8 Essential Naughty Dog Games, Ranked

Few video game developers have been as consistently high-quality and masterful in their scope and scale as Naughty Dog, who have consistently been at the forefront of exceptional gaming experiences during the 3D era of gaming. While they released an array of games in their early years, they didn’t truly find their footing until their collaborations with Sony on their various PlayStation consoles. They proved to be so revolutionary and important to the console’s success that the studio was bought by Sony in 2001, and they have continued to make exceptional games for PlayStation systems ever since.

From some of the best and most engaging platformers of their era to masterfully woven pieces of cinematic greatness within the medium of video games, Naughty Dog’s best games are in a league of their own in terms of quality and care. However, more than simply being the greatest games that they have released, each of these games is fundamentally essential when it comes to understanding the craft and strengths that have made Naughty Dog the powerhouse studio that they are today.

8

‘Jak 3’ (2004)

The final game in Naughty Dog’s acclaimed PS2 trilogy, Jak 3 is one of the studio’s most prominent examples in their shift in mentality when it came to the types of game experiences that they wanted to create. It continues the darker tone that was set up by Jak II, with an even greater emphasis on gun combat than previous entries and the intricacies of the Wasteland. More than any previous game in Naughty Dog’s catalog, there is a great emphasis placed on genuine and emotional storytelling, a tenet that would follow them for nearly every subsequent release.

While it might not be an absolute narrative masterpiece or even the best game in the Jak and Daxter trilogy, its importance to the legacy and growth of Naughty Dog as a studio makes it an essential experience for fans of the studio. With well-written characters and some shocking twists laden throughout, there are a lot of core elements strewn throughout Jak 3 that can directly be compared to the stories and characters of modern Naughty Dog experiences.

7

‘Crash Team Racing’ (1999)

Image via Playstation

Kart racing spinoffs of beloved platforming franchises weren’t exactly rare during the 90s, but what was a massive rarity was that Naughty Dog was actually developing this spinoff of their beloved PS1 trilogy rather than another development team. This has largely helped Crash Team Racing become one of the most well-crafted and timeless kart racing games of all time, surpassing the likes of Mario Kart 64 and becoming the must-play multiplayer racing game of the era.

Crash Team Racing proved more than a shadow of a doubt that Naughty Dog was a truly special development team, able to create much more than just top-notch platformers and showing strength within a completely different genre. The final Crash Bandicoot game they developed served as an unlikely, perfect send-off for their beloved marsupial character, and it is still celebrated as one of the best kart racers ever made and an icon of multiplayer gaming on the PS1.

6

‘Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy’ (2001)

While it may seem a bit strange to return to the more cartoony charms of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy after knowing just how much more dark and serious the series would go, the game is still a highly engaging platformer experience built upon the strengths of the collect-a-thon genre. The film is massively influenced by other prominent collect-a-thons of the previous era, like Super Mario 64 and especially Banjo Kazooie, with each world and mission brimming with character and charm that add to the overall experience.

For a console that quickly became defined by an array of mature and adult-oriented gaming experiences, Jak and Daxter is easily the definitive family-friendly adventure game for the PS2. Its adherence to the strengths of the collect-a-thon genre is what really makes the game so engaging all these years later, as subsequent Jak and Daxter games largely abandoned the collect-a-thon style of gameplay with their shift to action and more story-oriented gameplay.

5

‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ (2016)

Image via Sony Computer Entertainment

For the most part, the distinct console trilogies made by Naughty Dog stayed within the confines of the console that they originated on, as the Crash Bandicoot trilogy on PS1 and Jak and Daxter trilogy on PS2 set the standard for Uncharted to follow on PS3. However, the franchise ended up receiving a surprise 4th entry on the PS4, with Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End being an exceptional sendoff to the beloved characters of the Uncharted franchise.

