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Best PlayStation 2 games

The 194 best PlayStation 2 games, ranked from 28,685 critic and player ratings.

The best PlayStation 2 game right now is Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, with a critic score of 96/100 — updated November 2026.

How this ranking is built
  • Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
  • A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
  • Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
  • Release window covered: 1970 to 2026.
  • 50 games are listed on this page, carrying 28,685 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 50

Played them? Give your tier with the + next to each game. No account needed to try — create one to keep your tiers.

01 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty 2001 · 1,044 ratings Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is the sequel to the espionage action game Metal Gear Solid. Much of the gameplay remains the same, as the game's protagonist has to sneak past guards, outsmart them using various gadgets and defeat the tricky boss enemies. The game expanded its predecessor's cover mechanic, with Solid Snake or Raiden able to take cover behind walls or objects and pop out to shoot at enemies, while the improved enemy AI allowed enemies to also take cover from the player. Metal Gear Solid 2 is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, as well as a leading example of artistic expression in video games. 96 /100
02 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City A Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 2002 · 3,191 ratings · 4 Tier votes · finished by 37% · 17 h to beat In the year 1986, Tommy Vercetti is heavily indebted to his mafia superiors after a drug deal gone awry, but his dreams of taking over Vice City (based on Miami) push him down a different path. Featuring a wide variety of vehicles and weapons, radio stations playing hit songs from the era and an intense atmosphere, GTA: Vice City is an open-world sandbox satire of '80's Miami. 94 /100
03 Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence 2005 · 352 ratings Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence continues the Metal Gear Solid series tradition of follow-up enhanced, international version releases. Subsistence's online multiplayer component, titled Metal Gear Online, consists of five tournament-style game modes, each with a capacity of up to eight players. This mode pits players, each playing as a generic soldier against each other in deathmatch battles and variations of capture the flag, using stages, items, maneuvers, and units (such as the KGB, GRU or Ocelot Unit) from the main game. 94 /100
04 God of War A God of War 2005 · 1,070 ratings · 1 Tier vote God of War is an action-adventure hack-and-slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). Initially launched for the PlayStation 2, the game stands as the first instalment in the God of War series and the third in chronological order. Loosely inspired by Greek mythology, it unfolds in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central theme. The player takes on the role of Kratos, the protagonist, a Spartan warrior devoted to the Olympian gods. Tasked by the goddess Athena, Kratos is assigned to eliminate Ares, the God of War and Kratos' former mentor. Ares had deceitfully manipulated Kratos into killing his wife and daughter. As Ares attacks Athens fueled by hatred for Athena, Kratos embarks on a quest to locate Pandora's Box, the sole object capable of permanently stopping the vengeful god. 93 /100
05 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas S Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 2004 · 4,116 ratings · 14 Tier votes · finished by 38% · 2 h to beat Returning after his mother's murder to the semi-fictional city of Los Santos (based on Los Angeles), Carl Johnson, a former gang banger, must take back the streets for his family and friends by gaining respect and once again gaining control over the streets. However, a story filled with crime, lies and corruption will lead him to trudge the entire state of San Andreas (based on California and Nevada) to rebuild his life. 93 /100
06 Grand Theft Auto III A Grand Theft Auto III 2001 · 1,635 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 27% Featuring a fully 3-D living city, a combination of narrative driven and non-linear gameplay and a completely open environment, Grand Theft Auto III represents a huge leap forward in interactive entertainment. For the first time, players are put at the heart of their very own gangster movie, and let loose in a fully-realised 3 dimensional city, in which anything can happen and probably will. With a cast of hundreds, 50 plus vehicles, ranging from sports cars to ice cream trucks and from boats to buses, 3 hours of music, including opera, reggae, house, drum and bass, pop and disco, a huge array of street ready weapons and some of the seediest characters in video game history, Grand Theft Auto 3 is a sprawling epic which will show you that sometimes, crime can pay and sometimes it can pay you back. Available now for PlayStation2, Xbox, PC and Macintosh. 93 /100
07 Burnout 3: Takedown S Burnout 3: Takedown 2004 · 225 ratings · 1 Tier vote Take anarchic driving destruction on a world tour and experience the pure arcade adrenaline-rush of Burnout 3: Takedown. Combine aggressive high-speed racing with the ultimate in slamming crash action to boost your way to the top. Takedown the competition across the USA, Europe and the Far East in over 60 Race events, or crush all comers with Burnout 3: Takedown's junction-jamming Crash event pileups. Push it to the next level with five competitive multiplayer models, then move the mayhem online to compete against up to seven players. Reap the rewards of dangerous driving, earning Crash $ and Burnout Points to unlock over 60 hot vehicles, coveted skill trophies, front-page headlines and much more. (Source PS2 Game Manual) 93 /100
08 SSX 3 SSX 3 2003 · 91 ratings Players can discover the open mountain in the newest version of the smash-hit SSX snowboarding franchise. SSX 3 allows gamers to go anywhere gravity will take them. Players will discover a colossal mountain where they can immerse themselves in a free-roaming snow paradise. The ultimate all-mountain experience, SSX 3 features all-new events and courses, awe-inspiring tricks and a cast of cool, customisable characters. Discover the open terrain, explore its hidden crevices, and conquer its peaks. Produced under the EA SPORTS BIG brand, the SSX 3 development team at EA Canada is adding technologies that bring to life rich natural graphics such as snow that sparkles and blows in the wind and realistic character shadowing. A new gameplay experience allows users to seamlessly ride from one awesome area to the next- entering competitions, taking on Big Challenges and discovering hidden collectibles. SSX 3 has blown out the trick component with unlimited combos and new, over-the-top tricks. In addition to the new boarding venues, Big Challenges rewards players for completing any of the more than 100 unique challenges as they explore the mountain's vast world. Grind billboards, board press logs, even hand plant the fence line. The musical soundtrack features a broad range of music from artists including the X-Ecutioners, Felix Da Housecat, Queens of the Stone Age, N.E.R.D., and many more. 93 /100
09 God of War II S God of War II 2007 · 1,055 ratings · 4 Tier votes · finished by 49% God of War II, an action-adventure hack-and-slash video game, was developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). Initially launched for the PlayStation 2, it serves as the second installment in the God of War series, the sixth in chronological order, and a sequel to 2005's God of War. The game is rooted in Greek mythology and unfolds in ancient Greece, revolving around the theme of vengeance. The protagonist, Kratos, is the new God of War, having defeated the former, Ares. However, Kratos is betrayed by Zeus, the King of the Olympian gods, who not only strips him of his godhood but also kills him. Dragged slowly to the Underworld, Kratos is rescued by the Titan Gaia, who guides him to seek out the Sisters of Fate. These entities have the power to enable time travel, allowing Kratos to prevent his betrayal, and ultimately seek revenge on Zeus. 93 /100
10 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 2008 · 281 ratings An entry in the JRPG/visual novel hybrid Persona series in which the player has to harness the power of Personas and fight entities called Shadows by forging bonds with the locals of Inaba, a rural Japanese town thrown into unrest by inexplicable murders committed under cover of foggy weather and rumours of a television channel said to broadcast mysterious images on rainy nights. 93 /100
11 Rock Band 2 Rock Band 2 2008 · 113 ratings 93 /100
