Top Ten Must Have PS2 RPGs
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- Stuck on what to play or what to buy? Join TVGS as they list and discuss ten of the greatest Playstation 2 RPGs the system ever received. Many great RPGs released for the PS2 so let us know your top 10 best games down below!
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I worked on Shadow Hearts and I'm so glad it made it to your list. I loved the Judgement Ring aspect of the game. I never really liked traditional turn based systems but with this it really felt like I was responsible for the success (or failure) of the characters actions. The risk/reward trade off of trying to get the sliver of red was great too. Also, having to manage players Sanity Points was something I'd forget often. That we a extra level of complexity to deal with.
Fun Fact: When Yuri punches Albert Simon on top of the train in the Japanese version, his hand goes THROUGH his head and out the back. Some reason they thought that was too much for us states side so they added that white flash to hide that part of the scene.
Wow!! Very Nice man.
Salve from Brazil 🇧🇷
Dark cloud 2 is my fav JRPG highly underrated and it is amazing!
It's g@y
Persona 3 is also dope! Cool list man :)
Totally agree! Loved number 3. Thanks for watching!
Definitely
@That Video Games Show what music was playing at end from game?
I´d add final fantasy xii and odin sphere. Good list though.
Finally someone who acknowledges Star Ocean 3 as one of the best RPGs for PS2.The story may be controversial(I personally like it!)but the battle system is one of the best...
ok i bought this game and have tried twice to get into it... but then i run into that little circus girl and the writing and every about her character is so atrocious i turn it off. is she a main character in that game? because it felt like they were setting her up to be the "tiny anime girl" trope and i aint into that shit. but if it was just a terrible and temporary side character i might push through it.
@@6shot6 She's literally a playable side-prop. You missed out on a great game because of your own projected guilty insecurities, it seems.
@@ClandestineMerkaba The game is terrible from start to finish. It has acceptable gameplay, but everything else is garbage. The story, the voice acting, the characters/character development.. it's the worst in the entire franchise and Star Ocean 5 is pretty bad.
@@DeltathRiylaan Sweet, don't play it then. Later.
@@ClandestineMerkaba K.
1. Shadow Hearts: Covenant
2. Dragon Quest VIII
3. Xenosaga III
4. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga1
5. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga2
6. Suikoden V
7. Tales of the Abyss
8. Persona 3 FES
9. Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne
10. Persona 4
Great choices there mate!
Excellent list. Honestly. Shadow Hearts is bloody incredible.
I only play shadow hearts 3 and i really like it, is Covenant even better?
@@Diego-sn4gz 3 isn't bad, but 1 and 2 taken together are miles ahead
Nice to see Digital Devil Saga getting some love! And your right Persona 3 is waaayy better than P4.
Great list. I'll just add Dark cloud 2 and Wild Arms 3 are two more great ps2 rpg's that are well worth playing
Dark cloud 2 and radiata stories are two that I felt were missing from this list.
@@judahshort08 Same
Rogue galaxy is a masterpiece nd nobody remember it
Deserved so much more attention than it got!
I love that game still own it
@@Gwoblesto189 I played the digital version of the PS2 game on PS4. Such a great JRPG. The story was fun, great characters with Jaster, Kisala, Zeagram. I miss the game so much. Definitely one of those games I would replay a second playthrough. The sidequests and boss battles throughout the game were so fun.
Can't believe I didn't play this when I had my PS2. Definitely may do the sidequests soon.
The moment I saw thumbnail, it feels like I got punch with nostalgia
I remember I bought that game new at Target for $10 because no one was buying the game. Had no idea how much fun I was about to have.
Valkyrie Profile 2, Wild Arms 5, Radiata Stories, Legend of Legaia 2, .Hack//GU, Atelier Iris 3, Mana Khemia 1 and 2.
Great suggestions. Loved Radiata Stories!
.Hack just never clicked with me, but every other one you list was great. I can't decide if I preferred Wild Arms 5 or Radiata Stories. And Legaia 2 was fun with a unique battle system.
wild arms for sure and valkyrie profile for sure
I feel like the only person who remembers Radiata Stories. Poor Tri-Ace got shut down, so who knows if we'll ever see some sort of rerelease.
Legaia 2 was awful... just... awful imo. The first one was wayyy better
We can't forget Dark Cloud 1 and 2!!!
I'd add Disgaea Hour of Darkness to the list
Great choice!
