The Best First-Person Shooters on the PS2

Right as 5th-generation consoles were making it possible to enjoy first-person shooters on non-PC platforms for the first time, the genre underwent some of its biggest evolutions courtesy of groundbreaking titles like Half-Life, Thief, and Deus Ex. Accordingly, 6th-generation hardware had its work cut out for it to keep up with the increasing demand for cutting-edge first-person shooters, which resulted in the PS2 having one of the best FPS libraries of the era, far outshining the selection of titles available on the PS1. And while the Xbox is more commonly associated with being the better FPS console of the generation (thanks to major hits like Halo and Half-Life 2), looking at the PS2's FPS library shows that whittling it down to a list of just the 15 best games in the genre leaves out a whole host of excellent shooters.

Perhaps most notably, the PS2 would be the one 6th-generation console to receive home ports of two of the PC's all-time great first-person shooters of the era, Half-Life and Deus Ex, with each of these versions actually standing out as unique experiences that, in many ways, go beyond their original PC counterparts. And while the Xbox would be the de facto home console of the 6th-generation for competitive online gaming (thanks to the Xbox Live service and the absolute juggernaut that was Halo 2), the PS2's FPS library is a veritable "who's who" of iconic and memorable first-person shooter single-player campaigns. And lest we forget, one game, in particular, would establish the revolutionary control scheme that finally figured out how to mimic mouse and keyboard functionality on a home console.

• Release Date — June 13, 2006
• Developer — Rocksteady Studios
• Publisher — Eidos Interactive
• Review Aggregate Score — 73% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)

Just a few short years before the studio would completely reinvent the modern superhero game with Batman: Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady developed an excellent and often overlooked first-person shooter for the PS2. Titled Urban Chaos: Riot Response, Rocksteady's one and only FPS title sees players take on the role of a riot control squad tasked with protecting both civilians and emergency personnel as chaos erupts in a nondescript US city resulting from gang violence. While the PS2 version doesn't include the multiplayer mode that the Xbox release would, it does still have the same excellent single-player campaign that almost acts like a sort of "reverse Grand Theft Auto" and features some really satisfying gunplay and setpiece moments.

• Release Date — March 15, 2005
• Developer — Gearbox Software
• Publisher — Ubisoft
• Review Aggregate Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 71% (Mixed or Average)

Among the first-person shooters released for all three 6th-generation consoles (the Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2), the PS2 versions of these titles would typically land near the middle or bottom in terms of their performance, which is unfortunately the case with Brothers In Arms: Road to Hill 30. But Road to Hill 30 is such a great squad-based shooter and such a great World War II-era military shooter that even its somewhat lesser PS2 version is essential in the console's library. PS2 owners had plenty of World War II-era shooters to choose from (from the realistic Medal of Honor games to the outlandish Return to Castle Wolfenstein), but none of them opted for the same degree of realism and emphasis on teamwork and squad management that Brothers In Arms: Road to Hill 30 provides.

• Release Date — August 16, 2005
• Developer — High Moon Studios
• Publisher — Capcom
• Review Aggregate Score — 74% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)

High Moon is perhaps best known now for being one of Activision's go-to studios to assist in the development of the Call of Duty franchise, but their original first-person shooter is the excellent PS2 classic Darkwatch. This supernatural Wild West FPS is an absolute blast that mixes some satisfying shooting with a selection of interesting abilities stemming from the main character's place as a vampire, which ultimately has an impact on how the player is perceived by other characters in the game's world. Not many first-person shooters on the PS2 have a morality system, but Darkwatch did, and it has the shooting mechanics to back up its more ambitious and experimental elements. Too bad that the planned sequel got canceled.

• Release Date — November 1, 2005
• Developer — Treyarch
• Publisher — Activision
• Review Aggregate Score — 77% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 76% (Generally Favorable)

In 2005, Microsoft would be the first hardware manufacturer with a 7th-generation console courtesy of the Xbox 360, whose killer app was its legendary port of Call of Duty 2. To not leave other consoles out of the action, Activision would task Treyarch with developing its first of many games in the Call of Duty series with Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, and it remains an interesting and worthwhile outlier in the Call of Duty franchise.

Unlike the mainline Call of Duty 2, which saw players take on the role of different soldiers in the Allied forces across multiple theatres of war, Big Red One focuses on the titular unit (the nickname for the US Army's 1st Infantry Division), allowing players to go hands-on with the North Africa campaign and the invasion of Sicily. Big Red One is still one of the greatest military-themed shooters on a console that is far from lacking options in that subgenre.

