Japanese RPGs, especially ones with real-time battles, were very popular on the PS2 and are still thought to be some of the best in the genre.
There were a lot of great games for the PlayStation 2. In fact, a lot of them were so good that they’ve been made over and improved for newer systems. Some PS2 fans are still waiting for their favorite games to come out again, but you can still play the originals until then.
Role-playing games are one of the most popular types of video games, and the PS2 had a lot of great RPGs. Japanese role-playing games, especially those for Sony’s system, were impossible to avoid during this time. But some of these PS2 RPGs stand out.
X-Men Legends 2: Rise Of Apocalypse
Metascore: 82
There are four action RPGs with Marvel themes for the PS2. They are all part of the same series and are all good in their own ways. The most well-known of the bunch is likely Marvel Ultimate Alliance. The huge crossover game is still a lot of fun to play after all these years. The follow-up to Vicarious Visions tries to change things up from the first game, but most of the changes were not exactly for the better. As a result, the experience is good but frustrating. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is tied with its Switch-only follow up as the best game in this series, but it’s still worth a look.
People sometimes forget that there were two X-Men games before the Marvel team-up games. They are about as good as the first Ultimate Alliance. All of these games would follow the same format, which was set by X-Men Legends: a large cast of playable characters, straight stages, some light RPG growth systems, and beat ’em up gameplay. Rise of Apocalypse, its follow-up, is usually a better experience. It has a fun and difficult game that is also pretty easy to get into. Even though all of these games are fun on their own, X-Men Legends 2 is the clear winner.
Rogue Galaxy
Metascore: 83
Level-5 made Rogue Galaxy. They also made famous games like Ni No Kuni, Yo-kai Watch, Dark Cloud, and Professor Layton. The sci-fi RPG came out in North America in 2007 for the PS2. In 2015, it was made available on the PlayStation Network for the PS4. These days, PS Plus Premium lets you play Level-5’s game.
People love Rogue Galaxy’s setting, action, personalities, and wide range of fun side quests and leisure activities. When it comes to PS2 JRPGs with real-time action, this is one of the best. It’s not as well known, though, since it came out late in the console’s life.
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille Zur Macht
Metascore: 83
Namco’s Xenosaga series began with the first game, which came out in North America in 2003 and was a big hit all over the world. Because it was so famous, it was turned into both a 12-episode cartoon and a manga.
When the science fiction story takes place, people have already left Earth. Shion, the main character, is a fighting robot that was made to fight beings that are unfriendly. Reviewers said the story was “enthralling,” but the movie can have very long scenes, for better or worse.
Champions Of Norrath
Metascore: 85
It’s a very standard role-playing game (RPG), and before starting the story and gameplay, players can pick how they look, what race they are, and what skills they have. Hack and slash is how the game is played. It has five parts.
A year after it came out, the game got a follow-up called Champions: Return to Arms. People didn’t like the sequel as much as they liked the first game, but both are fun action RPGs. It may be hard for new players to get into Champions of Norrath 20 years after it came out, but that doesn’t take away from how good it was when it first came out.
Odin Sphere
Metascore: 83
Vanillaware’s track record is full of home runs, and the PS2 era was no different. This is one of the best strategy games for the machine, and it’s also one of Nippon Ichi Software’s best works. But Vanillaware’s best PS2 game was Odin Sphere, a creative action RPG with many possible characters, exciting battle, and a structure that makes it easy to play again and again. The characters and settings in the game are full of color, personality, and fun.
Odin Sphere came out after the PS3, making it one of the last great PS2 RPGs. However, the system sometimes has trouble running it. Because of this, it’s hard to suggest the original version when the better Leifthrasir remake is available for more recent systems. This new version from 2016 not only runs faster, but it also makes the main gameplay and features better.
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
Metascore: 87
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, which came out in 2001, is set in the Forgotten Realms storyline of Dungeons and Dragons. It set a lot of records, like being the first Baldur’s Gate game to come out on a computer. Also, real time was added to the rules for the first time in that game.
