3 Greatest Square Enix RPGs From The PS2 Era

Published Aug 5, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT Austin King is the Senior Editor of Gaming at ScreenRant and has been with the site since 2020 with a focus on RPGs and tabletop games. He previously managed content for Geek to Geek Media, and has served as a writer for sites like Nintendad, Geek Fitness, and more. In addition to his work at ScreenRant, he also hosts the Dragon Quest FM podcast and is the author of several books, including co-writing Nimbus (a #1 bestseller in 2013). His latest is the nonfiction The Dragon Quest Book, available now. He's written about pop culture, video games, and genre studies over the course of his career. You can find him on BlueSky, X, and at Dragonquestaustin.com The PlayStation 2 was a powerhouse for RPGs, and no company made them quite like Square Enix. The PS2 era began before the merger between Enix and Squaresoft, but by the end of the console's lifespan, there were multiple games using the company's new logo. Along the way, we were introduced to new series like Kingdom Hearts, while classic franchises like Star Ocean, Dragon Quest, and Final Fantasy all saw huge technical leaps forward. Pretty much every RPG from Square Enix on PS2 was incredible in its own way, but there were three games that are widely considered the best of the best. These RPGs have amassed huge followings in the years since their early 2000s releases, and thanks to remasters and remakes, they're still easy to find and play in 2026. Without further ado, these are the greatest Square Enix RPGs from the PS2 era. 3 Kingdom Hearts 2 I could (and would) certainly argue for Kingdom Hearts over Kingdom Hearts 2, but the larger fanbase adores KH2. And for good reason — it pushes the storytelling of the first game to new limits, improves combat tremendously, and gives us even more Final Fantasy and Disney characters to enjoy. The larger Kingdom Hearts story really comes into play here as well, establishing the series as more than a fun one-off of mixing IPs. This is a franchise that will stick around for a long time. Since its debut on PS2, Kingdom Hearts 2 has been a part of countless ports and remasters. There's even a Switch 2 version on the way while everyone waits for Kingdom Hearts 4 to arrive. If you've ever wondered what it'd be like to fight Hades' minions with FF10's Auron by your side, or dreamed of seeing FF8's Squall and Scrooge McDuck in the same town, this is the game for you. And, honestly, it's a fantastic RPG. 2 Final Fantasy 10 Perhaps no RPG is as synonymous with the PS2 than Final Fantasy 10. This was a huge technical leap forward for Square Enix (Squaresoft back then), with fully voice-acted cutscenes, incredibly detailed facial expressions, and cinematics that looked gorgeous for its time. Not to be outdone by its technical achievements, FF10 also gave us one of the best Final Fantasy stories of all time thanks to Tidus and Yuna. For a lot of fans, FF10 is their favorite Final Fantasy game, and it always ranks toward the top of most polls involving the best games in the franchise. The Sphere Grid, Blitzball, and Cloisters of Trials are all integral parts of the RPG that make it a memorable experience. FF10 has been ported almost endlessly over the past 12+ years, most recently on Switch 2, so if you've never played this PS2 classic, be sure to check it out now. An honorable mention also goes to Final Fantasy 12, which is also fantastic. 1 Dragon Quest 8 This was the first Dragon Quest game in the U.S. to no longer use the Dragon Warrior moniker, and it was also a huge part of making the franchise popular in the West. Until DQ 11 came along in 2018, Dragon Quest 8 was the definitive experience for most fans outside of Japan. Like FF10, Dragon Quest 8 was a huge technical leap forward for the series (just check out what Dragon Warrior 7 looked like on PS1). Dragon Quest 8's cel-shaded graphics meant characters and monsters felt like Akira Toriyama's illustrations come to life, a first for the franchise. Voice acting (at least in the North American and European versions) made this beloved cast of characters feel alive and vibrant, and at around 60 hours, you're fully devoted to the story by the time you reach its exciting conclusion. A 3DS remake made DQ8 arguably even better, but the original game is probably Square Enix's greatest achievement on PlayStation 2. Date Founded April 1, 2003 Subsidiaries Square Enix Consoles Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Classic