Summary
The PS1 walked, paving the way for thePS2to soar, which led to some amazing games across all genres. Chief among them wereRPGs, many of which have been ported, remade, or remastered on other consoles. Others have not been so lucky and remain trapped on the PS2.
Even though these RPGs are great, some took a long time to get going. Even if they are fun from the start, they get even better as they go along thanks to environments opening up, new characters being introduced, or creative mechanics being applied. Let’s go through some top PS2 that improve as they go, and rank them based on how much better they truly get with time and patience.
.hack//Infectionis the first game in a quadrilogy that all came out roughly within the span of a year. These made the games shorter thanmost PS2 RPGsat the time, but they were still of a good level of quality.
The more players continued their saga with Kite and his friends between each game, the better they became at understanding how to maximize their time in emails, on the boards, and how to utilize the code system to discover new areas.Things truly felt in sync by the fourth game,.hack//Quarantine, allowing players to let loose in the finale, but even in.hack//Infection,things get more fun toward the halfway point.
Some findDark Cloud 2to be the better of the two games, as it polished away some of the rough edges and added new features like voice acting. However,Dark Cloudis still a fan favorite among PS2 players, and was an early example of a JRPG introducing randomized dungeons and roguelike level challenges into its gameplay.
Players began with Toan, and if he died, that was it. As players acquired more characters, this gave them a better chance at survival. When all six were gathered, that’s when things became easier and better, as it helped reduce stress levels.
Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuestwas a standalone action RPG spinoff to theEverQuestMMO series. It was modeled aftertheDiablogameswith characters in specific class roles, such as Barbarian, Ranger, Cleric, Wizard, and Shadowknight.
Players could go through the game once and have a good time, but then they could import that character into a second playthrough, or they could bring that hero to a friend’s game via save cards. This made every playthrough more unique than the last, even after the hundredth time, and it’s a shame both this game and its sequel are still trapped on the PS2.
PS1 players probably thought the idea of grid-based tactics withFinal Fantasy Tacticswas hard to grasp at first, but then their minds were blown even further withDisgaea: Hour of Darkness. Characters moved on a grid like inmost tactical RPGs, but there was a verticality element to maps as well.
Players could pick up enemies and allies, toss them around the map, and hit geodes to change the map’s functions. Characters would level up traditionally, but players could also level up weapons, armor, and accessories in dungeons. It was a lot to process, but as the mechanics became second nature, it felt like a more manageable affair, and it’s certainly even better in the HD remaster.
Front Mission 4is another grid-based tactical RPG that is both simpler and more complex thanDisgaea: Hour of Darkness. There were no environmental factors in the maps, and players controlled a smaller unit of characters in mechs called Wanzers.
These Wanzers could be customized, from their weapons to their legs, which affected everything from attack power to range, movement features, weight, and more, which is where the confusion could arise. It took a while to customize each mech, but after the tenth battle or so, players got a grip on the Wanzer customization to make it less of a chore and more of rewarding, like mostFront Missionentries.
TheSuikodenserieshas to hold some kind of record for having the most playable characters in their games, because they revolve around the 108 Stars of Destiny.Suikoden 3is no different from the first entry on the PS2, and features a massive cast of playable characters.
Players could build an army over time, which felt like a greater feat than other beloved PS2 RPG likeFinal Fantasy 10,which only had seven main playable characters and still followed a traditional save-the-world plot.Suikoden 3’sweighty plot became even more substantial over time, thanks to the introduction of new characters every hour or so, which made it feel more realistic.
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarteris the fifth mainline game in the series and the last to hit consoles. It is apainfully hard RPGthat has a meter that builds with every action taken, from walking to getting into battles. If the meter reaches 100%, it is game over, no matter what, but there is a solution: players can stop and restart their game, carrying over some data to then begin with a stronger party.
To fully beat the game, most players will probably restart two to three times to reach that perfect combination. It’s a game of patience, andBreath of Fire: Dragon Quarterrewards that patience with a stellar RPG experience.
Persona 4is not as hard asBreath of Fire: Dragon Quarter,but it does take alongtime to get into, which is traditional for mostPersonagames.Players will spend the first two hours talking to new friends at school, going to classes, and occasionally being introduced to the combat system and otherworld dungeons. Even when things open up, they are confined by a daily set of routines that cannot be skipped.
After a few in-game months ofPersona 4, meaning about ten to twenty hours, the reins will start to loosen, and most of the mechanics will be introduced so that players can engage with them how they want. Getting into the rhythm of aPersonagame is a challenge, but once players master one, they will master them all.
