The Sony PlayStation has one of the greatest, most culturally significant video game libraries you could ever dream of. But which are the games you need to play?

 

50. Legend of Legaia

It’s not going to take you long into this list to discover that the original PlayStation may honestly be the greatest console ever as far as RPGs go. Legend of Legaia is the first in a pretty long line of genre definers.

Though it’s fair to say that the exploits of Vahn and his punch pals isn’t the best RPG on the console, its unique turn-based combat with combos that feels a bit like a fighting game, fantastic character models, and wonderfully anime as hell story that may honestly remind you a bit of Attack on Titan make it one of the most distinct games on the platform, and well worth seeking out.

While many franchises used Sony’s first console as a springboard for the generations to come, it’s a bit baffling that the brilliant Legend of Legaia has only ever had one other game, and that came on the PlayStation 2 over 20 years ago. At least port this, Sony!

 

49. WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role

I can’t tell you how many times I played the same few sections in Career mode over and over again in this game because I didn’t have a memory card.

While the first SmackDown game was certainly no slouch, Know Your Role genuinely felt like the perfect distillation of everything brilliant going on with WWF at the time, with huge attitude, amazing entrances, realistic move animations, and all the content a kid without a Sky or cable setup could ever need to make their own WWF.

Obviously it’s aged about as well as most of what Shawn Michaels did while he was in D-Generation X, and the arcade-yness of the wrestling can’t hold a candle to the simulation style of  , but WWF SmackDown 2 was the perfect digital revolution to match the one going on in the wrestling industry itself at the same time.

 

48. Alundra

While the 3D revolution was evident in every pixel on Funaki’s face in WWF SmackDown 2, the OG PlayStation also had plenty of incredible 2D games to its name, one of them being a name you might not be too familiar with: Alundra.

A little bit derided at the time of release for its 16-bit vibe, Alundra is an action adventure game in a similar vein to Zelda, except with a bit of Inception chucked in as you play as the titular dreambotherer as he tries to help people on an island out within their dreams.

While perhaps most famous for its puzzles that were almost certainly devised by the people who wronged the monkeys in 28 Days Later, Alundra’s morose, philosophical story, gorgeous visuals, and consistently surprising depth in exploration and its people make it a game that shouldn’t be slept on.

 

47. Valkyrie Profile

Some games don’t ever get their due, or even just a nod towards how ahead of the curve they were. Valkyrie Profile is one such game, as it feels like we see a lot of the DNA in tri-Ace’s RPG in modern games.

From the ability to recruit the undead to your cause like sad Pokemon with deep backstories, to the fact that the game switches between platforming, turn-based combat, and the ability to fly around the world, this is a crazily ambitious game for the dawn of the new millennium. Chuck in 24 playable characters and some rather gorgeous visuals, and you have the definition of a cult classic.

Lenneth’s story might be preferred by some in its PSP version, but wherever you play it, Valkyrie Profile is a game that will constantly surprise you with the swings it takes, and how many of them it hits.

 

46. Ridge Racer Type 4

Ridge Racer-Type 4 sums up just the general feel of the PlayStation like few games ever managed to. This image alone is really transportative for me back to a time of pogs, Salt and Lineker, and just so, so much Phantom Menace merch. So much.

Ridge Racer Type-4 nailed the attitude of the PlayStation perfectly, but it also nailed 3D racing like few other games on the console managed to either. You could also become Pac-Man’s ultimate Digivolution.

With over 300 car models, an almost unnecessarily deep story mode, an absolute banger of a soundtrack, and the perfect mix of gameplay styles, Ridge Racer Type-4 was the perfect antidote for those who wanted to crunch a few less numbers than what Gran Turismo asked of them.

 

45. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

Apart from a few bad apples, the fifth generation was a golden era for another genre: the platformer. We were certainly spoiled for choice in-between the plumbers, jorts botherers, and limbless wonders, so it’s a shame that Klonoa: Door to Phantomile still remains a tad overlooked.

A 2.5D side-scroller with 3D environments, Klonoa follows the titular raccoon dog cat guy as he looks to stop Phantomile from being turned into a nightmare. Armed with your magic ring friend, you’ll be grabbing enemies and chucking them about like they’re Funaki, basically using them as the platform to get around the levels.

Though it has its dark moments, Klonoa is a refreshingly whimsical, breezy platformer that isn’t ashamed to be the antithesis to the rebellious, edgy attitude of the 90s. Check it out — on your nearest emulator, that is, or in its PS4 remake.