It acts as this glorious culmination of all of the strengths of the franchise, from large-scale cinematic action sequences to intricate puzzles and memorable character moments. The best-selling PS4 game is an undeniable highlight of Naughty Dog’s offerings, elevating the brilliance and scale of the franchise to the next generation of technological and graphical capabilities. The game even features a direct throwback to Naughty Dog’s origins with PlayStation, with the player being able to play the first level of Crash Bandicoot as played by Nathan and Elena.

4

‘The Last of Us: Part II’ (2020)

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So far the only Naughty Dog game to have won the highly coveted Game Award for Game of the Year, The Last of Us Part II is still technically the most recent Naughty Dog release when not considering remasters and ports. This massively acclaimed sequel to the already legendary game became largely lauded thanks to its darker, more depressing story, dynamic characterization, and overarching themes of revenge. Even outside of the divisive nature of the game’s story, the technical craft and exceptional gameplay are still some of Naughty Dog at their very best.

There is so much passion and care placed into even the tiniest details of the game, adding to the immersion and emotional impact of each shocking twist and tense moment. This swan song for the PS4 era of PlayStation is still heralded as one of the greatest technical achievements in video game history, with the exceptional emotional impact of its story even further adding to its legacy as one of the icons of PlayStation in the 2020s.

3

‘Crash Bandicoot: Warped’ (1998)

The third game in Naughty Dog’s original PlayStation trilogy, Crash Bandicoot: Warped acts as the absolute highlight of the entire Crash Bandicoot franchise and one of the best games on the PS1. The time travel-centric platformer expands upon the strengths of previous entries to create a highly engaging experience that consistently adds new twists and elements to keep the player entertained from beginning to end. 3D platforming of the 90s simply doesn’t get better than this masterpiece of the genre.

Especially in the era of Naughty Dog games before they hard-focused on cinematic narrative-centric games, Crash Bandicoot: Warped features arguably some of the most seamless and satisfying gameplay out of any game that they’ve released. It’s one of the most timeless platforming experiences that gaming has to offer, feeling just as fun to play as it was when it first released, and a symbol of the polish and impact of Naughty Dog’s approach to gameplay.

2

‘Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’ (2009)

Image via Sony Computer Entertainment

The original Uncharted was certainly an impactful and memorable game for its time, but the stature and legacy of Uncharted as one of the faces of PlayStation simply wouldn’t exist without the brilliance and overwhelming mastery of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The game builds upon the concepts and strengths of the original game and seamlessly creates one of the most cinematic video game experiences of all time. From one of the greatest openings in any video game to a consistent stream of impactful action and setpieces, Uncharted 2 brings the strength and scope of an action-blockbuster movie to the world of video games better than any other game before or since.

It also helps that Naughty Dog had clearly gotten more comfortable with this style of third-person shooter narrative-centric action game, as they’re taking much more risks and having more exciting moments when the original game felt like it was playing things safe for the most part. All of these strengths are largely inherent to the exceptional single-player experience, but Uncharted 2 also featured some surprisingly fun multiplayer modes that were extremely fun while still adhering to the core strengths of Uncharted.

1

‘The Last of Us’ (2013)

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There’s a good reason that when many gamers of the modern day think of the exceptional games released by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us is often the first game that comes to mind. It was a revolutionary leap forward for the industry that stands tall as one of the most important games of the era and a symbol of what is possible in terms of artistic storytelling in the medium of video games. No other game in their catalog quite exemplifies the masterful reputation of Naughty Dog quite like The Last of Us, which continues to be celebrated as an all-time classic and one of the greatest PlayStation games ever made.

This beautifully crafted dystopian action thriller finds the perfect blend between tense stealth-based action, exceptionally well-written characters, and a story that keeps gamers hooked from the first scene up until its legendary ending. Everything that Naughty Dog had been building towards throughout their stature as PlayStation’s top development team comes to a head in The Last of Us to create the pinnacle of the PS3’s library and one of the most important video games of the 2010s.