This was the generation that two great companies merged to become one via Square and Enix to make Square Enix. Besides Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest though, other companies were able to make the PS2 a haven for RPGs. The PS2 had a great number of RPGs both from the West and Japan.
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It makes sense given that it is still the best-selling home console of all time, living well over a decade on store shelves. One of the best things about RPGs are the side quests and these few examples have some memorable ones. From hidden powers to secret bosses, these side quests from the PS2 era still stand out.
6 Finding The SIGN Phantoms
.hack//Outbreak
- Released: September 9, 2003 (NA)
- Developer: CyberConnect2
- Publisher: Bandai
.hack//Outbreak is the third game in the quadrilogy that started with .hack//Infection. Like Pokemon’s boom in the late 90s, the .hack franchise was launched across multiple media platforms. There were these games along with manga, books, and the anime .hack//Sign. Fans of the anime could find their favorite characters in .hack//Outbreak via the SIGN Phantoms. In the game, each town was represented by a server like Mac Anu, Dun Loireag, and Carmina Gadelica.
Players could meet phantom versions of .hack//Sign characters including Mimiru, BT, Bear, Sora, Crim, Silver Knight, A-20, Subaru, and Tsukasa. By finding them all on each server, they would unlock high-quality weapons and it was a long arduous ongoing quest throughout the entire game. Tsukasa's Wand could be obtained for Wave Masters, for example. It was a beneficial quest with some fun nods for fans of the accompanying anime.
5 Taking Photos
Dark Cloud 2
Dark Cloud 2 followed Max and Monica on a time-traveling adventure to rebuild the world. Max was a young inventor who got ideas to build things by taking pictures. For example, the Cubic Hammer was a weapon for Max that could be made by taking pictures of a dresser, a gold store, and work equipment. He could craft weapons for Monica this way too.
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To 100% the game, players had to actively take pictures of everything as some ideas could be missed. The best reason to be diligent about taking pictures was to build up Max’s Ridepod named Steve. It was a mech that players could pilot in battle which could be customized with tons of new parts and weapons.
4 Becoming The Blitzball Champ
Final Fantasy 10
As most Final Fantasy games do, Final Fantasy 10 is ripe with side quests. The biggest, most prevailing one has to be Blitzball though. Players have to play at least one game in the story when Tidus is being broken into the Besaid Aurochs. After that, it becomes an optional mini-game/side quest.
Players that go through the exhibition matches and tournaments can get new players for their team. They can also get some rare items, including materials to get Wakka’s ultimate weapon. Blitzball is not beloved by all Final Fantasy 10 fans but those that do enjoy it are diehards. They might even enjoy a stand-alone Blitzball game if Square Enix ever released one.
3 Fighting Sephiroth
Kingdom Hearts
Like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts is another Square Enix title brimming with content. One of the coolest side quests can be found in the world based on Disney’s Hercules movie. Players have to fight a few coliseum fights for the story and then after that, there are optional, more difficult tournaments.
The most difficult fight in the game overall is against Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7. This is his only appearance in the game and he was voiced by N*Sync’s Lance Bass at the time. It sounded goofy on paper but he did a good job. Brave players who were able to make it to Sephiroth and beat him got some cool prizes along with bragging rights among friends.
2 Befriending Bebe
Persona 3
Persona 3 got some good buzz earlier in 2024 thanks to its remake, Persona 3 Reload. Make no mistake though, the original PS2 game is still a classic. Most of the side quests revolve around building bonds with teammates and NPCs in a system called Social Links.
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Among the many in the game, players should go through all of Andre Laurent Jean Geraux’s storyline which represents the Arcana of Temperance. His shortened nickname is Bebe and he is a transfer student from France who dreams of becoming a designer in Japan. Players get to see his trials of moving somewhere foreign along with family issues. While there are some sad moments, he’s a standout character thanks to his chipper personality.
1 Crafting The Erde Kaiser
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille Zur Macht
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
- Platform(s)
- PS2
- Released
- February 25, 2003
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Soft
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht had two gameplay modes for its turn-based battles. Players could fight as humans and humanoid characters like in most RPGs. Most characters could also call out a mech they could pilot which could turn the tide of any encounter. The main character, Shion, could pilot a mech but she could also summon a robot for just one attack similar to how Summons work in the Final Fantasy series.
There is a side quest in the game wherein an NPC, Professor White, tasks the party with repairing this robot named Erde Kaiser. Once all of its parts are crafted through material gathering, it can be summoned in battle at a high cost. It is a long quest but it is worth it thanks to its power and Erde Kaiser would return in the two sequels.
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