 

44. Breath of Fire 3

There are many RPG franchises that just scream “PlayStation” when they come to mind, and while the first two games were on the SNES, many fans will probably think Breath of Fire really came into its own on the PS1.

While the fourth game is no slouch, especially visually, Breath of Fire 3’s story of a shape-shifting dragon lad who’s looking to found out more about his origins in an era-hopping adventure features some really likable characters and fantastic attention to detail.

Though the soundtrack feels a little bit out of place at times, and the loading times can be egregious, Breath of Fire III is a gorgeous isometric RPG that lets you live out your dreams of becoming a dragon. I still wanna be MetalGreymon one of these days, and I still want Breath of Fire 3 and 4 on modern consoles, please.

 

43. PaRappa the Rapper

You can keep your Marshall the Mathers. The streets will never forget Parappa the Rapper.

It may look and sound too simplistic to be anything of substance these days, but there’s a reason why rhythm games like Parappa and something like Space Channel 5 were such cult bangers: they’re just really fun. The catchiness of each tune offsets the game’s punishing difficulty, which is handy because you will probably be hearing the same song over and over to the point where you will want to kick, punch, and chop your console into a fine paste.

While you’re probably going to end up hating chicken by the end of it, Parappa the Rapper is still a super enjoyable bit of silliness that you won’t ever see from Sony ever again.

 

42. Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor genuinely felt like the digital version of Saving Private Ryan on your PS1, except you don’t have to deal with Faraday from Lost being a massive wimp.

You probably won’t realise it unless you were there at the time of its release, chugging Lucozade and chucking grenades accidentally, but Medal of Honor felt like a genuinely huge step forwards in terms of bringing the cinematic feel to your home consoles, including a massive, sweeping orchestral score, a wild range in enemy animations, and a genuine sense of scale.

Medal of Honor is a little fiddly to go back to these days, but it and its sequel Underground picked up the baton left by Goldeneye to point towards the future of console FPS games in bombastic style.

 

41. Chrono Cross

If Chrono Cross was called by a slightly different name, like Bongiorno Cross or something, and it had no connection to    at all, it’d probably be loved twice as much as it already is.

But thanks to a couple of controversial decisions, Serge’s timeline hopping One Piece side story is slightly polarising, and it’s easy to see why it might rub some up the wrong way.

Make no mistake though, from its complex, challenging narrative to its gorgeous visuals to its brilliant cast of characters, including the 45 different party members, Chrono Cross is a real RPG gem on the PS1 that should be sailing its way into your library soon if it isn’t already.

Yes, it’s not Chrono Trigger, but what is really?

 

40. Driver

While it’s perhaps most notorious for its famously hard tutorial, which you can check out on our second channel, there’s more to Driver than just its underground parking lot.

In fact, that’s probably one of the easiest parts of the game.

Driver isn’t for the faint of heart, but Reflections’ 1999 drive em up captured not only the feel of movies like Bullitt and Ronin, but also the feeling of driving a muscle car like few games before it, with a sense of weight that really still feels great today.

Chuck in some amazing car degradation physics, several open worlds to race against cops in, and a wonderfully cheesy, mid-afternoon detective show story, and Driver is brilliant fun as long as you know what a slalom is.

 

39. Rayman

Now, if you think the tutorial in Driver is hard, you may have mentally compartmentalised some of the later levels in Rayman. This game is trickier than it is for Rayman himself to take effective glucosamine tablets.

A side-scrolling platformer which focuses on the limbless wonder as he tries to recover the Great Protoon from Mr Dark, Rayman may look, sound, and even feel like a Saturday morning cartoon, but many of you watching this probably weren’t as traumatised by Street Sharks as you were Space Mama’s Crater here.

With awesome animations, amazing music, and more tings to collect than a mid 2000s indie pop band, Rayman might be best played these days with save states to save your mental health, but the core brilliance here would go on to launch a brilliant franchise that deserves way better.

 

38. Bloody Roar 2

Speaking of franchises and fans that deserve better, it’s really baffling just how little we’ve seen of Bloody Roar for the past 20 years.

The first Bloody Roar game is a good proof of concept that proved that yes actually, kicking someone’s head in as a rabbit woman is pretty fun, but the sequel turned everything up a notch.

Refining the action with even smoother 60fps animation, better character models, and music that always goes hard, Bloody Roar 2’s simple thrill of transforming into your beast alter-ego mid-fight was the absolute hypest thing to tell your friends about on the playground.

Bloody Roar is not the most balanced or competitively minded fighting game of all time, but it’s certainly one of the most fun — and isn’t that what we’re all here for anyway? It’s also got 16:9 support, so that’s cool.

