The Best Naughty Dog Games Ranked

Some developers are better than the rest, and Naughty Dog is on that list. They’ve made a wide array of titles, and we’re going to rank them.

#14 Jax X: Combat Racing

It’s almost ironic that we’re starting out with a racing game. But since we’re going to look at this from a critical reception point of view, Jax X: Combat Racing is the lowest-ranked Naughty Dog game.

Another irony here is that the game has a serious plot, unlike many racing titles. In it, Jak & Daxter have been kidnapped and poisoned and must take part in a combat racing circuit to get the antidote and survive.

The racing is said to be both easy and difficult, which is part of why it wasn’t as beloved as future games we’ll talk about. But some gamers enjoyed it, and that’s what matters.

#13 Crash Bandicoot

We all have to start somewhere, right? Crash Bandicoot was the game that helped put Naughty Dog on the map, and they succeeded in more ways than one. Platforming was still the “go-to genre” in the early days of the PS1, and Naughty Dog created a mascot that Sony could be proud of in Crash Bandicoot. Unlike Mario and Sonic, this dude was nuts, and he wasn’t afraid to hide that fact.

The platforming style was different from other franchises, and it helped Crash stand out from the pack. This one title would start a long series of things for the developer, so you can bet they still look fondly upon this game.

#12 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy  

“Underrated” might be the word to describe Uncharted: The Lost Legacy because anyone who has played the game will tell you that the title is crisp, fun, and has everything the main console games have except for two exceptions: scale and length.

This title was made after the end of Drake’s saga, and you follow a familiar face in Chloe as she searches for an artifact alongside a mercenary, Nadine Ross. The two make quite the team, and there are plenty of references to the other titles while standing on their own.

But, the game felt less like a “continuation” of the franchise and more like a DLC expansion, and that’s why we haven’t seen anything new since the game came out in 2017.

#11 Jak 3

All good things must come to an end, and Jak 3 was the final adventure for Jak & Daxter. And while it’s the first of the main trilogy to appear on the list, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a bad game. It wasn’t! It was honestly fun, and Naughty Dog put plenty into it; it’s just that the other two titles had a bit more “charm” and “flair” to them.

But what this game had was the light & dark systems that Jak could use to power himself up and do incredible things, including stopping time and wrecking enemies without issue. Many hope a 4th game in the series may eventually come.

#10 Jak II

Making a good sequel is one of the hardest things to do in gaming. You don’t just need to live up to what the first game did but expand upon it meaningfully to justify the sequel players are getting. Jak II is a tricky sequel to talk about because it was a good game and well-received by critics and gamers, but there are a few catches that hold it back.

First off, the game has TONS more action via the weapons and new elements that allow Jak & Daxter to kick all sorts of butt. However, the game also had a much darker storyline than the original, and many weren’t amused by how difficult the game was.

#9 Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

You all know the phrase “from humble beginnings,” right? Well, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is that title. When it was first announced, not only did no one know what to make of it, the presentation for it didn’t go as planned at first, and since they didn’t have a title for the game yet, it got the inauspicious nickname of “Dude Raider.” You know, because of Lara Croft’s franchise?

And, to be fair, the first game with Nathan Drake had many rough edges, especially with the platforming elements and graphics. But the characters and charm helped lure people in, which allowed Naughty Dog to improve upon it with the sequels.

#9 Crash Team Racing

We hope this particular entry proves a point to you all. When it comes to specific franchises, if there are enough characters that you can make a “meaningful” racing game out of it? Game developers will do it. Mario, Sonic, Diddy Kong, Jak & Daxter, and also Crash got into it with Crash Team Racing.

This is exactly what it sounds like: a racing title where you’ll play as Crash Bandicoot or his allies/enemies as you race around and try to get to the finish line first. Or, you’ll battle your rivals to see who can survive.

The game honestly was good, and when another team tried to replicate this later on, it wasn’t as good.

