Even though it wasn’t that long ago, the sixth console generation, aka. the PS2 era, was not a hotbed of RPG activity. JRPGs were abundant, yes, but the widespread popularity of the genre hadn’t come about yet. Gamers were way more interested in shooters and fighting/racing games than JRPGs or isometric Western RPGs.
That doesn’t mean that the PS2 wasn’t home to some of the best RPGs of the era, and some of the best of all time. These are damn-near perfect PS2 RPGs that still pull their weight and try to hold up today. It’s a testament to the quality of these games that they have maintained a positive reputation and solid word of mouth for multiple decades.
10
Champions Of Norrath
Recreating Vibes
After Baldur’s Gate was handed to the legendary Black Isle Studios following the first Dark Alliance game, Snowblind Studio took the opportunity to use their expertise in developing isometric action RPGs to create its own version of a sequel; this one set in the EverQuest universe. The result was Champions of Norrath, an excellent ARPG that was a perfect entry point to the genre for many.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
The hack-and-slash design isn’t revolutionary, but it feels good to play, and regular weapon and armor upgrades keep things fresh throughout. Local co-op runs like a dream (online co-op is a mixed bag) and is honestly the best way to play. Rock-solid voice acting from a heavy-hitter cast and varied, detailed environments are the cherry on top. Champions of Norrath holds up great, and it was a blast in its day, too.
9
Suikoden 3
The Gang’s All Here
It’s tough to pick between Suikoden 3 and Suikoden 5 when choosing which to include here, but the series third entry has ambition on its side, and that pushes it over the top. This was the first game in the series to use 3D visuals, which was a massive leap from the previous 2D games. But that’s not where this game’s ambition ends.
Suikoden 3 features three main protagonists, and lets you switch between them throughout the campaign via the Trinity Sight System to see their perspectives on events as they play out. There are three further optional characters you can unlock later in the game as well. The music, world-building, and character development are all exceptional, but that’s par for the course with Suikoden games. While some series fans feel that this was a step down from Suikoden 2, this threequel has aged remarkably well and feels incredibly groundbreaking running on a PS2.
8
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Rules Are Made To Be Broken
The entire Shadow Hearts series is criminally underrated and way too cool to have been overlooked like it was. While the first game is more of a straight-up horror title, Shadow Hearts: Covenant puts an adventure spin on the idea, retaining the spooky elements but adding a more comedic tone, which also helps with its pacing. The result is a game that is considered by many as one of the best video game sequels ever made.
Set in an alternate-history version of the First World War where the enemies are demons, Karen (the first game’s protagonist) is sent back to the battlefield with a priest named Nikolai to deal with said demons. Combat in Shadow Hearts: Covenant is spectacularly complex, with a weird spinning wheel interface called the Judgment Ring that denotes timed button presses which determine the effectiveness of your attacks. It’s weird at first, but feels great once you get used to it, and it feels like a massive turn-based innovation that has been sitting unexplored ever since.
7
Persona 4
Breaking Through
Persona 4 arrived on the PS2 nearly two years after the launch of the PS3, so even though this game popularized the Persona name in the West, it was still largely overlooked before the release of Persona 4 Golden in 2012. Often regarded as one of the greatest RPGs of all time, Persona 4’s lovable cast of characters, addictive social sim elements, and unimpeachable sense of style made it an immediate hit with anyone who played it.
If you’re familiar with the combat in Persona 5, you’re familiar with the combat here, too, right down to the “One More” system and All-Out attacks. Issuing orders to your party members in combat is new, though, and it’s an interesting wrinkle in an already iconic combat system. The game’s rural setting is also interesting and has a surprising amount of impact on its social elements. There’s a great soundtrack, some engrossing voice acting, and gorgeous animated cutscenes. You get the idea. It’s a Persona game, and it’s fantastic. No surprise there.
6
Dark Cloud 2
Build Me A Village
As brilliant and creative as the first Dark Cloud is, Dark Cloud 2 blows it out of the water. Unfortunately, an obtuse naming convention that confused gamers about whether this was a direct sequel or a spiritual successor rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. That’s pretty much the only blemish on Dark Cloud 2’s legacy. Everything else is fantastic.
You’ll have a hard time finding a better RPG with action combat on the PS2 (besides a couple that are coming up). It might be alienating to some, but the longer you play, the more you unlock and the deeper it gets. Story, music, and exploration are all peak here. Most interesting of all is the unexpected city-building and management mechanic called Georama, which lets you restore the towns you find during your playthrough. While Georama existed in the first Dark Cloud as well, the degree of customization available in Dark Cloud 2 is on another level.
