Best Game Franchises That Peaked On The PS2

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The PlayStation 2 is widely considered one of the best home consoles ever made. With this console, Sony improved its strategy by being more selective about which games were released, making sure everything on the system was up to a good standard of quality.

This challenged developers to really focus and create engaging games that players would enjoy. Actually, some of the most popular gaming franchises had their best moments on this console and haven’t quite achieved that same level of success since.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi

A Beloved DBZ Fighting Game With A Ridiculously Massive Roster

  • PS2 Games: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3

The Budokai Tenkaichi fighting games are truly unique, and fans were thrilled to see Sparking Zero! bring the series back. During its most popular years, no other fighting game matched Budokai Tenkaichi in terms of powerful characters and overall quality.

Budokai Tenkaichi 2 featured the strongest story mode, however, the incredibly large character selection in Budokai Tenkaichi 3 was truly exceptional. The game included absolutely every character from the Dragon Ball series-both official and non-official-resulting in one of the most extensive rosters ever seen in a fighting game, and it remains remarkably impressive even now.

Need For Speed

Underground, Its Sequel, And Most Wanted Are Some Of The Most Beloved Games

  • PS2 Games: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, Need for Speed: Underground, Need for Speed: Underground 2, Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Need for Speed is a truly iconic video game series, though recent installments have been somewhat inconsistent. It’s difficult for newer games to live up to the series’ peak, when it was a dominant force on the PlayStation 2.

Need for Speed: Underground really stood out with its cool style, and Underground 2 built on that by adding a vast open world, representing a big step forward for the series. Plus, Most Wanted was so successful it cemented Need for Speed‘s position as one of the best racing games on the PlayStation 2.

Prince Of Persia

The Sands Of Time Trilogy Is GOATed

  • PS2 Games: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Honestly, when I think of Prince of Persia, I mostly remember the classic side-scrolling games. But before this series ended up influencing Assassin’s Creed so much, Ubisoft really knocked it out of the park with The Sands of Time. It’s easily one of the best action platformers ever made, and it *still* feels amazing to play today.

Some players criticize Warrior Within for being too intense, but it ultimately achieved its goal of attracting a younger audience interested in darker themes and expanded the franchise’s reach worldwide. Then, The Two Thrones successfully blended the strengths of the previous games, bringing back the beloved Prince in a big way, while also exploring his inner demons-a result of the Vizier’s permanent corruption.

Shadow Hearts

One Of The Most Underrated JRPG Trilogies Of All Time

  • PS2 Games: Shadow Hearts, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, Shadow Hearts: From the New World

Koudelka wasn’t perfect, but it really excelled at telling a story and creating a fascinating world. Had it been combined with more traditional and enjoyable JRPG gameplay, it could have been truly great. Shadow Hearts managed to do just that, although some players felt it arrived a little late and didn’t make a huge impact when it was released, particularly because Final Fantasy 10 came out around the same time.

Over time, fans have come to appreciate Shadow Hearts, and Covenant is widely considered one of the best sequels ever made – many see it as an essential JRPG. While opinions on From the New World vary, it still provides a strong and satisfying conclusion to the Shadow Hearts PS2 trilogy.

Ratchet & Clank

Insomniac Games Made Their Mark With This Franchise

  • PS2 Games: Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Ratchet: Deadlocked

Before Insomniac Games became well-known for making excellent superhero games, they were celebrated for the Ratchet & Clank series. It was incredibly fun to play as this cool, energetic marsupial, working with his robotic companion to defeat powerful enemies using a wide variety of imaginative weapons.

Ratchet & Clank was a huge success on the PS2, but Sony increasingly wanted to appeal to older players. As a result, the series wasn’t prioritized as much, except for a few key games. However, Rift Apart was a fantastic comeback, demonstrating how well Insomniac understood the PS5’s capabilities.

Kingdom Hearts

The First Two Games Were Amazing, Before The Series Became Way Too Convoluted

  • PS2 Games: Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts 2

Kingdom Hearts has become incredibly complicated and difficult for new players to understand, but it wasn’t always this way. When the series first came out on the PlayStation 2, people were pleasantly surprised that the unexpected combination of Disney and Square Enix turned out to be a big hit.

Okay, Kingdom Hearts definitely wasn’t perfect, but it established the basis for this incredibly popular series and made possible what is widely considered one of the best video game sequels ever created. Kingdom Hearts 2 is essential playing for anyone who enjoys good action-based Japanese role-playing games, and it’s unfortunate that the somewhat unpredictable storytelling by Nomura led the series down a confusing path after this installment.

Silent Hill

Started On The PS1 Before Becoming A Psychological Horror Masterpiece On The PS2

  • PS2 Games: Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, Silent Hill 4: The Room, Silent Hill: Origins

The survival horror genre is experiencing a resurgence after being absent for a while, which has excited dedicated fans. While Resident Evil has quickly regained its popularity, Silent Hill is still finding its footing despite a well-received remake.

As a huge fan, I think Silent Hill 2 is easily one of the most impactful psychological horror games ever made – it really did something new and pushed the boundaries of what horror games could be. And while it doesn’t get talked about as much, Silent Hill 3 is a personal favorite! The Room is interesting too, even if it can be a little frustrating at times. I know some people felt the series was getting stale by the time Origins came around, but honestly, that doesn’t diminish just how dominant this survival horror franchise was on the PS2 for a whole generation.

TimeSplitters

Fans Want This PS2 FPS Series To Make A Resounding Comeback

  • PS2 Games: TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

It’s still disappointing for fans that TimeSplitters has largely been forgotten. While the first game was okay, it was TimeSplitters 2 that really launched the series, thanks to its captivating story and fun multiplayer experience.

Future Perfect expanded on this idea, and for a while, the TimeSplitters series seemed unstoppable. But as games like Call of Duty and Halo became incredibly popular after TimeSplitters’ peak, other developers focused on creating the next big CoD competitor, rather than supporting innovative and creative first-person shooters.

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2025-10-04 03:37