The best PS2 games of all time | Radio Times

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First released on 4th March 2000, the PS2 blew us all away, and it truly felt like we were living in the future.

Behind all the visuals was the evocatively named 'Emotion Engine', which powered games that brought up all kinds of feelings - be it joy, fear, anger or frustration.

The hauntingly beautiful-sounding start-up intro was the prologue to many cherished memories.

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Back then, consoles had unique and proprietary hardware, as opposed to the more homogeneous PC-like design of the last couple of generations.

Despite the PS2 being extremely difficult to develop for, that didn’t stop it from becoming the best-selling console of all time – though the Nintendo Switch may soon take this crown – or from having the second-biggest console library, with well over 4,000 titles.

We’ve selected just 11 today which we think are the best of the best, ranging from iconic survival horror games to hallowed stealth titles and absolute carnage simulators.

If you’re after a trip down memory lane, then do be sure to check out the best Nintendo Wii games and best PS1 games of all time, too!

The best PS2 games of all time

Below are some of our picks for the best PS2 games of all time, in no particular order. Many are unavailable on modern platforms, so we have linked off to secondhand copies - which will, of course, require original hardware.

Fortunately, many have been brought forward or been remade altogether, though the results vary…

Shadow of the Colossus

The UK PAL Cover art for Shadow of the Colossus — Team Ico

The gloomy and atmospheric Shadow of the Colossus pushed the sixth generation console to its knees as it buckled under the immense artistry of Team Ico.

Players take control of Wander, who has brought the sacrificed Mono to the Shrine of Worship that stands above the Forbidden Lands in the hopes that he can revive her.

The mysterious entity Dormin reveals they can indeed revive Mono, if Wander uses his magical sword to slay the 16 colossi roaming the lands.

The colossi make up entire levels themselves, and players must traverse them and reach their weak spots to fell the giant creatures.

Melancholic and bleak, Shadow of the Colossus is one of the best games ever made, regardless of the platform.

You can play the original on PS2, the remastered PS3 release or the PS4 remake from Bluepoint Games (Demon Souls Remake, Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection).

Where to buy Shadow of the Colossus

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The UK PAL Cover art for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — Rockstar, Take Two

Many of the millions of PlayStation 2 owners simply bought the console in order to play GTA: San Andreas, and for good reason – it took everything brilliant about Vice City (where we're returning to in GTA 6) and turned it up to 11.

There were three cities to explore this time around - Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas - as well as many smaller towns and the sprawling countryside.

Playing as Carl 'CJ' Johnson, you can fly planes, drive boats and cars, catch damn trains and even sneak into the secret base, Area 69. The game truly felt limitless at the time, and many still take inspiration from this seminal title today.

Upon its release, it was mired in controversy, as people pushed back against video game violence, and the 'Hot Coffee' debacle only cemented the game's infamy – making players all the more intrigued to pick up the title that everyone was talking about.

You can pick up the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition to play the game on modern systems today. The game has improved a lot since it was released, and you can even play it on your phone with a Netflix subscription!

Where to buy Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition

Silent Hill 2

The UK PAL Cover art for Silent Hill 2 — Konami

The original Silent Hill is an excellent game in and of itself, but its sequel showed us how powerful the medium of video games can be as an art form.

Deeply disturbing, sombre, lonely, terrifying and moving, Silent Hill 2 takes your hand, digs its nails in and shows you just how low the human spirit can be dragged down, as protagonist James Sunderland returns to the eponymous town after receiving a letter from his late wife.

The haunting world of Silent Hill still looks stunning to this day, and wowed us all back in 2001 with its real-time lightning. The game will leave you feeling cold and empty, but it was one of the most fantastic gaming experiences out there.

Currently, a Silent Hill 2 remake headed by Bloober Team (The Medium, Layers of Fear) is in development in Unreal Engine 5.

There is also the much-maligned Silent Hill HD Collection (which included the third game) that you can play via back-compatibility on Xbox Series X/S, but it’s not ideal.

This leaves you to either play it on original hardware, emulate it (if you own a legal copy and PS2) or get your hands on the PC copy and install the Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition mod.

