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Recommend some good PS2 RPG's

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Thank me later.
 
Atelier Iris 2 and 3, Ar Tonelico 1 and 2, Dragon Quest VIII, FFX, FFX-2, FFXII, Mana Khemia 2, Odin Sphere, Disgaea, Shadow Hearts 1 and 2 off the top of my head.
 
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Rogue Galaxy is a game no one seem to remember but it's really really good. It's a mix of FF and star wars if it makes any sense. There is also a Sega feel to it.
 
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Watch a couple of summaries of the first two Xenosaga games to get an idea of the plot, then play Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra. I don't think the first two are particulary good, especially the second one, but the third one is exceptionally well made building off the first two and is in another stratosphere in terms of polish and general quality. It's not only one of the best games on the Playstation 2, but one of the best japanese role playing games ever made.

I'll also recommend:

Shadow Hearts
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Suikoden V (second best in the series, and probably the most polished of them all)
Tales of the Abyss (this is the highest point in the entire franchise concerning the quality of its writing, absolutely worth it even if you're not a fan of the series - like me)
Dragon Quest VIII
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (if you don't have access to the Vita version, like me)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

There are some more i'm forgetting, but you can start with these. Now i'm reminded why i hold the Playstation 2 as one of my favorite consoles ever. The amount of quality exclusives on it is mind boggling.
 
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Grandia 2
Growlanser Generations
Legaia 2: Duel Saga
Sakura Wars So Long My Love
Soul Nomad
Radiata Stories
Wild Arms 3
Valkyrie Profile 2

Combine that with everything else listed and that's pretty much everything except a few SRPGs.
 
Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land
Gladius
King's Field: IV Ancient City
Shadow Tower Abyss (get English translation patch)
SMT: Nocturne
 
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Suikoden V
All 3 Shadow Hearts
Radiata Stories
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
Dragon Quest VIII
FFX - I know you said no FF but try the International version if you can.
Xenosaga Trilogy
.Hack series

SRPG
Phantom Brave.
Front Mission 4 - a lot shorter than predecessors but still enjoyable.
 
Repeating titles others already mention, but I would recommend:
  • Xenosaga Episodes 1, 2 and 3
  • Persona 3 FES and Persona 4
  • SMT 3 Nocturne
 
Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 ( my fav of the generation )

Rogue Galaxy ( you can pick this up on PS4.)
Same with Dark Cloud 1 and 2 ( 2 was away better in my opinion )

Grandia 2

Digital Devil saga I & II (Even prefer them more than Persona and SMT series )

Persona' 3/4

SMT 3

Dragon Quest VIII

Final Fantasy X and XII

Xenosaga Series

Breath of Fire 3

Shadow Hearts


TRPG's ( I loved disgae series and Phantom brave is awesome too ) TRPG's are my favourite genre though
Disgaea
Phantom Brave
Front MIssion 4
 
Tons of excellent games already mentioned so I'll try to fill in some gaps:

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 1 and 2 - Diablo "clones" action-RPGs similar to Gauntlet and... Diablo
Champions of Norrath and Champions Return to Arms - Sony's attempt to do the same thing as above, but in the Everquest world
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria - still one of the best-looking PS2 games
Ring of Red - plays like a prototype of Valkyria Chronicles. The world setting is even kinda similar.
Dark Cloud 1 (I didn't like 2) - town building and dungeon-diving. The formula has aged very nicely.
Drakenguard series - if you wanna see the fever-dream foundations of the Nier games, here ya go.
Front Mission 5 - grab a translation. Best game in the franchise and one of the best SRPGs ever made.
Dodonpachi Daioujou - a bit short for an RPG (only 5 stages) but the grind to get your Player level up to 100 million is real. 🙏 :lollipop_weary:
 
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Dragon Quest 8 is the best JRPG I have ever played.

Beautiful aesthetics, beautiful music, deep battle system, great antagonist, good plot, rich and vast world.
On top of that it doesnt get way too complex due to the number of possible routes and only 4 characters.

Its my fav game of all time probably, just so good. Even looking for the recipes and crafting weapons having to actually decypher the books you find is great.
 
I'll throw out a game most don't even know exists, and shouldn't even cost that much.



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Very immersive, dark, and has a great story & BGM. Atlus helped develop it.
 
If you're looking for Persona 3 make sure to grab the FES version for the extra chapter & tweaks. Most others have already been mentioned, so I'll give a shout to Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, a surprisingly good turn based RPG from EA.

If your looking to play these on a regular Ps2 then, as noted before in the thread, you've also got the option of PS1 games too seen as the Ps2 offers full backwards compatibility. Also got the disc speed & texture smooth options for faster load times and smoother graphics on PS1 games.
 
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