• Release Date — November 2, 2004
• Developer — Guerrilla Games
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Review Aggregate Score — 70% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score — 72% (Mixed or Average)

While the Killzone series would vastly improve with the second entry on the PS3, it's important to go back and look at the original as an important stepping stone for both the genre and for Guerrilla Games. Killzone was billed as a "Halo killer" in the lead-up to its launch, thanks to its realistic enemy AI, squad-based shooting, and extensive single-player campaign that incorporated many of the now-standard FPS elements that Halo popularized (like only wielding two weapons at a time and regenerating health instead of pickups). Unfortunately, Killzone falls far short of Halo's greatness, but it is still an excellent first-person shooter in the PS2 library with some great visuals and campaign setpiece moments, as long as you can get past the occasionally choppy performance.

• Release Date — April 25, 2005
• Developer — Midway Studios Austin
• Publisher — Midway
• Review Aggregate Score — 75% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)

A lot of gamers are familiar with the classic Area 51 light gun cabinet from the arcades, but it seems like far fewer are aware of the PS2 FPS of the same name that's a surprisingly great hidden gem in the PS2's first-person shooter library. Arriving later in the PS2's lifespan in April 2005, Area 51 features some seriously high production values (including an all-star voice cast that features David Duchovny in the lead role) and some fantastic shooting.

Notably, Area 51 is a bit like Far Cry Instincts: Predator, in that the protagonist gains some otherworldly abilities later in the game that grant them thermal vision, super speed, and a deadly melee attack that they can use to take out enemies. Area 51's greatness should come as no surprise, either, once you learn that Midway Studios Austin was made up of several former members of the Turok team at Iguana Entertainment.

• Release Date — February 28, 2006
• Developer — Criterion Games
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Review Aggregate Score — 79% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)

The latest (and, for many, greatest) FPS in the PS2's vast library of first-person shooters would be Criterion Games' Black, which saw the Burnout series developer tackle a completely different genre and knock it out of the park on its first attempt. While the actual gameplay of Black is fairly standard as far as first-person shooters go, the game's top-notch presentation and attention to detail are what elevate it beyond just being another run-of-the-mill FPS. Animations (especially reload animations) are incredibly detailed and realistic, the feel of each weapon is distinct and appropriately weighty, and there's a strong case for Black having some of the absolute best sound design of any shooter of the 6th generation. There's no multiplayer in Black, but with a single-player campaign as good as it has, you honestly don't miss it.

• Release Date — October 16, 2002
• Developer — Volition
• Publisher — THQ
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 69% (Mixed or Average)

Even though it doesn't quite reach the same heights as its predecessor in terms of both its importance and its atmosphere, Red Faction II is nonetheless a phenomenal first-person shooter in the PS2 library that ranks among the console's best. This sequel notably switches up the game's setting from Mars to Earth, and along with that change in scenery is a definitive shift toward more action-oriented gameplay. The first Red Faction blended exploration and destructible environments with its rock-solid shooting mechanics, but Red Faction II goes all-in on frantic, almost arcade-style FPS gameplay. It loses some of the unique aspects that made its predecessor so special, but it's still a fast and action-packed FPS that also features one of the console's best local multiplayer modes.

• Release Date — March 22, 2005
• Developer — Free Radical Design
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)

The TimeSplitters series is as close as we ever got to a legitimate sequel to GoldenEye and the original Perfect Dark, thanks to Free Radical Design being comprised of several former Rare employees who worked on those games, and the final entry in the series sees them go out with a bang. There's an argument for TimeSplitters 2 being the best entry in the series (and, indeed, it ranks higher on this list), but TimeSplitters: Future Perfect is hands-down the best-looking and best-performing game in the short-lived franchise, significantly upping the ante in terms of its visuals and presentation. But perhaps the best inclusion in TimeSplitters: Future Perfect over previous entries is the ability to play through the game's Story Mode in co-op, which makes an already top-tier single-player FPS campaign that much better.

• Release Date — November 19, 2002
• Developer — Eurocom
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Review Aggregate Score — 77% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)

The 007-themed FPS titles on the Nintendo 64 were the stuff of legend — particularly, GoldenEye 007 — so it should come as no surprise that there were multiple shooters in the James Bond IP for 6th-generation consoles. While 007: Agent Under Fire was a great first attempt (and another of the better shooters on the PS2), my money is on 007: Nightfire as the best James Bond game post-GoldenEye. Far from just another FPS title featuring the world's most famous super-spy, Nightfire breaks up its satisfyingly simple shooter levels with some surprisingly fun and very competent driving sections. The game is also one of the few James Bond titles to completely free itself from having to follow a prescribed plot from one of the existing films, and Eurocom once again does a great job coming up with fun objectives in each level that add to the sense of immersion.

• Release Date — March 26, 2002
• Developer — Ion Storm
• Publisher — Eidos Interactive
• Review Aggregate Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)

Warren Spector's work in the first-person shooter genre is the stuff of legends, practically single-handedly creating the Immersive Sim subgenre thanks to all-time greats like Thief: The Dark Age and 2000's Deus Ex. The critical acclaim surrounding Deus Ex made a console port all but a guarantee, but converting what's essentially a first-person shooter RPG with keyboard and mouse controls to a home console would prove to be a challenge. Somehow, Ion Storm was able to do it, and the PS2 port of the original Deus Ex is actually a fairly unique version of the game that streamlines a lot of the original's HUD elements, controls, and even some aspects of gameplay to see it sit squarely between being a standard FPS and the groundbreaking immersive sim it was on the PC.

