Summary
Many video game consoles have made an undeniable mark on the industry, but the leap forward that came with thePlayStation 2is unbelievable. The Sony console brought with it many impressive features and what’s largely considered to be one of the best libraries of games for any console.
The PlayStation 2 found tremendous success with most of its ideas, but it also pushed forward certain innovations that flew under the radar. The PS2 is largely a two-player console, but the advent of Sony’s multitap allowed more people tojump in on the multiplayer action. However, most people might not have used this feature all that much.
Updated on August 05, 2025, by Michael Llewellyn:The PS2 was and still is an excellent console. Whether one wants to play single-player games or dust it off for a nostalgic night of local co-op gaming the PlayStation 2 is a reliable choice with gameplay that surpasses its age. This list is updated to include another title with excellent multiplayer co-op for more than two players (WWE SmackDown vs. Raw).
Although it’s not as iconic asWWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain,the sixth installment in theSmackDownseries was the first to feature the brand rivalry between Raw and SmackDown and is still a solid entry. It features updated graphics, a detailed create-a-wrestler mode, and a new challenge mode to unlock more wrestlers and content. It featured legends like Brutus The Barber Beefcake, Bret Hart, Andre The Giant, The Road Warriors/The Legion of Doom, and more.
With a multitap peripheral, up to six players can join in local co-op tag team matches. However, the biggest disappointment is that, in exchange for improved presentation and features,WWE SmackDown! vs. RAWhas a smaller roster than its predecessor.
Marvel Ultimate Allianceis a dungeon-crawler-style action role-playing game, similar to theBaldur’s Gate: Dark Allianceseries and theX-Men Legendsgames before it. It’s a good single-player game where players can switch characters on the fly, but it’s even better with friends in local co-op mode.Marvel Ultimate Alliancesupports up to four players at once.
Marvel Ultimate Allianceoffers a diverse roster of characters, including Spider-Man, Captain America, Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Blade, and Daredevil, among others. It remains one of the best superhero games ever made and features a decent story with one of Marvel’s greatest villains, Dr. Doom. Doom has put together a faction called “The Masters of Evil” that includes a good rogues gallery of minor and major supervillains as minibosses and main bosses.
Champions of Norrathwas one of the PlayStation 2’s best and most polished action RPGs. It’s also an excellent multiplayer game that supports up to four players in local co-op. It is set in the same universe as thelong-runningEverQuestMMORPG series.Championsrun on the same engine asBaldur’s Gate: Dark Alliancebut feature more in-depth character customization, smoother gameplay, and tons of randomized loot to find by fighting through its varied 50 missions and levels.
Some of the more challenging enemies inChampionsof Norrathrequire strategic approaches rather than hacking and slashing through hordes of mindless goblins, and players have the option of choosing from five different classes. Playable characters include the Barbarian Warrior, a strong Conan-like warrior who is a master of melee weapons; the Wood Elf Ranger, a skilled archer; the Erudite Wizard, a formidable magic user; the High Elf Cleric, a healer; and the Dark Elf Shadow Knight, who combines weapons and sorcery.
Those who want to live out the fantasy of being one of the X-Men mutants will have a blast withX-Men Legends. This PS2 release dropped in 2004 and gave players the chance to jump into a top-down beat-em-up featuring some of the best characters from theX-Menfranchise. There are 15 different characters to choose from, each with their own unique abilities and powers, with popular names like Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Cyclops, Rogue, and Storm making the roster alongside others.
A couch-cooperative affair, up to four players can hop into this adventure and fight alongside one another as they fight foes and iconic X-Men bosses and enemies. It’s one of the better cooperative experiences out there and a great choice for those who like beat-em-up style releases.
There were a lot of great RPGs present on the PS2 but many of them are single-player adventures. Thankfully, there are a handful of RPG releases that allow for multiple players and a few that open themselves up to more than two players at a time. Tales of the Abyss is perhaps one of the best examples of this, giving players the opportunity to enjoy a couch-cooperative RPG experience with a robust story and classic RPG elements. All of the overworld and exploration elements are controlled by one player, but things open up to upwards of four people at one time during combat. It’s a great title with fun and engaging content that will keep players engaged for hours, even when they’re not controlling the action.
Movie tie-in games are rarely seen today, but back in the early 2000s, almost every major film release with action sequences had a video game adaptation. Many of these games struggled to impress fans and critics, likely due to them having to stick to tight release schedules that coincided with the film’s release.
AlthoughShrek 2is far from a masterpiece, the4-player PS2 gamedoes offer some great action-packed fun and is still worth a play today for any group looking for some simplistic entertainment.
WWE video games were once considered to be among the most enjoyable multiplayer sporting releases, with Royal Rumble matches, in particular, bringing hours of joy. Unfortunately, WWE’s gaming franchise has since taken a nosedive, withWWE 2K20’s disastrous launch being the last straw for many fans.
Thankfully, the classic pro-wrestling games still exist, andWWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Painremains an absolute blast to play. Up to six people can join the action and have a wealth of iconic WWE stars to choose from.
Vicarious Visions’Crash Nitro Kartmay not have lived up to the high standards that Naughty Dog set withCrash Team Racingin 1999, but it’s still a fantastic kart racer in its own right and great fun to play with friends.
Racing isn’t the only multiplayer mode thatCrash Nitro Kartoffers, as the game also brings back the Battle Mode from the PlayStation 1 classic.
Released in October 2002,EA’sTiger Woods PGA Tour 2003is the highest-rated golf gaming of all time on Metacritic, with a PC Metascore of 92. The game is also excellent on PS2 and allows up to four players to compete across multiple game modes.
Most of the multiplayer modes can be played by alternating with just one controller. Speed golf, however, must be played simultaneously as it requires players to chase after their ball once they’ve hit it, leading to some great golfing races.
Although most of the PlayStation 2’s attempts at creating innovativeequipment like the EyeToyfell flat, there were a few that performed well; one of which is the Buzz! Buzzer.
Buzz! The BIG Quizwas the second entry into theBuzz!franchise, and is one of a whopping 13 games from the franchise that appeared on the PlayStation 2.Buzz! The BIG Quizwas a huge hit with causal gamers,earning it the 2006 BAFTA for best Casual and Social game.
