The PlayStation 2 was home to some of the greatest range of Japanese RPGs ever made. For many gamers, it was the machine that helped introduce them toseries that are now considered to be iconic withtitles like Persona 3 and Persona 4 still held up as some of the best games ever made. In addition, even major big-budget releases like Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XII took thegenre to new heights in terms of visuals and gameplay.
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However, there are a lot of great JPRGs that have long been forgotten, either ending their life on the machine or never getting the attention they deserve. Lets take a look at 10 JRPGs that deserve a comeback on modern consoles.
Developed by Atlus and released on the PlayStation 2 in 2004, Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity is a tactical RPG that is comparable to games like Final Fantasy Tactics and the Atlus published Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth on the PS1.
The first thing gamers will notice is the excellent intro, the soundtrack, and the attractive cel-shaded art style which still holds up today. However, special mention should go to the characters, world-building, and its story. There was only one entry in the series, but the games ending certainly left the door open for a sequel.
Dark Cloud and its sequel Dark Chronicle released on the PlayStation 2 in 2001 and 2003 respectively. Developed by Level 5 the same studio that created Dragon Quest VIII and Ni No Kuni,its easy to see the early indications of talent, imagination, and creativity on display.
The closest modern equivalent to the Dark Cloud series is Square-Enixs Dragon Quest Builders series due to the town building mechanics. Just like Builders, the Dark Cloud games are feel-good light-hearted adventure tales suitable for all the family.
Devil Summoner: Raidou vs. The Soulless Army and Devil Summoner: Raidou vs. King Abaddonwere released in 2006 and 2008 respectively. They are spin-offs from the Shin Megami Tensei franchisewhich also includes the Persona series.
The games are set in an alternate universe during the 1930s, feature real-life historical figures like Grigori Rasputin, andtellgripping narratives rounded off by an excellent lead protagonist and a great combat system. Sadly, the series has taken a back seat toPersona and the mainline Shin Megami Tensei series.
Developed by Monolith soft for Namco, all three Xenosaga games form as part of one massive science fiction story with themes that revolve around philosophy, various religions, and humanity fighting back against God. As a trilogy, the story is complete and the developers are now working exclusively for Nintendo on theXenoblade Chroniclesseries.
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As a result, the chances of reviving the series remain very slim. However, that doesnt mean the trilogy wouldnt benefit from a remaster of some kind as the art design still holds up very well today.
The Wild Arms series began on the original PlayStation, but the series ended on the PSP and the PlayStation 2. The series continued with some spin-off entries that were released on mobile devices in Japan, but there hasnt been a proper entry since Wild Arms 5 and Wild Arms: Alter Code f.
Wild Arms isset in a fantasy-themed Wild West andhas one of the most original& interesting settings seen in a genre that tends to only focus on fantasy. After Red Dead Redemption 2 helped make the American Wild West cool again, now would be the perfect time for Sony to bring Wild Arms back.
The Growlanser series are tactical RPGs that mostly stayed exclusive to Japan. However, the PlayStation 2 saw the release of Growlanser Generationsand Growanser: Heritage of War.
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The games featured branching storylines and a dating sim mechanic which, considering the popularity of the recent Fire Emblem titles, would be a perfect time to bring the series back to the West. The developers at Career Soft remastered the first two Langrisser games and released them on the PS4 and the Switch in 2020. The Growlanser series are spiritual successors to the Langrisser games so there is definitely hope for the series yet.
The Drakengardseries are action RPGs with similar mechanics toDynasty Warriors on the battlefield. However, the games feature incredibly dark stories with multiple endings which really set thetitles apart from most JRPGs, with exception to the NieR series.
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The Drakengard games are set in the same universe asNieRand both series carry similar themes. With NieR: Automatagaining the mainstream popularity that it deserved now would be the perfect time to bring it back. The developers of Automata (Platinum Games)certainly have the action credentials and the skills to either remake or remaster the original Drakengard games.
Legend of Legaia and Legaia 2: Duel Saga were released on the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 in 2000 and 2002 respectively. Even though the games budgets were never up to the standard of big JRPGs like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest,the Legaia games more than made up for this with compelling characters and a great battle system.
In addition to being good RPGs, the Legaia games had the benefit of not feeling linear like many JPRGs of the time did. They offered players a lot of side-quests, minigames, and content to play with.
The Shadow Hearts series actually began on the PS1 with its first title Koudelka,which released in 2000. The series would later become known as Shadow Hearts on the PlayStation 2 with Shadow Hearts, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, and Shadow Hearts: From the New World released in 2002, 2004, and 2005 respectively.
The first two Shadow Hearts games are set during the First World War, and the third game was set in 1929 during the Prohibition Era in the US. The games are set in an alternate universe that blends the supernatural with real-world characters and events.The second game in the series, Shadow Hearts: Covenant is often regarded as one of the best JRPGs of the PS2 generation.
The Suikodenseries began life on the original PlayStation, but the series saw the majority of its games releasing on the PlayStation 2, with the last mainline entry being Suikoden V. While the series did get the spin-off Suikoden Tierkreison the Nintendo DS, it didnt find the same audience on the handheld.
The Suikoden series is long overdue for a comeback on modern systems. The stories about war, love, loss, and discrimination are as poignant today as they were when the series began. Furthermore, the games characters had the kind of depth and development that is often overlooked by modern RPGs. A special mention, however, should go to the world-building in Suikoden which manages to interconnect each game cohesively without making new players feel lost in its overarching narrative.
NEXT:The 10 PS2 JRPGs With The Best Storylines, Ranked
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