Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Good JRPGs on the PS2?

Alienman

Retro-Fascist
Patron
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
17,046
Location
Mars
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Recently bought a PS2 and I'm wondering if there is any must play JRPGs on that system? I totally missed out on this console generation except Metal Gear so I'm going in totally blind.

Might mention also, that while I do enjoy the occasional JPRG my tolerance for extreme Japanese weirdness isn't that high unfortunately!
 
Self-Ejected

buru5

Very Grumpy Dragon
Patron
Joined
Apr 9, 2017
Messages
2,048
Radiata Stories, SMT: Nocturne, Dark Cloud 2, Raidou vs Soulless Army and its sequel.
 
Last edited:

Jimmious

Arcane
Patron
Joined
May 18, 2015
Messages
5,132
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Oh man there are quite some! Generally I'd go for Shin Megami Tensei games, like Persona 3 and 4 or Nocturnal. Good stuff.

PS There are Disgaeas for PS2 too :D
 

Falksi

Arcane
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
10,539
Location
Nottingham
Shadow Hearts Covenant. Simply brilliant. Does lose it's way a bit about 2/3's in, but still managers to be a superb game IMO.
Also, even tho it's an action rpg, don't overlook Summoner 2. Another personal fave of mine.
 

Alienman

Retro-Fascist
Patron
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
17,046
Location
Mars
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Man, these JPRGs are much more expensive than the regular PS2 games. Nice recommendations though.
 

Hyperion

Arcane
Joined
Jul 2, 2016
Messages
2,120
There's a Wizardry game on it. Haven't played it, hear it's OK, but seriously lacking in the character creation department. I think there's some optional dungeon that supposedly goes down infinitely with progressively stronger enemies. I liked Dark Cloud 1 more than 2, but it's a matter of taste I guess. Rogue Galaxy was also very good, from Level 5 as well.

Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria is another game that you can't go wrong getting. Shadow Heart has been mentioned, I personally recommend the second one. Third wasn't too good, but still better than a lot of stuff.

Suikoden 3 was fantastic. 4 was meh. 5 was decent, with a horribly designed protagonist.

Persona 3 and 4.

Odin Sphere.

Grandia Xtreme was my personal favorite of the series as it focused solely on combat with its postgame dungeon of 100 floors, and its dungeon crawler style. Perfected the already great Grandia combat system with its character customization, and equipment options.

Legaia 2: Duel Saga was a great follow up to Legend of Legaia.

It isn't actually Japanese, but I really liked Summoner 2 more than the first. Had some cool sidequests, character customization wasn't too bad, but easy to fuck up. Enjoyed the setting enough, had some unique areas and visuals. On American games, if you like the top-down hack 'n' slash style ARPG, Champions of Norrath, its sequel, and the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance games were pretty fun too.
 
Joined
May 6, 2009
Messages
1,875,975
Location
Glass Fields, Ruins of Old Iran
Tryign to think of some not mentioned yet...

Tales of the Abyss

Metal Saga (full of japanese weirdness but more on the "wtf" side than "am I kawaii? uguu")

Magic Pengel lets you role play as a dick you've drawn yourself, so I feel it needs to be mentioned even if it's more of a platformer.

Haven't played yet but Okage Shadow King shows up on recommendation lists now and then.

Colosseum Road to Freedom And Steel Lancer Battle Arena are action rpgs but are awesome and have no japanese aweso...weirdness.
 

v1rus

Arcane
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
2,253
Suikoden III and V, for surah. Also, play 1 and 2 if you havent already.

Also, Arc The Lad, Twillight of Spirits.
 

eric__s

ass hater
Developer
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Messages
2,301
The PS2 is the best JRPG console and there have been a lot of good recommendations. Nocturne, Suikoden, good stuff. The game you need to play, the game that will convince you that the PS2 is the best RPG console, is Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. It's very short and it costs $2 because nobody likes it, but it is a fantastic strategy RPG about conserving resources as you barrel headlong into the abyss. It's very difficult and at times unfair, but it understands this and is built around the idea of the player failing and retrying, and rewards you for doing it. Very experimental game that shatters series traditions and RPG expectations.

The PS2 Wizardry game is in the vein of 1-5 and very good, definitely one of the best Wizardry games. It's got great level design and it's lots of fun to explore.

Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song is a completely open-world JRPG with a time system, where things change over the course of the game. It's got a very complicated but enjoyable battle system, but what makes the game great is how hands-off it is in the way you play it. It sets you in the world and lets you go; it very rarely tells you what to do or where to go. You are free to play and explore the game.
 

