Best Naughty Dog Games

Naughty Dog is undoubtedly one of the greatest video game development companies in the business. Founded in 1984, the company has become famous for its slew of incredible franchises, including Crash Bandicoot, The Last of Us, and the Uncharted series. Most of the studio's games are critically acclaimed, so it can be hard to separate the greatest of the great from the great but flawed. Thankfully, by looking at the Metacritic numbers, players can at least get some idea of which are the very best Naughty Dog games.

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While these scores aren't absolute, they give players a vague idea of the games that are universally considered by some to be Naughty Dog's best work by a country mile. These games are truly one of a kind and do a great job of showing off the developer's strengths, helping them combine the strengths of video game storytelling and gameplay into one seamless package that is an absolute joy to experience firsthand.

Updated January 12, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Naughty Dog is one of the most reputed video game developers around, being a bastion of the PlayStation ever since the release of the first console. From Crash Bandicoot to The Last of Us, the developer has come a long way and shaped the gaming landspace in a myriad of new and interesting ways.

Combing through Naughty Dog's history is pretty entertaining, especially when people realize that their games are so excellent that none of them have received a bad rating on Metacritic.

20 Crash Bandicoot

GameRankings Score: 80

Crash Bandicoot is one of the most recognizable video game mascots of all time, younger gamers might not realize that his debut title wasn't all that great. There was a lot to like about Crash Bandicoot, but it was more like a proof of concept than the finished article.

The game was very rough around the edges, with the gameplay nowhere near as good as that found in Super Mario 64. The game was a lot more linear too, which many felt made the switch from 2D to 3D rather pointless. It did, however, provide a solid enough foundation, which Naughty Dog would build something special just one year later.

19 Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Metascore: 80

A lot of Uncharted fans never got a chance to play Uncharted: Golden Abyss due to it being released exclusively on the PlayStation Vita. That's a real shame. Although it is not without its problems, the Bend Studio-developed prequel was great.

As with the mainline series, Uncharted: Golden Abyss is wonderfully written and is packed full of historical references. Fantastic touch controls and the ability to play the game while out and about only added to the adventure. Meanwhile, the familiar presence of Nolan North helped to make the game feel like a part of the main series rather than just a spin-off title.

18 Jak And Daxter Collection

Metascore: 81

The Jak and Daxter Collection brought the original trilogy to the PS3 back in 2012 and received mixed responses from critics. While some celebrated the improvements to the game's visuals, others felt that not enough had been done to bring the titles up to modern standards.

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While it's certainly true that Jak and Daxter's earlier outings have not aged as well as some other games, they are still playable even today. The game's 81 rating on Metacritic is perhaps a little harsh as the vast majority of critics seemed to enjoy it. This was also the case with players, as demonstrated by the title's 8.7 user score.

17 Jak 3

Metascore: 84

It might not look like much now, but Jak 3 was one of the most impressive-looking titles on the market back in 2004. From a technical standpoint, it's arguably the best that the original trilogy had to offer. Unfortunately for Naughty Dog, some critics felt that the game just didn't do enough to differentiate itself from the two games that had preceded it.

Although some reviewers praised the game's variety of missions and gameplay types, others bemoaned a lack of innovation and criticized the game's short length. Despite these complaints, however, the game still holds a respectable 84 rating on Metacritic. It's far from a bad game, but it fails to live up to the high standards set by some other Jak and Daxter titles.

16 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Metascore: 84

An Uncharted game without Nathan Drake? What kind of heresy is this? Naughty Dog wasn't kidding when they said that Uncharted 4: A Thief's End would be Drake's final outing. In hindsight, the game's subtitle was also a bit of a giveaway.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy features series regular Chloe Frazer as its main protagonist. Although she lacks some of Drake's charm, she does a fairly decent job of filling his shoes. The game might not quite reach the highs found in other Uncharted titles, but it did do enough to impress critics.

15 Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

Metascore: 86

Bluepoint Games did a fantastic job porting the PS3 classics to the current generation and this is reflected by the collection's Metacritic score. Some critics called it the best remastered collection ever made, and it is hard to argue with that. Fans of the series seemed to agree, as shown by the game's 8.6 user score.

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All three games look fantastic and feel right at home on the more powerful PS4 despite their age. The quality-of-life updates improve upon the originals whilst still holding onto that Uncharted charm that made playing them so enjoyable back in the day. These things combine to make this the definitive way to experience the intrepid explorer's first three adventures.

14 Jak 2

Metascore: 87

It's pretty impressive that a title with an 87 Metascore can't even crack the top ten Naughty Dog games. Released back in October 2003, Jak 2 earned immense critical acclaim. Some critics even praised it as one of the greatest games on the PS2 and one of the greatest platforming games in history.

While nearly all aspects of its creation were praised, some didn't take too kindly to the checkpoint system or the game's convoluted and often empty-feeling open-world city. It sits at an 87 on Metacritic, with the user score rounding out at a slightly worse 8.3.

13 Uncharted: Legacy Of Thieves Collection

Metascore: 87

The Uncharted series features some of the most beloved action-adventure games ever made. The fact that players can now check out all the games in this series in an enhanced collection is amazing, with PC players also joining in the fun.

Any players who have yet to check out the Uncharted games will be more than satisfied by what's on offer here. The games are great and still hold up, especially when it comes to Lost Legacy and A Thief's End, with the latter being one of Naughty Dog's greatest video games ever made.

12 The Last Of Us: Left Behind

Metascore: 88

Left Behind was released as an expansion pack to The Last of Us, featuring Ellie's adventures with Riley before the events of the main game. While it didn't quite reach the heights of the core game, it was still universally praised, especially as DLC. A few shortcomings were noted, including its lack of innovation (not surprising), the short length, and unnecessary padding.

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However, the story, character work, and gameplay were all praised, leading to its 88 Metascore. However, it's interesting to note that the user score sits at just 8.2. Many people criticize the length and boring story — and, yes, a few criticize Ellie's relationship with Riley.

11 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Metascore: 88

The game that started it all, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was praised upon release for its cast and cinematic qualities. It single-handedly gave rise to the action cinema genre of gaming.

While the game may seem dated today, it was unbelievable back in 2007. While critics found it a little derivative of Tomb Raider, it was still praised for its action elements, fun characters, and ridiculous adventure story. However, the users weren't as kind as the critics, and the user score sits at a surprisingly low 8.0.