5 PlayStation 2 RPGs That Still Hold Up Today

by

The PlayStation 2 was incredibly popular – it’s the best-selling game console ever! Because so many people owned one, developers made tons of games hoping to attract players. Role-playing games, or RPGs, were particularly successful on the PS2. With hundreds of options available, it’s hard to know which ones are worth revisiting, but a few really stand out as classics.

Here are the five PlayStation 2 role-playing games that still hold up today.

5) Kingdom Hearts 2

Combining the worlds of Final Fantasy and Disney initially seemed strange, but Square Enix successfully created the original Kingdom Hearts. While the first game wasn’t perfect – those Gummi Ship sections were a bit clunky – it was popular enough to win over millions of players, paving the way for an even better sequel.

Kingdom Hearts 2 builds on the original, refining what players enjoyed and improving even the weaker parts – including the Gummi Ship sections. The game features a fantastic range of Disney worlds, from classic settings like Tron and Steamboat Willie to more recent favorites like Mulan and Pirates of the Caribbean. With an epic secret battle against Sephiroth added to the mix, many fans consider it the strongest entry in the Kingdom Hearts series.

4) Suikoden III

Many fans consider Suikoden II to be the best game in the series, and I’d agree. However, it was released on the original PlayStation, so it doesn’t qualify for this list. Luckily, Suikoden III was a great sequel that successfully continued the series’ tradition when it came out on a newer console.

While not flawless, Suikoden III offers a compelling experience. The music isn’t its strongest point, and the game’s pace occasionally falters. However, its ambitious story, told through the eyes of three different characters, is captivating, and collecting all the recruitable characters is still incredibly fun. Konami also smartly removed time limits for recruiting, making the quest to find all 108 Stars of Destiny much more manageable.

3) Dark Cloud 2

Level-5 consistently creates visually impressive games, and Dark Cloud 2 is a prime example. This sequel builds upon the gameplay of the beloved original, adding some significant enhancements. The most notable new feature is the ability to earn “Geostones,” which let you reconstruct the world beyond the challenging dungeons.

Dark Cloud 2 includes elements of city-building, which adds a new strategic dimension to the gameplay. Beyond its engaging mechanics, the game is visually stunning—it remains one of the best-looking titles on the PlayStation 2. Plus, it’s readily accessible to PlayStation 5 owners, making it a great game to experience or revisit.

2) Persona 4

I remember when Persona 4 first came out in 2008, and it’s kind of wild looking back at it now. The PlayStation 3 had only been out for a couple of years, but Atlus actually decided to release it on the PS2 instead! They figured a lot more people still had PS2s at the time. It’s funny because it didn’t even make its way to the PS3 until 2014 – and that was on a PlayStation Classic, which came out the year after the PS4 was released! It just shows how long it took for everyone to finally be able to play it on that system.

The Persona series has a unique approach to releasing games, and it seems to be successful. Atlus used a similar strategy with Persona 5, and it didn’t negatively impact sales. That said, Persona 4 is essential for RPG fans. It perfectly blends the everyday life of high school with challenging dungeon exploration, and this game represents that blend at its finest. Plus, it’s widely available on many platforms, making it easy to get your hands on.

1) Final Fantasy X

For many gamers, Final Fantasy X was the main reason to purchase a PlayStation 2. Released about a year after the console’s launch, it significantly raised the bar for graphics on consoles. Before this, console games simply hadn’t achieved that level of visual detail – it was something usually reserved for powerful PCs.

I remember when Final Fantasy X first came out – nothing else really looked like it! The graphics were just stunning for their time, and honestly, they still hold up beautifully. But it wasn’t just pretty; it was genuinely innovative. The Sphere Grid was a fantastic way to level up your characters, the battle system felt fresh, and the story? It really grabbed me with all its unexpected twists and turns. Even Blitzball, though not the best minigame in the series, was a fun and unique addition. What I love most is how accessible it still is – you can find it almost anywhere, and it’s still a joy to play today.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/gaming/list/6-best-shooters-on-the-playstation-2-that-fans-loved/embed/#

Read More

2026-02-28 03:10