Published on April 8, 2022
Updated on December 12, 2023

18 Best PlayStation 2 Open World Games

Despite the technical constraints of the PS2 during its era, the platform remarkably offered enduring open-world game experiences that continue to be a topic of discussion today. Without delving into specifics, join us on a nostalgic journey as we explore the best PS2 open-world games.

This curated list encompasses both well-known and underrated titles, providing a diverse selection that may introduce you to hidden gems. Explore the possibilities and, hopefully, discover something new among these noteworthy PS2 open-world games.

This curated list encompasses both well-known and underrated titles, providing a diverse selection that may introduce you to hidden gems. Explore the possibilities and, hopefully, discover something new among these noteworthy PS2 open-world games.

Table of Contents

Scarface: The World Is Yours


2006
About
Release Date
October 10, 2006
Developer
Radical Entertainment
Publisher
Vivendi Games
Genre
Open World
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
Canada
PS2 Releases
2006-10-10
2006-10-13

Scarface is a movie-based game with an appeal that may vary among players. Finding a compelling tie-in movie game can be challenging, and Scarface is a notable exception. While its gameplay bears a noticeable resemblance to the Grand Theft Auto series, it successfully navigates moments where it stands out, avoiding being dismissed as a mere clone.

In Scarface, players assume the role of Tony Montana as he endeavours to reclaim control of Miami’s drug trade. To achieve this, he must obliterate rival gangs and rebuild his reputation in the criminal underworld. Serving as a sequel to the movie, the game presents an alternate storyline for Montana, exploring a narrative where he avoids his cinematic fate.

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction


2005
About
Release Date
August 23, 2005
Developer
Radical Entertainment
Publisher
Vivendi Games
Genre
Beat 'Em Up
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2005-08-23
2005-09-09

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction” still holds its place as the best Hulk game, even after all these years, thanks to its profound dedication to every fan. Radical Entertainment has masterfully crafted a game that truly immerses players in the experience of being the green giant. Unleashing chaos and smashing through the city is an immensely enjoyable experience. The game allows players to harness the environment to their advantage, as Hulk can grab hold of anything that proves useful, even innocent civilians, adding a unique dynamic to the gameplay.

The game presents challenges, especially when the army and various forces unite to take down the Hulk. Fortunately, as you advance, you unlock new abilities that empower you to overcome any threats posed to the green behemoth.

Bully


2006
About
Release Date
October 17, 2006
Developer
Rockstar Vancouver
Publisher
Rockstar Games
Genre
Action Adventure
Perspective
Third-Person
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2006-10-17
2006-10-25
2008-07-24

Bully stands out as a distinctive title, offering a gaming experience unparalleled by its counterparts. As we reflect on Rockstar Games’ diverse lineup during the PS2 era, it’s not just about Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V. Titles like Bully, The Warriors, and the Midnight Club franchise brought unique and enjoyable open-world adventures to the table.

In Bully, players embody Jimmy Hopkins, navigating the challenges of Bullworth School infested with bullies and corrupt students. To rise above, Jimmy must navigate his way through the adversities. While Bully remains one of the best open-world games on the PS2, its standout feature is its unparalleled uniqueness

Grand Theft Auto III / Vice City / San Andreas


2001 / 2002 / 2004
About
Full Name
Grand Theft Auto III
Release Date
September 25, 2001
Developer
Rockstar North
Publisher
Rockstar Games
Franchise
Grand Theft Auto
Genre
Open World
Graphics
3D
Perspective
Third-Person
Interaction
Real-Time
Concept
Crime
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2001-10
2001-09-25
2001-10-23
2001-10-26
About
Full Name
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Release Date
October 29, 2002
Developer
Rockstar North
Publisher
Rockstar Games
Franchise
Grand Theft Auto
Genre
Open World
Graphics
3D
Perspective
Third-Person
Interaction
Real-Time
Concept
Crime
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2002-11
2002-10-29
2002-11-08
2002-11-21
2004-05-20
About
Full Name
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Release Date
October 24, 2004
Developer
Rockstar North
Publisher
Rockstar Games
Franchise
Grand Theft Auto
Genre
Open World
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2004-10-24
2004-10-26
2004-10-29
2005-01-25

The Grand Theft Auto Trilogy on the PS2 was and remains one of the best games to ever set foot on the platform. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was a huge deal since it featured a black character as the main protagonist, and the fact that it made the series far more popular than Rockstar Games could have ever imagined.

