Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 tied which game as Metacritic's highest-rated PlayStation 2 game?

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 tied Grand Theft Auto III as Metacritic's highest-rated PlayStation 2 game. Both games received an average score of 97 out of 100 for their PS2 versions.

Pro Skater 3 was released in 2001 and earned exceptional reviews for refining the series' trick system, expansive levels, graphics, and controls. Its PS2 edition also became the first PlayStation 2 game to support online play, adding a notable technical feature to its arcade-skating formula.

Grand Theft Auto III was similarly acclaimed for its open-world design, sound, and gameplay. The tie is about the PlayStation 2 ranking on Metacritic, not a claim that the two games were identical in genre or audience.

The distinction matters because review scores differ by platform and version. Pro Skater 3 appeared on several systems, while Metacritic's celebrated 97 score in this comparison specifically concerns the PlayStation 2 release.