PlayStation 2 RPGs (and hidden gems) for me.

[pierrot]

I can't get behind Suikoden V as a recommendation for a good game. It's garbage. Maybe not in comparison to a lot of other RPGs, but compared to everything up to IV, it's derivative trash. The idea was a 'return to form,' but it couldn't have been done in a less inspired way, and all of the great battle mechanics added to III were gimped in implementation in V. Suikoden III boot-stomps anything that came after it in the 'series,' and I would honestly say that those later games aren't worth anyone's time. Especially not fans of the first three.

I will recommend Suikoden III, though; and Suikoden Tactics is a competent tactical RPG, but ties heavily into the story of IV. The story is trite BS, as is the case with every Suikoden game post-III.


One game that really doesn't get mentioned enough is Breath of Fire V. I think it's easily the best RPG on the console that no one ever talks about. The setting is gritty, the characters and their struggle are engaging. The battle system will put one through his paces early and often, but it is ultimately extremely rewarding. A lot of people didn't like it at the time of its release because it was such a departure from the rest of the series, and because there's something of a running clock in the D percentage, which ends your game once it reaches 100%. It's like survival horror, mixed with an RPG, but it also gives the player a sort of rogue-like safety net by starting one over at the beginning with a certain amount of the things he acquire up until dying. Even some story elements are hidden until using this system, or replaying the game after completing it.

The battle system is very tactical, giving the player a limited number of attacks based on AP, and split into three groups of varying power and AP cost. Attacks also have different areas of effect, and managing skills along with battle tactics is tantamount to survival. The D-rank also adds a tremendous amount of re-playability, in opening up new areas as your D-rank becomes better. (D-rank being tied to certain things upon clearing the game like map-completion, number of hard saves, time of completion, etc.) Add to that the ant colony, which eventually unlocks a 100 floor dungeon; the game is deceptively immense, and intricate. The story is equally inspired, and the music/sound is absolutely tremendous. It's a travesty that the game isn't mentioned more often. It's easily my favorite of the series, and it's one of my favorite games on the PS2. Highly recommended.


DQ VIII is also really good.

[Jmustang1968]

I hadn't played V but I have heard it was good and it was received well.

[pierrot]

I hadn't played V but I have heard it was good and it was received well.

Indeed it was, but as a long time fan of the series, i have to disagree that it's very good. I followed the releases of III and IV extremely closely, and I had built up III so much that I was sorely disappointed by it initially. IV I liked better at the time, but still not nearly as much as I or II. V just seemed to kind of get a release, and I picked it up, and thought it was great. A few years later I replayed the series, and III became my favorite, while V became my least favorite.

In retrospect, I built up III too much from constantly watching the intro animation when the game was announced. The series also lost its director, Murayama Yoshitaka, during the later stages of III's development, which shows in the ending to the game. I had a bunch of other small gripes initially, but some of them actually became positives, for me. The main thing is that the battle system was made far better than any other in the series with skills, joint character actions, and AoE spells/mobile characters. Initially I hated almost all of these things, but they lend much more in terms of tactics to the standard battles. The biggest hit it takes today, I think, is in the in-game graphics; which are still sort of charming.

V is a mess, and partly in the same ways IV can be (mostly in losing the series' director) but the biggest blunder for me is that the game is both pandering and marginalizing for series vets. Maybe others don't really feel that way, but the game is basically an emulation of Suikoden II with a nerfed Suikoden III skill system, and horrible, anime archetypes for characters. It essentially tries to pull as much from Suikoden II as possible, to appease fans of the series, while making it look and feel as much like a glossy, new-age anime series as the developers could, to make it marketable to regular audiences. (With notable VAs to boot.) As a result, the game did much better than III and IV in Japan (and I imagine in the US, as well) but it's a soulless harbinger of the end of the series, to me.

Oh, special note, also: Even the "best" ending in V is one of the most canned, stilted, and generally most horrible endings to a video game I've ever had the misfortune of witnessing. It feels like a virtual slap in the face.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Valkyrie Profile 2 is one of the best PS2 games almost no one played. The best 3D art design on PS2 if you ask me. It has the best action-rpg battle system on PS2 and lots of characters and lots of control over character growth. The exploration takes place in a 2.5d platformer style with cool puzzles and fairly big maps to explore.

Amazing music and a unique story too. The first Valkyrie Profile is expensive, but the sequel is cheap.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Wow lots of suggestions! Thanks guys!

I looked up a lot of them and I've got a nice sizable list of things to play now. PS2 games are nice and cheap right now too thank goodness.

Valkyrie Profile 2

This looks right up my alley! The music seems incredible from the few small videos I watched. That battle theme...

[TEKTORO]

Must Plays if you haven't already.
Bully
Manhunt
Yakuza series (Excellent story telling and awesome beat'm up/fighting)


And If anything you should check these out.

Baroque- A rogue type dungeon crawler RPG that's brutally hard, two modes of play 1st person (recommended and preferred ) and 3rd person (takes away from the experience imo unless you like 3rd person gameplay). Published by Atlus and mature dark story.

Champions of Norath- A favorite PS2 game of mine, because its so good and perfect with a friend or more. (Diablo style dungeon crawler)

Ys Ark of Naphistim- I think this one gets hazy feedback amongst gamers, but I thought it was awesome and fun once things pickup alil.

Worth a mention:
Growlanser Generations Deluxe
Wild Arms 4 & 5.
Twisted Metal Head on extra twisted edition- bringing back classic Twisted Metal!
Klonoa 2
Kings Field the Ancient City
Raw Danger & Disaster Report (for quirkiness)

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Will I feel like I'm missing anything if I get Persona 4 for the PS2? I had to sell my PSVita to pay that nasty ticket a few months back so Golden isn't an option unfortunately.

[TEKTORO]

Will I feel like I'm missing anything if I get Persona 4 for the PS2? I had to sell my PSVita to pay that nasty ticket a few months back so Golden isn't an option unfortunately.

No still fulfilling and considering the circumstance you shouldn't worry. Golden is considered the definitive version from what I hear, but I wouldn't sweat it.

[nielse16]

[Both Dark Alliance games are fun, I think they are a bit better on the oXbox though

I've always wanted these games. Why do you think they are better on the Xbox?

[Valkyrie-Favor]

I played some on PS2 and was satisfied. Other than slightly sharper visuals I couldn't ask for much more.