Similar to previous GTAs, you roam the city of  Los Santos listening to great soundtracks, completing missions and earning money. Unlike GTA 3, the driving mechanics have been drastically improved as well as the third-person shooting experience.

On the other hand, there is also GTA 3 and Vice City. The third instalment in the franchise was a big deal as it revolutionized the open-world genre, pushed developers to re-think their decisions and revamped the way people would look at action games in the future.

Spider-Man 2™


2004
About
Release Date
June 28, 2004
Developer
Treyarch
Publisher
Activision
Franchise
Spider-Man
Genre
Action Adventure
Concept
Superhero
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2004-06-28
2004-07-09

Spider-Man was a significant milestone during its launch on the PS2 in 2004. As one of the pioneering open-world Spider-Man games for the PS2, Spider-Man 2 was groundbreaking and innovative, offering the closest experience to living out the adventures of Peter Parker in a 3D world.

In the game, players swing around New York City, undertaking missions, confronting villains, rescuing innocent lives, and performing heroic stunts that make you feel like, well, Spider-Man. However, how does Spider-Man 2 fare in the present day? While its visuals may not meet contemporary standards, the action remains excellent, and the web-swinging mechanics continue to deliver a fantastic and immersive experience.

Just Cause


2006
About
Release Date
September 22, 2006
Developer
Avalanche Studios
Publisher
Square Enix Europe
Franchise
Just Cause
Genre
Open World
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
Sweden
PS2 Releases
2006-09-22
2006-09-27
2006-09-28

Just Cause 2 was a massive hit when it first launched, but I feel that people forget the origins of the series, Just Cause. The latter is an open-world game originally developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Eidos Interactive before they were acquired by Square Enix. For fans of destruction and chaos, the original Just Cause is something they should try out.

Sure, in the beginning, it’s pretty slow as you have nothing but two pistols and a bomb. However, as you progress, you unlock new destructive arsenals, vehicles, and items. Similar to Red Faction: Guerilla, you participate in missions where you have to free people from tyrannical forces and reclaim their territory. While the graphics may be rough around the edges, the action makes up for that.

True Crime™ Streets of LA™ / True Crime™ New York City


2003 / 2005
About
Release Date
May 28, 2003
Developer
Luxoflux
Publisher
Activision
Genre
Open World
Concept
Modern
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2003-11
2003-11-04
2003-11-07
2004-10-28
About
Release Date
November 16, 2005
Developer
Luxoflux
Publisher
Activision
Genre
Open World
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2005-11-16
2005-11-25
2006-07-27

True Crime: Streets of LA and New York City are two interesting open-world games on the PS2 that are sadly forgotten these days. And in case you didn’t know there was supposed to be a third entry to the franchise until it was cancelled to become what’s known as Sleeping Dogs.

Surprisingly, while some compared these two games to Grand Theft Auto, I found them to be completely different. The two True Crime games put heavy emphasis on melee combat and action-packed shooting that features bullet-time sequences similar to that of Max Payne. The driving in True Crime: Streets of LA can be horrible at times, but with little practice, you’ll get used to it. Hurry up and grab this game before it goes rare and expensive one day, but if you’re an emulator guy, the game works on PCSX2 and Dolphin.

Destroy All Humans! / Destroy All Humans! 2


2005 / 2006
About
Release Date
June 21, 2005
Developer
Pandemic Studios
Publisher
THQ
Franchise
Destroy All Humans!
Genre
Open World
Graphics
3D
Perspective
Third-Person
Interaction
Real-Time
Concept
Sci-Fi
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2005-06-21
2005-06-24
2007-02-22
About
Release Date
October 17, 2006
Developer
Pandemic Studios
Publisher
THQ
Franchise
Destroy All Humans!
Genre
Open World
Graphics
3D
Perspective
Third-Person
Interaction
Real-Time
Concept
Sci-Fi
Players
Single Player, Split-Screen Co-Op
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2006-10-17
2006-10-20
2006-10-26

Destroy All Humans takes you deep into the mind of an alien who’s descended to Earth to cause havoc and terror. Most of the game sees you using other-worldly weapons and tools which give you the power to kill humans and even steal and control their bodies. The environments of the game are wide-open so you can move freely all around. Destroy All Humans, while remembered for its intense action, features hilarious cutscenes that will last with you forever.

