagger that can rewind time.

The Sands of Time follows an unnamed prince who gets his hands on the Dagger of Time and is subsequently thrust into a battle against an army of sand monsters. The prince engages his enemies using his parkour abilities for combat that’s more acrobatic and less about taking on foe head on. There are many fun aspects to The Sands of Time, but all of them are overshadowed by the ability to manipulate time. It comes in handy when you slip up on platforming segments, approach a large enemy in the wrong way, or to pass a complex puzzle.

The Sands of Time spawned three sequels, but none of them could quite match the fun and adventure of the original. Even its troubled remake looks like it’s struggling to match it.

 

12. Tekken 5

Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Metacritic Rating: 88
Release Date: February 24th, 2005

A “best PS2 games” list would be entirely incomplete without at least one Tekken game. The fifth mainline entry of the series picks up after Tekken 4, ignoring the exploits of Tekken Tag Tournament. Introducing the new crush system, which really makes players think about their plan of attack, Tekken 5 features the series’ most thought-provoking combat to date.

A roster of 28 returning fighters (including Yoshimitsu, Bryan Fury, King II, and Marshall Law) square off against seven new characters (including Jack-5, Raven, and Asuka Kazama). The game’s story mode takes players through another round of the King of Iron Fist Tournament, this time sponsored secretly by Heihachi Mishima’s possessed father, Jinpachi. However, players can also experience Devil Within, a DMC-lite affair that follows Jin as he tries to find his mother.

Tekken’s signature campiness drives the narrative while some tweaks to its solid fighting mechanics enhance the experience, with its general aesthetic being one of the most influential of the 2000s. They don’t come much cooler than Tekken 5.

 

11. TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

Developer: Free Radical Design
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Metacritic Rating: 84
Release Date: March 21st, 2005

Every generation has its staple fast-paced, nonsensical first-person shooter. It either tanks or, like TimeSplitters, garners a “best of…” badge and a cult following. It’s hard not to love a game where the main villain brings death and destruction not through big weapons and brute force, but by altering the course of history.

Battling against an alien race known as the TimeSplitters, Sergeant Cortez is sent spiraling through time in this successful sequel to the first two TimeSplitters games. It’s hard to decide which is more fun – the gameplay, the different settings that serve as the battleground, or the game’s overall goofy, hilarious tone. Whenever Cortez jumps into a different time period, he takes on a suitable persona and has access to a new assortment of weapons and a whole load of new jokes.

The firefights are varied and feature a little something for everyone. In one period, you may be sniping enemies from afar while in another you’re battling zombies in close-quartered dungeons. The result is a fun PS2 first-person shooter that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

 

10. Okami

Developer: Clover Studio
Publisher: Capcom
Metacritic Rating: 93
Release Date: September 19th, 2006

On the surface, Okami sounds like some stuck up artsy game that appeals to such a small audience, but this vibrant tale of Japanese mythology is a must-play for anyone with a PS2. Or a PS3, Xbox One, PC, or Switch, as it’s been ported often as a high-definition remaster.

Taking control of the white wolf Amaterasu, players explore a world brought to life through cel-shading and watercolors. Okami fuses platforming, action, and puzzle solving to create a game that feels so very different from anything else you’ve played. At first glance, it may appear to be very flowery and maybe a little too strange for the average person, but there is plenty to this PS2 classic that will appeal to players of all types.

Along with action-packed combat, players have control of the “Celestial Brush.” All of Okami is a canvas that players can use the Celestial Brush to manipulate. Used during combat and to solve puzzles, the brush is just another layer of the game’s unique and fantastical gameplay.

 

9. Kingdom Hearts 2

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Metacritic Rating: 87
Release Date: March 28th, 2006

Three years after Square Enix joined forces with Disney for an action role-playing adventure, the studio returned with a game that expanded upon the lore and mechanics of its predecessor. Kingdom Hearts 2 is the ideal sequel, where bigger (and more) most certainly is better. With retooled combat, a long list of new abilities, and all-new worlds, Kingdom Hearts 2 took what worked about the original and expanded upon it.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy return after a long introductory segment to continue their quest to find King Mickey and Sora’s friend, Riku. Along with hordes of the Heartless, their path is impeded by members of Organization XIII, a group of cloaked figures that don’t really make sense until you play later prequels of the series.

