Best games
Best Platformer games of 2003
The 10 best Platformer games released in 2003, ranked from 2,554 critic and player ratings.
The best Platformer game of 2003 is Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, with a critic score of 91/100 — updated September 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: 2003.
- 10 games are listed on this page, carrying 2,554 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 29 September 2026.
Top 10
01
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
The year is 2035 and Soma Cruz is about to witness the first solar eclipse of the 21st century when he suddenly blacks out -- only to awaken inside a mysterious castle. As Soma, you must navigate the castle's labyrinths while confronting perilous monsters at every turn. But beware, you must escape before the evil consumes you!
91
/100
02
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
Ratchet and Clank return as heroes for hire in Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando, the second game in this action platforming franchise.There are 18 entirely new weapons, as well as five weapons from the first game (you can upload them if using your old memory save). Each weapon is upgradeable, utilizing a new experience system, where weapons transform into more powerful forms the more they are used. In addition to main story levels, new Maxi-games give players a chance to test their skills and gain experience.
90
/100
03
Jak II
Jak II is an open-world platform, third-person shooter, and an action-adventure video game. It is the second game of the Jak and Daxter series and a sequel to Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.
87
/100
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
The year is 2035 and Soma Cruz is about to witness the first solar eclipse of the 21st century when he suddenly blacks out -- only to awaken inside a mysterious castle. As Soma, you must navigate the castle's labyrinths while confronting perilous monsters at every turn. But beware, you must escape before the evil consumes you!
91
/100
02
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
Ratchet and Clank return as heroes for hire in Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando, the second game in this action platforming franchise.There are 18 entirely new weapons, as well as five weapons from the first game (you can upload them if using your old memory save). Each weapon is upgradeable, utilizing a new experience system, where weapons transform into more powerful forms the more they are used. In addition to main story levels, new Maxi-games give players a chance to test their skills and gain experience.
90
/100
03
Jak II
Jak II is an open-world platform, third-person shooter, and an action-adventure video game. It is the second game of the Jak and Daxter series and a sequel to Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.
87
/100
04
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Deceived by the treacherous Vizier, I was led to unleash the Sands of Time curse upon the Sultan's kingdom. With little but an ancient dagger and a devious princess to aid me, I must undo my fatal mistake. Mine is a fight for survival… not glory. • Reverse, accelerate, and slow time itself with the almighty Sands of Time. • Master the Prince's speed, agility, and ferocious fighting skills. • Explore and survive the vast kingdoms of medieval Persia.
84
/100
05
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc
Hoodlum Havoc is a 3-D platformer from Ubisoft starring limbless hero Rayman. A hilarious story takes a few twists as Rayman sets out to stop the evil black lum Andre and his army of hoodlums.
73
/100
06
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
Strange wasp-shaped spy cameras, shady black vans lingering about, and a brand new flavor of Buzz Cola that everyone seems a bit too excited about. What could it all mean? Find out as you take to the streets as America's most beloved dysfunctional animated family: The Simpsons! In this timeless action-adventure game, you can work to uncover the conspiracy taking place in Springfield while playing as these beloved characters. As you progress through the game, you'll explore 3 unique areas of Springfield made up of many locations from the show. You can ride around in style with a memorable array of vehicles from the show or take a walk around on foot. You'll stumble into adrenaline-pumping story missions, take part in some fast paced street races and help out some of the townsfolk in bonus missions. Around every corner there's pesky wasps to be destroyed, collector cards to find and secret gags to uncover.
73
/100
07
Legacy of Kain: Defiance
Legacy of Kain: Defiance is an action-adventure game developed by Crystal Dynamics and released in 2003. It is the fifth entry in the Legacy of Kain series and continues the intertwined stories of Kain and Raziel. Players alternate between controlling the two protagonists, each with distinct abilities and combat styles. The game combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and fast-paced melee combat in a gothic fantasy setting.
70
/100
08
Sonic Heroes
Sonic Heroes is an adventure and multiplatform video game in the Sonic The Hedgehog series, developed by Sonic Team and published by SEGA for the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox and Microsoft Windows PCs. The player races a team of series characters through levels to amass rings, defeat robots, and collect the seven Chaos Emeralds needed to defeat Doctor Eggman. This game differs from other Sonic games by allowing the player to take control of one of four teams, each with three characters, who each have unique abilities to use. The game received mixed reviews from critics but it performed commercially well, becoming a million-seller and making the best-selling lists for all three of its original platforms. Join Team Sonic, Team Dark, Team Rose and Team Chaotix in a multiplatform adventure! Run, Fly, use your Power, grind, swing through 7 different levels with unique paths, fighting evil and solving puzzles for each team.
67
/100
09
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is the sixth game in the Tomb Raider series, and is the sequel to Tomb Raider: Chronicles. Angel of Darkness introduces new stealth and close-combat moves - ducking, sneaking and hug-the-walls walking. Lara must build her skills by performing action sequences. You'll have her running, dodging, performing flying leaps and platform jumps, shimming along walls and cables, as well as moving boxes and other obstacles around. Advancements are achieved with strategically placed power-ups. Collect weapons and ammunition, artifacts and money.
62
/100
10
Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut
An ancient evil lurking within the Master Emerald has been unleashed from its slumber by the devious Dr. Eggman and is on the verge of becoming the ultimate monster using the 7 Chaos Emeralds. Only Sonic and his friends are heroic enough to put a stop to Dr. Eggman and his evil minions.
57
/100
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Deceived by the treacherous Vizier, I was led to unleash the Sands of Time curse upon the Sultan's kingdom. With little but an ancient dagger and a devious princess to aid me, I must undo my fatal mistake. Mine is a fight for survival… not glory. • Reverse, accelerate, and slow time itself with the almighty Sands of Time. • Master the Prince's speed, agility, and ferocious fighting skills. • Explore and survive the vast kingdoms of medieval Persia.
84
/100
05
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc
Hoodlum Havoc is a 3-D platformer from Ubisoft starring limbless hero Rayman. A hilarious story takes a few twists as Rayman sets out to stop the evil black lum Andre and his army of hoodlums.
73
/100
06
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
Strange wasp-shaped spy cameras, shady black vans lingering about, and a brand new flavor of Buzz Cola that everyone seems a bit too excited about. What could it all mean? Find out as you take to the streets as America's most beloved dysfunctional animated family: The Simpsons! In this timeless action-adventure game, you can work to uncover the conspiracy taking place in Springfield while playing as these beloved characters. As you progress through the game, you'll explore 3 unique areas of Springfield made up of many locations from the show. You can ride around in style with a memorable array of vehicles from the show or take a walk around on foot. You'll stumble into adrenaline-pumping story missions, take part in some fast paced street races and help out some of the townsfolk in bonus missions. Around every corner there's pesky wasps to be destroyed, collector cards to find and secret gags to uncover.
73
/100
07
Legacy of Kain: Defiance
Legacy of Kain: Defiance is an action-adventure game developed by Crystal Dynamics and released in 2003. It is the fifth entry in the Legacy of Kain series and continues the intertwined stories of Kain and Raziel. Players alternate between controlling the two protagonists, each with distinct abilities and combat styles. The game combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and fast-paced melee combat in a gothic fantasy setting.
70
/100
08
Sonic Heroes
Sonic Heroes is an adventure and multiplatform video game in the Sonic The Hedgehog series, developed by Sonic Team and published by SEGA for the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox and Microsoft Windows PCs. The player races a team of series characters through levels to amass rings, defeat robots, and collect the seven Chaos Emeralds needed to defeat Doctor Eggman. This game differs from other Sonic games by allowing the player to take control of one of four teams, each with three characters, who each have unique abilities to use. The game received mixed reviews from critics but it performed commercially well, becoming a million-seller and making the best-selling lists for all three of its original platforms. Join Team Sonic, Team Dark, Team Rose and Team Chaotix in a multiplatform adventure! Run, Fly, use your Power, grind, swing through 7 different levels with unique paths, fighting evil and solving puzzles for each team.
67
/100
09
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is the sixth game in the Tomb Raider series, and is the sequel to Tomb Raider: Chronicles. Angel of Darkness introduces new stealth and close-combat moves - ducking, sneaking and hug-the-walls walking. Lara must build her skills by performing action sequences. You'll have her running, dodging, performing flying leaps and platform jumps, shimming along walls and cables, as well as moving boxes and other obstacles around. Advancements are achieved with strategically placed power-ups. Collect weapons and ammunition, artifacts and money.
62
/100
10
Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut
An ancient evil lurking within the Master Emerald has been unleashed from its slumber by the devious Dr. Eggman and is on the verge of becoming the ultimate monster using the 7 Chaos Emeralds. Only Sonic and his friends are heroic enough to put a stop to Dr. Eggman and his evil minions.
57
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Platformer game of 2003?
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow currently tops the ranking with a score of 91/100 across 167 ratings. Ranking updated September 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.