If you’ve ever held a grudge against the human race and wanted to take your revenge, Destroy All Humans will fill that need. Looking back, Pandemic Studios was ahead of its time with the heavy emphasis on destruction, havoc and a cool idea of controlling an evil alien who just wants to destroy all humans.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run


2003
About
Release Date
September 16, 2003
Developer
Radical Entertainment
Publisher
Vivendi Games
Genre
Adventure
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
Canada
PS2 Releases
2003-09-16
2003-10-31
2003-11-13

The Simpsons Hit & Run remains one of the best games based on the critically acclaimed Cartoon series, The Simpsons. You would think that with how gaming has evolved, you’d see a new Simpsons game, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Currently, no one knows who exactly owns the rights to this. Fingers are pointing to EA which has published several Simpsons games recently, but those remain mere rumours and nothing else. We can only hope that a remaster or, why not, a remake becomes a possibility in the foreseeable future.

Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction


2005 マーセナリーズ (Māsenarīzu)
About
Release Date
January 11, 2005
Developer
Pandemic Studios
Publisher
Lucasfilm Games
Genre
Adventure
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2005-01-11
2005-02-18
2005-04-28

Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction was developed at a time when every publisher wanted to compete with Rockstar’s juggernaut Grand Theft Auto. However, Mercenaries isn’t a clone in any way. While it borrows some of the influence from the former, it manages to carve an identity for itself. If you can’t have enough of games where you’re the embodiment of destruction, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction has got your back.

For fans of chaos and putting everything on fire, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, as well as its sequel, World in Flames, is a title you shouldn’t miss.

Mafia


2002
About
Release Date
August 28, 2002
Developer
2K Czech
Publisher
Gathering of Developers
Franchise
Mafia
Genre
Open World
Concept
Crime
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
Czech Republic
PS2 Releases
2004-02-04
2004-02-13

The original Mafia is one that those seeking iconic games will always want to go back to. Call it a fever or an infectious disease, but it seems that GTA 3 has infected everyone with its success to the point where every game out there had to be an open world. Surprisingly, Mafia, while being an open-world game, doesn’t feel like a complete GTA clone. Of course, the open-world gameplay and the gun shooting may be similar to that of Grand Theft Auto, however, the graphics, voice-acting, and sound are superior to the latter.

The first Mafia went on to sell very well, which guaranteed the release of one of the best-selling open-world games to date, Mafia 2.

Jak II


2003
About
Release Date
October 14, 2003
Developer
Naughty Dog
Publisher
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Franchise
Jak and Daxter
Genre
3D Platformer
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2003-10-14
2003-10-15
2003-10-17
2003-12-01
2004-03-11

Jak II was two steps ahead of the original Jak and Daxter when it launched. Having a dark futuristic open world imbued with a gloomy atmosphere, Jak II was the best thing to happen to the franchise. While this entry is notoriously known for its severe difficulty, the game featured an over-the-top action platform packed with blazing guns and incredible graphics for the time.

Amazingly, the game has aged like fine wine, and can still be fun even after all these years. It just goes on to show that the developers have spent a great deal of time with the entire franchise, and it shows.

Ultimate Spider-Man


2005
About
Release Date
September 22, 2005
Developer
Treyarch
Publisher
Activision
Franchise
Spider-Man
Genre
Action Adventure
Concept
Superhero
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2005-09-22
2005-10-14
2006-08-24

Ultimate: Spider-Man is a game that time can’t seem to forget despite being decades old. Looking at the success of Marvel’s Spider-Man on the PS4, and the Batman Arkham series, makes one think; Why aren’t they making more cel-shaded superhero games based on the exact comic? Could it be because these games don’t sell? or is the general gamer base only interested in high-stunning graphics?

The PS2 had two of the best superhero games, Ultimate Spider-Man and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu. Two of which features cel-shaded art style similar to their comics counterpart. And that’s one of the reasons that makes Ultimate Spider-Man recommended on this list. Not only that but the inclusion of many characters from the Marvel universe is worthy of praise. You can swing around the city freely as the Spider-Man, or Venom, battle foes and complete various missions as well as encounter popular villains like Carnage, Electro, Beetle and more. While the open-world here may not be on the same scale as Spider-Man 2, it remains one fun-to-play open-world Spider-Man game.