If you’re someone that likes to 100% games this game will drive u nuts
One severely overlooked game is Wilds Arms 3. It's my favorite of the series. The story is awesome, the gameplay is solid, and the overall presentation is marvelous.
You get a like simply for using “Wandering Flame” for the FFX section. Such a perfect song.
One of my favourites!
The sequel Shadow Hearts 2 is a great improvement over the first, but both worth playing simply to get the full story.
Nice list! Thanks for the video.
Dragon Quest V remake along with the fan translation is a masterpiece. Since playing reproductions on PS2 is very cheap and easy, I would say it's a must own.
Honorable mentions:
Dark Cloud 1 & 2
Xenosaga 1 thru 3
I absolutely loved Rogue Galaxy! Good call.
Such a great experience!
Rogue Galaxy is genuinely underrated, a bit cheesy and trope-y but not so much that it detracts from the gameplay and surprisingly deep weapon crafting and skill upgrading system
You forgot Wizardry: Tales of the Forsaken Land. That one made me tear up with Sophia's goodbye.
Dark Cloud, Okami, Grandia 3, Radiata Stories, Front Mission 4... Too many good RPGs during PS2 era.
man, that wild arms 1 tune at the end? right to my feelings...
Final Fantasy 10
Final Fantasy 12
Dragon Quest 8
SMT: Nocturne
SMT: Digital Devil Saga
SMT: Digital Devil Saga 2
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts 2
Dark Cloud 2
Legaia 2: Duel Saga
Great choices!
@@thatvideogamesshow i loved shadpw hearts and suikoden 4 as well as others. One of these others may bethe 10th instead of legaia 2 tbh
Smt is goated
totally missed rogue galaxy as a kid but it looks fantastic. never enough rpgs.
For me is:
1 - Final Fantasy XII
2 - Dragon Quest VIII
3 - Final Fantasy X
FF12 was a good game, great graphics for a PS2 game, and plenty long, but I found the characters and storyline boring, something that still plagues FF games to this date.
as long as There's SMTs on a list, I'm good with it.
Always looking into building my ps2 rpg collection. Back then I was a FF fanboy so I have some catching up to do.
So many great RPGs on the system!
Xenosaga III
Romancing Saga: Minstrel Song
Final Fantasy X
Tales of the Abyss
Shadow Hearts: Convenant
Grandia II
too bad xenosaga 2 was such a slow game, both the first and the third were fantastic.
Pretty excellent selection of games here, but I'm dismayed at the lack of Wild Arms. One of my favourite games on the system is Wild Arms 5, though 3 is considered the stronger title.
I love me some wild arms 3
the list is too short for rpg games must lol
my god..you are making me cry with those video...please keep up the good work!!
For the PS2 my list is:
1) Star Ocean Till The end of Time (I'VE GONE MAD FOR THE THROPHIES)
2) Final Fantasy X (I think giving tons of hp and a pattern to a superboss is not good...)
3) Shadow Hearts (replayed too many times searching for everything)
4) Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne (OMG beating Lucy at the end...1 of my greatest achievement!)
5) Persona 4 (huge fan of smt serie ^^)
6) Dragon Quest 8 (my FIRST DQ ever, loved it so much!)
7) Kingdom Hearts (just finished the DLC of 3...what a jurney!!)
8) Disgaea (put every number you want. I just LOVE MAXING STATS ^^")
9) Xenosaga Episode 1 (KOS-MOS is the FLEXER OF JUSTICE)
10) Tales of Destiny (yeeeeah it's only in japanese...so wat? t's my best Tales ever and given the great work done in the remake, how can I not possibly play it??)
Xenosaga 1-3 mostly 1&3
These belong in the ps2 collection for sure. However, if we are to narrow it down to just 10, I wouldn't pick kingdom heart over kingdom heart 2. Same goes for shadow heart 2 over shadow heart. The sequel for these 2 games are better game overall imo.
Agreed. They elevate the first game imo
You spoke like a true weeb. Every KH except for the first one showcases the worst parts of anime and anime culture. KH1 was a universal success, KH2 was a weeb game. Simple as that.
KH2 was better than 1 gameplay-wise, yes, but in terms of the environments and mystery of the story the first one is way better, that's why I prefer it over 2, due to its atmosphere. from the 2nd game onwards all the worlds felt lifeless to me, which wasn't the case with KH1
Glad to see rogue galaxy getting some acknowledgement
im playing p4 on pcsx2 and i have to say is the best rpg i've ever played ( yes i have played p5 and p3)
One of the best RPGs ever.
