8 Best PS2 Games with Branching Storylines

Key Takeaways

• PS2 games offered complex and multiple endings that added depth to storytelling.
• Games like Final Fantasy 10-2 integrated various endings to enhance player experience.
• Titles such as Shin Megami Tensei 3 demonstrated how branching storylines in PS2 games enriched gameplay.

PS2 games are some of the most beloved in the gaming community, as they were present at a time that many players agree was the golden era of consoles. While their graphics weren’t the best and the game mechanics in many titles were a little clunky compared to what’s available today, they still delivered an amazing experience and allowed players to have a ton of freedom.

While some PS2 games focused on crafting a single well-developed story that would have players talking about it for decades, others dived deeper and took the risk of doing the same, but with multiple choices. Games with many endings are complex, fun, and overall, interesting, as every choice matters. Here are some of the best PS2 games with branching storylines.

8 Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne

The Demi-Fiend’s Choices Will Heavily Impact The Ending

• Tokyo is overrun by vicious demons
• Great storyline

The Shin Megami Tensei franchise has many great titles that have given players tons of hours of fun over the years. Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne is a great example of this, as it not only offers a very interesting story, but there are also branching endings that can be obtained by players depending on the dialogues they choose.

This title’s story focuses on a high school student who becomes a powerful being known as the Demi-fiend. In this fictional world, Tokyo has been invaded by demons as a result of the efforts of a mysterious evil cult, which unleashes the events of the rest of the game. Released in 2003 for the PS2, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne is certainly one of the best titles the console ever had.

7 Silent Hill 2

A Man’s Quest To Unveil The Details Behind A Mysterious Letter

• A timeless horror classic
• James Sunderland travels to Silent Hill to find answers about his late wife

Silent Hill 2 focuses on James Sunderland, a widower who one day receives a letter from his deceased wife. Trying to find answers, James travels to Silent Hill, a quiet town in Maine where he and his wife had spent wonderful moments. However, when he reaches his destination, he discovers that the town is no longer what it used to be, and is now covered in a thick, ominous fog.

This title is complex enough without adding branching storylines, since it presents players with amazing game mechanics that help build the feeling of horror and mystery. However, even though the game doesn’t need them, there are four different serious endings and two joke endings, which adds another layer of depth to Silent Hill 2.

6 Final Fantasy 10-2

A Great Sequel To An Already Great Game

• Branching and interesting storylines
• In many ways, this title presents a more interesting premise than its predecessor

Final Fantasy 10-2 is set two years after the events of its prequel, in the fictional world of Spira. It revolves mainly around summoner Yuna as she seeks Tidus, the main character from the prequel. All while also trying to prevent the many political conflicts in Spira from escalating into a full-blown war.

Unlike Final Fantasy 10, which only had one ending, this title actually features several, each with its own events, consequences and rewards. This makes Final Fantasy 10-2 much more interesting to play than its sequel in that regard and allows players to take full control of their experience as they progress through the game and uncover the many secrets each one has to offer. All in all, it’s safe to say that Final Fantasy 10-2 is one of the best installments of the franchise.

5 Suikoden 2

The Game Greatly Builds On Its Predecessor’s Foundations

• This title greatly improves upon its prequel
• Up to six different characters to control at a time

Suikoden 2 is one of those sequels that manage to maintain its predecessor’s essence and also successfully improve on it in many ways. The style of this title is very similar to the original Suikoden, but it also features improved sprite-based graphics and animations.

Featuring random battles and up to six different characters that players can control at one time, Suikoden 2 offers a great experience for fans of the franchise. Following along the lines of other titles in its genre and of its time, this game also features multiple endings, which can be very different from one another and will determine the fate of various characters and the outcome of various situations.

4 Way of the Samurai

The Ultimate Ronin Experience

• Kenji stumbles upon a conflict between rival clans
• Players get more katanas as they progress through the story

Way of the Samurai is set in 19th century Japan, allowing players to take on the role of a mighty ronin who goes by the name of Kenji. One day, Kenji accidentally stumbles upon a conflict between two rival clans and gets involved in it. This kicks off a series of events that unravel throughout the rest of the game.

As players would expect from a title like this, combat revolves heavily around the use of over 40 different katanas. To obtain more katanas, players must defeat enemies and take them from their cold hands. That said, although there’s a large weapon variety in Way of the Samurai, players can only carry up to three katanas at a time. This title features six different endings, which puts it ahead of many of the previous games that have been covered on this list so far.

3 Rule of Rose

A Survival Horror With Distorted Memories

• A slow walk through the main character’s memories
• Great survival horror mechanics

Focusing on a 19-year-old orphan who goes by the name of Jennifer, Rule of Rose tells the tale of how she slowly but surely, starts remembering her childhood, as well as the people she met and the time she spent at the Rose Garden Orphanage. What makes this game interesting, is that everything is told from Jennifer’s perspective, which means players must take everything they see or “remember” as her with a grain of salt due to the possibility of her memory being altered or blurry.

While Rule of Rose received mixed responses from the critics, those players who liked the game still love it to this day thanks to its survival horror mechanics. Although this title only features two endings, the fact that there’s more than one still allows it to make this list. It should be noted that, of the two possible endings, the good ending is widely regarded as canon.

2 Resident Evil Outbreak

Five Different Scenarios Covering An Important Event

• Five different scenarios
• There are a total of 32 possible endings

The Resident Evil franchise is beloved by many and has been so since the first game was released more than two decades ago. While Resident Evil: Oubtreak isn’t the best installment in the franchise, it still presents players with an interesting story that covers five different scenarios spanning from the early hours of the Raccoon City Destruction Incident, to the last few seconds of the event.

This game probably has the most ambitious branching storyline covered on this list so far, as there are four different endings for each of the eight characters, making up a total of 32. This means that the possibilities are nearly endless when playing Resident Evil: Outbreak, and players will always be surprised by how things turn out depending on the choices they make in each playthrough.

1 Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

The Prince Of The Netherworld’s Quest To Claim His Rightful Place On The Throne

• Laharl must claim his father’s throne
• Mutliple endings that change depending on players’ decisions

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness opens with Laharl, the Prince of the Netherworld rising from his coffin to receive the news that he’s been asleep for two years and that his father, King Krichevskoy has died. With the strong intention of claiming his late father’s throne, Laharl sets out on a journey full of adventure, danger and tons of enemies who will stop at nothing to thwart his efforts.

Like other titles on this list, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness has multiple endings, making up a total of eight. There are bad endings, good endings, alternate endings, and many other alternatives that will keep players invested and wondering which one they got. All in all, this title presented a very fun experience to those who played it back in the day and kicked off a popular franchise that has spanned more than two decades at this point.