Well, that’s a bunch of acronyms in a title, isn’t it?
Anyway… In the past I’ve posted RPG top tens for both the PSP and the PS3. I figured out that sooner or later I’ll have to write one for every PlayStation console and, among those, the one platform that deserves that article the most has to be the PS2.
A majority of gamers consider this era to be the pinnacle of the Japanese Role-Playing Game and, while I wouldn’t dare to be so categorical about it, a huge amount of great titles were released for this console indeed. Here I’ll present my favorite 10.
Disclaimer time: Like with all my top 10s, only one game per franchise will appear. Also, and more particular to this “retro topic”, some of these games I haven’t played in a long time so disclaimer for my “nostalgia glasses” perspective.
10. Grandia II – Fun fact: The first Grandia was one of the first JRPGs I’ve ever played on my old PS1. Like many games in the genre, it was an epic adventure but it also gave off a very cozy mood. I kind of expected the same for the sequel so, even if the sequel is still a pretty light-hearted adventure, I was still a bit disappointed with its new direction. That being said, it only took me a few hours with the game to be completely enthralled by it. Looking back, I think that I still hold the original closer to my heart but both are great classic JRPGs. Unfortunately (or perhaps not), here in Europe we never got the third.
9. Suikoden III – I’m kind of cheating including this one here as I didn’t really play this one on PS2. As a European gamer I was forced to wait by the sidelines while everyone overseas seemed to praise it constantly. That’s until someone at Sony decided to re-release this title on PSN many years later. Maybe I was soured by Konami’s earlier mistreatment but, in the end, this third-entry didn’t become my favorite of the series. That being said, I still applaud vividly at the ambitious storytelling of this sequel as much as its intricate battle system.
8. Kingdom Hearts – Let’s be honest here, when this game first was announced, who didn’t thought that mixing “Final Fantasy” with Disney was a dumb idea? I have to admit that I did. A high-school friend of mine just wouldn’t stop bugging me to play it so I did and then… I had to eat my words. The original KH is great and the perfect beginning for some of the unconventional epics in gaming but we all know that now.
7. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time – This third main entry on the action-y space-opera, was the first fully 3D one and, unlike many other franchises, they didn’t stumble with the technological challenge but instead created what would be (in my opinion) the best title in the series. It’s a bit sad that this title, released almost 20 years ago, was the last “truly great” entry in the franchise but let’s hope The Divine Force changes the streak when it releases later this month.
6. Shadow Hearts: Covenant – You might just stop reading the article right now but I have something to confess, I’ve never been the biggest fan of the classic turn-based fights in JRPGs. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t really dislike them but I’ll always celebrate when companies throw in something more to the formula instead of sticking to a “vanilla” implementation. An example of this would be Shadow Hearts’ “Judgment Ring”, an element that makes the battles more dynamic, flashy and definitely engaging. Obviously, that’s not all there is to the game. Covenant was a very deep RPG with a profound elaborated story and a fascinating world. I also always loved its Gothic art-style.
5. Valkyrie Profile 2 (Silmeria)– Tri-Ace’s made themselves some huge boots to fill with the first Valkyrie Profile on the original PS1 but, while refusing to just make more of the same, they lived up to it and made it better. The lore is engrossing, it has an exquisite art style, the new tactical real-time combat is both complex and balanced… A marvelous JRPG all around. Unlike many franchises represented in this top 10, this Valkyrie series isn’t abandoned as of today and some sort of spin-off released this very week. Valkyrie Elysium might not be what old-school fans wanted from this IP but beggars can’t be choosers I guess.
4. Dragon Quest VIII – It sure wasn’t easy to be a Dragon Quest fan in Europe (until pretty recently). This eighth main game in the franchise was the very first I got to play. Instantly seduced by Akira Toriyama’s distinct art-style that definitely reminded my teenage mind of Dragon Ball, I rented this one on my local video rental store and had one of the most glorious weekends of all time. Suffice to say I had to go on and buy the full game to finish its story but it was worth it. I know this would be even higher on most people’s lists but by now you should expect this to be a bit “too classic” for me. Spare me.
3. Dark Chronicle (Dark Cloud 2) – From gorgeous cel-shading to gorgeous cel-shading, this second installment in the Dark Cloud IP is just as lovely to look today as it was 20 years ago. It may not have the deepest most mature plot on the list but it’s definitely a contender for the most lovable characters. More importantly, gameplay-wise, it’s definitely one of the most well-rounded RPGs throwing new engaging mechanics at every turn and giving them all their required depth. The world really needs a sequel.
2. Final Fantasy X – This one was a toughie. Like I disclaimed earlier, I only include one game per franchise and the PS2 era had at least a couple games that would definitely deserve a spot in this list otherwise. In the end I chose X over my also beloved FFXII because of its memorable story, ultra-lovable cast of characters, but above all, because I prefer the classic (although arguably less-original) turn-based combat. Like all FFs, its superior production values over any other JRPG series makes this title feel the most “modern” of the bunch.
1. Persona 4 – I’ve must have explained this a few times on the blog but I didn’t fall in love with the Persona series from the get-go. The first two didn’t really click with me, the third I liked but I found way too grindy (even for this era in JRPGs). However, when I got to play the fourth, it blew me away. In fact, because of my past with the series, I didn’t even buy it but borrowed from a friend. By the time I played it and thereby realized how much of a masterpiece it was, it was too late and this was already kind of a collector’s item. Luckily, years later, I managed to grab its “Golden” re-release for Vita, phew!
Runner Ups: Wild Arms 3, Disgaea 2, Rogue Galaxy, Radiata Stories, .Hack//Quarantine
And this is it. I hope you don’t get too mad about my choices here. There were too many great games to choose from and I struggled to sort them out until the very last minute. In any case, these are my choices but all of them are valid. Share yours with a comment if you feel like it and have a great day!
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