Best PlayStation 2 Multiplayer Shooters

Key Takeaways

• The PS2 revolutionized multiplayer gaming with iconic shooter franchises like Call of Duty and Star Wars Battlefront.
• Games like James Bond 007: Nightfire and SOCOM 2 offered unique multiplayer experiences with various game modes.
• Star Wars: Battlefront 2 provided the ultimate Star Wars experience with diverse game modes and iconic character control.

The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling console of all time, with a massive 158 million units sold since early 2000. The PS2 was one of the best consoles at the time to play with friends, being one of the first consoles to have online multiplayer functionality and the ability to connect 4 controllers for split-screen play.

With these multiplayer functions, game developers quickly began to produce amazing multiplayer games, some of the best of which were from the shooter genre. During the late 90s and early 2000s, some of the most iconic shooter franchises were created, like Call Of Duty, Star Wars Battlefront, Medal of Honor, Battlefield and more, most of which we made popular on the PlayStation 2. This list will take a look at some of the best multiplayer shooters on the PS2.

8 Brothers In Arms: Earned In Blood

Historic Shooter Where Players Can Control The NPCs

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood is a tactical shooter set during World War II, specifically following the journey of the soldiers in the 10th Airborne Division during their battles in Normandy. The game took an alternative approach to the run-and-gun approach of similar titles by allowing the player to command the NPC soldiers.

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood had fun multiplayer to play with or against friends. There were two main multiplayer game modes: co-op, where you and your friends play for the same team against enemy NPCs; and Competitive, where you and your friends team up against other players or face each other on the battlefield.

7 Killzone

Dystopian FPS With A Stacked Online

Killzone is a dark and futuristic FPS set in a dystopian world. The main story of the game focuses on an interplanetary war between two opposing factions: the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance and the Helghan Empire. The game and franchise have become famous for their dark and gritty atmosphere.

Killzone had a great multiplayer system on the PS2, offering both offline split-screen and online network matches. The offline split-screen is much what you would expect for a PS2 shooter, offering most of the same game modes as online. The online multiplayer is where Killzone really shined, with four main game modes: Deathmatch, Defend and Destroy, Team Deathmatch, and Assault. The online multiplayer also has clans and ranks, much like modern-day Call of Duty titles, as well as 16-player lobbies, which was a big deal for the time.

6 James Bond 007: Nightfire

One Of The Best Split-Screen Experiences Of All Time

James Bond 007: Nightfire is an FPS set in the James Bond universe. The main story of the game follows a new yet classic James Bond story, as the player sets out to stop an evil billionaire from world domination. James Bond 007: Nightfire is often referred to as one of the best split-screen gaming experiences of all time.

James Bond 007: Nightfire had five main multiplayer game modes: Arena, Team Arena, Capture the Flag, Protection, and Top Agent. Nightfire also featured a multitude of classic weapons, from the Walther PPK to explosive rocket launchers. What made the game so iconic was the customization options in the multiplayer games, featuring unique settings like the ‘One-Shot Kill’ mode, which made going head-to-head against friends very intense.

5 XIII

A Truly Unique FPS On The PS2

XIII is one of the most unique shooters on the PS2, featuring a comic-book-like style. The game is loosely based on the Belgian graphic novel series of the same name. Taking inspiration from the comic, the main story of the game features spy genre elements like espionage, mystery, and conspiracies.

Combined with its comic book art style, XIII had a one-of-a-kind multiplayer with game modes like: Sabotage, Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch, and Deathmatch. XIII also supported up to four players on an offline split-screen, making it one of the most fun games to play with a group of friends.

4 Call Of Duty 3

The Game That Pushed The PS2 To Its Limits

Call Of Duty 3 is the third installment in this now iconic franchise. Like the previous entry, Brothers in Arms, Call Of Duty 3 focuses on the Normandy campaign during World War II. This game had some of the most intense and fun single-player content on the PS2, along with great multiplayer.

Call Of Duty 3 was arguably the most complex multiplayer system on the console due to the game also being developed and released for the PS3 and Xbox 360, causing the developers to push the console to its limits. The multiplayer had three main game modes: Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and War (Similar to the ground war game mode in more recent Call Of Duty titles).

The Tactical Experience That Redefined Shooters On The PS2

SOCOM 2 is a third-person shooter exclusively on the PlayStation 2. The main game surrounds a group of US Navy SEALs as they undertake covert and tactical missions across the globe. The campaign features exciting missions like hostage rescue, sabotage, stealth-based missions, and all-out warfare.

SOCOM 2 stands out because of its stacked and unique multiplayer. The game had 16-player lobbies and some unique and exciting game modes, like Suppression, Demolition, Extraction, and Escort. SOCOM 2 also had a clan system, leaderboards, and clan-only lobbies, which can be argued to be some of the earliest representations of eSports in the shooter genre.

2 TimeSplitters

A Humorous Time-Traveling Adventure On The PS2

TimeSplitters is an arcade-style shooter made famous for its humor and array of quirky and unique characters. The main story of the game takes the player across a vast number of locations across time due to the time-traveling elements.

TimeSplitters had one of the most complete multiplayer systems on the PS2, with a massive roster of characters, unique game modes, and even a mapmaker. TimeSplitters had 150 crazy and unique characters to choose from, though many players chose to play the monkey characters once they realized they had a smaller hitbox. The game’s mapmaker allowed players to create their own unique maps that could be shared locally with friends and played via split-screen. TimeSplitters was also one of the first to have private online lobbies, allowing players to edit the match duration, score limit, and weapon options.

1 Star Wars: Battlefront 2

The Ultimate Star Wars Experience

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 was one of the most popular games released on the PS2. The sequel to the equally popular Star Wars: Battlefront was so popular that, despite the official servers being shut down in 2016, fans have kept the game alive via fan-made servers.

Star Wars Battlefront II has a stacked multiplayer system with five game modes: Conquest, Assault, Capture the Flag, Hunt, and Space Assault. Players can also command vehicles and animals native to the maps and take control of their favorite heroes, like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, in 16-player lobbies.