Good list. I would add Tsugunai: Atonement. IMO a hidden gem.
Definitely gonna have to pick some of these up. Great List!
My niggaz left out Ar Tonelico Melody of Metalfalica and Elemia doe
Suikoden III was a fun rpg on PS2 for me, had fond memories playing it.
Same.
Reading the comments and watching the vid for a good list of ps2 rpgs to load on my ps3
thanks guys!
Agree with all of these and quite a few in the comments. I'd add in a little known game called Metal Saga. Nice turnbased action where you are a bounty hunter and through the game you collect and customize tanks. You even get a garage and can give each a custom paint job along with weapons, motors, and armor.
The PS2 era was such a fantastic period for JRPGs that you could probably make the same list with completely different games multiple times over.
I HAVE THE PS2 AND THE PS4 BUT I DONT LIKE PS4 GAMES BECAUSE I CANT READ THE PRINT AS ITS WAY TOO SMALL FOR MY EYES. SO IM BACK PLAYING THE OLD PS2 GAMES BECAUSE THE PRINT IS A GOOD SIZE IN IT. I PLAY MY PS2 GAMES OVER AND OVER AS I ENJOY THEM VERY MUCH. WILD ARMS 1 AND 3 I HAVE HERE WHICH I LIKE, DARK CLOUD, KINGDOMHEARTS ALTHOUGH KINGDOM HEARTS IS A PRETTY GAME BUT A BUTTON MASHER.
FF10 is the most iconic jrpg of that era ♥️
I mean what did you expect. It's also the BEST rpg of that era, and still the best Final Fantasy game ever made. (If you can't tell, it's one of my all time favorite games even to this day lol)
@@kingofbudokai 100% ♡
@@kingofbudokai I'll agree to it being the iconic rpg of the era, and the best of the era as well (and there was some DAMNED stiff competition, too) but best FF game has to go to FFVI for me. That game basically had it all, as far as I'm concerned. I rate 10 as a SUPER close 2nd, with 7 all but right on top of THAT...
The single greatest hidden gem on PS2 i have ever found is Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana. It's one of the only PS2 games (aside from tales of the abyss) i've ever played that i like almost as much as Final Fantasy X. The .hack quartet is also pretty solid.
I'll add shadow hearts 2 and wild arms 3 to this excellent list.
Great choices there!
I never beat any of the Atelier Iris or Mana Khemia games but I'll admit to having a lot of fun playing them. .Hack//GU is a great game, too bad about it being broken up into three (at the time) smaller games, still fun as hell to play. Ar tonelico 1 is amazing, try it sometime! I played Ar tonelico 2 but I got stuck on a boss about half-way through and it never gave me the same feels as Ar tonelico 1. Tales of Legendia deserves at least a mention here, at the very least because of it's soundtrack. And the last game I'm gonna' bring up is Xenosaga, it suffers the same curse as .Hack and .Hack//GU being broken up into smaller games but it also gives you the benefit of each part playing differently.
Ps2 was the greatest console for jrpgs to date. Had the performance to allow for complicated mechanics, but not too much to make everything eye candy and shallow. Trails, persona, rogue galaxy, ffx, .hack, dqviii, ffxii, xenosaga, the list goes on. Monumental games.
Ive only recently began collecting for PS2, missed it in my youth. Some of my favorite JRPGs for the console though would be Tales of the Abyss, Dark Cloud 1&2, Wild Arms 3, Rouge Galaxy, Arc The Lad: Twilight of the Spirits and FFXII.
Also Summoner is great, but not a Japanese rpg :p
Great list! A few I know and love and a few I have wanted to play for years. Only omission, in my opinion, would be Radiata Stories, which I think is a bit overlooked.
totally overlooked!
And I had to play through twice to get all the characters.
I love how you jump right in, without all that historical context nonsense that most other youtubers seem to find necessary fluff to thicken up their introductions to the spoken essays they post online
Agreed, hate that nonsense as well.
Agree
*sigh* everybody always forgets about xenosaga
That's my only complain here... i would have changed suikoden 5 for xenosaga
@@Edos512 i wouldve been content if xenosaga was at least an honorable mention. but that said i do like the list i just wish more youtubers would give that gem the 5 mins in the spotlight it truly deserves.
im sad this video ended! such great memories!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Dragon Quest 8 was my first footstep in the world of DQ, and I don't regret it at all. It's such an awesome game and I love it!
Is dragon quest 8 worth playing on ps2?