5
Final Fantasy 12
Revisionist History
Final Fantasy 12’s move away from the series’ turn-based tradition was very poorly received and made this game one of the most divisive entries in the franchise. That said, it’s worth revisiting today, because it’s pretty fantastic in hindsight. The story, characters, music, and visuals are all up to the series’ standard, even if they don’t necessarily challenge the best Final Fantasy has to offer, but the ultimate factor here is the combat.
Final Fantasy 12 features an active combat system akin to MMORPGs of the era. That sounds terrible, I know, but bear with me because in this case, it really works. That Gambit system is fascinating, letting you write logic for your party’s AI to dictate how they behave in battle. It’s tricky, but once you get the hang of it, it lets you focus on crafting wild strategies or figuring out challenging boss fights. Between that and building up Vaan, Final Fantasy 12 is a stupidly easy game to lose hours of your time to, especially if you’re the type who loves to min-max your characters.
4
Kingdom Hearts 2
Guess Who’s Back?
I know there are some fans who feel that the first Kingdom Hearts is the series’ best, but for my money, Kingdom Hearts 2 is about as good as an action RPG can get. Improved visuals, flashier combat, a bevy of recognizable Disney worlds and characters, and, of course, an iconic soundtrack all help make this one of the finest games on the PS2, and easily one of the top games in the Kingdom Hearts series as a whole.
It really is crazy that Kingdom Hearts 2 runs on a PS2 with how visually stunning it is. Colors pop, animations are smooth and lifelike in both combat and exploration, and characters are expressive and easy to connect with. I also think Kingdom Hearts 2 rolls credits with the overarching story in an ideal spot, and marks the “point of no return” for the series, after which lore-dense spin-offs and lengthy waits between mainline sequels complicate things to the point that the IP is unwelcoming to newcomers. Kingdom Hearts 2 is not just one of the PS2’s best RPGs; it’s one of the console’s best games, period.
3
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2
A Gauntlet Throw For Western RPGs
There are a lot of standards in Western RPGs that were first popularized by the Baldur’s Gate series (Baldur’s Gate 3 will likely continue that trend), and Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2 is no exception. Even when compared to the first Dark Alliance, the improvements here are unquestionable, from hero-specific questlines to more variety among playable characters and the loot you can find. Between the two games, Dark Alliance 2 is simply a deeper experience than its predecessor.
For fans of Dungeons & Dragons or the Baldur’s Gate series, or even isometric RPGs in general, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2 is loaded with lore and callbacks to the 3rd edition of the D&D tabletop. Even while maintaining those connections, the game tells a completely engaging tale, with some legendary standout moments (like exploring Luvia’s Laboratory) that remain unforgettable. Combat may not feel as impressive today as it did back in 2004, but that’s no surprise. As far as PS2 Western RPGs go, Dark Alliance 2 is best in class.
2
Final Fantasy 10
Now We’re Ballin’
It took a while for Square Enix to recapture the magic of Final Fantasy 7’s massive success on the PS1, but they got about as close as humanly possible with Final Fantasy 10. Granted, they are very different games, but both are spectacular, timeless, and beloved, and they still represent the very best the Final Fantasy franchise has to offer, even 25 years later.
I’m going to use some of this entry to ask everyone to pause and look at those screenshots up above. That game is 25 years old, running on hardware that was released just one year earlier. It’s astounding how good Final Fantasy 10 still looks. Thankfully, looks aren’t the only reason why it’s a perfect PS2 RPG. The budding romance between Tidus and Yuna is still one of gaming’s best love stories. Combat is visceral and complex, with some of the best and most exciting summons in the series. Then there’s Blitzball, which is simply one of the coolest video game sports of all time. The fact that you actually get to play it in-game is the icing on the cake.
1
Dragon Quest 8: Journey Of The Cursed King
True RPG Perfection
The jump from the 2D Dragon Quest 7 to the first 3D game in the series is show-stopping. Cel-shaded visuals have come full circle and are once again finding their place among the hyperrealistic visuals of triple-A games. Back in 2005, Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King used that same visual style, and it’s still one of the best implementations of it in any video game. From wandering through a semi-open world that looks like it was ripped from a children’s book to the unique contextual animations that NPCs and enemies display, Dragon Quest 8 is a feast for the eyes.
That astounding visual splendor is backed up by the best voice acting you’ll find in any PS2 game, RPG or otherwise. It’s still on par with the voice quality in modern games, but on a sixth-gen console it was mind-blowing. Combat isn’t overly complex, but it is balanced to perfection, demanding only as much grinding as it takes to thoroughly explore the world while preventing you from buying your way to being overpowered by making even consumable items expensive to purchase. Dragon Quest 8 gets too many essential RPG elements too perfect to be ranked anywhere else on this list. It may not rip your heart out like Final Fantasy 10 or tell an epic crossover narrative like Kingdom Hearts 2, but perfection is about refinement and polish on top of being exceptional, and in that regard, Dragon Quest 8 is unbeatable.
