8 Late PS2 RPGs No One Remembers
The PS2 is one of the best-selling consoles of all time, and it has an impressive library too. That’s why the anticipation was so high for the console’s successor. The PS3 launched on November 17, 2006, in North America, which was two days before the Wii launched.
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Despite that, PS2 games continued to launch well into the lifespan of the PS3. Most of them were passed up because many players had already moved on. So, to catalog both the best and worst RPGs in the later years of the PS2, here are some obscure examples. RPGs that were released during and after 2006 are fair game, and all dates, unless otherwise specified, are based on the North American release.
The Metal Max Series Finally Releases A JRPG In NA, Only For It To Launch During The PS2’s Final Days
Metal Saga is the first game that the West got in the Metal Max franchise. This was in 2006 on the PS2, but the series debuted all the way back in 1991 on the NES. They are all post-apocalyptic turn-based RPGs, with the gameplay switching between human and tank-vehicle battles.
While official releases have been hard to come by, people interested in Metal Saga should know that most of the retro games have been successfully patched into English by fans. Also, the latest main entry, Metal Max Xeno, was released in 2018, and it is only the second game in the series to receive a North American release.
7
MS Saga: A New Dawn
A Solid PS2 JRPG For Gundam Fans
There have been a lot of Gundam games ever since the anime began in 1979 in Japan. From arcades to the PS5, the series has hit every console under the sun. Most games are action, but MS Saga: A New Dawn had a different approach to combat, opting to go down the turn-based RPG route.
The story follows two orphans, Tristan and Fritz, on a revenge quest after enemy Mobile Suits destroyed their orphanage. There’s a lot more to the story than that, but that’s the starting point once the boys find a secret Mobile Suit bunker. Like most of the franchise’s games, you do kind of need to have a built-in love for Gundam to really appreciate MS Saga: A New Dawn, especially since a lot of the fun comes from combining parts to create your own mecha.
6
Steambot Chronicles
A Late-Arrival PS2 Mecha Game That Is Quite Fun
Steambot Chronicles
- Released
-
June 30, 2005
- ESRB
-
T For Teen // Alcohol Reference, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
-
Irem Corp.
Steambot Chronicles is yet another mech game from 2006. Unlike the last two, it’s an action game wherein players can customize their mech with various parts on their journey. The game begins with the protagonist waking up from a shipwreck with amnesia.
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It’s a trope in anime, along with many RPGs, but the story isn’t too important for this game. It’s all about that mech assault action via their Trotmobile. It may not be the best mech game on the PS2, but there is likely a small handful of fans out there that remember this title fondly.
5
Digimon World: Data Squad
Digimon World: Data Squad
- Released
-
November 30, 2006
- Developer(s)
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BEC
Digimon had a pretty awful run on the PS2. Digimon World 4 is somewhat remembered, although its decision to give guns to Digimon means that its reputation is far from positive. In comparison, Digimon World: Data Squad should have been a safer bet, as it is a turn-based JRPG and tells a fairly straightforward story that is not too far removed from something you might see in one of the anime seasons. Heck, the game actually looked pretty good thanks to a cel-shaded art style. Even the Digivolution system was pretty good for the era.
So, why isn’t this game really remembered? Besides coming out in September 2007 in North America, Data Squad is also kind of bad. Even as someone who can tolerate plenty of uneven Digimon games, Data Squad is such a relentless grind, in terms of both battles and progression, that any enjoyment is quickly zapped out. Also, battles are presented through an overwhelming UI that just looked off.
4
Shining Force EXA
A Decent PS2 Action RPG In An Underappreciated Series
Shining Force EXA was released in 2007, and it still looks great thanks to the cel-shaded graphics. It belongs in the Shining series, which started as a dungeon-crawler before becoming a tactical RPG and then an action RPG. Shining Force EXA is almost like a callback to the dungeon-crawling days, as the story is minimal with little production put into the talking portraits.
It’s all about action, loot, and leveling up the two playable characters, Toma and Cyrille. Although this series has been around since 1991, new games have become quite rare, as the most recent one was 2018’s Shining Resonance Refrain.
3
Wild Arms 5
Not The Best Wild Arms Game, But Still A Rock-Solid Turn-Based JRPG
Wild Arms 5
- Released
-
December 14, 2006
- ESRB
-
T For Teen // Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
-
Media.Vision
Wild Arms 5 was the last console game in this once-beloved and popular franchise. It was a turn-based RPG that continued to use the grid system from the last game, adding a bit more strategy to combat. The series overall has a Western theme to it, making it one of the very few literal Western RPGs. While generally not regarded as one of Wild Arms‘ high points, the fifth entry is still worth playing for people who fondly remember its predecessor.
The last portable game was in 2008, Wild Arms XF, while the actual final game was released on mobile devices in 2018. Wild Arms: Million Memories has since shut down its service as of 2020, but hardcore fans should rejoice as the 2022 Kickstarter project, Armed Fantasia, looks like a spiritual successor.
2
Baroque
A PS2 Remake Of A Sega Saturn RPG
Baroque began as a Sega Saturn game in 1998 in Japan only. After various other Japanese ports, it would get remade on the PS2 and Wii, and that’s when Western fans finally got a taste in 2008. It is another post-apocalyptic RPG, but one with more of a roguelike influence since you explore randomly-generated dungeons from a third-person perspective. The combat is real-time, although it was quite clunky.
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Also, the end of the world was the result of an angelic war instead of a nuclear one. Your goal is to ascend the Neuro Tower, find answers, and level up enough to not get destroyed by a varying degree of horrifying monsters.
1
Eternal Poison
A Tough-As-Nail PS2 Tactical RPG
Eternal Poison
- Released
-
February 14, 2008
- ESRB
-
T For Teen // Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
-
Flight-Plan
Eternal Poison came out in 2008 for the PS2, and it is a brutal tactical game. The art style looks a lot like a Vanillaware game, and it coincidentally was published by Atlus, like most of their titles. The story involves warring kingdoms and demons, which is typical of a strategy game. What sets it apart is that players can recruit demons through a capturing feature, kind of like the Shin Megami Tensei series. The dark story, monster summoning, and tactical gameplay are also reminiscent of Kartia: The Word of Fate on PS1.
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