20 BEST PS2 Games of All Time

One of the best gaming consoles ever launched with titles like Evergrace, Gungriffon, Armored Core 2, and Eternal Ring. From then until its lifespan ended in 2013, the PlayStation 2 delighted players with a vast library of expertly crafted games, brought to life by brilliant minds and hardworking hands.
Sure, the PS2 had its missteps (looking at you, Little Britain: The Video Game and 25 to Life), but let’s not focus on any of the negatives that take nothing away from this cultural powerhouse. Instead, we’re here to break down the best PS2 games that showcase the console’s strengths. In a time before online multiplayer ran rampant, we were treated to deep stories, engaging characters, and solid gameplay that didn’t need to be enhanced with online purchases.
FACEBOOK: / culturedvulturesgaming
TWITTER: / cultvultures
00:00 Intro
01:17 20. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
02:20 19. Burnout Revenge
03:24 18. Sly 2
04:21 17. Soulcalibur 2
05:14 16. Psychonauts
06:07 15. Spinter Cell: Chaos Theory
07:09 14. Jak and Daxter
08:25 13. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
09:24 12. Tekken 5
10:33 11. TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
11:39 10. Okami
12:38 9. Kingdom Hearts 2
13:45 8. Devil May Cry 3
14:51 7. Resident Evil 4
15:47 6. Final Fantasy X
16:55 5. Silent Hill 2
18:09 4. God of War 2
19:16 3. Shadow of the Colossus
20:15 2. MGS 3
21:21 1. GTA: San Andreas
Cultured Vultures is a good KZbin channel with very good content and it would even gooder if you would sub. We cover Fortnite, all things PlayStation and much, much more with our gaming guides and reviews.
Music:
Wandersong Scattle Remix
Bully
#PS2 #MGS #ff #GOW

[@CulturedVultures]

THE BEST PS5 GAMES: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHnSqoededyMp7c

[@im_taco7580]

There are so MANY good titles from this generation, there's no way you could fit them all in one video

[@willk7184]

I think Burnout 3: Takedown was the peak of the series. And probably in the top 10 of PS2 games. Still a blast to play to this day. No other game imho has ever captured the rush of speed and being right on the edge like that one did. Also it's courses were really fun and lots of variety.

[@csabamartintovissi5971]

it was the best game for me

[@foolingothersfoolingothe-zq5re]

need for speed most wanted

[@VoodooApex]

It was

[@anthonyd4309]

100% agreed; Burnout 3 was peak.

[@Vvewa]

fzero gx makes burnout look slow

[@ivanbenkovic9665]

NFS Underground 2

[@FlaqkoGTA]

Most wanted

[@shvrkofficial2616]

Replaying the GC version rn

[@Rafa18382]

Burnout 3 Takedown

[@CubicPlanets]

Hi

[@jaythemaestr0503]

NFSU2 was the best in the entire NFS series if you ask me

[@michaelarojas]

I bought a PS2 recently and have been buying a bunch of games 🙌🎮

[@ryanSLF]

Freedom Fighters 2003 Spartan Total Warrior 2005 The Lord of The Rings Triolgy 😊

[@merkcityboy834]

That’s my next goal I just bought a psp a while back only games I wanted were manhunt 2 gta VCS an LCS.

[@wilfredwayne7139]

Get mcboot if you have a fat ps2.

[@HollowRick]

​@@ryanSLFman of culture I see 👍

[@ryanSLF]

@@HollowRick ✌🏽

[@OsamaBinSmokinTV]

No SOCOM!? That series not only formed online gameplay where you could talk, but the game was monumental to all online shooter games moving forward.

[@willardfaraday8022]

Socom never gets the respect it deserves

[@ziad3994]

This list is also missing Max Payne 2 and Black.

[@SevenCompleted]

uhhh there were games before socom that had voicechat but it definitely made it more popular on consoles for sure. roger wilco was around since 1999 allowing pc gamers to voicechat, and teamspeak also predates socom.

[@bdunk914]

Cover Me I’ve got the lead. Sabationi. Grenadaa

[@VictoryNotVengeance]

Gran Turismo 3? Or 4? Both are absolute locks in a PS2 top 20, hell, maybe even an overall top 20 of all time

[@alexojideagu]

I agree. And Pro Evolution Soccer 6. Although I know Sports games are controversial in these lists.

