Best PS2 RPGs Ever Made — The Definitive List

The PlayStation 2 sold more than 150 million units and ran for over a decade, and a large share of the RPGs people still talk about came out on it. This list covers the ones that hold up best today, what makes each one different, and, because most PS2 discs are now collector's items, where you can play each one on current hardware.

Each pick had to be a role-playing game first (Shadow of the Colossus is brilliant, but it is an action-adventure, so it sits in a note below), had to play well by modern standards, and had to do something the others on the list do not. Where a remaster changes the game, the note says so. Store availability changes, so check before buying.

The first Final Fantasy with voice acting and fully 3D environments. Its Conditional Turn-Based battle system shows the upcoming turn order on screen, so every fight is about planning a few moves ahead, and you can swap any party member in mid-battle. Character growth runs on the Sphere Grid, a board you move each character across. The story follows Yuna's pilgrimage across Spira and its ending still lands.

• Where to play it now: Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on PS4, Switch, Xbox One and PC.
• Who it suits: players who like turn-based fights that reward thinking rather than grinding.

A small-town murder mystery where you and your friends jump into a TV world to rescue the next victim before fog rolls in. The calendar means every day is a choice: dungeon, part-time job, or time with a friend (Social Links), and those friendships power up your Personas. Persona 4 Golden, the expanded version, adds an extra month of story, new events and a new character.

• Where to play it now: Persona 4 Golden on PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox. (Persona 4 Revival, a full remake, has been announced.)
• Who it suits: anyone who wants characters they will remember more than the boss fights.

The first fully 3D Dragon Quest, with Akira Toriyama's designs rendered in cel-shading that has aged far better than most PS2 visuals. It is a traditional turn-based adventure with a huge connected world, a cursed king who rides along on the wagon and a silent hero, and it was also the first Dragon Quest released in Europe.

• Where to play it now: 3DS (2017 in the West, with voice acting and two extra party members) and iOS/Android.
• Who it suits: players who want the classic formula at its most charming.

Square and Disney, with Tetsuya Nomura directing: an action RPG where you travel to Disney worlds with Donald and Goofy. The real-time combat is simple next to later entries, but the platforming, the music and the sheer novelty still work. Kingdom Hearts II (2005), also on PS2, is the better-playing game and the one most fans rank higher; play them in order.

• Where to play it now: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX on PS4, Xbox One and PC (Switch has a cloud version).
• Who it suits: action-RPG players and anyone who grew up on the Disney films.

Set in Ivalice (the world of Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story), it replaced random battles with enemies roaming open zones and introduced Gambits: if-then rules you write so party members act on their own ("if an ally is below 30% health, cast Cure"). It plays like a single-player MMO and it is very different from FFX.

• Where to play it now: Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age (with the job system and fast-forward) on PS4, PC, Switch and Xbox One.
• Who it suits: players who enjoy setting up a system and watching it work.

• Persona 3 (2006) - the game that added the school calendar to the series. Persona 3 Reload (2024) is a full remake on PS4, PS5, Xbox and PC.
• Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne (2003) - hard, bleak, and built around recruiting and fusing demons; its Press Turn system (hit weaknesses for extra actions) still feels sharp. The HD Remaster is on PS4, Switch and PC.
• Dark Cloud 2 / Dark Chronicle (2002) - Level-5's dungeon crawler with town building, weapon upgrading, photography and fishing. Available as a PS2 Classic on PS4.
• Suikoden III (2002) - one war told from three viewpoints (the Trinity Sight system), with 108 recruitable characters. PS2 only.
• Xenosaga Episode I-III (2002-2006) - Monolith Soft's long, philosophical sci-fi trilogy. PS2 only. If you like it, see the games like Xenogears list.
• Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (2003) - tri-Ace's real-time action RPG with a story twist players still argue about. Re-released on PS4.
• Rogue Galaxy (2005) - Level-5's space-pirate action RPG. Re-released on PS4.
• Tales of the Abyss (2005) - one of the most liked Tales games for its cast and story; later ported to 3DS.
• Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (2006) - tri-Ace's timing-based battle system with a four-character party. PS2 only.

Shadow of the Colossus (2005) has no towns, no party and no loot, just sixteen colossi, each a puzzle you climb. It is one of the best games on the system. The 2018 PS4 remake is the easiest way to play it, and games like Ico covers its sister game.

• One game only: Final Fantasy X.
• Story and characters: Persona 4 Golden.
• A long classic adventure: Dragon Quest VIII.
• Want more PS2: our PS2 hidden gems and PS2 co-op picks, and the best PS1 JRPGs for the generation before.