Tier ListsPlayStation 2

Best PS2 Games Tier List

The best PS2 games kept arriving after the next generation began: God of War II launched in March 2007, months after the PlayStation 3, and still sits in S. In S beside it, Metal Gear Solid 3 keeps you alive with camouflage, hunting and field surgery, and Shadow of the Colossus turns every fight into a climb up a moving giant. Open any game to see why it still holds up.

36gradedOct 31, 2026updated
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STop7 gamesThe games that define the PS2 and still set the bar for their genresClick any game for its gradeTap a card for its grade
Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas2004
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake EaterMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater2004
Shadow of the ColossusShadow of the Colossus2005
Final Fantasy XFinal Fantasy X2001
Resident Evil 4Resident Evil 42005
God of War IIGod of War II2007
Silent Hill 2Silent Hill 22001
Click any game for its gradeTap a card for its grade
AStrong5 gamesLandmark releases a step behind the very top, each a high point for its series
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertyMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty2001
OkamiOkami2006
Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice City2002
God of WarGod of War2005
Virtua Fighter 4Virtua Fighter 42002
BSolid6 gamesBrilliant, distinctive games worth tracking down on original hardware or a remaster
Prince of Persia: The Sands of TimePrince of Persia: The Sands of Time2003
Kingdom Hearts IIKingdom Hearts II2005
IcoIco2001
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's AwakeningDevil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening2005
Katamari DamacyKatamari Damacy2004
Persona 4Persona 42008
CSituational8 gamesExcellent genre favorites that round out a great PS2 shelf
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your ArsenalRatchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal2004
Burnout 3: TakedownBurnout 3: Takedown2004
TimeSplitters 2TimeSplitters 22002
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor LegacyJak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy2001
Sly 2: Band of ThievesSly 2: Band of Thieves2004
BullyBully2006
Grand Theft Auto IIIGrand Theft Auto III2001
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 32001
DBottom10 gamesLoved by fans of their genre, with a smaller following than the tiers above
Jak IIJak II2003
Final Fantasy XIIFinal Fantasy XII2006
SoulCalibur IISoulCalibur II2003
Beyond Good & EvilBeyond Good & Evil2003
Gran Turismo 4Gran Turismo 42004
Persona 3Persona 32006
Guitar Hero IIGuitar Hero II2006
Kingdom HeartsKingdom Hearts2002
Gradius VGradius V2004
Tony Hawk's UndergroundTony Hawk's Underground2003

What each tier means

  • STop The games that define the PS2 and still set the bar for their genres
  • AStrong Landmark releases a step behind the very top, each a high point for its series
  • BSolid Brilliant, distinctive games worth tracking down on original hardware or a remaster
  • CSituational Excellent genre favorites that round out a great PS2 shelf
  • DBottom Loved by fans of their genre, with a smaller following than the tiers above
2 reads blended into one listreblend in Showing36/ 36

Game art belongs to its publishers. RankedBoost is not affiliated with Sony Interactive Entertainment or any game publisher.

Board breakdown

What is the best PS2 game of all time?

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the best PS2 game of all time, and CJ changes with how you play: gym sessions build muscle, fast food adds weight, and his driving and shooting improve the more you use them. Three other PS2 standouts have modern remakes: Shadow of the Colossus, Resident Evil 4 and Silent Hill 2.

#1 on our boardSGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas2004

The PS2's best-selling game spreads three distinct cities across one open state.

  1. Swaps the series' corridors for a 1964 Soviet jungle where you hunt food, treat wounds and use camouflage to stay hidden.
  2. Sixteen colossi and no other enemies: every fight is a climb up a moving boss in an empty, haunted land.
  3. The first Final Fantasy with voice acting and 3D-rendered backgrounds, built on turn-based battles that still hold up.
  4. Moved Resident Evil behind the shoulder, and the PS2 port added the Separate Ways side story starring Ada Wong.
  5. Arrived in 2007, months after the PS3 launch, and still pushed the PS2 with Titan-scale set pieces and boss fights.
  6. Psychological horror in a fog-bound town, set off by a letter from James Sunderland's dead wife.

Which year gave the PS2 the most great games?

2004 gave the PS2 the most games worth playing, with eight here, from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to Katamari Damacy and Burnout 3: Takedown. It also brought Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, so one year covers open-world crime, Cold War stealth, arcade racing and a puzzle game about rolling things up. Try 2005 instead if you want a shorter route through major adventures: Shadow of the Colossus, Resident Evil 4 and God of War.

  1. 20017 games
  2. 20024 games
  3. 20035 games
  4. Most great games20048 games
  5. 20055 games
  6. 20065 games
  7. 20071 game
  8. 20081 game

Which series has the most games on the board?

Grand Theft Auto has the most games here, with three, and one studio made them all: DMA Design built Grand Theft Auto III, then became Rockstar North in 2002, before Vice City and San Andreas. Played in order, they show the series finding its voice: Claude never speaks in III, Ray Liotta voices Tommy Vercetti in Vice City, and San Andreas is the first one where you can swim instead of drowning.

  1. Grand Theft Auto3 gamesSAC
  2. Final Fantasy2 gamesSD
  3. God of War2 gamesSA
  4. Metal Gear Solid2 gamesSA
  5. Kingdom Hearts2 gamesBD

Which studio made the most top PS2 games?

Konami made the most top PS2 games, with three in the top two tiers, and they came from two very different teams. Hideo Kojima directed Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3, while Konami's Team Silent made Silent Hill 2. If you are new to both, start Metal Gear with 3, a prequel set decades before 2, and play Silent Hill 2 on its own, since its story and cast are separate from the first game.

  1. Konami3 top picksSSA
  2. Rockstar North2 top picksSA
  3. Santa Monica Studio2 top picksSA
  4. Capcom1 top pickS
  5. Square1 top pickS