[@corrosivesprings9526]

Wouldn’t be on my personal list but I can completely agree that it should be up there

[@Vulpas]

90% different than my list and completely out of order with what I'd rank games, that just goes to show how great the PS2 was, no two lists will be the same.

[@CulturedVultures]

most respectful KZbin commenter

[@therealrealSANDMAN]

Need For Speed Underground (and its sequels); Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain (and its sequels); Lord Of The Rings Return Of The King; And you put GTA SA, but Vice City will forever be my personal favourite ❤️

[@benjaminshiels1824]

No list is complete without Spiderman 2. True classic! 👍

[@CubicPlanets]

Hi

[@tenacityragdoll]

*The Movie Game

[@Bassibasukki]

that pizza mission soundtrack is amazing

[@paulwoodford1984]

better than the recent game that came out

[@UmVtCg]

@@paulwoodford1984 LOL A comment a salty cheapskate who can't afford a PS5 would make. Either that or you are on a brain cell killing crack spree. It's Probably both.

[@Brandencarroll1]

Dark Cloud 2, one of the most underrated and overlooked games ever made.

[@002DrEvil]

I have the original Dark Cloud that introduced many of the mechanics. It's still one of my favourites. The completely random gameplay and the joy of finding random weapons in chests keep me playing this.

[@Brandencarroll1]

@@002DrEvil It was so good for its time. Just a shame more people don't know about the Dark Cloud games.

[@blippitybloo]

Never played Tekken 5, but Tekken Tag Tournament is an absolute masterpiece and would have been my choice.

[@user-uy1jw6co9k]

100% the best Tekken PS2 game

[@brokenfacedclown1045]

I got my ps2 with tekken tag tournament I couldn’t believe how good the graphics were. I spent hours on tekken bowling mode

[@claytonweaver9953]

I've played them both and think 5 is better. Tag1 is a great game, though

[@chrisrosenberger7744]

@@brokenfacedclown1045 bowling on Tekken Tag 2 is a core memory for me lmao what a legendary game

[@Peace_of_mind479]

Guys I need help I just bought a PS2 it's mcboot idk how to go to browser or system configuration menu can you help

[@italiener82]

Great list, I'd also have added Bully and Gran Turismo 4 in there

[@T-W-M]

Bully 🔥

[@mukeshgoolcharan6121]

Good stuff man looking for the next one 😊😊

[@hungryfurball]

I remember pirating games using Swap Magic back then. Jak n Daxter Ratchet & Clank God of war, Twisted Metal Black, Maximo, iNinja, Destroy all humans, Burn Out 3, Tony Hawk Underground, Kingdom Hearts, DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Onimusha, Genji: Dawn of the samurai, Midnight Club, Yakuza, Chaos legion, and more I can't recall. The mid to late 2000s was the golden era of playstation games.

[@willisaw135]

Pity, Ace Combat 4, 5 and Zero were never mentioned in this video.

[@henkestenke]

The list of lists! Wow, so many great games. Thanks for the clip and the wonderful flashbacks!

[@killernuts4951]

I think Manhunt could’ve made this list but like you said with such an extensive library of games it’s quite difficult. Anyhow, the games you did pick are exceptional. Great video.

[@Deflow91]

To me Manhunt is legendary although not alot of people I know who grew up playing games know about it or can remember the game. I still own it along with the second one and play them from time to time 🔥

[@vapour_focus]

@@Deflow91 Propably the craziest video game series 💀

[@Ophidicus]

so many Great Games from that Era!, my top 5 in no particular order is FFX, FFXII, Midnight Club, NFS U2, RE Code Veronica, all I still play today

[@jefferywallace4491]

Crazy that champions return to arms is not on here. Was a awesome game that I feel alot of people have missed out on.

[@HollowRick]

I feel like only me and my friends ever played that game lol shame it's been forgotten about I'd also say the first game was really good as well

[@AngelCopout]

I still revisit that game and Champions of Norrath. If it hadn't been for a friend of my brother who lent us the game around 20 years ago, I probably would have never learned about it.

[@chrisbirks2751]

It's a fair enough list but I'd have found a place for Gran Turismo 4 somewhere myself

[@bk_nreynolds3278]

Swear lmao

[@JAZIBKALEEM]

Nostalgia galore!

[@tpgorman15]

Gotta throw out my love for Red Faction 2 and the wildly underrated game The Mark of Kri.