Square Enix’s signature storytelling seamlessly works with many of Disney’s memorable characters, though some, like Jack Sparrow, can feel completely out of place. It’s easy to overlook the awkwardness of the Pirates of the Caribbean cast, especially when you’re treated to classic Disney material like Steamboat Mickey. Ultimately, Kingdom Hearts 2 squeezes ahead of its predecessor with more content and smoother controls to land on this list of the best PS2 titles.

 

8. Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Metacritic Rating: 84
Release Date: March 1st, 2005

Did Dante always have his rock ‘n roll attitude? When did his feud with his brother, Virgil, start? Was he always wearing that bitchin’ red jacket? All these questions and more lingered on our minds for two entries of the Devil May Cry series. Then, Dante’s Awakening emerged from Capcom’s studios and filled the void with answers.

Oh, it also delivered one of the tightest Devil May Cry experiences, surpassed only by the more recent Devil May Cry 5 – and even that’s debatable. Dante’s Awakening helped the series find its true potential, especially after the lackluster sequel that feels more like a weird spin-off. Playing as a young Dante, players get to witness the birth of the smart-mouthed demon slayer.

A stronger story, tighter controls, slightly increased difficulty, and a new assortment of weapons help Dante’s Awakening stand out among the trilogy and earn it praise from fans and critics. The game gave Dante more heart and personality than its predecessors and helped flesh out his character and the universe surrounding him to make way for successive games.

 

7. Resident Evil 4

Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4
Publisher: Capcom
Metacritic Rating: 96
Release Date: October 25th, 2005

Though Resident Evil 4 first launched on GameCube, it fit right at home on the PS2. Leon S. Kennedy returns to the PlayStation ecosystem with his deadliest mission yet: locating the president’s daughter. It takes him to a sleepy village where the residents are all but normal and something far more dangerous than the G-Virus has run rampant.

Resident Evil 4 took the series in a much-needed new direction, dropping the tank-like controls and swapping to an over-the-shoulder angle. This enhanced the tension and really set the stage for the future of survival horror.

The PS2 version of Resident Evil 4 included the “Separate Ways” scenario that followed Ada Wong and her exploits after Leon’s arrival, and though it didn’t look as good as the GameCube original, it did come to be seen as the definitive version in its generation.

 

6. Final Fantasy X

Developer: Square Product Development Division 1
Publisher: Square Electronic Arts
Metacritic Rating: 92
Release Date: December 18th, 2001

After PS1 owners enjoyed three stellar Final Fantasy experiences, the PlayStation 2 was destined to continue the series in bigger and better ways.

There are somewhere around 34 or 35 different games in the Final Fantasy space on the PS2, including expansions and spin-offs of Final Fantasy X, a game that continued the series’ staple of emotional journeys and strategic combat.

Final Fantasy X continues the trend of dorky protagonists somehow getting caught up in a life-ending event. As the game progresses, lead star Tidus does grow on you, but being the first game in the series to feature voice acting is initially jarring. The biggest change to the series is the use of the “Conditional Turn-Based Battle” (CTB) system, which pauses time mid-battle to allow for more meticulous decision-making.

Final Fantasy X spawned a spin-off, Final Fantasy X-2, and is often regarded as one of the best Final Fantasy games of all time — and that includes the out of context laughing.

 

5. Silent Hill 2

Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Publisher: Konami
Metacritic Rating: 89
Release Date: September 25th, 2001

Konami turned the survival horror genre on its head with the release of Silent Hill. The pacing, tone, and relative powerlessness of the protagonist all melded together to make players feel uneasy and helpless. Silent Hill 2 expands upon that, featuring a stronger story, more memorable creations of the damned town, and better controls.

James Sunderland travels to the foggy town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his wife. His dead wife. Things only get stranger from there as he encounters sexy demon nurses, pyramid-headed sadists, and other grotesque horrors. Silent Hill 2 was the game that really embedded how twisted the series was, with themes of sexual frustration and guilt driving the madness surrounding James.

Silent Hill 2 released in the wake of the Resident Evil trilogy, but tackles survival horror in a completely different fashion. The result is a unique game that has yet to be matched in all of the ways it excels, even if so many games followed in its footsteps.