Ahh «move me», happy to hear it as an intro song !!! Ridge racer 4 ost is so good :D
You mentioned Tales of the Abyss ? You my sir deserves a like !
Thanks mate!
golden generation of JRPGs
Besides FFX, Suikoden 3 was my most enjoyable time-invested RPG for PS2. I am saddened it did not make the list somehow.
I know. I never play Suikoden V but the 3rd one was so good!!!!
gameplay was meh. it's probably the 2nd weakest in the series.
S2 -> S1 -> S5 -> S3 -> S4
Suikoden V was a breath of fresh air in the series, going back to it's roots as to why Suikoden is one of the greatest jrpg in PS
@@ReaveIdono you should play Suikoden V
@@gethermedel3620 I have played them all including Tactics except for the 1st one. It's still my favorite of the franchise. Just finished Suikoden V this year.
Xenosaga, .Hack, Chaos Legion, Grandia, Digimon World 4 was dope too.
FFX and Kingdom Hearts was my fist rpg and I loved them to death. My favorite on ps2 though is Persona 3 and 4 🖤
I'll always have a soft spot for Wild Arms 3. It was a proper old fashioned JRPG in a changing world and has it's... quirks... but well worth losing yourself in for the horseback battles alone.
The real star of Tales of the Abyss is Jade Curtiss. :)
That said, thank you for listing not only that, but Suikoden V. The series gets missed a lot it seems.
Agreed. Jade Curtiss is awesome!
Dragon quest VIII.......my disc broke..... I remember playing it myself and its so cool
Me playing ffvi: theres too many playable characters. Wah
Suikoden V: stop whining and hold my beer
😂
its only 108
You should have played Radiata Stories for the PS2 then. Almost every character in the game is a playable character.
Okay that ridge racer track at the beginning got me. subscribed.
Bold move to put persona 4 over persona 3 on the list. But both are great game for a different reasons and i personally enjoyed persona 4 a lot better, so i appreciate it
Nice to see a lot of love for xenosaga in trhe comments, it's a series that I thought was mostly forgotten.
Shadow Hearts, fuck yeah! Amazing game
Awesome list, it's just missing Radiata Stories!
My other favorites not on the list.
1. Ar tonelico II
2. .Hack//GU series
3. Final fantasy XII
4. Atelier iris 3
5. Mana Khemia II
6. Shin megami tensei : devil summoner 2
7. Persona 3 FES
8. Shining force EXA
9. Drakengard 2
10. .hack// series
Occasionally I think your Top Ten should be a Top 25! Probably still wouldn’t have room for a couple dungeon-crawlers with rpg elements: Wizardry and King’s Field The Ancient City. And Baroque, which is just plain effin weird even for a very japanesie rpg.
No Xenosaga or Dot Hack?
Xenosaga 1-3 mostly 1 & 3
No
Im surprised the xenosaga series didnt make it on this list.
I could never get into Kingdom Hearts. As an adult I've moved well on from Disney.
There's a lot more Suikoden games on the PS2 than just the 5th one, though, that sequel is my favorite in the series. Hope you mention Valkyrie Profile 2, which is a game I completed and reflected on after the ending. Unfortunately, they haven't made a proper sequel yet. There's also a lot of NISA JRPGs that could fill four videos easily, lol.
The only “top rpg” list that I’ve ever 100% agreed with (across all platforms). Great stuff dude
Thanks mate!
Best PS2 JRPG is FF12. Best PS2 JRPG not many know about and should play it is Rogue Galaxy.
Darn good list :) the nostalgia .......
Glad you enjoyed it mate 🙂
Dragon Quest 8 is simply one of the best games I've ever played in any genre
I’m a few months into P4, but so far I’ve easily enjoyed P3 FES more than P4
Baldur's Gate 2, Champions of Norrath, Champions Return to Arms should have surely made the list but otherwise excellent list
I absolutely love the Ridge Racer Type 4 intro!
Suikoden 3, Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 are great too. Story presentation and gameplay is so good.
Valkyrie Profile 2
Please don't forget this game. :(
man that outro song from wild arms...poor nostalgia!
I just miss Shadow Hearts: Convenant. Other than that, its a great list. :)
I've recently bought SMT Digital Devil Saga and Arc the Lad. I haven't had time to play them yet, but thanks for reminding me about another ps2 RPGs I still miss in my collection :D
The kingdom hearts trailer I remember it as a kid and new I had to have that game! One of the most loved games I ever played so nostalgic seeing it again that and final fantasy x probably two of the most dearest games to my heart 😩
You my dude are making the best rpg game lists of all. Most of them are rlly amazing in this episode here.
