Cheap PS2 RPGs

You know you're getting a little older when you aren't as good at the action games as you used to be, and you tend to favor slower-paced games. Lately, I've been putting in some PlayStation 2 time with some older games that I never finished. Every so often, I pop into a GameStop or a local used game store and snag a few older games for under $15 or so.

One of these games is called Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land. If you are a fan of the Wizardry PC series, this game doesn't have much (if anything) to do with it, however I found it captivating for the 50+ hours that I put into it. It's a bit cheesy in the dialogue department (English subtitle conversion). In this respect, it's a good thing that there's no voice acting. There are only 11 or so dungeon levels (think Diablo I), but it will take you a long time to conquer it. The graphics aren't too shabby for a relatively unknown developer (in the US). It isn't overly violent (just spell graphics, some demonic references), and it was a bargain for about $15 (I am sure it's less now) for 50+ hours of play.

Another favorite that I've picked up again is Summoner 2. The original wasn't all that exciting, but the sequel is a lot of fun. It's an action/RPG hybrid that is real-time, all the time. You can have three party members active at a time and you can swap between the 'active' member and program the others to perform actions as you see fit (i.e. have one character play healer while you melee, etc). It's fairly long and contains loads of side quests and excellent rewards. The story is interesting enough to keep things going and the ability of the main character to morph into huge beasts adds some flair to battles. Another excellent choice for under $15.

If you are a fan of deep stories and many cut scenes (anime style), Xenosaga may be for you. I've been progressing very slowly in this game, but the battles are fun and I have just enough patience to sit through the cut scenes. Some of them are quite long (10+ minutes), so it plays out like an anime movie. The sequel is now out, as well, but the first chapter should be near bargain bin prices.

Lastly, an old favorite from the PC resurfaced as a sequel on the PS2. Drakan 2: The Ancient Gates offers a good deal of action and flight on dragonback! This is one of the few games that gets dragon flying right. I almost get dizzy swooping through the valleys and canyons in Drakan 2. It's quite a few years old, but still looks great. It's a "light" RPG with action, a decent story, and fairly good voice acting.

Look for more recommendations soon. And now, back to the games!

If you have a suggestion of your own, please drop us a comment!