For most gamers from the era, the PlayStation 2 is seen as a golden age for video games. Yet it’s more than just nostalgia talking, as some of the greatest games in history were producted for the console. While most people default to games like Grand Theft Auto III when thinking of the console’s greatness, it also offered an array of incredible RPGs.
The PS2 era was the last time big-budget gaming was remotely affordable for most developers, giving them a chance to refine what they learned on the PlayStation One. Square enjoyed the last of their Golden Age on the PS2, providing everything from Final Fantasy X to Kingdom Hearts 2. Yet other studios had plenty to offer as well, as fans got to experience the best entries in some of their favorite franchises, like Persona and Suikoden.
Grandia II Got Its Start As A Dreamcast Game
The first Grandia was widely regarded as one of the best RPGs on the PS1, and Grandia II did the same for the PS2. The new title follows Ryudo, a merc that’s been asked to guide the songstress Elena to a tower for a religious ceremony. When the ceremony goes wrong, Ryudo and Elena are forced to travel the world in the hopes of purifying Elena from the power of the god of darkness.
Grandia II got its start as a Dreamcast game, but soon came to the PlayStation 2 thanks to the Dreamcast’s lack of success. With a fun, innovative combat system and a beautiful world that felt like an anime come to life, Grandia II certainly deserved the additional spotlight of being on a more popular system. These days, the game doesn’t stick in popular memory, thanks to the franchise not making it past the PS2, but that doesn’t mean it’s not one of the best games of the era.
Dark Cloud 2 Built Up Level-5’s Reputation
The original Dark Cloud was a decent title from Level-5, but it was Dark Cloud 2 that really caught fans’ attention. Dark Cloud 2 centered around an inventor named Max, based in the special city of Palm Brinks. After escaping someone after the stone in his pendant, Max meets a woman with a similar pendant named Monica, who comes from a hundred years in the future. Together, Max and Monica use their pendants to travel across time, setting right the timeline.
At the time, Dark Cloud 2 was renowned for pushing what was possible with cel-shaded animation, making it one of the prettiest games of its era. However, Level-5 made sure the game was more than just a pretty face, offering in-depth systems outside of combat and an entertaining battle system to match. It’s easily one of the most polished RPGs of its era, and worth going back to for anyone wanting to re-live the days when Level-5 was one of the biggest RPG publishers.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant Takes Players Into An Alternate World War I
The Shadow Hearts series doesn’t get the respect it deserves. While most franchises love playing with high fantasy, Shadow Hearts combines dark fantasy with alt-history settings to create something players can’t get anywhere else. In Shadow Hearts: Covenant, for example, players track down a dangerous secret society in the midst of World War I.
In some ways, Shadow Hearts: Covenant feels ahead of its time, as it addresses many of the concerns modern JRPG fans had long before they were a problem. It’s a story featuring an older cast that relies as much on political intrigue as it does the usual save the world drama. With superb writing, a strong soundtrack, and its unique “Judgment Ring” battle system, it’s not surprising it became a cult classic RPG of its era.
Xenosaga Episode III Gave Fans A Space Opera RPG Series
Right behind major JRPG franchises like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Dragon Quest, no RPG series describes the PS2 era quite like Xenosaga. A series of amazing sci-fi RPGs, Xenosaga followed Shion Uzuki and her battle android partner, KOS-MOS, as they dealt with the threat of the alien Gnosis. Originally intended to be a six-part series, the second game’s mixed response resulted in Xenosaga Episode III wrapping up the entire adventure.
Despite this challenge, Xenosaga III manages to be the best game in the series. It provides closure to the long-running narrative without backing down from the challenging philosophical elements that made it interesting to begin with. Considering how rare space opera RPGs are, it’s not surprising Xenosaga found such a passionate audience that fell in love with it.
Suikoden V Let Players Become Immersed In Political Intrigue
The Suikoden franchise is one of the best JRPG franchises of the ’90s and 2000s, and Suikoden V is one of the best in the series. Set in the Queendom of Falena, the story begins when the Prince of Falena and his sister, Lymsleia, are forced to abandon their home in the wake of a coup. To get their home back, they gather an army of people willing to reclaim their land, all while staying one step ahead of the nobles wishing to capture Lymsleia for their own sake.
Suikoden V is a notch below Suikoden II as far as JRPG masterpieces go, as its story isn’t quite as polished and the load times were abysmal. However, the character writing is as strong as ever, with plenty of ways to develop the cast beyond the main story. It’s also nice to experience a JRPG with a massive scale that isn’t just about saving the world from a cosmic threat once again.
Persona 3 FES Completely Changed Atlus’ Persona Series
Persona is a franchise with roots that goes back to the early PS1 days, but it’s really Persona 3 that started turning the series into one of the biggest JRPG series not called Final Fantasy. In Persona 3, the protagonist works as a member of a special organization that battles Shadows, powerful monsters that live in the Tartarus tower. To fight them, they rely on the power of Persona, physical representations of their subconscious.
Persona 3 was responsible for rebuilding the franchise from the ground-up, introducing the school simulation elements that helped the series surpass Shin Megami Tensei, the series it spun off from. Fans fell in love with how it forced them to balance a regular high-school life with monster-fighting. The game was such a success they even released an improved version of Persona FES, which added epilogue content for players who wanted a bit more closure.
Persona 4 Made Players Return To PS 2
As beloved as Persona 3 was, Atlus found a way to crank things up with the introduction of Persona 4 in 2008. Following a new protagonist, Persona 4 took players to the countryside, getting them invested in some strange murder cases that could only be solved by a group of Persona-wielding high schoolers. Atlus brought back the social sim element for Persona 4, refining it and making the game feel like a great slice-of-life anime when players weren’t going dungeon-hunting.
Persona 4 proved RPGs could explore more than the usual fantasy settings, instead offering complex societal commentary on modern-day Japan. Its incredible writing allowed players to bond with the characters in ways even modern RPGs only wish they could achieve. It’s no wonder the game was considered a must-play, even though it released well into the next-generation. It’s arguably still the best Persona game, even today.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Made The Dragon Quest Franchise A Hit In The West
Dragon Quest came to the PlayStation 2 with one of their strongest entries in Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King. Releasing near the end of the generation, Square Enix brought the franchise into beautiful 3D, with cel-shaded graphics that brought out the series’ charm even more. Though Dragon Quest VII was the first time the mainline series had been in the West in ages, VIII was the first game to show Western fans why the series was so beloved.
The story followed an unnamed Hero and his three allies, as they try to bring down Dhoulmagus, an evil mage disguised as a court jester who curses the kingdom of Trodain. As expected of a JRPG from this era, defeating Dhoulmagus requires traveling across the world, as they attempt to track him down. With a gorgeous world, a strong narrative, and an easy-to-understand yet enjoyable battle system, Dragon Quest VIII was the perfect game for new players.
Kingdom Hearts 2 Spoke To A Generation Of Gamers
Even decades later, Kingdom Hearts II feels like the peak of Square Enix’s powers. Successfully getting people invested in a franchise that had Final Fantasy characters and Disney’s most iconic characters and worlds in the first game was already an accomplishment. Yet in the second game, Square took the franchise from “good” to incredible”.
Every aspect of Kingdom Hearts is improved in the second game, from the graphics to the gameplay. The action combat was some of the best in Action RPGs at the time, with even some modern Square-Enix games taking inspiration from its style. Perhaps that’s why the game still feels comfortable to play today, compared to many other titles of its era that can feel archaic.
Final Fantasy X Made Final Fantasy Part Of Pop Culture
In the 90s and 2000s, Square was untouchable. After releasing multiple incredible Final Fantasy games back-to-back, Square capped it off with the release of Final Fantasy X in 2001. Taking full advantage of the PlayStation 2’s increased power, Square once again defined what high-budget RPGs were meant to look like, adding things like voice acting for the whole game, and pushing visual boundaries.
Taking place on Spira, Final Fantasy X tells the story of Tidus and Yuna, two people united in their cause to defeat a powerful monster named Sin. X exemplified Square’s ability to break through into pop culture at the time, with its fantastical worlds and brilliant writing resonating with more than just JRPG fans. It’s no surprise Square tried to capitalize off its success with Final Fantasy X-2 a short time later.