Skip to Content
Tier
Tier Your gaming journal
Get
Best games

Best PlayStation 2 games of 2002

The 23 best PlayStation 2 games released in 2002, ranked from 10,622 critic and player ratings.

The best PlayStation 2 game of 2002 is Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, with a critic score of 94/100 — 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: 2002.
  • 23 games are listed on this page, carrying 10,622 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 23

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

01 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
02 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 2002 · 179 ratings Drop into the ultimate challenge. In the next chapter in the Tony Hawk series, pros challenge you to make your mark in huge free-roaming levels, taking on 190 progressively harder goals with no time limits to hold you back. Decide when you're ready to take on your Pro Challenge and move into the pro ranks, where it's a whole new game. Build your skills, perform all-new tricks, play up to eight players online, and show that you've got what it takes to go Pro. 91 /100
03 TimeSplitters 2 TimeSplitters 2 2002 · 139 ratings TimeSplitters 2 is a first-person shooter that requires players to kill enemies and complete objectives using a variety of weapons and tactics in different predefined scenarios. Armour and health bars on the sides of the screen lower when the player is shot, which can be increased by walking over body armor and medical kits. 90 /100
04 Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven 2002 · 1,319 ratings · finished by 23% 88 /100
05 Ratchet & Clank (2002) Ratchet & Clank (2002) 2002 · 303 ratings Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platform-adventure game featuring the protagonists Ratchet, a furry alien creature, and Clank, a small robot. The two travel across the galaxy in search of Captain Qwark and ultimately become involved in an effort to prevent a threat to the galaxy. The game follows conventions established by earlier 3D platform games such as Rayman, Sonic, and Mario while introducing its own mechanics and structure. Its levels consist of large environments with detailed buildings and distant areas that can often be reached and explored. The game also includes several gameplay sequences outside its standard platforming, including space combat and first-person turret sections resembling Missile Command. The game contains more than twenty levels, each set on a different planet, along with numerous real-time cutscenes that develop the story. Progression is partly non-linear, requiring the player to revisit previous planets to complete objectives and offering multiple routes through portions of the game. Ratchet can also acquire or purchase a range of weapons, gadgets, and accessories, each providing different functions in combat, exploration, or puzzle-solving. 88 /100
06 Medal of Honor: Frontline Medal of Honor: Frontline 2002 · 128 ratings Frontline is a first-person shooter where players take control of the protagonist player character in a first-person perspective where they fight through levels set during the Second World War against the Wehrmacht using historical weaponry of the era, performing a series of military operations. Briefings take place at the start of each mission, which advance the plot and introduce new characters. Each mission is structured through a number of linear levels, each with differing locations, levels of action and styles of gameplay. Initially the player character begins on the frontlines during D-Day backed up by other computer AI-controlled soldiers with an emphasis on fast action-orientated gun-based gameplay. As the story progress however, the player character is sent on a variety of other missions including a number of covert and undercover operations in locations such as military based, German-occupied towns and manors, submarines and countryside settings. The player character is tasked with objectives during levels that range from infiltration, espionage, rescue and recon. Because of the variety between missions and locations, gameplay also changes pace. While many missions involve Allied assaults on German targets others include elements of stealth and exploration. For example one selections of missions has the player detach from an allied raid to infiltrate a German U-Boat in order to get to a secret facility while another has them rendezvous and sneak into a German headquarters in disguise to rescue an operative. Many missions are performed solo yet some include an AI companion for backup. Health is determined by a health bar that can be replenished using a selection "medikits" found throughout levels with varying degrees of effect. During missions, players can earn medals by the end of each level be meeting requirements such as completions of objectives, eliminating an amount of enemies and maintaining a percentage of health throughout, all represented by a bronze, silver or gold star. 88 /100
