Summary
ThePS2has some of the greatest RPGs ever produced, and many of them are still playable on modern hardware.Others have not been so lucky, including theXenosagatrilogy, the originalWild Armsremake, andChampions of Norrath,to name a few.
While those games are missed by fans, at least somehigh-quality versions of PS2 classics remain available. This list will take into consideration the quality of the original games along with the features added in their ports, remasters, or remakes. The greater the additions, the higher their ranking will be.
Dark Cloud 2and its predecessor are PS2 classics that have native ports to the PS4.There was an initiative at Sony to re-release cheaper remasters on the console that looked and ran better, with any upscaling done by the PS4, rather than through actual developer work.
Level-5’s other PS2 action game,Rogue Galaxy, is available too. It’s great that PS2 classics like these are available on modern hardware, but their lack of additions makes these games less special compared to other selections.
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliancewas a 2001 actionRPG similar toDiablo,set in theDungeons & Dragonsuniverse. It received a decent remaster in 2021 along with its 2004 sequel,Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2,which got a 2022 remaster.
Not much work was done on either of these games beyond visuals and speed improvements from the hardware, but they’re still excellent co-op RPGs. In some ways, it’s good they were left alone because there are many cheats that players discovered on the original hardware, like duplicating items. Of the two,Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2is the game to check out.
.hack//G.U.is the sequel trilogy to the original quadrilogy on the PS2. It started with.hack//G.U.Vol . 1//Rebirthin 2006 and two additional episodes would be released on the PS2, all connected by the same profile data.
The series remaster,.hack//G.U. Last Recode, was made available in 2017, with the latest version now available on Switch as of 2022. What makes this remaster stand out is the new epilogue content that answers some lingering questions left from the original versions.
Final Fantasy 10was the first game in the series to receive a grand remaster treatment instead of goingfor a remake. Combined with its sequel,Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remastermade a splash in 2014 in North America on the PS3 and PS Vita.
The latest versions of these games were made available on the Switch and Xbox One in 2019. Besides offering better visuals, this collection also added content that was previously exclusive to Japan, such as the Dark Aeons. They do lack otherFinal Fantasyremaster perks that were introduced later, such as a cheat menu.
Disgaea: Hour of Darknesswas originally a PS2 exclusive in 2003, but over the years, it received many straight ports. Then, in 2018, it received the grand remaster treatment on the PS4 and Switch consoles, which almost felt like a remake due to all the work that was done.
Disgaea 1 Completehad a lot of quality-of-life improvements to make the menus easier to navigate, a huge deal fora tactical RPGknown for its detailed menus. With the story and characters, it’s still the best entry in the series.
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Armywas a late PS2 release in 2006, which was well-reviewed at the time, but it remained a bit of a black sheep in theMegami Tenseifamily.That is, untilRaidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Armywas released, which is the game that helped inspire this idea.
Beyond the visuals, the quality of life improvements make it impossible to return to the original game, with additional voice acting and save options being just a couple of examples. This is exactly how a remaster should be handled.
2Odin Sphere
Revamping A Norse Classic
Odin Spherewasreleased on the PS2 in 2007, marking a later release for the generation, and isone of Vanillaware’s best titles.Odin Sphere Leifthrasirexpanded the platform selection when it launched for the PS3, PS4, and PS Vita in 2016.
LikeRaidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, it added numerous quality-of-life features that made it easier to get into, including the map system, leveling up through plants, and a smoother flow to the combat. Going back to the PS2 original is hard now, even though it still looks good.
Kingdom Hearts 2was released for the PS2 a year after Japan in 2006, and it still holds up visually. Beyond that, the HD treatment it got via theKingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix,which first hit the PS3 in 2014, is astounding. The most recent version was dropped for the Switch’s cloud-based gaming platform in 2022.
Like mostKingdom Heartsgames, they are everywhere and easily accessible, from the first game to the last.Kingdom Hearts 2stands out specifically because of its high base quality, combined with numerous improvements and additional content, which providesSora withhis best adventureto date.