 

37. The Legend of Dragoon

One thing’s consistent across most JRPGs: There’s always someone or something looking to put an end to the world, and there will probably be a dragon somewhere. It’s kinda crazy that The Legend of Dragoon has been pretty much nowhere for all these years, though.

In The Legend of Dragoon, you play as protagonist Dart, and it’s up to players to take control of a team of heroes as they seek out the soul of the God of Destruction and aim to save humanity. Dart is no ordinary hero, though, as he can transform into a Dragoon and turn the tides of battle.

Some things in The Legend of Dragoon may feel and look very familiar, particularly the party menu, but there’s enough here to enjoy, including the amazing visuals, charming characters and its gigantic scale. Dragon pun not intended. This really should have spun off into Sony’s own Final Fantasy, but it was never meant to be.

 

36. Spider-Man

Far from the first or last Spider-Man game to hit consoles, the PS1 adventure stood out primarily for its truly impressive for the time web-swinging, powered by the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater engine, and its absolutely crazy wealth of cameos, nods to the comic books, and just a general reverence for the source material.

Also, Black Cat. For reasons.

Venom is far from Spidey’s only problem here as villains like Rhino and Mysterio pop up to wreak havoc and cause trouble for the webhead. But you can even team up with other Marvel heroes like Daredevil, Captain America, and Punisher — that just wouldn’t happen nowadays.

Though a little clunky by today’s standards, the symbiote-driven storyline, ability to chuck couches at dudes, and just general vibes are worth putting up with some antiquated edges, especially if you wanna see what Spidey thinks of the word arse.

 

35. WipeOut 2097

You’re not going to get a racing game like WipeOut from a big publisher these days, I mean, look at the lack of F-Zero for proof of that, and while there are some indie bangers like Redout to play instead, they just don’t capture the same magic.

WipeOut 2097 was a massive leap up for the series and Psygnosis as a developer, with 2097 making the original WipeOut feel like a breakneck proof of concept rather than the powerhouse showcase for the power of PlayStation this brilliant sequel turned out to be.

Including new features like the ability to take down your opponents and just heaps more content overall, 2097 feels like The 1990s: The Video Game in the best possible way. In 1996, it captured the futuristic grunginess of the inbound new millennium fantastically well, with a sense of speed that’s difficult to master, but incredibly rewarding when you do.

Now I just gotta live for another 73 years and see if Psygnosis were accurate.

 

34. Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins

While stealth, usually involving some kind of tall grass and giant floating arrow, is a regular part of most AAA third-person games these days, you don’t really get many stealth games like Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins.

A prequel to the first game that refines a lot of its rougher edges, with smoother movement, incredible sound design, and deeper sneaking mechanics, it’s easy to see why Tenchu fans tend to veer towards Rikimaru’s origin story when discussing the best games in the series.

It looks great today despite some rather wild draw distance issues that are a bit unavoidable in 3D games from the time, but you might still get a kick out of creating your own levels TimeSplitters style with programmable enemies that you will end up just spawning in the middle of a bunch of traps anyway.

 

33. Xenogears

Xenogears was the debut title in a series that thrives well into the 21st century (even as spiritual successors). In it, players traverse the continent of Ignas amidst an endless war and become central to the conflict and the safety of the world when a new threat arrives.

Rather than just stick to traditional combat with increasingly compensatory swords, Square also introduced mech-like robots called Gears. This almost Gundam element changed how battles unfolded, and also gave Xenogears an aesthetic and feel unlike anything else out there.

While it does fall apart a little (ok, quite a bit) on the second disc, Xenogears’ heady topics, huge scale, and gorgeous graphics make it one of the most compelling video game messes ever. Not bad at all for a game that was almost Final Fantasy VII.

 

32. Dino Crisis 2

Dino Crisis 2 is nuts. It’s just a nuts video game. It’s basically the original game, but if someone just kept going “and then” over and over and adding more and more nonsense.

From time travelling daughters to obnoxiously large dinosaurs to orbital lasers, Dino Crisis 2 is a very extra video game that drops a lot of the survival horror aspects of its predecessor for a more action-focused approach. The giant score counter at the top of the screen should clue you in that you can come out from behind the couch and just start blasting. However, that doesn’t mean that Dino Crisis 2 isn’t fun, as the game’s bonkers plot, banger soundtrack, more vibrant world, and fast tempo make it the textbook definition of a Blockbuster rental that you won’t quickly forget.

 

31. Syphon Filter 2

While I’m not sure if Syphon Filter 2 is the best aged game on here due to some awkward controls, bad voice acting, and bizarrely diagonal sprinting, its importance for the OG PlayStation and third-person shooters overall, and just how much fun it still is, cannot be understated.