Where to buy Silent Hill 2

Burnout 3: Takedown

The UK PAL Cover art for Burnout 3: Takedown — Criterion, EA

While Burnout 1 and 2 are great games in their own right, Takedown elevated the title to its sixth-generation zenith with its insane Crash mode, adrenaline-fueled races and its eponymously named Takedown mode - which saw you causing massive damage to other drivers mid-race.

The driving mechanics are absolutely perfect, with near misses and stunts netting you extra NOS for speed boosts.

The soundtrack was brilliantly curated, too, and upped the drama and intensity of the action on screen.

Unfortunately, the game is only available through physical copies on original hardware. The Xbox version of the game features better graphics, and can be played on an Xbox 360 via backwards compatibility.

Where to buy Burnout 3: Takedown

Resident Evil 4 (2005)

The UK PAL Cover art for Resident Evil 4 — Capcom

Between Resident Evil and Silent Hill alone, survival horror games featuring fixed camera angles and tank controls were quickly becoming old hat. Recognising this, Capcom were keen to reinvent the successful franchise - and knocked it out of the park with Resident Evil 4.

Gone were the mindless shambling zombies and in were the Los Ganados, who proved to be much tougher foes to tackle.

To keep Leon from getting swarmed, however, a new over-the-shoulder camera was implemented with snappy controls that still feel like a dream to play with to this day.

Combined with the campy action-horror plot that isn’t afraid to be silly or over-the-top, the game truly cemented itself as one of the best of all time.

Resident Evil 4 was so revolutionary that it inspired other titles – most famously Dead Space – to course-correct as Capcom’s masterpiece made other games feel ancient overnight.

You can also play it on just about any system you can think of, and the excellent Resident Evil 4 Remake offers a fresh take on the experience.

Where to buy Resident Evil 4

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

The UK PAL Cover art for Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty — Konami

The E3 2000 trailer for Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty showed the world just what the PS2 could do, and floored us all back in the day.

Not even two years separated the trailer from the original MGS1, and the quantum leap in graphical fidelity was unbelievable.

Not only did it look stunning, but the game ran at an impossibly fluid 60fps, too, making it an absolute delight to play.

Players' expectations were subverted at every opportunity, with Raiden being the main protagonist instead of Snake after the initial Tanker prologue.

With the enhanced presentation, Hideo Kojima really got to flex his cinematic chops, and the presentation feels fresh and compelling more than two decades on.

It’s not just the gameplay, either: the story is terrifyingly prescient and accurately predicted the rise of misinformation, 'fake news', the proliferation of the internet and the ethics of AI.

Metal Gear Solid 2 only seems to become ever more relevant with each passing year – for better or for worse.

The game is easily playable on modern platforms, owing to the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1, which has been massively improved since its troubled launch.

Alternatively, you can play the Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection from Bluepoint games via backwards compatibility on the Xbox One or Series X/S, or on the original consoles it came out on.

Where to buy Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1

Where to buy Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection

Where to buy Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Buy MGS 2: Sons of Liberty for PS2 from eBay

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

The UK PAL Cover art for Spider-Man 2 — Treyarch, Activision

Insomiac’s excellent Spider-Man games owe it all to Treyarch’s 2004 Spider-Man 2, which married the open-world city environments of GTA to Peter Parker’s web-slinging - and it knocked our socks off two decades ago.

Outside of games like True Crime: Streets of LA, most game worlds were fictional places, so navigating the beautifully realised Manhattan was like going on holiday for those who had never been. Climbing up the Empire State Building and launching yourself off never got old, either.

Though the controls are a little awkward compared to the latest from Insomniac, we didn’t know any better back then, and once you get the hang of it, the game still plays great to this day.

Fans of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films were well looked after, too, with many of the original cast reprising their roles and additional plot points fleshing out the story, making it an unmissable companion piece.

Unfortunately, you can only play Spider-Man 2 on original hardware or on an original PS3 with PS2 backwards compatibility, or via emulation - if you own a legitimate console and copy of the game.

Where to buy Spider-Man 2 (2005)

God of War (2005)

The UK PAL Cover art for God of War (2005) — Santa Monica Studio, Sony Computer Entertainment

In recent years, Santa Monica Studio has turned God of War into a more cinematic third-person action-adventure game, but on the sixth generation console, God of War truly was the god of war with its relentless hack-and-slash combo-driven combat that gets palms sweaty just thinking about it.