The Getaway


2002 ゲッタウエイ (Gettauei)
About
Release Date
December 11, 2002
Developer
Team Soho
Publisher
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre
Open World
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
PS2 Releases
2002-12-11
2003-01-19
2003-11-20

The Gateway was Team Soho’s last breath before the company closed for good. For a 2002 title, The Gateway was impressive in every way possible. The movement flexibility was surprisingly engaging, the gunplay felt straight out of the Payback movie, and driving through the city of London felt realistic at the time.

This and Mafia are games you shouldn’t sleep on, even if they’re old, they’re worth every second of your life. The Gateway did indeed receive a sequel titled The Getaway: Black Monday which was released exclusively on the PS2.

The Godfather™ The Game


2006
About
Release Date
March 21, 2006
Developer
Visceral Games
Publisher
Electronic Arts
Genre
Open World
Perspective
Third-Person
Concept
Crime
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2006-03-21
2006-03-24
2007-03-22

The Godfather: The Game is an open-world action-adventure game following a non-canon character, Aldo Trapani who is recruited into the Corleone family and has to work his way up to its ranks while not forgetting the promise he held for so long; taking revenge against those who murdered his father.

Before heavily focusing on Battlefield, Sims and the Star Wars Battlefront saga, EA used to make great tie-in movie games. Titles such as James Bond 007: From Russia with Love and The Godfather are remembered for their careful approach to emulating these movies into games. Instead of completely mimicking the movie piece by piece, these games manage to please fans of the source material and newcomers.

Beyond Good & Evil™


2003
About
Release Date
November 11, 2003
Developer
Ubisoft Montpellier
Publisher
Ubisoft
Genre
Action Adventure
Graphics
3D
Perspective
Third-Person
Interaction
Real-Time
Concept
Sci-Fi
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
France
PS2 Releases
2003-11-11
2003-11-14

Beyond Good & Evil is a cult hit that casts you in the role of Jade as she uncovers the mystery behind the Doomz and the Alpha Section. This brave journalist is well-equipped with a powerful stick, her camera, and companions to back her up. The best thing about the game is taking pictures. Of course, taking pictures doesn’t come without any reward, the game rewards you for your efforts by granting blue orbs which you can use to purchase items.

Developed by Michel Ancel who’s notably known for other works such as Rayman, and Peter Jackson’s King Kong video game, Beyond Good and Evil is a game like no other. It just goes on to show that the Ubisoft of 20 years ago, isn’t the Ubisoft nowadays. While this game may not be considered an open-world game, in essence, it features open areas that you can explore with your small ship.

GUN™


2005
About
Release Date
November 08, 2005
Developer
Neversoft
Publisher
Activision
Genre
Third-Person Shooter
Graphics
3D
Perspectives
First-Person, Third-Person
Interaction
Real-Time
Concept
Cowboy
Players
Single Player
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2005-11-08
2005-11-11

GUN is an open-world third-person shooter where you play as a skilled gunslinger named Colton White who seeks revenge on Thomas Magruder. The tyrant who killed Colton’s father, Ned White. The best thing about GUN is the engaging gunplay. The developers had made sure players could get to experience the deadly nature that is the brutal West.

While the PS2 didn’t enjoy a wide range of Western-themed games during its reign, there were some pretty great titles on the system. Darkwatch, Red Dead Revolver, and GUN remain some of the best Western-themed games to ever land on the system.

RoadKill™


2003
About
Release Date
October 13, 2003
Developer
Terminal Reality
Publisher
Midway Games
Genre
Vehicular Combat
Graphics
3D
Perspective
Third-Person
Interaction
Real-Time
Players
Single Player, Split-Screen Co-Op
Monetization
Buy to Play
Country of Origin
United States
PS2 Releases
2003-10-13
2003-11-21

Roadkill can be best described as a fusion of GTA and Twisted Metal. This open-world vehicular combat gem often goes unnoticed these days. Set in the streets of Hell County, the game puts you behind the wheel of a weapon-equipped car, ready for mayhem with guns and explosives. Hell County consists of three cities—Paradise City, Lava Falls, and Blister Canyon—each offering various missions. The objective is simple: wreak havoc, annihilate rival gangs, and climb the criminal ranks.

Starting with just one car, players progressively unlock deadlier vehicles and upgrade each part as they delve deeper into the game. A treat for Twisted Metal enthusiasts, Roadkill has unfortunately faded into relative obscurity today. It’s worth noting that the game poses a significant challenge.

That’s it for the list. Thank you for reading.

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FreeckyCake

I'm just your average gamer who enjoys hunting hidden gems and underrated games. My love for Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams is like a truck and I recommend that you play it.

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