5 Best 3D Platformers on the PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling console of all time, so it’s no surprise that developers released several thousand games on the platform. And with it being at the forefront of 3D graphics, more than a few of those games are 3D platformers. Of course, Nintendo is better known for its genre-defining games, most notably Super Mario 64, but the PS2 still boasts several 3D platformers that can stand toe-to-toe with almost any game in the genre. If you’re a fan of platformers, you absolutely have to try these PS2 games.

Here are the best 3D platformers on the PlayStation 2.

5) Ape Escape 2

The Ape Escape series from Japan Studios is one of the wackiest sting of releases from the era. Players are asked to run around and catch monkeys, using all kinds of inventive gadgets to give themselves a leg up on their simian foes.

Ape Escape 2 is the best of the bunch, taking everything players loved about the first game and expanding it with new gadgets, a monkey sidekick that gives you tips, and a New Game Plus mode that lets you play as the first game’s protagonist. As always, the easy-to-grasp analog controls make Ape Escape a joy to play, even if it is on the easier side of the genre.

4) Jak 2

Jak 2 does have a devilishly tough difficulty spike, but it’s otherwise a family-friendly platformer that everyone can enjoy. Newer players just might need a veteran friend to step in during certain sections. Plus, it’s a great way to introduce players to new genres, as Jak 2 does a great job of incorporating elements beyond traditional platforming.

The non-linear design turns Jak 2 into Grand Theft Auto-lite, while the combat sections add an extra level of depth to the gameplay experience. Don’t forget the Jet-Board either. While it isn’t as fun as something like Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Jak 2‘s version of a skateboard makes navigating the world a blast.

3) Psychonauts

Psychonauts was criminally underplayed when it first launched. Developer Double Fine Productions created an inventive, hilarious world for players to explore, filled with wondrous levels that take you inside your friends’ and foes’ brains.

You are a titular Psychonaut named Razputin, who is at summer camp for kids with psychic powers. After uncovering a sinister plot, you must use your budding psychic powers to help your fellow campers overcome their fears and eventually take down the dastardly plot.

It’s an ingenious concept that Double Fine filled with its trademark humor. Unfortunately, it didn’t sell well in 2005, but the developer was finally able to deliver a sequel in 2021. Like the first game, it’s an all-timer of a platformer, though I’d still recommend playing through the first game before diving into Raz’s follow-up adventure.

2) Sly 2: Band of Thieves

Sucker Punch Productions’ Sly Cooper series is generally excellent, especially if we don’t include the 2013 PS3 game that was developed by Sanzaru Games. However, the second game is generally regarded as the studio’s best effort, thanks in large part to the increased gameplay options for side characters Bentley and Murray.

The sequel also gives players multiple hit points to work with and more advanced enemy AI to keep things interesting. That said, it’s still the sneaky platforming action you know and love from the original. Sure, Sly has more tools at his disposal, but Sucker Punch wasn’t looking to change too much.

That resulted in one of the finest platformers of the era. In fact, it would’ve picked up a ton of hardware at year’s end, if it hadn’t released the same year as the next game on this list. Sly 2‘s mix of excellent gameplay, a fun story, and some of the best cel-shaded graphics we’d ever seen to that point makes it an all-time classic.

1) Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

As mentioned, Up Your Arsenal came out in the same year as Sly 2 and cleaned up in many end-of-the-year award lists. It was widely regarded as a must-play game for platforming fans, but it also builds on the genre’s traditions by giving fans some of the best shooting action of the era.

Like Jak 2, Up Your Arsenal wanted to be something more than a simple platformer, and it mostly knocked it out of the park. Ratchet & Clank has always featured a heavy dose of gunplay, but it’s at its best in Up Your Arsenal, with smooth gameplay and a wild collection of weaponry.

It’s so good that developer Insomniac Games added multiplayer gameplay for the first time in the series history. Now, Up Your Arsenal wasn’t exactly competing with great shooters like Halo, but players flocked to the mode, showing Insomniac had the skills to deliver a great multiplayer experience with relative ease.

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