This game got the “Role-Playing Game of the Year” award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Science the year it came out. Dark Alliance is a great hack-and-slash RPG that was ahead of its time and is still fun to play now. However, this PS2 game is not quite as good as Penalty Kick Online. There are still many things to like about it.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Metascore: 85
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This Japanese RPG is the follow up to Shadow Hearts. It came out in 2004 and is known as Shadow Hearts 2. In this book, the story picks up six months after the first one, and it follows the theme of alternate history and Lovecraftian horror. When this game came out in 2004, fans fell in love with its dark themes, funny parts, magical themes, and serious story.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant is still a one-of-a-kind experience almost twenty years after it came out. It’s a fan classic that might deserve to be more than that. There are some really exciting moves you can do in the Judgment Ring fighting system, and the story is both a breath of fresh air and full of unforgettable characters.
Dark Cloud 2
Metascore: 87
Dark Cloud 2 (also called Dark Chronicle) came out in 2003 and quickly became a fan favorite because it was rated better than the first Dark Cloud. Dungeons are created at random, and players go through them. Instead of their characters rising up, their weapons do. Level-5 made a very bold game with bright art that looks great even after all these years.
Players not only explore dungeons, but they also find pieces of towns and cities to help build them back up. But it’s not too simple because some villages have rules about which buildings can go where.
Kingdom Hearts 2
Metascore: 87
Square Enix and Disney’s work together has (mostly) been gold, and Kingdom Hearts 2 might be the series’ best game. The 2006 sequel builds on the ideas of the first movie in a great way while smoothing out some of its flaws. It has beautiful images and a mostly good story, though it can get too complicated at times. In Kingdom Hearts 2, there are 15 worlds to explore. This is probably the best number of stages in the series, and they cover a nice range of IPs and settings.
The fighting system moves quickly and smoothly, and it works well throughout the game, which helps KH2 stand out from its named sequel. The game is a bit too easy at times, though, and things only get really tough during the extra boss fights.
Suikoden 3
Metascore: 86
It’s 15 years after Suikoden 2, which is one of the best JRPGs on the PS1. We now have Suikoden 3. People often forget about the sequel because of the first game, but it is still a great example of Konami’s best work.
Another great thing about Suikoden 3 is that it has a great story and great graphics for its time. The plot grows from the points of view of three different characters, and the story is known for how well the characters grow.
Dragon Quest 8
Metascore: 89
Dragon Quest is the first JRPG, and it’s still going strong after decades on top. This is especially true in Japan, where the series is a cultural phenomenon. There is no better game in the Dragon Quest series than Dragon Quest 8. It has all the best parts of the series and is a classic turn-based JRPG. This could mean that the game isn’t fun to play again in this day and age, but Journey of the Cursed King is so charming and well-made that it will never go out of style.
Dragon Quest 8 is the best PS2 JRPG for people who want a standard story with a good vs. evil plot. It has great cel-shaded graphics and a fun story with a great group of characters.
Persona 4
Metascore: 90
Persona 4 was the PS2’s last game, and it came out a long time after the PS3 did. It was the perfect way for the system to end. If the better P4 Golden version comes out later and makes the basic version useless, that doesn’t change the fact that the PS2 original is still great. The story is split into dungeon-crawling and social sim parts, as with all current Persona games. The social sim parts take up most of the journey. Luckily, the parts of each game that aren’t fighting are often the best because Atlus always tells interesting stories that aren’t afraid to get dark when they need to.
Persona 4 is not only the best monster-collecting game on the PS2, but it’s also the best turn-based JRPG. People who are traveling the TV World will meet Personas, and they can talk to them about joining their team. They can even join Personas together to make a monster that is stronger.
Final Fantasy 12
Metascore: 92
At first, Final Fantasy 12 had a bad image because it was so different from previous games in the series. However, over the next few years, especially after The Zodiac Age version came out, it slowly got better. The latter is the best way to play this RPG because it makes a lot of changes to improve quality of life, but the PS2 version (especially the Japan-only International Zodiac Job System version) is where it all starts.
Random encounters have been replaced with on-field enemies in Final Fantasy 12. This is a good change that makes the game more immersive. Some people don’t like the main character, but the story is one of the best in Square Enix’s series, and the minor characters are just as good. It takes some time to get used to the fighting system, but once you do, it really shines.
