Top 5 PS2 RPGs For PS3 Owners

March 3rd, 2009 by

top5ps2rpgs

When the PS3 was first launched, I got it hoping the excellent offering of RPGs (Role Playing Games) on its predecessor would be continued in this generation of gaming. By now we know that the PS3 has been worryingly short of high quality RPGs, especially ones exclusive to the console.

So in order to keep your RPG-starved PS3 gamers at least somewhat appeased, I?ve assembled a short list of relatively recent PS2 RPGs that would be a worthy edition to PS3 owner?s game collection. Assuming, of course, you are a true fanboy and got one of the backwards compatible PS3s available closer to launch (20GB, 60GB, and 80GB). If not, we?re sure you still have a PS2 kicking around?  and if all else fails, pick one up for less than $100, you can?t go wrong purchasing a PS2, even amidst all of this next gen hoopla.

#5

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

persona4

Atlus further hones its very Japanese high-school-students-versus-creepy-demons RPG. A murder mystery embarks the game?s main character and his friends on a mission to the Midnight Channel, a television realm filled with Shadows; the game?s main baddies. A tough dungeon crawler, SMTP 4 offers an interesting story with deep and disturbed characters. Character advancement is largely based on the interaction between your character and the rest of his party. The further relationships are developed, the more your characters will benefit by increases in stats and abilities. The combat once again allows for use of ?Personas?, which are creatures that can be summoned to aid you in combat, the more they are used, the further their abilities advance. The combat system is entertaining and deep and the visuals are solid. The story and feel of the game is a bit different from what you?d find in your average RPG and the game?s Japanese origins are very apparent, something that might not appeal to everyone. It?s a challenging game with the occasional pacing problems but in the end it provides a fascinating, well polished experience that?s well worth checking out.

8.3

#4

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Developer: Level-5
Publisher: Square Enix
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

dragonquestviii

One of the most recognizable RPG franchises gets a serious overhaul with solid, cell shaded graphics and recognizable character design by the creator of Dragon Ball: Akira Toryama. The player will take control of a silent castle guard, whose king gets transformed into a vile-looking toad creature by the evil sorcerer: Jester. You?ll be accompanied by a group of well-voiced party members and embark on a huge mission to confront Jester and restore the king to normal. The overworld in this game is massive and presents a lengthy quest, the environment can seem a bit empty at times as it doesn?t often offer a whole lot of rewards for exploration. With that said, this is a very solid, traditional RPG with challenging turn-based combat, fun characters, and a nice graphical look. It’s one of those old-fashioned RPGs where constant levelling up is required to stay ahead of the many tough battles you?ll encounter. Although sometimes a bit large and empty-feeling, this is a solid addition to the Dragon Quest franchise and a must-own for hardcore RPG fans.

8.5

#3

Odin Sphere
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

odin-sphere

Odin Sphere is the spiritual successor to a Japanese action RPG called Princess Crown and is a side-scrolling action RPG that looks absolutely stunning. What immediately stand out are the beautifully drawn characters and environments. The use of colours and details is phenomenal and every frame of the game looks like a water colour painting. The story is set in a fairy-tale world, loosely based on Norse mythology, which the player is able to explore by playing with five different characters that each have their own intertwining story arcs. Each level you?ll explore consists of a circular path, meaning that if you go far enough left or right, you?ll eventually end up where you started. The levels are completed by cleaning out all the enemies and eventually lead to a massive boss fight. Different combat moves and magical attacks are powered by ?Phozons?, which are tiny fragments of energy that can be absorbed once enemies are defeated. They also fuel the game?s innovative items, which partly consist of seeds that?ll eventually grow into plants with fruits and other produce that?ll boost the player?s health and stats.
Odin Sphere?s immersive story, visuals and combat provide a highly original RPG experience that has to be seen to be believed.

8.8

#2

Rogue Galaxy
Developer: Level-5
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

rogue-galaxy

A rare treat: Rogue Galaxy is an original IP that sees a young desert dweller by the name of Jaster mistaken for the galaxy?s most notorious bounty hunter; Desert Claw, resulting in a trip across the galaxy with a band of space faring pirates in this excellent and massive RPG. The game sports beautiful cell shaded graphics that possess a nice level of detail as well as lush colors, a great sound track and a universe full of massive worlds. Combat is real time and some of the best RPG-based fighting I?ve ever played. Characters wield both pistols and melee weapons and are able to perform team-based combo attacks, which adds a great level of strategy and action. In addition to a huge and satisfying main quest, the game sports many extras, most notable being the ability to catch ?Insectors?. These bug-like critters can be caught on each world and raised as well as bred to create new species. The point is to eventually pit your Insectors against others in the ?Insectron?, a duelling tournament in which turn based combat decides who raised the most potent Insectors. There is also an innovative weapon creation option, which allows you to combine existing weapons together to create new ones by feeding them, get this, to a material melding frog!
Rogue Galaxy is an original game that offers a massive quest, great visuals and satisfying combat and tons of excellent extras that will keep players entertained for a long time.

9.0

#1

Final Fantasy XII
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

finalfantasyxii

This must-have title is one of the best in the series (and that?s saying something) and still holds up graphically and gameplay-wise to any current gen RPG. Final Fantasy XII focuses on street urchin Vaan who sees his dream of becoming a sky pirate eventually fulfilled as he joins up with a solid cast of protagonists and is whisked across the continent of Ivalice in order to stop the invading forces of the evil Empire. FF XII offers a massive quest across huge and gorgeous environments. The combat is an innovative hybrid of real time and turn based fighting with the ability to queue commands to your characters, which are performed in real time. The player is able to set the behaviour of the party members in detailed fashion with the aid of gambits, which are basically a set rules and dependencies that allow you to tweak the performance of your characters in ways that best suit your style of play. Enemies are visible in the environments meaning an end to random battles. There are plenty of treasures and extras to unlock, one of the most extensive ones being the quest to track down various ?marks?, which is basically a massive hunt for some of the game?s rarest creatures. FF XII is a great mix of engrossing story, wonderful graphics and deep gameplay that cannot be missed by any RPG fan.

9.5