A fairly challenging sequel where you again play as Gabe Logan with Lian Xing also making her playable debut as you try to stop the titular virus from killing the latter, Syphon Filter 2 builds on the first game with tighter controls, bigger levels, and even the introduction of PVP multiplayer.

Fans of espionage action will probably get a kick out of Syphon Filter 2’s moody chaos, huge bevy of weapons, including the iconic taser, and cinematic spectacle, even if listening to Gabe’s voice actor is sometimes like listening to Steven Segal trying to order fish and chips from a Chinese restaurant.

 

30. Twisted Metal 2: World Tour

Twisted Metal 2 pits a band of serial killers, psychos, Twitter Premium subscribers and misguided heroes in a race to the finish line. Except the track is littered with bodies and the winner is the last one standing.

Sony’s landmark vehicular combat game is a silly, over-the-top explosive bit of fun that’s gonna take you a while to master and not get constantly exploded in, as you’re one of several lunatic fighting for the sake of redemption and power.

The fiery clown Needles Kane, the curious Marcus, the tormented Axel, and the revenge-seeking Mortimer get behind the wheel of iconic rides in this unforgettable PS1 classic that tidies up a lot of the original’s rough edges while also finding more of its own identity. It’s not the deepest game in the world, but not every game needs to be, especially when you’ve got a friend to play with you. It’s been far too long since we had a new Twisted Metal game.

 

29. Medievil 2

MediEvil is a series that’s done a lot better than Twisted Metal in terms of games in recent years, with the first game in particular getting a lot of second chances. It’s the second game, though, that we think deserves a spot on our list, and even a remake. Come on Sony, finish the job

MediEvil 2 picks up the goofy, charming marker left by its predecessor and classes things up with some lovely Victorian outfits and uh gatling guns for Daniel, with silly boxing match setpieces featuring detached limbs really just summing up the off-the-wall brilliance of MediEvil as a whole.

The platforming may drive you a little nuts these days, but the cheeky gothic Aardman atmosphere, amazing graphics, and jaunty soundtrack make this the best game inside Tim Burton;s brain that we never got. Anyone else think this was terrifying when they were young, though? It is kinda messed up.

 

28. Ape Escape

Anyone who played the Ape Escape section in Astro Bot will probably be as confused as every Ape Escape fan has been for the past 20 years when trying to figure out where the new games are.

The series is just pure silly brilliance, with the first game in the series being a fantastic debut that oozes offbeat charm, some mad funky beats, and more monkeys than any man could ever know what to do with — maybe diamond mining?

The story focuses on Specter, who is basically like Charles Xavier meets Caesar from Planet of the Apes, as he makes his fellow monkeys get up to mischief across different time periods . Playing as Spike, you must sneak up on the damn dirty apes while using all of the tools at your disposal.

You really couldn’t ask for a better introduction to the DualShock than this PlayStation icon.

 

27. Crash Team Racing

You might think it’s crazy that Crash Team Racing gets in here over a second mainline Crash game, but honestly, this remains one of the most “pick up and play” kart racers ever, even 25 years on. Garfield could never.

While the Nintendo 64 had Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing, Crash Team Racing was making its home on the PlayStation, with more attitude, more speed, and more jorts.

Crash Team Racing looks, plays, and sounds great even nowadays, with a fully realised adventure mode that lets you collect keys and take on boss tracks with the ultimate goal of taking on Nitrous Oxide — as long as you don’t lose your mind going for collectibles before then, that is.

Crash Team Racing is a classic that’s almost certain to send a lapsed fan back in time when they hear the bassline for N Sanity Beach again.

 

26. Soul Blade

Known as Soul Edge in its native Japan, Soul Blade is the genesis of the Soulcalibur series, everyone’s favourite fighting franchise featuring Darth Vader. Masters of Teras Kasi juuuust missed out on this list.

Built off the back of Tekken with the simple thought of “what if more sword?”, Soul Blade does more than enough of its own thing to feel like something completely different, and not just because of Edge Master, which sounds like a Twitch mod’s favourite mode.

From the range of weapons you can unlock per character to the almost goofy verticality to the amazing character models and eye-catching stages that you can boot people out of, Soul Blade was a weird, wild, and wonderful game with the added benefit of not letting your cheesiest friend play as Nightmare and spam the same two moves just yet. You know who you are!

 

25. Spyro the Dragon

When the villainous Gnasty Gnorc overtakes the dragon Homeworlds and imprisons all other dragons, presumably for being given that terrible name, it’s up to the young dragon Spyro, who you might call Spyro the Dragon, to set out on an epic adventure that would end up shaping millions of childhoods.