07 Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Hitman 2: Silent Assassin 2002 · 446 ratings · finished by 15% Enter the realm of a retired assassin, forced back into action by treason. You may be a hired killer but you still have a sense of loyalty and justice. Visit the dark recesses of a world corrupted by crime, greed, degradation and dishonor. And a past that catches up with you. Trust no one - if the price is right, the finger of your most trusted ally will be on the trigger. Your targets may hide in the most remote areas of the planet, but their destruction is never prevented - only postponed. Learn your trade - master your tools - overcome your obstacles - outsmart your enemies - eliminate your targets. Remember: rash decisions bleed consequences. Know when to strike instantly, know when to take your time. Chance favors the prepared. Failure is not an option. 87 /100
08 Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus 2002 · 180 ratings Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is a stealth-platformer developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2, the game follows Sly Cooper, a skilled raccoon thief, as he and his gang attempt to recover the Thievius Raccoonus, a book containing the secrets of his family's thieving legacy. The gameplay combines stealth, platforming, puzzle-solving, and light combat, and is noted for its cel-shaded visuals and humorous narrative. This game is divided into five worlds, each themed around a particular part of the world and the villain headquartered there. Most worlds are structured as a central hub with entrances to numerous individual levels. Each of the levels has a primary goals which earns the player a key. You must collect all the keys in the world to fight the world's boss. Many of the levels have a platformer structure. The objective of these worlds is to reach the location of the key. There are substantial stealth elements here as the player must dodge searchlights and trips lasers which set off alarms and avoid alerting guards. In addition to the main objective, there are clue bottles to find. Finding all the clues in a level allows you to open a safe with a page from the Thievius Raccoonus which grants a new ability of some sort. After getting this, there is also a master thief sprint where the player must get from the start of a level to the exit within a time limit. 86 /100
09 Kingdom Hearts A Kingdom Hearts 2002 · 587 ratings · 2 Tier votes Kingdom Hearts is an action role-playing game developed and published by Squaresoft for the PlayStation 2. It is the result of a collaboration between Square and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney's animated features with those from the Final Fantasy series, developed by Square. Kingdom Hearts was a departure from Square's standard role-playing games by introducing a substantial action-adventure element. In addition, it has an all-star voice cast which included many of the Disney characters' official voice actors. Kingdom Hearts was longtime Square character designer Tetsuya Nomura's first time in a directorial position. The game uses an experience based progression system, with experience gained by defeating foes. Experience gained rises in relation to the strength of the foe, and is consistent for each enemy over the course of the game. Levels are gained with experience, and provide increases to stat attributes in strength, defence, magic, hit points, magic points and ability points, with a new, predetermined ability unlocked approximately every four levels. 85 /100
10 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell B Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 2002 · 425 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 29% Infiltrate terrorists' positions, acquire critical intelligence by any means necessary, execute with extreme prejudice, and exit without a trace! You are Sam Fisher, a highly trained secret operative of the NSA's secret arm: Third Echelon. The world balance is in your hands, as cyber terrorism and international tensions are about to explode into WWIII. 85 /100
11 Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance 2002 · 350 ratings 82 /100
12 Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 2002 · 284 ratings 81 /100
13 Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance 2002 · 94 ratings 79 /100
14 BloodRayne BloodRayne 2002 · 150 ratings 78 /100
15 Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance 2002 · 170 ratings 80 /100
16 Syberia Syberia 2002 · 323 ratings · finished by 11% 77 /100
17 Spider-Man: The Movie Spider-Man: The Movie 2002 · 169 ratings 77 /100
18 Spider-Man Spider-Man 2002 · 160 ratings 74 /100
19 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2002 · 96 ratings 67 /100
20 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002 · 145 ratings 65 /100
21 Metal Slug 4 Metal Slug 4 2002 · 106 ratings 64 /100
22 Mafia S Mafia 2002 · 1,554 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 30% 63 /100
23 James Bond 007: NightFire James Bond 007: NightFire 2002 · 124 ratings 58 /100
Browse all the best PlayStation 2 games

Other years

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 2001Best PlayStation 2 games of 2000

Same year, other platforms

Best PC games of 2002Best GameCube games of 2002Best Xbox games of 2002Best Mac games of 2002Best Game Boy Advance games of 2002Best Linux games of 2002

Nearby rankings

Best PlayStation 2 games of 2001Best PlayStation 2 games of 2003

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best PlayStation 2 game of 2002?

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City currently tops the ranking with a score of 94/100 across 3,191 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.