The 10 BEST PS2 Action Games
“SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs” (2003)
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While the genre is primarily dominated by the Tom Clancy license nowadays, for tactical, militaristic gameplay you could actually play online with friends, there was no better option than the SOCOM series, and SOCOM II remains the benchmark for the series. While the title has a full story campaign, many players were drawn to the multiplayer options and the ability to play online with their friends. Within the world of SOCOM, players had to think more tactically than their standard third person shooter and in particular rely on their allies during multiplayer skirmishes. Though you could always opt for the full Rambo approach, unlike other tactical shooters, this one would punish that type of gameplay outside of scripted story sections.
“Red Dead Revolver” (2004)
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John Marston and Arthur Morgan own a debt to Red Harlow, for without him, there would be no redemption to their names. Taking inspiration from Sergio Leone’s Man with No Name Trilogy, Red Dead Revolver originally started production with Capcom before moving over to Rockstar Games. While not as lore or feature heavy as Rockstar’s future entries, Red Harlow’s quest for revenge for the death of his parents still introduced many of the themes and mechanics the Red Dead Redemption series would become known for, especially the “Dead Eye” targeting system. Players were also routinely given control of some of Red’s companions in specific missions each with their own playstyle and signature weapon. The game may feel a bit dated by today’s standards but is still one of the best western experiences on the PS2 and an important milestone that started one of the biggest franchises in gaming.
“Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne” (2003)
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The first outing for Max Payne was unlike any shooter gamers had experienced at the time. A gritty noir story punctuated by some of the best 3rd person shooter gameplay the console had seen, and the addition of the bullet time was just the icing on the cake. In the sequel, not only do gamers get to check back in on Max, but also his new femme fatale companion, Mona. The comic book style cutscenes and Max’s overly dramatic delivery of the game’s storyline put gamers in the shoes of the tragic detective as he once again fought his way through multiple levels of corruption, shooting his way to the top of the ladder. Max had some additional training between games and could now fire weapons at multiple targets at once all while using the game’s signature bullet time mechanic empowering players to get creative with every encounter.
“Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction” (2005)
The PS2 had no shortage of games that just set the player loose within its world to cause all manner of untold destruction, but few gave players an arsenal to bring with them the way Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction did. And what a playground it was. Building off the GTA formula, Mercenaries allowed players to tackle missions in any order they chose, hijack any vehicle and lay waste to any building or outpost that stood in their way. It was like all those times you spawned a tank into GTA but could actually do some damage with it. With multiple factions you also need to maintain favor with all within the confines of an ongoing conflict, there was never a better time to be a Mercenary than on the PS2.
“Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” (2004)
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Back when Rockstar was capable of making more than 2 games in 10 years, gamers were spoiled for choice and had multiple titles to choose from to explore. Within 3 years, Rockstar managed to continuously build and perfect the formula that would be replicated across the industry and at the time, their benchmark was in a trip to San Andreas. Players were given one the series’ largest sandboxes to play in at the time and could even customize their character, giving them different hairstyles and body types all of which would be represented in the game’s numerous cutscenes. San Andreas not only acted as a swan song for the series on the PS2, but arguably was also the last truly outlandish and over the top adventure before the series took a more serious turn.
“Tomb Raider: Anniversary” (2007)
The Tomb Raider series is as iconic as PlayStation itself, launching not only a bunch of fanboys through puberty early but also skyrocketing Lara Croft to the top of gaming iconography with the likes of Sonic, Mario and Crash Bandicoot. After taking over the reins from series creators Core Design, Crystal Dynamics has the unenviable task of bringing Lara Croft into the era of modern gaming after the abysmal Angel of Darkness put the series on hiatus. So, taking things back to the beginning, Crystal Dynamics decided to update Lara’s first adventure and the results were nothing short of remarkable. Technically only a generation apart, the quality-of-life improvements, particularly the 3D camera made this the best way to experience the birth of Lara’s adventures as well as breathed new life into a series that was quickly becoming outpaced by another PlayStation treasure hunter.
“Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty” (2001)
While Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater might arguably be the better game, we have to give the nod to Sons of Liberty for the ability to lean further into the action side of “Tactical Espionage Action” than Snake Eater. Although not recommended, you technically COULD make it through the entirety of MGS2 playing it like an action shooter and the game will adapt and respond in kind, sending near endless waves of faceless enemies for you to systematically annihilate. The game’s narrative also plays better into this playstyle than three, with more action movie centric set pieces lending themselves well to the gung-ho militaristic shooter aspect of the title. Plus you can choose to play Snake as stealthy in the opening section and Raiden as a gun toting sociopath.
“Resident Evil 4” (2005)
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Just as the original Resident Evil birthed an entirely new genre of gaming, so too did Resident Evil 4 revolutionize not only the RE series itself but also left a significant mark on the entire industry that is still felt today. The switch from the static camera to the over the shoulder perspective was revolutionary and became a staple of every third person shooter from that moment on. While sidelining much of the series iconic horror in favor of one liners and roundhouse kicks, Resident Evil 4 still managed to stay true to the basis of its roots, but still putting the focus squarely on the player having the absolute best time possible while headshot-ing and suplexing the Las Plagas with a much more confident and able-bodied Leon.
“Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening” (2005)
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The Devil May Cry series epitomizes everything the action video game genre is about: silky smooth combat, classic one liners, an overconfident and overpowered protagonist and larger than life encounters with equally over the top boss fights. The original Devil May Cry game birthed an entirely new genre of action spectacle and Dante’s Awakening was undoubtedly not only one of Dante’s best outings but also one of the best action games for adrenaline junkies on the PS2. The weapons were more diverse, and the action was somehow even more in your face and the younger, cockier Dante was just what the series needed after the demon hunter’s disappointing second outing. There’s a reason the Devil May Cry series is so lauded by action fans and Dante’s Awakening reawakened the series into the action juggernaut it is even today.
“God of War II” (2007)
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While Dante might have the spectacle, Kratos brings the rage to action games and as angry as he was in the original God of War, that’s nothing compared to his newfound quest for revenge in God of War II. Whereas Dante’s story plays secondary to the action, the God of War series manages to blend the two seamlessly allowing players to exact Kratos’ revenge all while sympathizing with his motivations. The fact that Kratos tends to go above and beyond what’s called for in his quest for revenge certainly doesn’t hurt either. With bigger areas as well as more useful secondary weapons, Kratos’ arsenal grew as much as his anger, taking him and the player to some of the most distinct and varied locations the series had seen and subsequently brought many of them crumbling to ground with energetic glee.