Spyro may not look like he’s up to much, but the young dragon has a trick or two up his sleeves as he looks to free his fellow dragons. Spyro had a sense of momentum and speed that was pretty unusual for platformers of the time, with Spyro’s Zinedine Zidane and flying abilities, along with the game’s more whimsical fantasy feel, helping it to stand apart in what was a golden age for the genre. Stick the soundtrack on for 7 seconds and there’s a good chance you will make a millennial cry.

 

24. Mega Man X4

For many Mega Man fans, Mega Man X4 is the pinnacle of a series that boasts dozens of iconic games. Considering it only just makes the top 25 here, it shows just how insanely stacked the PlayStation was for all-timers.

The first game to let you properly play as Zero throughout, Mega Man X4 might not have been the jaw-dropping 3D Mega Man of the future some were hoping for, but it still does a lot of things that can leave you slack-jawed.

From the stunning backdrops to the amazing animations to the mature story to the massive bosses, this isn’t a game that lets two dimensions be a millstone. Yeah, some of the voice acting isn’t great, but don’t let that take away from just how good the cinematic moments hold up overall. Bring back anime cutscenes in games, please.

 

23. Tekken 2

Few games have ever managed to gather friends around a CRT to end up in blood feuds for the rest of their lives quite like the Tekken series. While the first game was a very solid starting point, Tekken 2 is where the series really began to find itself.

Everything here was simply taken up a notch, and not just because King Chad Roger was added to the roster. Want crisper moves, easier ways to learn, tonnes more content, and crazy good graphics at 60 frames per second? You got it.

Tekken 2 is one of the games responsible for giving the PlayStation its cooler edge over the competition and your PlayStation collection simply isn’t complete without it, but another Tekken game edges it out later on in our list.

 

22. Tomb Raider

It boggles the mind to think where third-person 3D action adventure games and PlayStation in general would be without Lara Croft, even if Tomb Raider did actually come to Saturn first.

An incredibly ambitious and magnificently realised game from devs who were basically worked to the bone to get it completed in time, Tomb Raider changed the very face of gaming as we know it, with Lara becoming an icon almost overnight. She was one of the first characters not in dungarees to make it into the mainstream, and then you just couldn’t get away from her.

Tomb Raider boasted an incredibly cinematic scale for its time, and while it might have aged in quite a few obvious places, there’s still something about the original Tomb Raider today that feels like a welcome time machine. Just don’t make me do the mines again, please. 

 

21. Gran Turismo

While Tomb Raider was designed and released in record time, Polyphony took their sweet time to make the original Gran Turismo. You don’t redefine exactly what racing games are overnight, of course.

This has been said a few times in this video, but you really cannot undermine just how incredible Gran Turismo looked, played, and felt back at the time of its release. Honestly, it felt kinda like we’d skipped a generation. The attention to detail bordered on the obsessive, and it would make millions of living rooms, common areas, and dorms obsessed too.

Packed with over 100 cars and more funky beats than Mike Tyson vs Funky Kong in a boxing match, Gran Turismo is the highest rated PS1 game on Metacritic for a good reason, but we do prefer the second game, as you’ll see soon enough.

 

20. Dino Crisis

What if Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and Resident Evil had a baby? Players found out in 1999 with Dino Crisis, a dinosaur-driven survival horror experience from the creator of Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami.

Coming off the heels of Resident Evil 2, Dino Crisis had some pretty hefty shoes to fill, and while it might have overcooked the plot a bit, it certainly delivered on the dinosaur action and scares, with dinosaurs coming out of the woodwork more than secrets and receipts for baby oil in Hollywood.

Dino Crisis still has a cult following today, and while it never quite reached Resident Evil status, it’s impossible to deny its place in the survival horror pantheon. It’s impossible to get Capcom to give this game a proper modern port outside of a subscription service, too, apparently. Regina deserves better.

 

19. Parasite Eve

Some games aren’t meant for everyone. You will realise Parasite Eve might not be your mum’s favourite game the second an entire theater full of people bursts into flames, oh and also rats are turning into crocodile dogs.

An absolutely barmy, brilliant horror RPG with a unique battle system that allows you to move outside of your turn, Parasite Eve follows Aya Brea as she attempts to stop Eve from turning the citizens of Manhattan into giant satsumas.

Parasite Eve is a fantastically experimental, unapologetically shocking game with some of the best visuals on the console, as well as a general mood and storyline that feels completely unlike anything else in this generation, or much since. This one’s for the freakazoids, and we love it. We just wish Square would too.

