6 Best PS1 Hack-and-Slash Games That Still Hold Up Today

The original PlayStation took players to new heights. Now that developers were putting games on CDs, it opened up new avenues for better graphics, longer runtimes, and more innovative designs. Still, players love the classics, especially when they look better than ever. While the hack-and-slash genre is one of the classic staples of ’80s gaming, there were several bangers on the PS1 that more than satisfied that itch for fans of the genre. If you want an idea of what it was like to play hack-and-slash games in the ’90s, you’ll have plenty of solid options.

Here are six hack-and-slash games that still hold up today.

6) Gauntlet Legends

Gauntlet Legends takes that classic arcade gameplay from the first two Gauntlet games and modernizes it. Not only did it get an upgrade to 3D models, but the original arcade version also added passwords and character saves, so you could keep up your progress even if you didn’t have the console version.

Thankfully, it eventually did come into players’ homes. Gauntlet Legends first came to the Nintendo 64, and when it hit the PS1 a year later, that version only supported up to two players. That hurt it quite a bit in reviews, but it’s still a blast. Granted, Gauntlet Dark Legacy ate its lunch soon after, but the sequel never came to the original PlayStation.

5) Diablo

Diablo was a game-changer when it launched on PC. Yes, Diablo 2 took that same formula and exploded it into one of the best games of all time, but the original set the foundation for what’s become one of Blizzard’s most beloved series. It took about a year for it to come to the PlayStation, and while it’s clearly inferior, it’s not a bad port.

The controls mostly capture the feeling of playing on a PC, and the auto-targeting was mostly viewed as an upgrade. Unfortunately, it only supported link cable multiplayer, so you needed multiple PlayStations to play with friends. You’d still rather play on a PC, but it’s a neat time capsule of Blizzard’s early port work on one of its biggest series.

4) Nightmare Creatures

Nightmare Creatures is a weird one to rank on this list. It nails the spooky atmosphere and terrifying monster designs it’s going for, but the combat can be a bit of a letdown. For that reason alone, some fans might take it off this list; however, I think it’s worth including because flaws with the camera and repetitive combat don’t take away from what makes Nightmare Creatures such a hidden gem.

The good news is that the PS1 version is the one to play. Nightmare Creatures also launched on Nintendo 64 and PC, but those versions are much worse. If you’re looking for a little horror in your hack-and-slash gameplay, try out Nightmare Creatures. You probably don’t need to play the sequel, though.

3) Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain

Blood Omen kicked off the Legacy of Kain series, which has become one of the great cult classics in video game history. This first game from Silicon Knights did pretty much everything right. It has a great premise, has exceptional sound design, and features a unique mix of gameplay.

The only real knock on Blood Omen comes down to technical problems. It doesn’t look great, and it does have agonizingly long loading times. Still, you can see the vision Silicon Knights had for this more mature take on the genre. They’d eventually get there, but it’s worth playing through the first game to see the foundation.

2) MediEvil

MediEvil is heavily inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas visually. It started development as a shooter, but then Sony purchased the developer, and it evolved into the hack-and-slash action-adventure game players know and love today. It’s got a unique look and great humor, which helped it earn solid scores.

Unfortunately, the controls are a letdown. Fighting your way through the levels can feel a little mindless, but it’s worth it to experience everything MediEvil does right. MediEvil got a sequel and two remakes, but both of the latter quickly showed that this was a game of its time. There’s plenty of potential with the property, but no one has ever fully unlocked it.

1) Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

As mentioned, Blood Omen showed players there was big potential with the Legacy of Kain series. The sequel more than delivered, giving players one of the best on the original PlayStation. This time, Crystal Dynamics and Amy Hennig took over development and set the story 1,500 years after the events of Blood Omen.

That turned out to be a good decision, because the technical leap Legacy of Kain made over Blood Omen was the size of an ocean, despite launching on the same console. It still has that gothic atmosphere that made fans love Blood Omen, but now this deeply ambitious game is backed up by rock-solid technical work. Legacy of Kain feels like the culmination of all the ideas seen in Blood Omen, and then some. If you haven’t played it, you need to change that soon.

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