Sony found an immediate hit when they released the very first PlayStation console back in 1995 (’94 in Japan). The disc-based console offered amazing new graphics, solid soundtracks, and entire new worlds to play in. Companies like Square Enix even decided to use the new platform to bring celebrated Series such as Final Fantasy into the realm of 3D. As great as Sony’s first foray into the video game scene was, it would be the company’s second console, the PS2, that would set records and truly cement the PlayStation family in video game history. It currently sits as the best-selling video game console of all time and for good reason as it had one of the strongest video game libraries ever.

Seeing as how the library is so darn good, we’ve decided to undergo the arduous task of choosing the 100 best games on the PS2. This was no easy task, and after quite a bit of debating we’ve nailed down our selections. You’ll find our picks for the very best the PS2 had to offer in alphabetical order (it would’ve been impossible to actually rank these gems). Just prepare yourself for a rush of nostalgia and a lot of “oh man, I loved that game” moments ahead. 

Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies

Released in November of 2001, while the PS2 was still relatively young, Ace Combat 4 helped to show off just what the console was capable of while also providing one of the most advanced entries in the series. Its cross between flight sim mechanics and more arcade-style gameplay helped the title to feel serious yet accessible while offering stellar dogfights using classic jets as well as real-world prototypes that had yet to be fully released to the world. The addition of anime-styled cutscenes and crew chatter helped to engross players into the action.

Amplitude

Rhythm-based games have been around for decades, but not many can stand up to the frenetic fun and colorful action that was Amplitude. Managing multiple tracks while tackling increasingly difficult songs was far more fun than we’d hoped for and things just got even better when multiplayer was thrown into the mix.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance

There’s just something about brutally forging through dungeons with friends that never gets old. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance brought deep, RPG-rooted gameplay to the PS2 alongside some other consoles, and its story and intense action kept players enthralled for hours on end.

Beyond Good & Evil

Created by Michel Ancel (creator of the Rayman series), Beyond Good & Evil brought players a darker, action-packed experience on the PS2. Its simple yet engaging action, interesting protagonist, and tight visuals made it a cult classic and we can only hope that Ubisoft hits us with a sequel (which fans have been waiting on for 14 years) sometime soon.

Black

Black was a fairly standard first-person shooter in many ways when it released in 2006 on the PS2 and Xbox, but it used a few tricks to be one of the most beautiful shooters out there which really helped players entrench themselves in the action. Beautiful graphics, destructible environments (which weren’t as common as we would’ve liked in FPSs) and a more cinematic approach made for an interesting experience that pushed the PS2 to its limits.

Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30

Call of Duty: WWII may be the new hotness, but Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 was showing players the ugly side of the great war over a decade ago on the PS2. Commanding your own teams and taking the fight to your enemies in large battlefields was ahead of its time, and the deep story made this one impossible to forget.

Bully

What could’ve easily just been a less bloody GTA, ended up being one of Rockstar Games’ greatest titles. Set in and around Bullworth Academy, players must infiltrate the teenage cliques and take over the school. The gameplay consists of several different styles including stealth, exploration, fist-fighting, ranged combat, and more instances that are specific to certain situations. The city around the school is as lively as you’d expect from Rockstar, and each of the characters leaves a memorable mark on the experience.

You may not be running over pedestrians or shooting down helicopters, but Bully was not a watered-down version of its older, more mature sibling. Everything you expect from the studio and then some was crammed into this high school adventure.

Burnout 3: Takedown

Burnout 3: Takedown is more than just a typical sequel, it’s one of the best racers ever made and it’s for good reason. Criterion (who now works on Need for Speed games) put fast-paced fun ahead of realism and it led to something truly special. You raced through packed tracks slamming opponents and going impossibly fast as deadly obstacles whizzed past you. It’s the perfect representative of Burnout as a whole and easily the best game in the series. If you love arcade racers, there’s never been anything better than this.

Dark Cloud 2

Dark Cloud 2 was an action RPG on the PS2 that mixed tight gameplay, beautiful visuals, and world building into one memorable experience. Fighting through dungeons full of evil monsters and watching your progress manifest itself through the world you rebuild yourself was truly something special.