 

4. God of War II

Developer: SCE Santa Monica Studios
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Metacritic Rating: 93
Release Date: March 13th, 2007

When you think of titles that warrant being on a “best of PS2 games” list, what do you think of? An engaging story and solid gameplay? Fleshed out characters and gripping conflicts? How about brutal violence that is somehow excellently written into the story as to not seem gratuitous and pointless?

It’s not easy to do, but David Jaffe, Cory Barlog, and the team at SCE Santa Monica were able to develop one of the most violent PS2-era games while also creating a story-driven narrative where violence is kind of necessary. You’d be violent too if you were a battle-hardened warrior manipulated into murdering your wife and child.

Of course, Kratos’ rage-filled journey started in the original God of War, but God of War II upped the stakes, turned the violence up a notch, and delivered a story so rich, you somehow feel sympathetic for the murderous Spartan warrior.

God of War II is fast-paced and ruthless. Tearing through Olympian gods and the scourge of Greek mythology has never – and will never again – be so much fun. As good as the newer GOW games are, there’s simple beauty in the original games that’s hard to beat.

 

3. Shadow of the Colossus

Developer: SCE Japan Studio/Team Ico
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Metacritic Rating: 91
Release Date: October 18th, 2005

We could go on about how the camera angles can completely derail your fight against the towering Colossi, but that would be doing the rest of this beautiful game disservice. If you’re familiar with Team Ico’s work, one look at the art style of Shadow of the Colossus will tell you this is the development team at its best.

The tragic story is framed by nothing but epic boss battles as you cut and stab your way through 16 brutes. The variety of Colossi is the real draw of Shadow of the Colossus, as each one requires a completely different approach. It’s so hard not to get caught up in the visuals of the titans and the world around you, which can often make your battles longer than necessary.

For a game that features only 16 enemies, Shadow of the Colossus does a great job of keeping the player’s attention. The real motivation to press forward is finding out how the development team would be able to match the grandeur of the Colossi you’ve already killed.

If you don’t want to dig out your old console, the PS4 remake is just as good.

 

2. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
Publisher: Konami Corporation
Metacritic Rating: 91
Release Date: November 17th, 2004

When it comes to the Metal Gear Solid series, it doesn’t get better than this. Guns of the Patriots and The Phantom Pain tried, but Snake Eater was Hideo Kojima at his best. As entertaining as the original was, watching Big Boss come to life through the tragedies that befell Naked Snake gave us the most emotional storyline of the Metal Gear series.

Snake Eater wasn’t just better in terms of story, either. New gameplay elements such as dynamic camouflage, injuries that can slow down Snake, close-quarters combat, and more open environments led to a game that was far more advanced and engaging than its predecessors. Where the series once relied heavily on its story to propel somewhat shallow gameplay, Snake Eater was a solid mix of both.

Having access to the resources he needed, Kojima was able to create a game that carried his signature style, from quirky bosses like the centenarian sniper to emotional moments that have been ingrained as part of gaming history.

 

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar
Metacritic Rating: 95
Release Date: October 26th, 2004

Even with one of the most frustrating and arguably impossible side missions, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas continues to be a PlayStation 2 classic. It’s not the side missions that draw us to the Grand Theft Auto series, it’s the heartfelt story and the sympathetic characters.

We kid, of course. Not that San Andreas’ story isn’t any good, because it’s one of the best the series has seen. It’s just that Grand Theft Auto has always been about the gameplay. Sure, we’ll play through the story, enjoy listening to Samuel L. Jackson voice a corrupt cop, and even muscle through some of the more difficult missions, but we do that mostly to unlock the entire map.

That’s right. If you’re old enough and grew up with the PS2 classic, you remember that access to the full map was denied until later missions. That was just how it was, so we enjoyed wreaking havoc in what sliver of San Andreas we had access to until we could focus again on progressing Carl “CJ” Johnson’s story.

San Andreas used as much of the PS2’s resources as it could to deliver a large game, robust with civilians to run over, cars to smash, and weapons to tinker with. The game also featured stats that essentially let you customize your version of CJ. You could make him fat and ugly, skinny and a master behind the wheel, or even a slightly muscular weapon’s expert with high stamina. By eating, driving, training at the gym, and more, you can alter these miscellaneous stats for a more involved experience.

While it’s a bit rough visually today, you cannot deny the kitchen sink depth of what many still believe to be the most compelling open world game of all time.

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