Thanks Jura! That’s means a lot mate! Glad you are enjoying the episodes 🙂
@@thatvideogamesshow You're welcome :D
I'm just here to make sure yall know about Arc the Lad: Twilight of Spirits!
Twas the second rpg I ever played!
(First was Legend of Dragoon).
No one remember Steambot Chronicles? Now that's a gem!
snes/ps1/ps2... now that was golden age with rich rpg library!
whew wild arms series, good ol’ shadow hearts, etc...
So many great RPGS!
This also has to do with if your ps2 can play both types of disks. I recently last bought a used black slim then played xenosaga 1 and can't finish it since it can no longer read the scratchless disk.
Good list. Not what I expected.
The tales series in my 2nd favorite rpg genre after final fantasy... I love this rpg so much
I like this channel. Your lists and production value is pretty solid. I just think you need to tweak your vocal delivery a little, and you'll be gold.
You're a tad monotone at the moment. Try reading it out like you're excitedly explaining your list while face-to-face with someone.
Persona 4 is really worth it getting into. Not may rpg executes modern world setting this great and to be able to do activities and form relationships that is beneficial to your gameplay walkthrough is only on persona series!
Saw the thumbnail, and yeah, Rogue Galaxy had such an epic end game. I never finished the shadow heart games. I dabbed in all three...
Yay! Suikoden 5 in on this list; thanks very much! Too bad it's so expensive now; I say that cause my copy is all scratched up and I'd love to pick it up again. Anyway thanks again :)
Luckily i have almost all of these. Im just missing Suikoden 5 (i only have the first 3) and Shadow Hearts. I only own Shadow hearts: Frome the New World. There are alot of other must own PS2 RPGs but these are some great ones.
My top 10 is and in no particular order:
1. Tales of the Abyss
2. Grandia 3
3. Rogue Galaxy
4. Dragon Quest VIII
5. Magna Carta
6. Phantasy Star Universe
7. Final Fantasy XI(Final Fantasy XII if XI doesn't count)
8. Ys :The Ark of Napishtim
9. Legaia 2: Duel Saga
10. Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time
I personally didn't jibe with Magna Carta, and I do know that it is considered trash for some reason. Dunno why though...
Ys 6 is literally just that good, and would have sold MUCH HARDER if the series had it's whole history in the west...bit that's a story for another time.
Gotta add that I think that the Devil Summoner games should be here as well...Raidou Kuzunoha vs King Abaddon was nuts!
@@SliderZero I never played Magna Carta on the ps2 myself. I did play Magna Carta 2 on the Xbox 360 and loved the game, and put the first on my list for that reason. Magna Carta 2 is one of my favorite ROG's of it's generation.
Dark Cloud? Dark Chronicle? Musashi Samurai Legend? Wild Arms 3?
My top 10 would be
1. Wild Arms 3
2. Ephemeral Phantasia
3. Dark Cloud 2
4. FFX
5. Suikoden 3
6. Arc The Lad: Twilight of Spirits
7. Grandia 2
8. Legend Of Legaia 2: Duel Saga
9. Star Ocean 3: Till The End Of Time
10. Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim
damn. I can't imagine putting Suikoden 3 in the top 20 lol
but Suikoden V? surely in the top 10
@@gethermedel3620 Suikoden 3 was my first and still favorite Suikoden game so I chose one from franchises that had multiple games
1. Final Fantasy X
2. Dragon Quest VIII
3. Legend of Zelda Twillight Princess
4. Grandia 2&3
5. Wild Arms 3
6. Legend of Legaia 2
7. Valkyrie Silmeria
8. Star Ocean Till The End of Time
9. Tales of Destiny 2
10. Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song
11. Final Fantasy XII
12. Ys V Keifin Lost City in The Sand
13. Radiata Stories
14. Final Fantasy XI Online
15. Disney Kingdom Hearts II
16. SMT Devil Summoner
17. Suikoden III
18. Tales of The Abyss
19. Xenosaga Episode I
20. Ys III Oath in Felghana
21. Suikoden IV
22. Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
23. Shadow Hearts
24. Odin Sphere
25. Tales of Legendia
26. Baldur's Gate
27. Xenosaga Episode III
28. Persona 3 FES
29. Disgaea 1&2
30. Ys VI The Ark of Naphitism