DDRMAX 2

Calling Dance Dance Revolution a huge game back in the 90s is an understatement. You couldn’t go to an arcade without seeing the queue for this game wrap around its station or see dozens of spectators watch as a player exhibited their best crazy legs. Even better was going to a friend’s house and seeing them whip out the control mat. DDRMAX 2 took that feeling and dialed it up for one of the most memorable PS2 dance experiences ever. 

Dead to Rights

Dead to Rights took the bullet time craze and ran with it. It featured incredible gunfights that required players to take out enemies in order to stay armed. Since you relied on what was around you, it offered a bit of strategy as you systematically took out entire groups of foes and used their weapons to destroy their buddies. Also, you had a badass dog named Shadow who you could play as in some sections and who was a very deadly tool against a corrupt government.

Def Jam: Fight for NY

Normally games with licensed content aren’t very good. They tend to balance game mechanics with something that feels like a constant advertisement and that weighs on the experience. Yet Def Jam: Fight for NY, which took the music company’s biggest stars and placed them into a fighting game with one seriously good soundtrack, was just a damn good fighting game with deep customization that still stands out today.

Destroy All Humans! 2

Destroy All Humans! 2 took everything that made the first game so enjoyable and upped the ante. New weapons, new abilities, and the option to enjoy the story mode with a friend made the act of enslaving the planet even better. It also got re-released for current-gen consoles. Does it hold up well? You be the judge of that.

Devil May Cry

This Hideki Kamiya (known for his work on Resident Evil, Viewtiful Joe, and Okami) creation started development as a Resident Evil title. Its precise action and over-the-top combat earned itself its very own identity that would go on to be one of the most recognized series on the PlayStation platform.

Devil May Cry 3

While the first game was great for mixing horror themes with great characters and solid action, Devil May Cry 3 upped the style factor that the series is known for and really stepped up the challenge. In fact, the challenge was so high that Capcom had to re-release a special edition so many players could actually beat it.

Disgaea

Tactical strategy games are often complex experiences, but Disgaea really took things to the next level. With an absurd amount of stats, combat rules, and ridiculous damage counters, Disgaea is a dream come true for hardcore strategy enthusiasts. Even better, it’s got a fun sense of humor as you play through a story that flips tropes on their head as you play as the villain of the story.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3

The best entry in the Budokai series, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 offered players another opportunity to play through DBZ’s incredible story line. It improved the experience by adding more characters from outside of DBZ (such as from movies, the original Dragon Ball, and GT), and had the action more closely resemble the anime.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

Dragon Quest is one of the longest running JRPG series around, and Dragon Quest Viii is easily one of its best entries. The series’ trademark charm and style are ever present, while Dragon Quest VIII is the first entry to fully render the world in 3D. A simple but deep combat system and likable main characters keep this JRPG gem moving forward at all times.

Dynasty Warriors 5

Dynasty Warriors might be the same thing every single time, but, look, it’s entertaining all the same. There’s very rarely been a sequel in the series that didn’t improve on something, and Dynasty Warriors 5 is definitely the best PS2 version of this hack ‘n’ slash. You play an iconic historical Chinese general, and you literally just run around the battlefield getting combos as you kill thousands of enemies. It’s timeless.

ESPN NFL 2K5

This is the only legitimate sports game on this list and for good reason. ESPN NFL 2K5 is the perfect football game. Presentation, mechanics, attention to detail, it’s all there. It actually still holds up pretty well to more recent NFL games and that’s saying something. It’s a shame that EA ended up getting full exclusivity to the license because we would’ve had something great to look forward to every year.

Final Fantasy X

The release of the PS2 meant a lot of new, impressive opportunities for classic series and one that really took advantage of the new horsepower was Final Fantasy X. The game was absolutely stunning and it evolved the games into the style we see today with better character models, new leveling systems, and a new battling system with the introduction of the “Conditional Turn-Based Battle” (CTB) system. The story was everything we wanted in a Final Fantasy game, and the new look showed that the franchise was willing to continue evolving right alongside technology.