[@mandibiedermann2246]

Yes beautiful game, but the 2nd game Rise of the Kasai was even better

[@faycetoofayce7721]

MGS II is a masterpiece too

[@agentbl]

Out of all the PS2 games on this list, Burnout Revenge is my favorite. I love playing this game on my PS2 emulator on my laptop. I love the speed of this game. I do a lot of crashing in it too. I consider this game way better than Grand Theft Auto.

[@HorribleHomeVideo]

OH

[@togera77]

Gran Turismo 4, Need For Speed Underground 2, A Dog's Life, DTM(TOCA) Race Driver 3, Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War/Squadron Leader, Indycar Series, Enthusia: Professional Racing, Medal of Honor: Frontline, Sky Odyssey, the Tony Hawk saga, Twisted Metal: Black, those are many of my favourites on PS2 alongside some of the list

[@alexojideagu]

Pro Evolution Soccer 6.

[@togera77]

@@alexojideagusorry, but I hate football games 😂

[@alexojideagu]

@@togera77 lol that's why sports games are often not included in these lists

[@togera77]

@@alexojideagu I hate football in general so it's another story 😂 bear in mind that those are only the games I've owned. I've also played sports games like SSX Tricky, SSX3, SSX On Tour and NBA Street. those were fun, but I never actually owned them. they were either rentals or borrowed

[@solseppies]

I hope you make a gamecube version, love these vids

[@waynejohnston731]

Bullworth Academy music in the background is perfection haha

[@sheadiggs9355]

What a time to be alive

[@pipxd42]

great list, happy to see okami

[@peterd.2220]

Some very random games that stick out from my childhood. Project snowblind, scaler, metal arms, room zoom

[@johnmccombe6342]

How did no Ace Combat, Gran Turismo 4 and SSX Tricky not make that list. Great list other then those omissions.

[@arphod]

Say what you want. San Andreas was a staple at my house. You wrecked as much as you could, with as many stars as you could, until you died. Then you passed the controller. Then you had a shot and a puff.

[@hidexproduction1116]

why is no one ever talking about Primal, its an amazing unique game where the main character (Jennifer) is dragged into 4 different demon realms and can possess and shift demon forms for each world, accompanied by a stone goblin demon (Scree) as they take on the chaos trying to get her back to mortalis

[@herculeanhard]

Bully walk theme in the background love it

[@frankbrodie5168]

Everyone would have a different list. 2 of your 20 would make my own top 20. And half of your list wouldn't make my top 100

[@lexlex4909]

thank you

[@CrazeReactsOfficial]

Love the bully music in background

[@LukeNukemTV_]

I haven't been a single player "gamer" since the ps2, and I was so so young. Now I'm enjoying these games on my android emulator and having a BLAST. Started with RE4, but I'll probably do silent hill 2 next, and DMC then God of War.

[@bambi.nisseni]

Yeah i just reinstalled ally emulators and am rearming my arsenal of games.

[@gamethrough643]

Dragonquest 8 is a must on such a list !! As well as dark cloud like u even had a few clips of it but then didnt bring it up 4 some reason

[@Jani712]

Silent hill 2 is number one for me always 😎

[@brianmillerspeaks]

007 Nightfire will always be my favorite of the era.

[@94253474]

Crash Tag, Half Life, Manhunt, MK Shaolin Monk, Cricket 07, Def Jam, Fifa Street, Alone in the Dark, Twisted Metal Black, Bully, Red Dead Revolver, Call of Duty & so on...

[@idkidgaf]

crash 4 is a ps4 game

[@94253474]

Sorry Mate got hyped by this Video.

[@thefox8939]

NFSU 2, SD HCTP, SvR 2006, GTA vice city, GTA San andreas, Fifa 2005, madden 2004 and of course NHL 2001 ... Who ever played nhl 2001 knows... probably one of the greatest nhl games ever made.. you could play for hours and hours and hours without get tired of it... they don't make hockey games fun and enjoyable like this anymore..

[@alexojideagu]

Pro Evolution Soccer 6 was vastly superior to FIFA. Everyone in Europe knew this.

