The PlayStation 2 (PS2) was a revolutionary console that dominated the sixth generation of gaming. Released in 2000, it quickly became the best-selling video game console ever at the time, thanks in large part to its unmatched library of high-quality games. In particular, the PS2 was home to some of the greatest action games in gaming history.
Action games test players‘ reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time through physical challenges like fighting enemies, navigating platforms, solving puzzles, and honing combat abilities. They encompass various subgenres like shooters, brawlers, hack and slash, survival horror, and more. PS2 action games set new standards of excellence with their immersive gameplay, technical graphics, intricate plots, and innovative features.
Here are the absolute best PlayStation 2 action games of all time:
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Overview: The fifth entry in Rockstar‘s acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series, San Andreas built upon the runaway success of GTA III and Vice City to deliver the most sprawling and ambitious game yet. Set in the fictional state of San Andreas in 1992, the open-world action-adventure game puts players in the shoes of Carl "CJ" Johnson, a gang member who returns home only to get swept up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption, and quests for power.
Gameplay: In addition to featuring cities and countryside areas that were five times larger than previous games, San Andreas introduced complex RPG elements that affected CJ‘s abilities and appearance. The customization allowed players to shape CJ by what he ate, how much he worked out, the clothes he wore, and more. These simulations made San Andreas feel more alive than ever.
Innovations: No GTA game had ever come close to providing this level of freedom and experimentation with consequences before. The gameplay refinements built upon everything that made GTA great while expanding the possibilities exponentially. It set a new bar for the genre.
Clearly the peak of PS2 open-world action gaming, San Andreas receives endless praise as one of the greatest and most influential video games ever made. Its epic scope and refinement of the core GTA formula cement its status as the best PS2 action game.
Shadow of the Colossus
Overview: Shadow of the Colossus transcends typical gaming narratives to deliver an artsy, minimalist masterpiece. Players control the young man Wander who travels to a forbidden land with his trusty horse Agro. His quest? To revive a girl named Mono who was sacrificed for a cursed fate. The only way to undo her tragedy is by traveling the massive, majestic landscape and defeating 16 colossi that roam the environs.
Gameplay: Each towering colossus presents a unique platforming puzzle and battle as Wander fights to uncover and attack its weak points, while evading its attacks. Every victory comes at a cost, as Wander‘s own vitality slowly slips away after each epic encounter. Shadow perfectly balances tense action sequences against quiet moments of exploration across ruins, lakes, deserts, and misty forests.
Innovations: The subtle storytelling and emotional resonance make the game feel less like a conventional action game and more like playable art. The stark clash of man against imposing beasts, set against creator Fumito Ueda‘s haunted world, helped elevate games to serious artistic works worthy of critique. It stretches the imagination for what the medium can achieve.
Hailed as an emotionally heavy masterwork, Shadow of the Colossus demonstrates the artistic heights action-adventure games can reach thanks to its minimalist story, stirring musical score, and series of unforgettable battles.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante‘s Awakening
Overview: The third installment in Capcom‘s stylish demon-hunting franchise goes back to tell the origin story of the cocky, near-invincible hero Dante. Here Dante faces off against his power-hungry twin brother Vergil who is trying to unlock their father‘s sealed power for himself. Lots of taunting, insane combos, heavy metal music, and rivers of demon blood follow.
Gameplay: DMC3 adds more weapons and combat options through the new Style system. Players can customize Dante‘s movesets to focus on dodging, gunplay, swords, defense, and more to take out enemies with flair. Switching between styles mid-combo became a hallmark of the series. The physica and upgrade systems also added more depth.
Innovations: The game perfected the combo-focused hack and slash genre with its risk-reward mechanics and sheer depth of combat possibilities. The Bloody Palace horde mode, hardcore difficulty, and grading incentives provided tremendous replay value as well. DMC3 set a new bar for stylish action games and still impresses today.
Considered one of the best action games ever thanks to its refined combat, epic bosses, killer cutscenes, and that signature Devil May Cry swagger, DMC3 is a modern classic of the genre.
Resident Evil 4
Overview: This PS2 version of the landmark survival horror game follows agent Leon Kennedy on a rescue mission to save the President‘s daughter from a strange cult in rural Spain. Instead of zombies, Leon encounters deranged villagers infected by a mind-controlling parasite that makes them violently insane. Oh and his old comrade Ada Wong happens to be working for the bad guys too.
Gameplay: RE4 revolutionized the genre by adding an over-the-shoulder camera for superior aiming, snappy shooting, intense quick-time events, action setpieces, resource management, merchant shops, and more. The creepy villagers kept players on edge with dynamic AI that had them flanking Leon, using weapons, and hindering progress through the story.
Innovations: By modernizing the survival horror formula to be more action-oriented, RE4 became a massive hit for its unprecedented gameplay advances. The B-movie plot twists, memorable boss fights against giant mutants, and perfectly paced level design made it one of the PS2‘s best showcases.
Still unmatched in terms of advancing the survival horror genre and influening third-person shooters, Resident Evil 4‘s PS2 edition remains the definitive version of one of gaming‘s most important releases.