Taking inspiration from swords-and-sandal movies, Greek mythology and Gladiator, God of War had it all. Medusa, Gorgons, cyclopes, centaurs and even the Hydra, to name just a few.

The action takes place against gorgeously realised backdrops, and some of the enemies are impossibly huge.

Surely some sort of magic and trickery must have been involved to get the PS2 to render the visuals and oodles of enemies – perhaps Santa Monica called upon the Greek gods themselves to pull off such a feat.

God of War used to be on the PS Plus Classics catalogue, but unfortunately it has since been removed. The best way to play it today is either on original hardware or the PS2 copy on a backwards compatible capable PS3.

Where to buy God of War (2005)

Buy God of War for PS2 on eBay

Final Fantasy X

The UK PAL Cover art for Final Fantasy X — Squaresoft, Square Enix, Sony Computer Entertainment

Fans of the top sport Blitzball will fondly remember the 10th instalment of the long-running Final Fantasy series.

The graphics were astounding for the time, with the real-time action looking better than ever before, and the CGI cutscenes were unbelievable in 2001.

The setting of Spira was a break from the traditionally European-esq fantasy settings, too, as the FFX took great inspiration from South East Asia, namely Thailand - which gave the game a fresh, sunny vibe.

The battle system was overhauled, as well, and introduced the Conditional Turn-Based Battle system in place of the Active Time Battle found in prior entries.

A new levelling system named the Sphere Grid helped spruce things up, too. All these changes made Final Fantasy X feel more fitting of the new millennium, much more than Final Fantasy 9 did (which is an excellent game).

For those who can’t get enough of X, a sequel, X-2, came out two years later - expanding the world and story.

Playing Final Fantasy X these days is a breeze, owing to a plethora of ports. You can play the original on the PS2, of course, but the X/X-2 HD Remaster can be played on PS3, PS4, PS5, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC. Pick your poison, then!

Where to buy Final Fantasy X

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

The UK PAL Cover art for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater — Konami

The mere mention of Metal Gear Solid 3 immediately gets the theme song stuck in our heads – a testament to the influence and impact this huge game had on the world.

Set during the Cold War, players take control of Naked Snake before he becomes Big Boss himself, and he must sneak through the varied biomes of Tselinoyarsk.

New to the series were survival mechanics such as hunting, injuries and managing your concealment through different camouflages.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence brought about even more features that made the game feel far more modern, such as a free-moving third-person camera that was used in MGS4.

What we all remember, though, is the absolutely bonkers story that manages to be compelling and heartfelt in spite of how over-the-top it can be.

The game has had many port treatments now, so, as well as sleuthing through the jungle on PS2, you can also engage in espionage on the Bluepoint Games HD Collection on PS3 or Xbox 360 (and via backwards compatibility on the Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S) or through the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1.

Where to buy Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1

Where to buy Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection

Where to buy Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Buy MGS 3: Snake Eater for PS2 from eBay

Bully (Canis Canem Edit)

The UK PAL Cover art for Canis Canem Edit (Bully) — Rockstar, Take Two

Bully caused something of a storm back in the day, owing to its subject material: school children who could kick the living daylights out of each other.

Not only that, but it was from Rockstar, the developers behind Grand Theft Auto, and if the media were to be believed, it would unleash mayhem.

Looking beyond this, Bully is a compelling game that deals with the isolation and social politics that plague schools, and is a scathing critique of the structures that allow them to persist.

Players take control of 15-year-old ne’er do well James 'Jimmy' Hopkins, who is sent to Bullworth Academy, a strict boarding school, after being expelled from seven schools.

When he is betrayed by someone who insists that they are friends, Jimmy takes it upon himself to unite the school and stop the bullying.

In between missions, players must attend classes and navigate the social life surrounding the school. Something much easier said than done.

Much attention is paid to what drives the characters in the game and their backgrounds, making them all the more believable and providing context for their actions, making for a superbly human game.

Plenty of Rockstar wit is laced throughout, with the odd bit of juvenile comedy for good measure.

Fortunately, this title is playable on a multitude of platforms and received an Anniversary Edition, so you can even play the game on Android or iOS.

Where to buy Canis Canem Edit (Bully)

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Cole Luke

Cole LukeFreelance Writer

Cole Luke is a freelance journalist and video producer who contributes to RadioTimes.com's Gaming section. He also has bylines for Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, Network N and more.