[@fjcarmo0369]

Some games to add to the list: 1. Gran Turismo 4. This is one of the greatest racing games of all time and it is criminal that this wasn't included in this top 20 list. 2. NBA Street. This was the PS2 version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition. It is always a fun game to play even today. 3. SSX or SSX Tricky. These were awesomely fun snowboarding games to play 4. Hot shots golf 3. I know it's a golf game, but it's a really fun and relaxing golf game to play. 5. Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies. This is probably the best dog fighting game on the PS2.

[@ZX81v2]

I'd also include : R-Type Final, Gradius V and Shining Force EXA Good list

[@GammellNotCamel]

Surprised to see no Tony Hawk, specifically THPS 3. Revert? Game changer.

[@chappy9245]

Burnout 3, Yugioh: Duelist’s of the Roses, Spider-Man 2, GTA: Vice City, Simpson’s Hit & Run, Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 & 2007 should be on here

[@Demondoink1]

Yugioh and Simpsons games were so good.

[@Scientists_dont_lie]

Hulk Ultimate Destruction was the best superhero game ever made up to that point.

[@KIDTV-qe2dm]

Bully should've made the list. As well as GTA: Vice City

[@Demondoink1]

He said only one game from each franchise, so vice city couldn't make the list as San Andreas was number one.

[@krummefidus]

SSX tricky and on tour was definitely on top of my list!

[@Zizou-io3qb]

using bully theme and not incloding the game in the list is insane

[@RadTrav270]

Does anyone else think the old god of war games are way better than the new ones?

[@mogueraguh]

Absolutely

[@Tyler-xp5db]

I loved jak3 and ratchet+clank....also what was wrong with 25 to life? I loved that game haha! Can't forget battlefront+bf2

[@ClicheDudeStuff]

I vaguely remember burnout revenge being a playable demo on a madden game. Am I making that up? Could I Google that question? Of course, but that wouldn’t help the algorithm

[@Icy_MK]

You forgot Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks. The best co-op game on the ps2. Aside from that, very good video. Hard to argue any of your choices... oh wait.... where the fudge is Def Jam Fight For NY and NBA Street Vol 2?

[@Scientists_dont_lie]

Not having hulk ultimate destruction on here is a travesty. Up to that time that was without a doubt the best superhero game ever made.

[@kushkong1339]

I've been grabbing games I never had for PS2 for my PCSX2. and Burnout 3 was the recent one. and Its a good case of "its not Nostalgia" I've already put more than 10+ hours on it. Its just a really fun, high octane, edgy early 2000s, arcadey game.

[@UltimateMoralizer]

It’s crazy how everyone has their own preference. I mainly liked the wrestling and fighting games, but each to their own. Budokai 3, Tenkaichi 3, Tekken 5 and Here Comes The Pain were the best for me!

[@CulturedVultures]

HCTP 🤝

[@evancendrowski687]

Dragon Quest 8 is a must play for any jrpg fan with a ps2. Honestly I would recommend that over FFX

[@buhdz8241]

Mannnn you already know!

[@williamallison858]

The bully music playing in the background? I thought it was in my head half the time

[@deanshepherd2039]

Great list,would have loved to have seen SSX3 in there.

[@CulturedVultures]

Good call!

[@Peace_of_mind479]

​@@CulturedVultureshi man I need help I just bought a PS2 it's mcboot idk how to go to browser or system configuration menu can you help

[@im_taco7580]

​@@Peace_of_mind479what options show up when you first turn on your ps2? I can help

[@danielmccaughey2861]

surprised hitman isn't on this list as that was a classic in my eyes. enjoyable to play

[@abhijitdey9513]

Downhill Domination?? One of my favourite PS2

[@visionxx5724]

We were spoiled back then. All the OG gamers know what I’m talking about. We had soooooooooooo many good games it didn’t make sense. God I miss those days!

[@Friedchunk]

God Hand. Not enough people know of its greatness. Also We Love Katamari, Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner and Onimusha 3.

[@lornm5519]

How did Black not make this list 😩

[@jamesbedford3774]

The FIFA games of this era were excellent. Such a shame that they overcomplicated things and made it as dull as sin.

[@wickedninja04]

Black. Such an underrated game.

[@GoofE808]

You hit it on a nail with this one.

