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 June 05, 2025 in North America which was two daysbefore the Wii launched.
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.
8Metal Saga
Metal Sagais the first game that the West got in theMetal Maxfranchise. This was in 2006 on the PS2 compared to the series beginning in the NES in 1991. They are all post-apocalyptic turn-based RPGs wherein part of the gameplay uses humans for battle and other sequences use vehicles like tanks. One would think Bethesda would have tried to license this series out to capitalize on their Fallout franchise.
Those interested inMetal Sagashould know that most of the retro games have been successfully patched into English by fans though. Also, the latest entry,Metal Max Xeno, was released in 2018, and it is only the second game in the series to receive a North American release.
7MS Saga: A New Dawn
There have beena lot ofGundamgamesever 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 titles, butMS Saga: A New Dawnhad a different approach to combat. It was released in 2006, and it was a turn-based RPG starring 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.
6Steambot Chronicles
Steambot Chroniclesis yet another mech game from 2006. Unlike the last two, it’s an action game wherein players could customize their mech with various parts on their journey. The game begins with the protagonist waking up from ashipwreck 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 it is likely that there is a small handful of fans out there that remember this title fondly.
5Shining Force EXA
Shining Force EXAwas released in 2007, and it looks great still thanks to the cel-shaded graphics. It belongs in theShiningseries which started as a dungeon-crawler before becoming a tactical RPG andthen an action RPG.Shining Force EXAis 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. It’s been a long time since this series was at its height asShining Resonance Refrainwas the last game in 2018.
4Wild Arms 5
Wild Arms 5was released in 2007 and was the last console game. It wasa turn-based RPGthat 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. 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 Memorieshas 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.
3Baroque
Baroquebegan 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 ofa roguelike influence.
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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.
2Eternal Poison
Eternal Poisoncame out in 2008 for the PS2 and it is a brutal tactical game. The art style looks a lot likea Vanillaware gameand 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 theShin Megami Tenseiseries. The dark story, monster summoning, and tactical gameplay are also reminiscent ofKartia: The Word of Fateon PS1.
1Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. King Abaddon
SpeakingofShin Megami Tensei, this spinoff is a mouthful.Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddonwas a very late game for the West in 2009, three years after the PS3. Its predecessor,Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army, was also a late bloomer when it launched in 2006. The games are set in Japan during the 1900s. Players assume the role of the titular hero, a high school detective, who just so happens to be able to summon demons. Combat is action-based, but still takes place in randomized instances like most turn-based RPGs. It’s one of the few action games in the series overall.