Of course, squeezing Deus Ex down onto the PS2 meant that there were some necessary concessions to be made, most of which relate to the game's structure. Rather than allow players to explore these impressively large interconnected levels, Deus Ex's main locations are each split up into separate stages, broken up by some long load times. But when the game is in action, Deus Ex on the PS2 is still the great RPG/FPS hybrid it was on the PC, complete with a surprising amount of freedom and agency in how you go about tackling objectives and getting to the bottom of the game's well-written mystery.

• Release Date — November 14, 2001
• Developer — Gearbox Software
• Publisher — Valve, Sierra Studios
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)

Even more than Deus Ex, Valve's Half-Life is perhaps the most important first-person shooter post-Doom, and its PS2 port is the lone home console version players would get until Valve's release of The Orange Box years later. Interestingly, the PS2 port of Half-Life was handled by none other than Gearbox Software, and it did a commendable job bringing one of the all-time greatest PC shooters into players' living rooms. Like Deus Ex's PS2 port, the PS2 version of Half-Life has some key differences that definitively set it apart from the original.

First, the PS2 version of Half-Life contains the excellent co-op side campaign Half-Life: Decay, which is an essential part of the series' lore and features some excellent combat and puzzle design. Second, the PS2 version of Half-Life is a good bit easier than the PC original, especially when you factor in how much Gearbox adjusted the auto-aim to make shooting more efficient and accurate. Console players missed out on getting Half-Life during the 5th generation when the title was new, but the PS2's Half-Life port more than makes up for it by being one of the better ways to play this classic FPS.

• Release Date — May 29, 2002
• Developer — EA Los Angeles
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)

Mixing real-world historical footage, thrilling setpieces pulled directly from the pages of history, and some rock-solid shooting mechanics that blended the accessibility and arcade action of the PS1 Medal of Honor games with a more modern, dual analog control scheme, Medal of Honor: Frontline just might be the greatest military shooter on the PS2. It also happens to be a very strong contender for the greatest game in the Medal of Honor series, from its opening level replicating the fateful D-Day operation to the sixth and final mission where Lt. Patterson single-handedly destroys the production plant for an experimental German aircraft that could turn the tide of the war. While it might not hold up quite as well as Call of Duty 2 as far as its visuals and performance, it's hard to beat the moment-to-moment action of Frontline's campaign.

• Release Date — October 8, 2002
• Developer — Free Radical Design
• Publisher — Eidos Interactive
• Review Aggregate Score — 90% (Universal Acclaim)
• User Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)

The first TimeSplitters was a great FPS that firmly established the series as a spiritual successor to Rare's N64 shooters, but no one could have known how much TimeSplitters 2 would elevate the franchise. Essentially the Empire Strikes Back of the TimeSplitters trilogy, TimeSplitters 2's Story mode features some of the best levels and objectives of any single-player FPS campaign, a darker atmosphere with shades of horror creeping into its sci-fi/time travel story, the multiplayer modes are expanded and better than ever, and the inclusion of a full co-op mode for the campaign make TimeSplitters 2 an undisputed classic in the PS2 library. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes TimeSplitters 2 so special without playing it, and thankfully, the game is now widely available on PSN and the Xbox Marketplace, cementing it as an essential classic within the FPS genre.

• Release Date — May 22, 2001
• Developer — Volition
• Publisher — THQ
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 77% (Generally Favorable)

While it's technically not the first console FPS to feature the now-standard dual-analog control scheme (where the left analog stick is used for moving and strafing to replace the keyboard, and the right analog stick is for looking and aiming to replace the mouse), Red Faction is the game that finally nailed how an FPS was supposed to feel on a console, and it backed up its innovations for the genre with one of the greatest single-player campaigns. Essentially as close as we'll ever get to a "good" Total Recall game, Red Faction positions you as a miner on Mars, which is under the control of a totalitarian regime that is working the citizens to death to fund nefarious scientific research. When a riot breaks out, you inadvertently become the face of the revolution and take the uprising right to the heads of the villainous Ultor Corporation.

But the shooting in Red Faction is just part of what makes the campaign special, as Volition would use the title to debut its impressive "GeoMod" technology, which allowed for destructible environments at a scale not previously seen. It's one thing to shoot a rocket launcher at a group of enemies, but it's another to shoot that rocket at the ground underneath them and watch it react and give accordingly to have them fall to their doom. Red Faction is arguably still the greatest FPS on the PS2, and it was one of the first games on the console to usher in the new generation of first-person shooters.