10 Best Video Game Consoles - Ranked By Exclusives

3. PlayStation 2

The PS2 exclusive library spanned the gamut of tastes and age groups. The console had worthy rivals to Nintendo's hit platformers in the Jak and Ratchet & Clank series, while Square gave its Final Fantasy series a welcome refresh with its tenth outing, as well as a successful new IP in Disney-themed RPG Kingdom Hearts. At the more action-oriented end of the spectrum, Metal Gear Solid 3 continues to be hailed as the greatest game in the series to date, and we also saw the debuts of edgy combo-based action franchises in God of War and Devil May Cry. Sony showed their sensitive side too, with the much-loved puzzle adventures Ico and Shadow of the Colossus - the latter of which is the first game that ever made us feel guilty and remorseful for our in-game actions. The WWF Smackdown series went from strength to strength on the PS2, while on the more hardcore fighting front, 3D fighting games arguably reached their all-time peak with Tekken 5 and Virtua Fighter 5 - which Sony ingeniously nabbed from Sega after the Dreamcast failed. Yet for all the PS2's undeniable excellence, many of the great experiences on the console - such as TimeSplitters, Resident Evil 4, Silent Hill 2 and the Pro Evo series - could now be found cross-platform. This was good news for gamers of course, but it also meant that the console just wasn't as unique for its time as those that came before... Best exclusive titles: Metal Gear Solid 3, God of War, God of War 2, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Tekken 5, Ratchet & Clank series, Jak series, WWF Smackdown series, Final Fantasy X, Okami, Devil May Cry 1/2/3, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Final Fantasy XII, Virtua Fighter 5, Gran Turismo 4, Dark Cloud, Kingdom Hearts 1/2, Wipeout Fusion