God of War II
Overview: This gory, visceral hack and slash game continues the story of Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta who became the God of War. After being betrayed by Zeus, stripped of godly powers, and cast into Hades, Kratos must fight his way out of the underworld and embark on a quest for brutal revenge against the King of the Gods himself.
Gameplay: God of War II expands on the combo-based battles, platforming puzzles, and Greek mythological boss fights fans loved. New Rage abilities enabled unique attacks, magics, and weapons for varied strategies against enemies. The action reached dizzying levels through enhanced combat tactics, better jumping/grappling flow, and intense quick-time event finishers that had Kratos gruesomely ripping creatures apart.
Innovations: God of War modernized action gaming with its seamless blending of gameplay and cutscene for visceral, cinematic experiences. The outstanding orchestral score, freely climbing/soaring through levels, and satisfying skill upgrades made players truly feel like wrathful gods during the devastating, non-stop battles through vivid mythical realms.
Deemed one of the PS2‘s technical showcases thanks to its intense action onslaught, God of War II remains a hallmark hack and slash masterpiece.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Overview: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater serves as an origin story for the man who would become the legendary spy Solid Snake. Set in 1964 during the Cold War, players control Naked Snake on a mission to rescue a defecting Soviet scientist while also trying to take down his old mentor, The Boss, who has joined enemy ranks.
Gameplay: While the Metal Gear formula of stealth, puzzles, political intrigue, and inventive boss battles returns, Snake Eater also adds survival mechanics like hunting animals for food to restore stamina, using camouflage to blend into jungle environments, and treating injuries. The outdoor wilderness settings provided a fresh take on tactical espionage action.
Innovations: Snake Eater took Metal Gear to new narrative heights by fleshing out the universe‘s lore and making gameplay far more interactive through hunting, healing, and base management between intense sneaking missions and explosive setpieces. The story‘s gut-wrenching twists and tragic ending gave the series dramatic new depth.
Widely considered the best Metal Gear or stealth game on PS2 thanks to its expansive nature survival-action, Snake Eater remains an emotive high watermark for its rich alt history fiction and tactical gameplay innovations.
Kingdom Hearts II
Overview: Kingdom Hearts II continued the fantastical crossover story of the first game that merged the universes of Final Fantasy and Disney. Here Sora, Donald, and Goofy seek to thwart the evil Organization XIII from harnessing the power over Nobodies (empty human husks) to regain their missing hearts. Their journey takes them through vibrant Disney worlds and into fateful showdowns between light and dark.
Gameplay: Building upon the hack and slash foundation of the original, Kingdom Hearts II adds more sword combos, magic attacks, summons, and cooperative moves with allies. The game also introduces Drive Forms which transform Sora into new modes with enhanced abilities. Meanwhile various Disney locales like the Land of Dragons from Mulan and Port Royal from Pirates of the Caribbean provided wondrous settings.
Innovations: Besides expanding the dramatic saga, Kingdom Hearts II perfected the hybrid real-time combat systems and platforming exploration across Disney fantasy realms that made the franchise so beloved. The uplifting storyline, otherworldly visuals, memorable boss battles, and emotional final chapter give the sequel blockbuster scope.
Kingdom Hearts II took the enchanting formula of mixing Disney magic with Final Fantasy combat to masterful new heights for a bigger, bolder adventure comprising everything fans love about the landmark franchise.
The PS2‘s action games library has proved so definitive that many of these classics live on through remakes, remasters, and re-releases on modern gaming hardware.
God of War II was included in the God of War Collection featuring revamped HD graphics for PS3 owners. San Andreas was completely overhauled along with GTA III and GTA Vice City in the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition compilation which came out for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2021. Meanwhile Devil May Cry received a dazzling HD Collection on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms that included DMC3.
Resident Evil 4 was remade completely from the ground up for release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2022. The new version will also come to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in March 2023 with overhauled visuals, audio design, and modernized controls, while retaining the classic story. Shadow of the Colossus also got a stunning PS4 remake in 2018 that added advanced graphics and controls while keeping the fundamentals intact.
And the Metal Gear Solid, Kingdom Hearts, and Silent Hill franchises have seen most of their PS2 era entries remastered or ported to PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, or PC devices as well to enjoy with smoothed graphics and even bonus features. So modern gamers have plenty of options to experience why these PS2 action classics deserves their revered status even today.
The PlayStation 2‘s extensive library covered seemingly every major genre, but action games really allowed developers to show off the console‘s technical muscle while creating enduring gameplay innovations and memorable worlds that fans still adore decades later.
By refining cinematic realism, combat flexibility, artistic presentation, and narrative sophistication, landmark PS2 action games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Shadow of the Colossus, Devil May Cry 3, Resident Evil 4, God of War II, Metal Gear Solid 3, and Kingdom Hearts II built the foundations of game design that influence developers to this day across series, franchises, and platforms. Their messages still resonate, their gameplay still excites, and their attention to detail continues setting fans‘ imaginations ablaze.
These are the PS2 action titles that defined their respective series, genres, and the gaming landscape at large by delivering definitive interactive experiences. Their masterful combination of gameplay, worldbuilding scope, and storytelling means their fame as all-time greats will live on eternally.
