Summary
If Sony thought the PS1 was a hit, they were in for a big surprise regarding the PS2. It was a phenomenon and helped birth new franchises and continued classics. For example,Final Fantasy 10pushed the genre and RPG medium forward thanks to great art design, the inclusion of voice acting, a unique new battle and leveling system, and so on.
Not every RPG was aFinal Fantasy 10sensation though that led to continued success. Some were just one-off original ideas that were celebrated but went nowhere. Today, let’s spotlight some of those hidden gems and find out if they deserve a sequel or not.
The Bouncerwas a one-and-done production published by Square Enix, then just Squaresoft. Itwas a brawlerstarring a few playable characters the lead of which was granted to Sion who looked a lot like Squall fromFinal Fantasy 8in a more punk style. Levels ranged from clubs to the streets, with enemies always on screen like a typical brawler.
Thanks to the playable cast, it gave players more reasons to go through it multiple times. It was also incredibly short which is one reason why reviews weren’t uproariously high for it. Still, it had its fans in the early days of the PS2 generation and remains a niche treasure decades later flaws and all.
6Odin Sphere
A 2D Norse Gem
Odin Spherewas released on the PS2 originally and then it got remastered asOdin Sphere Leifthrasirfor the PS3, PS4, and PS Vita. Beyond this enhancement, it hasn’t been ported to any other console nor has it received a sequel which is par for the course formost Vanillaware games.
Players can take on the role of several characters with their own stories in a series of Metroid-like dungeons. Enemies will appear in these dungeons and combat will be played out in real-time. Leveling is a bit odd as players need to grow food and eat in dungeons to get stronger, but otherwise, it is a sound action RPG.
5Okage: Shadow King
The Nightmare Before Final Fantasy 10
Okage: Shadow Kingwas like a Tim Burton game come to life aesthetically or sort of like the spookier evolution of theMotherseries. The story follows a young boy, Ari, who befriends a shadowy demon named Stan. Ari and other party members use shadows like Stan in battle to perform actions sort of likePersona in the titularPersonaseries.
As interesting as it was, the game unfortunately debuted only a couple of months beforeFinal Fantasy 10dropped in North America which redefined RPGs on the system for years to come. This didn’t help keep it in the cultural zeitgeist butOkage: Shadow Kingdid get an enhanced port on PS4 in 2016, which is a win for all fans of the game.
4Radiata Stories
An Action-Based Suikoden
Radiata Storieswas sort of like tri-Ace’s attempt at aSuikodengame. For those unaware, players can recruit over a hundred party members in mostSuikodengames. WhileRadiata Storiesisn’t as extreme, there are quite a few that the hero, Jack, can befriend.
Gameplay was action-based, similar totheStar Oceangameswhich tri-Ace also developed, wherein players would warp into instanced arenas to fight enemies. This RPG was focused on characters and bringing jolly adventurous vibes rather than sharing a typical save-the-world grim dark scenario. It was a refreshing change of pace and the game still looks great on the PS2 as it never left the system.
Ring of Redwas an early game on the PS2 which actually launched in Japan just a month before North America got their hands on the console itself. It’s analternate take on historywith World War 2 splitting Japan into occupied territories with the U.S. and Russia fighting over control of the nation.
Instead of ground warfare, most battles are fought with mechs called AFWs. They’re more tank-link in design and they control slowly too. Still, it’s amazing that Konami never put out a sequel for this as it’s such an interesting idea for a tactical game and the lore was unique too.
Rogue GalaxyfollowedDark Cloud 2on the PS2 which wasanother game from Level-5. While the two games share similarities, they are different in several key ways. Jaster is a bounty hunter and the protagonist who gets party members to accompany him in dungeons to find treasure.
Players can snap between one of the three party members at any point and everyone gets one melee weapon and one ranged weapon all of which can be upgraded and fused via an alchemy system. It’s an expansive game going from planet to planet and it focuses on the action RPG combat without any of the simulation elements found in theDark Cloudseries.
1Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity
Artistically Close To Persona
Among the manyShin Megami Tenseititles that Atlus produces, they also develop one-offs likeStella Deus: The Gate of Eternityon the PS2. The box art and the character designs in the game should look like they came out of aShin Megami Tenseigame actually as they were designed by Shigenori Soejima.
The story should feel familiar too as it follows Spero through a political and religious affair in a series of challenging grid-based tactical battles. Instead of movement and attack phases, every character gets AP that they can use at their leisure. This can allow players to move great distances or attack multiple times if they want which is still a unique concept for the genre.