 

18. Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee

Speaking of being for the freaks:

Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssee casts you as the titular Mudokon after he’s captured for overhearing the sinister plan to turn his kind into the newest influencer crossover meal at McDonalds.

Abe’s Odyssee is an unforgiving and sometimes frustrating platformer with the kind of vibe and aesthetic that simply can never be replicated. It’s not a horror game as such, but even Resident Ev il hasn’t come up with the ability to let you take over the minds of enemies and make them kill their friends. And also Chris Redfield can’t fart on command.

Abe’s Oddysee was followed up by the arguably just as brilliant Exodus, and has also received a more recent remake, but there’s something about the PS1 look and feel that makes the original far, far harder to shake.

 

17. Suikoden II

When Konami wasn’t too busy terrifying players with scary towns or a lack of licenses, it was busy with Suikoden, a strategic RPG series that may not have been loved by many, but those who did love it, really loved it for a good reason.

Building on its also great predecessor, Suikoden II is anything but a small game, as players can recruit more than 100 characters and take many of them onto the battlefield.

The way those characters synergise with Riou, both on the battlefield and off it, offers just about the craziest amount of depth of any RPG on the PS1. While the pixel art compared to the mind-boggling effects of 3D RPGs of the time may have been partly why it commercially struggled, hence why physical copies go for silly amounts, they give Suikoden 2 a truly timeless charm today.

 

16. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain launched a series of vampiric dramas that would hop between genres more than David Bowie on uppers. Soul Reaver took the titular Kain and his ex-lieutenant, ex-jaw owner Raziel into the mainstream, in a big way though.

Playing as the damned Raziel, players guide the wraith on his path of vengeance in one of the PS1’s most haunting, disquieting games that feels a bit like The Legend of Zelda, but if you substituted the early struggle and eventual glory for just more struggle.

Crystal Dynamics crafted a fine story with some truly fantastic lead performances that set a standard for acting in video games, with the ability to shift between planes also being truly revolutionary for the time. They don’t make ‘em like Soul Reaver anymore.

 

15. Resident Evil

Just in the same way something like Tekken got people off their couches to scream in frustration as Law did the same two kicks, Resident Evil got them jumping behind the couch.

While games like Alone in the Dark might have laid the groundwork, Resident Evil was the first time when horror gaming truly felt like it could hold a candle to its big screen counterpart.

Chris and Jill’s no good terrible night out in the Spencer Mansion has plenty of weird anachronisms these days, and you obviously know the drill when it comes to the “acting”, but the original was and still is a deeply unsettling, undeniable epoch in video game history that would basically shape the 3D horror space forever, but it isn’t our favourite Resi game on PS1.

No, it’s not Survivor either.

 

14. Grandia

When a young boy called Justin comes across a magic stone, it kicks off the journey of a lifetime, both for him and the players young enough to experience this gem in their formative years.

Originally released on Saturn only in Japan, Grandia is a gorgeous 2D RPG with an irresistibly wholesome charm at a time when most RPGs were digging deeper and deeper into dark themes. Grandia is a bright and refreshingly whimsical RPG, which might explain a bit of why it got a little less love in an era brimming with attitude.

But the themes and general tone of Grandia are timeless, and the game is still an absolutely wonderful treat today. If you want a breezy, approachable RPG that doesn’t skimp on scope while still providing plenty of gameplay depth, Grandia remains a grand adventure and a half.

 

13. Gran Turismo 2

Gran Turismo 2 built upon the foundation laid by the original, improving the mechanics while adding much more content to deliver a smooth and enjoyable racing simulator that still plays remarkably well today.

And hey, it doesn’t do this nonsense to you, which is cool!

Obviously, Gran Turismo 2 in 2024 and beyond is going to feel just a little bit clunkier, a little jaggier by today’s standards, and yeah, the pop-in can be a little distracting, but the classics never really go out of style or lose their magic, and that’s absolutely the case for Gran Turismo 2.

Get the Dragula blaring, boot up Midfield Raceway, and get ready to absolutely lose your mind in the hunt for that elusive A license.

 

12. Spyro 2

There were a lot of trilogies on PS1, but few were as consistently excellent as the OG Spyro trilogy. The first game is certainly a brilliant platformer, but there’s something about Ripto’s Rage, or Gateway to Glimmer depending on which face you have on your coins, that feels like Insomniac were really getting in their groove.

With more content and characters, better visuals and controls, and many more other little ingredients for this big old magic pie, Spyro 2 is the perfect middle point between the grand experiment of the first game and the arguable bloat of the third.

