8 Best PS2 Games That Shipped on Multiple Discs

During the 1990s, technology and hardware was growing at a remarkably rapid pace. Video games were starting to take on multiple form factors, with CD's slowly emerging as a dominant force. A lot of games back then, especially on the original PlayStation, were shipping on multiple discs, as there was just too much content for one 700 MB disc to handle.

As the sixth-generation of consoles rolled around, however, that became a lot less common. Among the vast library of the PlayStation 2, most of them were single-disc games. The number of multi-disc games shrank almost to single digits on the PS2, and a few that had multiple discs were just demos packaged with that game.

Multi-disc titles on the PS1 totaled to almost one-hundred games, and the PS2's drastically smaller number proves just how important and efficient it was to use multiple CDs during the previous generation. That being said, a multi-disc PS2 game felt like an event, like you were about to experience something enormous.

8 Devil May Cry 2

Two Discs, Two Campaigns

The first Devil May Cry was one of those games that felt special when it came out, and years later, it remains just as important to its era as anything else. I think later DMC games have proven to be perhaps better technically or from a gameplay perspective, while Devil May Cry 2 has continuously positioned itself as one of the franchise's most surreal outings.

DMC1 had one disc, but the sequel featured two discs and a distinct playable character for each one. On the first disc, the wisecracking Dante made his return, but disc two featured a new playable character in the form of Lucia.

I was fanatical about DMC2 in the lead-up to launch, following every little tidbit I could find. The prospect of two discs was enthralling, and while DMC2 has a complicated legacy in terms of its overall quality, I've always contended that it was a fantastic little microcosm of the industry at the time. A little too ambitious for its own good, but a game with a lot of fun ideas.

7 Shadow Hearts: Covenant

Ancient History

I've often felt like the Shadow Hearts series has never been given its due over the years. Debuting as Koudelka on the PS1, which was also a multi-disc game, this unique exploration of ancient history through a horror JRPG lens is just glorious.

The series would grace the PS2 multiple times, but Shadow Hearts: Covenant is by far its most wonderful entry. Shadow Hearts: Covenant is one of the most genuinely brilliant horror JRPGs that I've ever played, and I always encourage anyone who is looking for a unique game to play this one.

The combat is stellar, the music is outrageously good, and it has some of the most amazing CG cinematics in the history of the console. Shadow Hearts: Covenant comes on two fully packed DVDs, and there just isn't a PS2 game that looks, sounds or plays like this one.

6 Star Ocean: Till the End of Time

The Best Star Ocean Game Ever

In Japan, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time launched with a single disc. A year later, when it was time to bring the game to North America, it included more content, dungeons and characters. This required the game to have a second disc.

Back in the day, there were just as many debates about the best JRPG franchises as there are today, and you could always count on Star Ocean to be a part of the conversation. Till the End of Time is one of the franchise's most underappreciated entries, and it still feels just as lovely to play today as it did back in 2004.

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is overflowing with character and charm. It has one of the most appealing JRPG parties I can think of, and the combat system is brilliant. The scope and scale are just as impressive as ever, and the art direction is really something special.

5 Armored Core: Nexus

The Past and the Future

I tend to associate Armored Core with the PS1 hardware. It was such a great demonstration of what the console could do, and years later, the Armored Core games that launched on the system are still some of the best games on the PS1.

With the PS2, the potential of Armored Core was fully unlocked. The speed of Armored Core: Nexus is absolutely breathtaking, and you can really feel the genuine weight of your mech. Things move exceptionally fast, and the performance is stupendous.

Nexus comes with two discs, and the second is one of the coolest I've ever seen in a multi-disc game. The second disc of Armored Core: Nexus features remade levels from the first game, only now with updated graphics and PS2-style controls. It's honestly fantastic.

4 Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose

One of the Biggest JRPGs Ever Made

The Xenosaga games were conceived by the husband and wife team of Tetsuya Takahasi and Soraya Saga, who had previously worked at Square on Final Fantasy and, more importantly, Xenogears. Seeking to build on Xenogears, they formed Monolith Soft and teamed up with Bandai Namco to create Xenosaga.

This trilogy of PS2 games got bigger and bigger with each new entry. The first game only required one disc, but subsequent sequels would feature multiple discs. Xenosaga Episode II felt like a proper return to PS1-era JRPGs, requiring multiple discs and an adventure that felt like it could go on forever.

The debate about which Xenosaga game is the best continues to rage on, and while I agree that Episode III is the clear winner, Episode II is no slouch. If you're on the hunt for a huge, galaxy-spanning JRPG, and you've already played all the good ones, the Xenosaga franchise is a great place to start.

3 Grandia III

JRPG Royalty Finds a New Home

The first two Grandia games are rather closely associated with the Sega Dreamcast. They were key reasons to own a Dreamcast back then, as there weren't a ton of JRPGs to choose from on the hardware.

Following the discontinuation of the Dreamcast in 2001, Grandia needed a new home. The PS2 seemed like a good fit, as it was already producing some stellar JRPGs in the meantime. Grandia III would fit right in, releasing as one of the few multi-disc JRPGs for the PS2.

When people think of PS2 JRPGs, Grandia III feels like it could be a textbook definition. It has beautiful, vivid colors, a fast-paced combat system and some rather cheesy voice acting. As far as PS2 JRPGs go, Grandia III is one of the console's most overlooked gems.

2 Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra

A Fitting Conclusion

The conclusion to the Xenosaga trilogy was quite a journey. It was one that took untold hours of development, an enormous team of over one-hundred and, if you were a part of its audience, the patience to wait.

What made Xenosaga really stand out back in the day was its use of theology and philosophy. A lot of JRPGs were, and still are, using those things to inform their world, but Xenosaga's rich, complex mythology was so expertly crafted and explored.

For as huge as it was back then, I feel like people don't really have a grasp on how genuine of a hold this finale had on people. The entire last act is loaded with emotion and one of the most epic final boss fights I've ever seen in a JRPG. This trilogy is in dire need of a re-release on modern hardware.

Still in a Dream

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was a critically acclaimed success, but there was always room for improvement. Seeing that, Kojima and his team went to work on an updated version. A similar event occurred after the release of MGS2 in 2001.

Known as Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, this multi-disc bonanza is still one of my most cherished PS2 games. If you were like me and picked up the limited edition, you could get a third disc with the game's cutscenes. It was a real treat, honestly.

The first disc included the game and an improved camera, while disc 2 was honestly excellent. It had Metal Gear Online, which I must say I was quite good at back then, as well as Snake vs. Monkey and the earlier, 2D Metal Gear games. As far as value goes, no other PS2 game on the market could offer the massive amount of content that this one did.