[@Rocketcraft]

Black is an epic shooter. I remember one time I managed to complete it on hard mode. I still to this day consider that one of my personal greatest gaming achievements 😊

[@rubinnn]

Kengo was my favorite. Cool samurai battle game

[@mitchpalm5908]

Vice City takes the cake! No way on San Andreas

[@SvenGhoulis504]

Final Fantasy X had me in the room for a whole summer

[@tukulitozakayamas2103]

i dont remember if it was PS2 or PS3 but the Onimusha series were my favorite games. tons of fun

[@Mr.Ditkovich.]

PS2. You can play Onimusha 1 and 3 on PC, by the way. Unfortunately, 2 and 4 are only on the PS2.

[@whitemage34]

The IMOQ & Okaga Shadow King Games r awesome

[@SA1FLESSS]

pov: you just downloaded an emulator

[@RJay710]

Crack open a fresh memory card wit the boys!😂 I loved all the mx vs atv games and gtas

[@81giorikas]

So you leave the franchise seller out like gran turismo 4?

[@DustKingArchives]

I liked 25 to life. I’m old enough to have played it. It was fire

[@mthulisimotsa]

"Its not the best, but they did try." I completely disagree. Tekken 5's Devil Within was remarkable. Its one of the most iconic mini-games of that era. The effort put into it is unmatched; hell its an entirely new and whole other game itself if you really think of it.

[@Big7QPskii]

Dude dissed 25 to life is crazy 😢

[@LG-ro5le]

Id add the getaway 1 & black monday, punisher, godfather, mafia & scarface, buzz jungle & guitar hero was also fun back then

[@XBC3-4GOTY]

MGS3 is my Favorite VideoGame of All Time and I’m surprised Persona 4 or Persona 3 didn’t make the list especially when Persona 5 Music is playing “life Will Change”

[@lozza901]

Bully was the peak.

[@markhoffman1310]

I absolutely loved the xmen legends games. Highly recommend if you can find them.

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

The PS2 is one of the greatest systems of all time, and it’s the best selling console for a reason, and this list is just a tip of the iceberg of the PS2 library of games.

[@dulist7817]

i'm so sad that Valkyrie Profile 2 didn't make it to this list

[@rexz5888]

Bully not being in this list is a crime

[@zoulhilmi21]

Radiata Stories should be in here! haha

[@simonstadter1451]

Jetpack muscle memory still to this day

[@diamonddead8162]

Time splitters needs a remaster

[@JG-ho9uz]

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2

[@BenjiValdez-kx5gs]

he forgets all about tony hawk pro skater. Again ps1 and 2 had so many hits for there time choosing just 20 would be hard to do just 20 within its self. Also i really liked x-men legends 2 apocolipse though a very easy game to play u could use the direction pad and change between what mutant you played as. either a brotherhood character or a x-men character. Was pleasantly surprised by seeing shadow of the colosus.

[@KremsonKhan]

DMC-3 changed me as a person, it was soooo hard & haven't complete it till this day! maybe one i will finish it 😅🤣

[@CulturedVultures]

it's simple, all you need to do is get bionic thumbs

[@Bijuklich]

started playing dmc 3 on pcsx2 with hd textures, looks and plays pretty much perfect

[@primetime2362]

Tony hawks pro skater 3, that had to be in here

[@finbarcrampsey727]

Black? Must just be my personal opinion but that a beast of a fps for ps2

[@mattwallace2221]

Black was really good. Don't know a fps on the system that looked as good. The campaign did a good job of making feel realistic to the scenarios. Best of all the cpu on your squad stays out of your way.

[@AngelCopout]

FFX is here? Alright mob we can go back home. Real talk though, dope vid.

[@derekkavage2166]

What about Drakan: The Ancient’s Gates?

[@dandaniel3393]

ArguablyThe greatest fighting game ever was left off this list! Probably should be number 1 on this entire list! Here Comes The Pain quite simply was a revolutionary game of fun factor, playability, deep career mode and re play value through the roof! WWE never looked better!

[@jonoalberts7052]

So true

[@TheViper4Life]

I know it's the PS2 and it's not easy to make a top 20 list, but there's quite a few games here I absolutely don't agree with and would replace them with: Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Spider-Man 2 and 007 Everything or Nothing,

[@alexjohnston8889]

loved Soul Calibar on ps2 but i slightly prefered the Gamecube version just because you could go one of the best charictors in all versions Link.

[@POPJack1717]

I agree with Prince of Persia. The first two were legit. I spent countless hours on those games. The Matrix was also a great game.

[@flipmode916]

Dark Cloud was a great game