The Best PlayStation Game For Each Year Of The 2000s

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home February 12, 2025 6 Views 14 Min Read
The Best PlayStation Game For Each Year Of The 2000s



Views: 0

The 2000s were an amazing decade for PlayStation fans, with plenty of games released across three home consoles and a handheld. There were games that pushed the bounds of graphical fidelity whenever a new console was released, and those that greatly built upon the charm of their predecessors.

The Best Nintendo Switch Games Of All Time Art of Characters

Related


The Best Nintendo Switch Games Of All Time

The Nintendo Switch has dominated since its launch in 2017, and now we have a vast selection of fantastic games to take on the go.

Each of these games brought something new or unique to the table, and often changed gaming in impressive ways. With several acclaimed games released every year of that era, it’s hard to pick just one, but here’s a list of some that really stood out.

10

Chrono Cross (2000)

Released

August 15, 2000

Developer(s)

Square

Publisher(s)

Square, Square Enix

ESRB

T For Teen due to Animated Violence, Mild Language

In Chrono Cross you play as Serge, going on a memorable journey across parallel dimensions in a story full of mystery. Along the way, you can recruit over 40 party members, each with their own backstories and abilities, something never attempted before, and rarely matched since.

The game’s tropical setting of El Nido is one of the most unique RPG worlds you’ll come across, with plenty of variety in the biomes you’ll explore. And of course, Yasunori Mitsuda’s amazing soundtrack is a massive highlight. The way the game plays with alternate realities and character moments helped set a new bar for storytelling in JRPGs, influencing many games in the genre that came after it.

9

GTA 3 (2001)

In the early 2000s, open-world games were few and far between and not always great. Rockstar Games revolutionized the genre by making GTA 3, a title which is engaging and open-ended, allowing you to explore a highly detailed and expansive virtual world.

You play as Claude, a silent protagonist out for revenge after getting betrayed during a heist. You’re then given tasks by various crime bosses and other shady characters, including stealing cars and committing crimes. Each mission feels different from the one before and the variety is pretty impressive. The mature themes were controversial at release, but it paved the way for more mature games to thrive going forward.

8

TimeSplitters 2 (2002)

TimeSplitters 2 is one of the best FPS games of its time. It was created by ex-Rare developers and carried the DNA of GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark, but added enough of its own time-traveling quirks to make it both familiar and unique. The game throws you into different historical settings, from the Wild West to futuristic Tokyo.

A collage showing the covers of TimeSplitters, Chrono Trigger, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Related


11 Best Time Travel Games, Ranked

Time travel is a theme often used in video games for story purposes or combat mechanics. These games are worth the time (sorry) to play them.

What really made it stand out was its personality and charm. The wacky characters and weapons, and the fast-paced gameplay made it unique in the FPS space. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and fans have been desperate for a sequel for a long time now.

7

Ratchet And Clank: Going Commando (2003)

The sequel to the original Ratchet and Clank heavily built upon what was already great in the original and refined it while simultaneously adding a bunch of cool new stuff, like space combat. You continue the journey with the lombax Ratchet and his trusty sidekick Clank as you try to figure out a space conspiracy. There are also plenty of inventive new weapons and gadgets to play around with.

This platforming sequel also introduced a unique weapon upgrade system, where weapons would get stronger and level up the more you used them. This has now become a staple not just in the rest of the series, but in plenty of other games as well. With two great installments in a row, this game really solidified and secured itself as a PlayStation flagship series.

Ask any Metal Gear fan what their favorite game in the series is, and they’ll most likely mention Snake Eater, and for good reason. This stealth-espionage prequel is set during the Cold War and has you play as Naked Snake on a mission to take down his former mentor, The Boss. The story of loyalty and duty is incredibly well-told and emotional and the timeless nature and execution leads it to hold up really well, even more than two decades later.

a character from policenauts with a cigarette, snake saluting in metal gear solid 3, and the character in boktai standing by a bridge.