CyberWhale

Arcane
Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Messages
6,058
Location
Fortress of Solitude
The PS2 is the best JRPG console and there have been a lot of good recommendations. Nocturne, Suikoden, good stuff. The game you need to play, the game that will convince you that the PS2 is the best RPG console, is Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. It's very short and it costs $2 because nobody likes it, but it is a fantastic strategy RPG about conserving resources as you barrel headlong into the abyss. It's very difficult and at times unfair, but it understands this and is built around the idea of the player failing and retrying, and rewards you for doing it. Very experimental game that shatters series traditions and RPG expectations.

The PS2 Wizardry game is in the vein of 1-5 and very good, definitely one of the best Wizardry games. It's got great level design and it's lots of fun to explore.

Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song is a completely open-world JRPG with a time system, where things change over the course of the game. It's got a very complicated but enjoyable battle system, but what makes the game great is how hands-off it is in the way you play it. It sets you in the world and lets you go; it very rarely tells you what to do or where to go. You are free to play and explore the game.

Good recommendations, but you should probably finish Barkley 2 instead of writting these walls of texts on Codex. Cheers.
 

Exhuminator

Arcane
Joined
Sep 10, 2015
Messages
609
I think Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is the best PS2 JRPG.

Beyond that there are tons to choose from. Some of my favorites have been King's Field IV (The Ancient City), Everblue 1 & 2, Dragon Quest VIII, Shadow Tower Abyss, and Final Fantasy XII. But there's still assloads of PS2 JRPGs I haven't played yet myself.
 

Hobo Elf

Arcane
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
13,999
Location
Platypus Planet
RsohvQ4.jpg


Luckily you made this thread just when I was rearranging my collection so I can just take a pic instead. Games not included are Summoner 1 & 2. Just take your pick fam, except maybe not Baroque or From the New World.
 
Joined
Jul 7, 2015
Messages
254
Location
Norfolk
If you're a huge storyfag and can deal with an anime with limited gameplay I like Xenosaga series a lot.

SMT: Nocturne is great but requires a ton of grinding, so much that I haven't actually finished it.
 

DJOGamer PT

Arcane
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
7,357
Location
Lusitânia
Disgaea 1
SMT Nocturne
Kingsfield 4
Shadow Tower Abyss
Final Fantasy X
Wyzard: Tales of the Forsaken Land
LOTR: Third Age
 
Last edited:

Siveon

Bot
Joined
Jul 13, 2013
Messages
4,509
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Not mentioned, .hack G.U. Original was shown but the sequel series were great gameplay/story-wise.

Odin Sphere.
PS4/Vita version is arguably much better.

Uh, most people didn't account for the fact you might not like Japan weirdness, just an FYI. Persona for example you try to go in with the biggest of open minds, if you're going in at 3 and especially 4.
 

Alienman

Retro-Fascist
Patron
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
17,046
Location
Mars
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Heh, well, I expect JPRGs to have Japanese weirdness, it's just that my tolerance level is a bit low, maybe it will get improved after playing some good ones :)

Gonna try some in a emulator before ordering since they cost so much. And Persona 3 I probably will never get to play, well at least not on the console. It cost around 100 dollars here for the PAL version. So Hobo Elf looks like you are sitting on a treasure.
 

Raghar

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
22,506
Dot hack wasn't that great. It managed to show the grind and item trading from MMO quite well.

PS2 games should be released as a freeware, and PS2 should be played on PC with emulator.
 

Alienman

Retro-Fascist
Patron
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
17,046
Location
Mars
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Dot hack wasn't that great. It managed to show the grind and item trading from MMO quite well.

PS2 games should be released as a freeware, and PS2 should be played on PC with emulator.

I don't know dude. Turning on the fat CRT TV, putting the disc in, hearing the CD spin-up, getting the Sony logo while I sit in my comfy chair. It is just something magical with it :)
 

v1rus

Arcane
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
2,253
oh yeah, Rogue Galaxy, can't believe I missed it. Fucking huge, and fucking awesome.
 

Higher Animal

Arcane
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
1,854
The consensus picks tend to be:

Dark Cloud 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
King's Field IV
Suikoden 3
Disgaea

Some deep cuts:

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Grandia Xtreme
Growlanser Generations
Romancing SaGa
Unlimited SaGa
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom