Just thinking about the PS2 is enough to get some gamers feeling misty-eyed. Its launch in 2000 was one of themost important gaming events of the decade,and the PS2 stayed in production until 2012. During that period, it sold 158 million units worldwide, making it the best-selling video game console of all time.
Part of that success came down to the treasure trove that was the console’s catalog. In particular, the PS2 had a great selection of RPGs. They may not have been as popular in the West back then as they are today, but that didn’t stop Sony from filling each year of the PS2’s life out with big RPGs, many of which went on to become classics.
Dark Cloudwas a launch game for the PS2 in Japan and did a great job of showing off just how much of an upgrade the PS2 was over its predecessor. It was a third-person action RPG in which players explored procedurally generated dungeons while killing monsters and collecting loot.
The game had a lot of features that wouldn’t feel out of place in a modern title, including survival elements like a thirst meter and extra hard hidden areas with harder monsters but better loot. Dark Cloud received mainly positive reviews, drawing positive comparisons to bothThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeandVagrant Story.The game is often forgotten today, but those who do remember it, remember it fondly.
Final Fantasy Xintroduced a whole new generation of Western gamers to the delights of JRPGs. It featured all the hallmarks of the franchise: a twisting main story, a lovable cast of characters, and strategic turn-based battles, wrapping it all up in a stunningly pretty package. Few other early PS2 games were as good to look at as FF10.
It also made some bold changes to theFinal Fantasyformula. Battles were still turn-based, but time stopped while players made their decisions, and they could see which enemies would attack when. This gave combat a more strategic feel. The game also included one of the best minigames ever made: blitzball (underwater soccer). Blitzball had surprising depth, and some fans spent as much time playing it as they did the core game.
2002 was an incredible year for RPGs on the PS2.Suikoden 3, Dark Cloud 2,andDeux Exall released that year. However, the year’s best RPG was a Disney game:Kingdom Hearts.One of the best Square Enix games on PS2, the game was a team-up between Disney and the creators of the Final Fantasy series.
The series' storyline has gotten painfully complex over the years, but basically includes characters from bothDisneyand the FF franchises (especiallyFF7).Kingdom Hearts' combat was more action-oriented, but borrowed plenty of gameplay elements from its inspiration. While some RPGs of that year got slightly higher review scores,Kingdom Heartsdeserves its spot here for being weird, trying something new, and creating a legacy.
2003 wasn’t such a good year for RPGs on the PS2, but there was one big release:Final Fantasy 10-2. TheFinal Fantasyseries has pumped out a lot of games and a few direct sequels, butFinal Fantasy 10-2is the one most fans remember.
The game made some big (and daring) changes. This time, Yuna was the protagonist and the party was limited to three characters. The old battle system was thrown out and replaced with a much more action-heavy version, while the party could change class mid-battle via dress spheres. Not everyone loved these changes at the time, but going back to it now,Final Fantasy 10-2is a lot of fun. Parts of its DNA can be felt in later main entries to the series, especiallyFinal Fantasy 13.
This is easily one ofthe bestLord of the Ringsgames evermade. Back in the early 2000s, licensed games had a deservedly bad reputation, but the PS2 was home to several surprisingly goodLOTRtitles. A handful of other RPGs in 2004 may have gotten slightly better reviews, but none of them felt as special asLord of the Rings: The Third Age.
While some critics complain the game cribbed too much fromFF10, it’s hard to see that as a bad thing. The core turn-based RPG gameplay was a ton of fun, and the developers did a great job of adapting action-heavy films into an RPG.
Dragon Quest 8wasn’t just the best RPG of 2005; it’s one of thebest entries in the series.That’s no small claim when considering the fact thatDragon Questbasically birthed the RPG genre. The game had it all: stunning graphics, a great combat system, and a simple but compelling narrative.
If someone were looking for the “perfect” example of a JRPG, thenDragon Quest 8would be a great suggestion. Level-5 knew that with this entry, there was no need to reinvent the wheel. WithDragon Quest 8, they decided simply to give fans more of what they loved.
2006 marked the launch of the PS3, but developers weren’t done with the PS2 yet. That year marked a handful of big releases for the aging console, includingFinal Fantasy 12. The game was a big step away from what fans of the franchise had become accustomed to. What made it controversial then makes it beloved today.
FF12allowed a level of build-depth and micromanagement never before seen in aFinal Fantasygame. Its multitude of systems can be intimidating, but thoroughly rewarding. Despite being on an aging console in many ways, the game felt “next-gen”. No wonder it’s one of themost timeless games in the franchise.
By 2007, most of the love was going to the PS3. That year was a particularly bad year for RPGs on the PS2, with few big releases, especially in North America and Europe. In fact, the only really positively reviewed RPG that year wasPersona 3, which was released the previous year in Japan.
One of thedarkest games in thePersonaseries,Persona 3was centered around depression, death, and feeling lost in the world. The game featured one of the series' best stories and most beloved characters. Like other Persona games, it’s a weird mix of traditional RPG and simulation, where players must juggle school life with battling supernatural threats.Persona 3is so beloved that it has seen multiple releases over the years, including one in 2024.
Persona 4was one of the very last PS2 exclusives, and the developers pulled out all the stops. Many fans would argue it’sone of the top-tier Persona games, and for good reason. The game oozes style, and despite coming so late in the PS2’s lifespan, its graphics hold up surprisingly well.
Persona 4has a more lighthearted story, involving high school students being dragged into a TV world. But it still gets plenty dark, and it features some of the series' best companions — especially Yosuke. The game sparked several spinoffs and updated versions, and is as easy to jump into today as it was over 15 years ago.
The PS2 limped on until 2012, but didn’t see any more big RPG releases for the rest of its lifespan — just obscure JRPGs and poor ports of PS3 releases. Still, few consoles witnessed as many gems as the PS2.