Related


Every Hideo Kojima Game, Ranked

With Death Stranding out on the PS4, this seems like a great time to rank every Hideo Kojima game ever released.

The survival mechanics are pretty immersive, with a fun camouflage system that lets you blend into your environments. The boss fights are a standout too, each being very different and innovative from the other and really makes you think about the gameplay systems and how to outsmart the enemy in a semi-meta way, just like the original Metal Gear Solid did with Psycho Mantis.

5

God Of War (2005)

A PlayStation-centric list would be incomplete without a God of War title, and the original game is the perfect candidate. You play as Kratos in an ancient Greek setting, as a spartan warrior looking for revenge against the God of War, Ares. The fast-paced gameplay focuses on combos and timing, and platforming and puzzle sections break up the pace nicely.

It really felt like playing a blockbuster, cinematic game at a time before the PS3 generation went into full swing and had more of those types of games. It was one of the earliest games to popularize quick-time events and big-scale set pieces, and although this version of Kratos might not be as nuanced as the latest incarnation of the character, all the games in the original trilogy still hold up extremely well thanks to their stories which deal with themes of loss and vengeance.

4

Final Fantasy 12 (2006)

The last mainline Final Fantasy game on the PlayStation 2 is a hard one to top. The story follows the protagonist Vaan and several other rebels who take on the evil empire of Ivalice. There’s a lot of political drama and big players that make the narrative very compelling, and it’s always interesting to see the story progress and cutscenes featuring the antagonists and what they’re up to behind the scenes.

What’s great about Final Fantasy 12 is that, unlike most other party-based JRPGs, this game isn’t always the protagonist’s story. Instead, several other party members take the front seat in different instances, becoming the main focus instead. The Gambit system was also introduced in this game, which lets you greatly customize party member AI and tweak their behaviors to perfectly fit your playstyle. This system was quite influential and became a staple in plenty of party-based RPGs that came after it.

Oblivion was released for the PS3 in 2007. The continent of Tamriel makes a return in the game, this time focusing on the province of Cyrodiil. You freely explore numerous cities and dungeons, going off the beaten path and into rabbit holes of interesting questlines. The Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood faction storylines are some of the absolute best the genre has ever seen.

Oblivion: Every Class Ranked From Worst To Best

Related


Oblivion: Every Class Ranked From Worst To Best

With over 20 classes to choose from in Oblivion, which one is the best?

This game is Bethesda Game Studios at its best. The soundtrack sets a great vibe for every moment of the game, perfectly matching the green scenery and blue skies and giving it a certain cozy, nostalgic feel that very few games can match.

2

Persona 4 (2008)

Persona 5 might be the most popular Persona game, but there’s just something golden about Persona 4. The social-sim elements are a highlight of this JRPG, with a unique calendar system that ties everything together. The characters are very heartfelt and genuine, and the stellar voice acting really brings them to life and makes them feel like real people. It still holds up extremely well to this day.

There’s a certain bond between all of your school-going party members that makes them feel like actual friends just hanging out, bonding with each other, and of course, trying to catch a serial killer in a fog-covered Inaba. The game ended up being popular enough to warrant an anime adaptation and several other spin-off games, including those in the fighting and rhythm genres.

1

Uncharted 2 (2009)

Uncharted 2 greatly refined the shooting, platforming, and puzzle-solving sections of its predecessor. It really was the start of more narrative-driven, blockbuster movie-like games by Naughty Dog, and plenty of other triple-A studios were inspired by this series to create more cinematic games.

Nathan Drake’s journey to the lost city of Shambhala was very intriguing. The stakes were higher and the set pieces were even more impressive, like the famous train sequence. It improved upon every aspect of its predecessor while also pushing the limits of what could be accomplished on the PS3 hardware from a technical point of view.

5:37

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, The Last of Us and God of War.

Next


10 Best PlayStation Games Of The 2010s

The previous decade brought some masterpieces that defined the new PlayStation era of cinematic adventures.

Source link