#8 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

When you have a good game, what do you do? You make a sequel to it! And Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is one of the best sequels that Naughty Dog ever did. In many ways, this was the sequel that mattered the most because it proved the team could deliver a franchise and not just a one-off title, something that would benefit them for many years to come, as we now know.

They did great giving Crash and his friends a bigger world to bound through, enemies to fight, skills to use, and more. There was a reason he was one of the mascots of the PS1, and this helped seal that.

#7 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Bet you didn’t see that coming, did you? That’s right, of the three main games in the series, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was the highest-ranked critically of the set.

And it’s not hard to see why, in some ways, the game was a fun 3D platformer from the 2D era that had a good story and fun characters to make the adventure meaningful. Both Jak and Daxter had their quirks and skills, and you couldn’t help but want to get them to the next area so they could harvest more Eco and get Daxter back to his original form.

The other games did build things up from there, but sometimes, where you start is better than where you finish.

#6 Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped 

At last, we’re at the final game with Crash Bandicoot. Yes, we know that there were other games with Crash that have come out recently, but Naughty Dog didn’t make those!

Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped was the last main game on the PlayStation, and despite the hardware they had to work with at the time, Naughty Dog crushed it with detailed levels, great audio, fun gameplay, and more!

It not only sold a lot, but it was the first title in Japan to sell over a million units despite not being made by a Japanese developer. Pretty cool, huh? We’re sure some of you wish Naughty Dog was still working Crash games, right?

#5 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

No matter what you think about Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, it easily has one of the most memorable action sequences ever, with Drake trying to escape from a crashing plane. They did so well with this set piece that the live-action movie with Tom Holland replicated it.

Regardless, the third game is the pinnacle in some fans’ minds because it did everything right in many aspects and helped flesh out the character of Nathan Drake. Plus, as noted, the action was as on point as ever. Many people would’ve been fine if this had been the end to the saga. It wasn’t, but for a time, it did feel like it.

#4 The Last of Us Part II

We know some of you aren’t going to like this particular entry and probably want it to be lower, but the divide about The Last of Us Part II is part of the reason it deserves to be so high up on the list.

After all, Naughty Dog took their time to try and replicate what was so great about their first game and delivered an equally gripping tale. While they did stumble in some people’s eyes, many would agree that they cranked up what they did in the first title and made the gameplay more action-packed, violent, and robust.

Regardless of your feelings about Abby and what choices Ellie can make, this game shook people, and that’s what the best games do.

#3 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

We could’ve easily swapped where the third and fourth main entries in this franchise go, but apparently, the critics felt Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was just a little better than the one that came before it.

One of the reasons that many people liked it was that this was the sole entry with Drake to be on the PS4, not including the collections, obviously. Naughty Dog made the game shine through the console’s abilities, and a great game was had as a result.

Plus, the game promised to “end the story” of Nathan Drake, and it did. The catch was that while it was good and arguably great, it almost felt a bit superfluous.

#2 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

While some might debate this, it should be noted that this game made this series memorable. While the first “Dude Raider” game was fun, it was Uncharted 2: Among Thieves that cranked everything up and showed what Naughty Dog was capable of in this franchise.
Many of the best characters, outside of Drake and Sully, came from the second game, and the action pieces that made the series famous really got turned up to 11 here.
The games that followed helped refine the formula, but this was the game that made it something that everyone wanted to play. And for that, we should be grateful.

#1 The Last of Us

No matter which “version” of the game you’re talking about here, The Last of Us is the best game that Naughty Dog ever did. In many ways, this was the game that changed the industry. It was Neil Druckmann’s dream project that had many iterations in his head over the years, and when he finally got to make it, he and the rest of the team knocked it out of the park.

The story of Joel and Ellie is one of, if not the best, video game story ever told. When you mix that with great graphics and gameplay, you get a title that is easily one of the greatest games ever made.

And then they turned it into a TV show that is nominated for a thousand awards.