12 Age of Empires II: Age of Kings D Age of Empires II: Age of Kings 1999 · 451 ratings · 2 Tier votes 92 /100
13 Final Fantasy X Final Fantasy X 2001 · 404 ratings 92 /100
14 Unreal Tournament Unreal Tournament 1999 · 289 ratings 92 /100
15 Bully S Bully 2006 · 366 ratings · 2 Tier votes 92 /100
16 Guitar Hero II Guitar Hero II 2006 · 176 ratings 92 /100
17 Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 2005 · 94 ratings 92 /100
18 Shadow of the Colossus Shadow of the Colossus 2005 · 563 ratings 91 /100
19 Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal 2004 · 202 ratings 91 /100
20 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 2002 · 179 ratings 91 /100
21 Guitar Hero Guitar Hero 2005 · 121 ratings 91 /100
22 Final Fantasy XII Final Fantasy XII 2006 · 336 ratings 91 /100
23 Beyond Good & Evil Beyond Good & Evil 2003 · 399 ratings · finished by 27% 91 /100
24 Burnout Revenge Burnout Revenge 2005 · 113 ratings 90 /100
25 Kingdom Hearts II S Kingdom Hearts II 2005 · 863 ratings · 2 Tier votes 90 /100
26 Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition 2000 · 576 ratings · finished by 7% 90 /100
27 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy A Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy 2001 · 333 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 22% 90 /100
28 ICO ICO 2001 · 300 ratings · finished by 26% 90 /100
29 Tekken 5 Tekken 5 2005 · 274 ratings 90 /100
30 Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando 2003 · 189 ratings 90 /100
31 Tony Hawk's Underground Tony Hawk's Underground 2003 · 188 ratings 90 /100
32 TimeSplitters 2 TimeSplitters 2 2002 · 139 ratings 90 /100
33 Okami Okami 2006 · 261 ratings 90 /100
34 Max Payne S Max Payne 2001 · 1,811 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 43% 89 /100
35 Shadow of the Colossus (2011) S Shadow of the Colossus (2011) 2005 · 1,346 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 16% 88 /100
36 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 2001 · 279 ratings 88 /100
37 Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven 2002 · 1,319 ratings · finished by 23% 88 /100
38 Silent Hill 3 Silent Hill 3 2003 · 428 ratings 88 /100
39 Ratchet & Clank (2002) Ratchet & Clank (2002) 2002 · 303 ratings 88 /100
40 Medal of Honor: Frontline Medal of Honor: Frontline 2002 · 128 ratings 88 /100
41 Final Fantasy X B Final Fantasy X 2001 · 1,107 ratings · 3 Tier votes 95 /100
42 Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Hitman 2: Silent Assassin 2002 · 446 ratings · finished by 15% 87 /100
43 Jak II A Jak II 2003 · 229 ratings · 1 Tier vote 87 /100
44 Commandos 2: Men of Courage Commandos 2: Men of Courage 2001 · 182 ratings · finished by 8% 87 /100
45 Quake III Arena Quake III Arena 1999 · 422 ratings · finished by 19% · 5 h to beat 87 /100
46 Gran Turismo 4 Gran Turismo 4 2004 · 172 ratings 87 /100
47 Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King 2004 · 117 ratings 87 /100
48 Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus 2002 · 180 ratings 86 /100
49 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 2006 · 125 ratings 86 /100
50 Onimusha: Warlords Onimusha: Warlords 2001 · 102 ratings 86 /100

By genre

Best Action games on PlayStation 2Best Adventure games on PlayStation 2Best Arcade games on PlayStation 2Best Fighting games on PlayStation 2Best Music games on PlayStation 2Best Platformer games on PlayStation 2Best Racing games on PlayStation 2Best RPG games on PlayStation 2Best Shooter games on PlayStation 2Best Sports games on PlayStation 2

By year

Best PlayStation 2 games of 2009Best PlayStation 2 games of 2008Best PlayStation 2 games of 2007Best PlayStation 2 games of 2006Best PlayStation 2 games of 2005Best PlayStation 2 games of 2004Best PlayStation 2 games of 2003Best PlayStation 2 games of 2002Best PlayStation 2 games of 2001Best PlayStation 2 games of 2000

Other platforms

Best PC gamesBest PlayStation 4 gamesBest Xbox One gamesBest Mac gamesBest PlayStation 3 gamesBest Xbox 360 gamesBest Nintendo Switch gamesBest Linux gamesBest PlayStation 5 gamesBest Xbox Series X|S gamesBest iOS gamesBest Android games

Catalog statistics

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best PlayStation 2 game?

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty currently tops the ranking with a score of 96/100 across 1,044 ratings. Ranking updated November 2026.

How is this ranking built?

Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.