The PS2 dominated the market in its heyday and is still the best-selling console of all time. Many have come close to toppling it, but none have quite been able to surpass its record. It certainly helped that the PS2 was the first console of its generation, which enabled it to establish a healthy lead fairly early on.
The PS2 was also successful because it had games from just about every genre imaginable, though the one thing it could never nail was the first-person shooter. Xbox cleaned up with the Halo series. Third-person shooters were another story, however. There are still plenty that hold up well today, even if their focus isn't entirely on shooting.
8 Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy combines third-person shooters with telekinetic powers. Players assume the role of a specialist that gets thrown into a literal conspiracy, wherein his former teammates end up turning against him.
The shooting mechanics are okay, but the varying degrees of special powers are why this game is still remembered so fondly. They can be clunky to use, like grabbing barrels and throwing them, but this doesn’t make the game any less fun.
7 Max Payne
Max Payne looks rough no matter what system gamers are playing it on. However, the shooting is still great thanks in large to its wonderful bullet-time mechanics. This was one of the earliest shooters that used slow-motion in this way and that really helped it to stand out.
Diving out of harm’s way, seeing a bullet fly by, and then countering with a hailstorm of lead in return still feels incredibly satisfying in the modern era. The story is still good too, at least for those who are looking for a hard-hitting noir detective story. The best way to experience it these days is on PS5, via the PS4 version.
6 Jak 3
Jak 2 was a huge twist for the franchise. The original was a fairly standard 3D platformer. The sequel, on the other hand, was a combo clone of Grand Theft Auto due to the open-world city with carjacking, plus Ratchet and Clank because of all the guns.
It’s a bit hard to go back to nowadays because the mission formula can be very unforgiving. Jak 3, however, finds a nice balance of the first two games to create a satisfying platformer shooter. It also has a few hints of post-apocalypse games and movies like Mad Max thrown in there, which is always fun to see.
5 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has shooting in it, but fans may not exactly call this game a shooter. Part of the fun of this series is jacking cars and creating chaos, whether that's through firing off guns or driving around in a Rhino tank.
Of the three GTA games on PS2, San Andreas was the ultimate experience. The world was bigger, the story was more mature, and it even included RPG elements that its sequels never quite got right. It has aged past its peak, even with the recent remaster, but it can still offer up a good time.
4 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater pushed the franchise and PS2 to their limits. Hiding from enemies was always a big draw in the mechanics, but this game took things a step further. The boss fights were also incredibly intense.
Players had to wear certain face paint and clothes to blend in better with the environment. It was a novel idea that worked well and still feels innovative today. Depending on the version gamers play, there may be some camera and button controls. The HD versions are the way to go and highlight why this is still near the top of the series.
3 Star Wars Battlefront 2
Star Wars Battlefront 2 is the best the series ever got. The new duo of Star Wars Battlefront may look better and technically handle better too. However, the Conquest Mode in this game alone is why this is the ultimate shooter experience for Star Wars fans.
Being able to play as each side of both trilogies was exhilarating at the time. It’s such an expansive game that is just as fun to play now as it was when it was first released. While the game never got a remaster, it did become backward compatible on Xbox One, making it very easy to get into today.
2 Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando perfected the platformer shooter formula that came before it. The guns were fun to play with before, but this sequel introduced gun modifications and leveling up. It turned it into an RPG, which was a fairly new concept at the time.
Decades later, there’s still nothing quite like this series, even counting Jak and Daxter. They tried their hand at shooting, made a decent effort, but Going Commando and all other sequels are leagues above everything else. The game practically feels brand new and un-aged in almost every way, from the weapons to the comedy.
1 Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is tied very closely to Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando. This wins out purely because of how readily available it is. The game has been tweaked to heck and back, perfecting what was already a very tight formula. It’s even in VR now.
Many series fans are still hoping for an RE4 remake, but, if one never arrives, the various remasters are more than enough. The game blended the series’ horror elements well with more action-oriented gameplay sequences. It changed things for the better and fans still eat it up today.