Final Fantasy XI

The PS2 was also our first glimpse into what it would be like to play Final Fantasy with millions of other people, and it was truly impressive. Even for its time and the fact that it was running on a console, Final Fantasy XI was stunning and set a new standard for RPGs on home consoles.

God of War

Who would’ve thought that an angry man covered in ash would become one of Sony’s most iconic protagonists? Kratos took the world, and Olympus, by storm when he vowed vengeance on the god of war. The brutal combat that saw blades swinging across the screen and mythical creatures being torn to shreds will always stand out as a highlight on the PS2.

God of War II

God of War II stepped things up a bit while still keeping the rage-fueled action at the forefront of the experience. New abilities such as the use of Icarus’ wings open up the gameplay and make for even larger set-pieces than the first game had. Plus, Challenge of the Titans was a great way to test your might.

The series saw a revival with the 2018 reboot and a sequel in 2022, proving that Kratos still has some life in him yet.

Gran Turismo 4

Gran Turismo is one of the best driving sims you can get on console, and there was a time when it was the clear king of the road with nobody coming even close. One of the best examples of the admirable attention to detail and excellent gameplay was the PS2’s Gran Turismo 4.

Grand Theft Auto III

There are not many games that achieve popularity across the entire globe, but GTA as a franchise has done just that. It was all great when it was a top-down, 2D mayhem-fest, but the gaming landscape changed when we saw Claude walking down the streets of Liberty City for the first time. All the vehicular insanity, the huge armory, and the crazy events we watched pulled off by cute sprites were finally available in full 3D and other games have been trying to replicate its greatness ever since.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

While all of the GTA games pushed to put you in control, San Andreas was when the series really started playing with RPG mechanics. You could change CJ’s appearance by altering hair and tattoos and even changing how his body looks by working out and eating horribly. Stats revolved around use as well, letting players increase their skills through actual gameplay such as being able to jump higher on bikes, run for longer, or hold their breath while swimming.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Vice City is considered by many to be the best GTA ever released. It just did so many things right. For starters, you could actually fly in this one, which was teased in GTA III with the hidden dodo plain. There was more variety to vehicles, you had tons of clothing options (many of which perfectly fit the ’80s Miami-inspired backdrop) and the soundtrack is just perfect. The game was like Scarface on steroids and it’s still spoken about with high praise to the present day.

Guitar Hero 3

There’s something incredibly satisfying about strumming away on a plastic instrument as iconic rock songs blast out of your TV and your score racks up. Guitar Hero 3 not only had a sleek presentation and offered more of the compelling rhythm action that fans had come to know and love, but it also had a stellar tracklist. Seriously, there’s something for everyone here from Slipknot to Kaiser Chiefs and everything in-between.

Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life

Few games offer an experience as endearing and rewarding as Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life does. You’re not only given the complete freedom to build and run your farm as you see fit, but you’ll also have to build a successful family life with one of the romance options. While farm life might not sound appealing, A Wonderful Life offers one of the most compelling gameplay experiences you’ll find on the PS2. The more you play, the harder it’ll become to pull yourself away, so you better have plenty of time spare.

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland

Harvest Moon holds a special place in many hearts, but Save the Homeland specifically has a heartfelt story that has players not just working to establish themselves as a farmer, but to literally save their homeland from a corporation who wants to put a resort there. With multiple endings, your choices became paramount as you went about your farming life, providing ample reason to start all over again once the credits rolled.

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

The first Hitman game was definitely onto something, but it was still a bit rough around the edges. The second installment, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin added more variety to Agent 47’s missions and rewarded players for their play style. It also maintained what made the original so great by keeping in the high-pressure assignments that really left you scratching your head.

ICO

Ico is the first game that gave us a taste of what wonderful adventures could come from the mind of Fumito Ueda. The gameplay was simple at a glance, as it was a platformer with some environmental puzzles. However, it was the story of Ico that really left this game burned into the memory of