Though Fracture Hills can forever stay in whichever portal from Hell it crawled out of, Spyro 2 captured the sense of wonder better than most games on the original PlayStation, and it remains one of the best games to get lost in as you watch percentages rise even today.

 

11. Vagrant Story

Vagrant Story was just one of several standout Square RPGs on the PS1, but it’s also their most underappreciated.

A little different from Square’s other RPGs, Vagrant Story is more of a third-person adventure dungeon crawler, where Ashley Riot uses the environment to navigate around almost like a platformer as he looks to figure out the true story behind a cult. But that’s not all that’s unique here.

Combat is a blend of action and turn-based as players can pause time and bring up a combat overlay to target specific body parts. The timing-based limb targeting takes a little bit of getting used to unless you’ve played any modern Fallout game, but the game’s gorgeous cinematic visuals, winding, complex narrative about the corruptive influence of mortality, on top of every other wild swing the game takes, makes it the kind of brilliantly experimental RPG Square needs more of today.

 

10. Tomb Raider II

Tomb Raider II is a stellar action-adventure third-person shooter sequel that asks the question: just how badly can you abuse your staff if you’re rich?

With some time to spare before she gets canceled, Lara Croft sets out to raid some tombs and find a mysterious dagger said to turn its holder into a dragon. Lots of dragon morphing on the PS1 right? Man and beast aim to stop Lara in her tracks, throwing everything at her from pesky bats to a massive t-rex.

The controls, which were certainly improved from the original, still may have really tested your patience (and may test them even more when you play it today), but once you got the hang of it all, there was no stopping the last surviving Croft. Until she went to France, of course.

 

9. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2

Few PS1 games in this list are as transportative as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, or any of the THPS games in general really. Even these days, it only takes around 30 seconds of kickflipping and grinding through the hangar level until you’re suddenly living in a simpler time again.

While both the first and third games are great in their own right, Pro Skater 2 really captures the culture of the time perfectly, with one of the greatest soundtracks of all time, way more precise controls, and just so much to do that such a simple concept ends up offering one of the deepest experiences on the console.

If you were lucky enough to play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, whether on your babyfaced lonesome or with a group of friends crowded around the same CRT in the pursuit of more bloody video tapes, there’s a good chance that this classic shaped your personality forever.

 

8. Final Fantasy IX

Released late in the PS1’s lifecycle with everyone eagerly awaiting the chance to do some The Bouncing, Final Fantasy IX was the perfect goodbye for the franchise’s best ever era.

Pulling back the scale and the drama just a little bit to tell a more playful story that can still go dark when it needs to, Final Fantasy IX squeezes every last drop of power still left on the OG PlayStation to offer arguably the most jaw-dropping visuals on the console. You don’t need Steiner math to figure out why this is such a classic. Final Fantasy IX’s tighter mechanics, better gear, cheerier characters, and overall more whimsical feel make this the perfect comfort RPG for me personally, but if you want to put Final Fantasy Tactics or even Final Fantasy VIII in this list instead, that’s also totally fine by me.

 

7. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

While the first Crash was and still is enjoyable, its brutal difficulty curve and infuriating hitboxes made it seem like the weird experiment that it actually was. The same doesn’t really apply to its sequel, Cortex Strikes Back.

In this follow-up, Crash continues his platforming antics to duke it out with the villainous Doctor Neo Cortex. Many of the same mechanics return, simply finely tuned for a more enjoyable and forgiving experience, though you’re still going to want to strike the now Clancy Brown voiced Cortex across his big dumb head with a baseball bat.

The result is a delightful, challenging thrill ride that’s far deeper, and better-looking, but also one that would solidify what exactly made the jorts-bothering bandicoot such an icon for the next 25 years.

 

6. Tekken 3

If you never grew up with the opportunity of going around your mate’s house to stay up late and end up becoming mortal enemies with them after the 6th consecutive loss from them spamming the same bastard moves as Eddy Gordo, you frankly have not lived. You’d probably wish your friend would stop living though, to be honest.

The third entry in the series features a hefty roster of fighters, with Anna, Heihachi, Nina, Paul, Yoshimitsu, Jin and more getting involved in Mishima drama and eventually losing their minds over Ogre’s cheap bullshit.

Tekken 3 is the absolute peak of the OG trilogy on PS1, and the fighting game genre in general for some people, with extremely clean animations that still look fantastic today and an absolutely crazy banger of a soundtrack. Chuck in 60fps, a very healthy amount of modes including Tekken Force, and the ability to play as a bear, and you have video game heritage right here.

