With over 155 million units sold worldwide, the PS2 remains the best-selling video game console of all time. While the fantastic library of games has certainly contributed to the success of the PS2, the ability to act as a DVD player also played a huge role. Not only did this eliminate the need for a dedicated DVD player, but it also allowed developers to cram much more data onto the system’s optical discs.
With a capacity of 4.7 GB, PS2 discs could store almost seven times as much data as the discs used by the original PlayStation, resulting in a lot less multi-disc games on the PS2. To be a little more precise, only 11 PS2 games came on more than one disc, which is roughly the same number of Sega Dreamcast games with multiple discs, despite the latter’s signature GD-ROMs having a significantly lower capacity than DVDs.
Compilations like Growlanser generations and Hitman Trilogy will not be included in this list, nor will games shipped with a second disc of audio or video content or demos for other games from the same publisher.
Armored Core: Nexus (2 Disks)
| Developer | From Software |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Agetec |
| Publication date | September 28, 2004 |
| Metacritical assessment | 73 |
Before Demon SoulsFromSoftware was best known for its work on the Armored Core series, with five main series and a variety of spin-offs released between 1997 and 2013. Armored Core: Nexus was a sequel to Silent Line: Armored Core, which itself was a direct sequel to the third installment in the series. It came on two discs, with the first, EVOLUTION, focusing on brand new content. Conversely, the second disc, REVOLUTION, was heavily inspired by earlier Armored Core spell.
Cy Girls (2 discs)
| Developer | Konami |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Konami |
| Publication date | March 23, 2004 |
| Metacritical assessment | 53 |
Cy Girlsor cool girl, as it is known in its native Japan, started out as an action figure series before being later adapted into a video game by Japanese developer and publisher Konami. The game offers a healthy mix of puzzles and combat and features two playable characters, one specializing in melee attacks and the other being a master of stealth. Like many other multi-leader games from this era, each character gets their own disc, with Ice on the first disc and Aska on the second.
Devil May Cry 2 (2 discs)
| Developer | Capcom |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Capcom |
| Publication date | January 25, 2003 |
| Metacritical assessment | 68 |
Most consider: Devil May Cry 2 for being the weakest game the series has to offer, and the developers’ decision to include more than one playable character remains somewhat divided among fans. Like many of the previous ones Resident Evil games, the game’s two unique storylines come on two separate discs, with Dante playable on one and Lucia’s missions limited to the other. Players can also use Trish in place of either character by beating the game in Hard Mode with Dante or by holding L3, R3, L1, and R2 in the main menu until you hear a sound.
Grandia III (2 discs)
| Developer | playing arts |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Square Enix |
| Publication date | February 14, 2006 |
| Metacritical assessment | 77 |
Given how many multi-disc RPGs there were on the original PlayStation, it should come as no surprise to learn that the PS2 also had some robust role-playing games in its extensive library. Grandia III is perhaps the most notable, with the game’s action-packed story spread fairly evenly across two game discs. This is the same number as the first grandia game, which was one of fifteen PS1 role-playing games to come on more than one disc.
| Developer | Konami |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Konami |
| Publication date | March 14, 2006 |
| Metacritical assessment | 94 |
although both Zone of the Enders and Metal Gear Solid 2 were released with two discs, neither bonus discs actually contained any gameplay for their respective games, with the second disc of MGS 2 packed with videos and trailers and disc 2 of So to brag about a demo for MGS 2. As result, Metal Gear Solid 3: Livelihood was the one and only multi-disc PS2 game directed by Hideo Kojima. But even then, disc 2, Persistence, recommended Metal Gear online rather than a direct continuation of the game’s story, so whether it really counts as a multi-disc game is somewhat debatable.
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (2 discs)
| Developer | Capcom |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Capcom |
| Publication date | March 8, 2006 |
| Metacritical assessment | 81 |
Before god of war and Team Ninja is fantastic Ninja Gaiden reboot series, Tenchu and onimusha ruled the hack and slash genre. The latter was by far the most successful, with fans of the Capcom series being treated to six games in as many years at the turn of the 21st century. Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams was the last to be released in the PS2 era and features 17 sparkling stages for players to sink their teeth into. The first 11 can be found on the first disc of the game, the six remaining phases are on disc 2.
Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love (2 discs)
| Developer | Sega |
|---|---|
| Publisher | NIS America |
| Publication date | March 30, 2010 |
| Metacritical assessment | 81 |
The Sakura Wars series never really took off in the west, but that didn’t stop Sega from localizing the franchise’s fifth mainline installment for English-speaking audiences. As a result, the North American version of Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love came with two discs; one with the Japanese dub of the game and the other with the English localization. Unfortunately, despite positive reviews, the game didn’t impress much, with fans having to wait over a decade for the next mainline Sakura Wars game.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant (2 discs)
| Developer | nautilus |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Midway Games |
| Publication date | September 27, 2004 |
| Metacritical assessment | 85 |
Koudelka was one of the most unique titles on the original PlayStation, perfectly merging survival horror and RPG mechanics. Many consider it the inspiration for the three shadow hearts games, the second of which is Shadow Hearts: Covenant. While it still retains the Lovecraftian horror elements found in its spiritual predecessor, Covenant leans a lot more into the RPG genre this time around. This includes having an incredibly long story, with two drives needed to cram everything into it.
Star Ocean: Until the End of Time (2 discs)
| Developer | tri-ace |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Square Enix |
| Publication date | August 31, 2004 |
| Metacritical assessment | 80 |
Given the series’ sparse release schedule in recent years, it can be easy to forget that the Stars Ocean franchise is now more than a quarter of a century old. It wasn’t always that way, though, as the series was released regularly between its 1996 debut and the release of Star Ocean: The Last Hope in 2009. Slap bang came in the middle of that period Star Ocean: Until the End of Time, a PS2 RPG with a 45-hour main story. This, of course, required a multi-disc solution, with the game’s director’s cut spread evenly across two DVD discs.
Xenosaga Episode II (2 discs)
| Developer | Monolith Soft |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Namco |
| Publication date | February 15, 2005 |
| Metacritical assessment | 73 |
Considering they are widely known for their heavy-handed use of cutscenes, it should come as no surprise to learn that two out of three Xenosaga games came on more than one disc. Interestingly, though, it’s the second and third installments of Monolith Soft’s ambitious trilogy rather than the multi-disc first, despite Xenosaga Episode I with a much longer main story than either of the two sequels. This was probably due to the previously mentioned cutscenes, which become much more prominent as the story progresses.
Xenosaga Episode III (2 discs)
| Developer | Monolith Soft |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Namco Bandai Games |
| Publication date | August 29, 2006 |
| Metacritical assessment | 81 |
Despite widely acclaimed by critics, Xenosaga Episode III sold somewhat poorly, with only 340,000 lifetime sales worldwide. This, along with the series’ niche nature, played a big part in Monolith Soft’s decision to turn towards making Xenoblade Chronicles instead of making six Xenosaga matches as the team had originally planned. Like its predecessor, Xenosaga Episode III was released on two discs, with much of the storage capacity again taken up by cutscenes from FMV.
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