 

5. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

If this were a video on PS1 games that have aged the best, Symphony of the Night would almost certainly be #1. It’s an absolute beauty.

Symphony of the Night bears the nonlinear, more open-ended RPG elements of Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, which went on to become the series’ staple in many future titles, but tucked within the gothic aesthetic is a surprisingly heartfelt narrative as son and father stand at opposite ends of the fight. Dracula, pained by the murder of Alucard’s mother, seeks to end humanity while Alucard himself wishes to stand with man and stop his father’s vengeance.

Symphony of the Night felt like Konami and Toru Hagihara threw everything they had into it, and while Symphony wasn’t a commercial success, it’s probably the game in an absolutely pivotal video game franchise.  There have been a lot of Castlevania games before and since this one, but if there’s a single game in the series that every newcomer should play, it’s this masterpiece.

 

4. Silent Hill

The zombie-infested Raccoon City wasn’t the only iconic location on the PS1 that would get a 1-star TripAdvisor rating,.

In Silent Hill, Harry Mason enters the titular tumultuous town to pursue his missing daughter, Cheryl, and finds himself immersed in something truly sinister, as if the hectares of fog suggested you were at a Scooter concert instead. Gruesome monsters, twisted visions, and a cast of strange characters pepper Harry’s path, forcing him to face otherworldly terrors and survive an impossible nightmare.

Silent Hill properly set the stage for a franchise that would put the U in trauma. There might have been plenty of follow-ups to the original, and some of them may have aged a lot better in some places, but from the incredible soundtrack to the hideous enemies to the sheer mystery, few Silent Hill games since have managed to leave quite the same creepy, isolating impression.

 

3. Resident Evil 2

The incredible 1998 sequel to the no good terrible night out in the Spencer Mansion broadened the scope of having a no good terrible night as the virus snaked through Raccoon City and the Raccoon Police Department. Rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy, and Claire Redfield, the uh rookie sister of the first game’s Chris Redfield, arrive to find the city in disarray. Not many games or even movies since have captured the same feeling of despair and sheer panic from a zombie outbreak.

Resident Evil 2 set the standard for the series, fleshing out a narrative that built upon the stage set in 1996 while not being afraid to lean into the superb shlockiness of it all. From the memorable monsters that basically established franchise tropes to the charming cast to the incredible B scenarios, Resident Evil 2 deserves every ounce of praise it gets more than two decades later. Play it now and you might be surprised by just how effective it still is.

The more recent remake is also worth your time, but Resident Evil 2 on the PS1 feels like its own, absolutely essential beast, one that was also an altogether different beast at one point in time.

 

2. Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solid set the stage for Hideo Kojima’s 2D cult stealth favourite to turn into a blockbuster 3D franchise, with many little details that put some of today’s games to shame. I mean, people today are still only just discovering that Liquid’s parachute can be found after your helicopter battle.

Kojima’s masterpiece turned Metal Gear into a household name overnight, with the kind of cinematography rarely ever seen in a video game up to that point. Chuck in the sheer amount of ways of approaching most combat situations, incredibly meta easter eggs, and some of the most iconic voice acting in any game, and you can see how Kojima’s first mainstream masterpiece blew everyone away in 1998.

It was an incredibly risky game to develop that simply wouldn’t get made today, but whether or not you’re playing it for the first or 100th time, there’s going to be something in this now 25 year old industry changer that will change the way you see video games.

I think at any time, any place, people can still fall in love with Metal Gear Solid.

 

1. Final Fantasy VII

Everyone remembers where they were the first time Final Fantasy VII changed everything for them.

Final Fantasy VII is a winding and emotional journey that follows protagonist Cloud Strife, who unwillingly becomes a key player in the machinations of Sephiroth, while also trying to choose between Coke and Pepsi. Pepsi all day, honestly.

Engaging and complex yet still approachable turn-based combat drives this gargantuan adventure, and FF7 drove the gigantic boom in turn-based RPGs in particular. Final Fantasy VII is as important to RPGs as a little Italian plumber is for platformers, and just gaming in general.

While you could honestly swap any of the top 50 around here and that’d be fine by me, Final Fantasy VII has to be the best PS1 game of all time, for delivering a scale never seen before, the greatest cast of any role-playing game ever, and also genuinely feeling like the future of gaming was the most exciting thing to be a part of. Also, for adding snowboarding in. For no reason other than they could.

A little bit of gaming history was being made with every swapped disc here. Just like many others on this list, Final Fantasy VII has been remade and spun off from many times, yet it still stands as a JPRG juggernaut, even decades later, and the best PS1 game of all time.

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