7 Best PS1 RPGs That Still Hold Up Today

Sony’s original PlayStation was a role-playing game machine. Developers loved the added storage they got from the disc-based system, which led to many top teams leaving Nintendo for Sony’s new console. While RPGs have improved quite a bit graphically and mechanically since the PS1 era, there’s something to be said about a great game with a classic look. These PlayStation RPGs might not have the same pizazz as a modern game, but they’re still a blast if you’re willing to dive in.

Here are seven PlayStation role-playing games that are still worth playing today.

7) Parasite Eve

Parasite Eve is such a compelling experiment. Squaresoft wanted to jump in on the Resident Evil craze, but wasn’t looking to drop its RPG roots. Instead, players got something somewhere between RE and Final Fantasy. The first M-rated game from Square used the developer’s mastery of PS1 graphical tech to make a truly disturbing RPG filled with tense combat and surprising scares. It is tough to get your hands on these days, but if you find a copy, it’s worth checking out.

6) Chrono Cross

It remains one of the great mysteries of gaming that Chrono Trigger wasn’t turned into a massive franchise. After all, the original game was made by Square, which has been more than willing to churn out dozens of Final Fantasy games over the years. Meanwhile, Chrono Trigger, which is a legendary release, has one sequel. Thankfully, Chrono Cross is a solid follow-up, mixing innovative combat with a memorable cast and one of the best stories on the system. If only this weren’t the end for the Chrono series.

5) Wild Arms

Wild Arms doesn’t get mentioned as much as it should among the PlayStation’s best RPGs. Sure, it doesn’t quite live up to games like Final Fantasy in the visual fidelity department, but Wild Arms is dripping with style. Developer Media Vision put together an exceptional blend of fantasy, sci-fi, and the Wild West to give players an ambitious world that somehow all makes sense. The Western genre is sorely missing much representation in the RPG market, but Wild Arms more than does its part.

4) Xenogears

Xenogears had a long and winding path to its release date. It was first pitched as Final Fantasy 7, but Square decided to move in a different direction. Then, it was going to be a sequel to Chrono Trigger, but it was eventually decided that Xenogears would be its own original game. You can still see some of the bones of those games, and Xenogears does drop off a bit in its second half, but it’s so ambitious that it doesn’t really matter. If nothing else, it’s worth playing through Xenogears to experience its phenomenal soundtrack in context. Plus, if you love modern-day Xeno games, you owe it to yourself to try out the series’ first game.

3) Final Fantasy IX

Most would probably slot Final Fantasy VII into this list, and I wouldn’t argue with them. However, the modern remakes mean that many fans have already played a more updated version of that classic game. To be clear, it’s a visual treat that completely changed the game and is still worth your time; however, I would suggest FF9 more at this point. It is Square’s swan song for the PS1, a console that helped catapult the company’s popularity. It’s also a phenomenal RPG filled with a great cast of characters and surprisingly great comedic chops.

2) Vagrant Story

Vagrant Story definitely falls into the “love it or hate it” category. As you can tell from this ranking, I fall firmly into the former, but it’s worth noting that Vagrant Story isn’t for the faint of heart. This is a difficult RPG that isn’t afraid to pound your face into the dirt. Its combat system is one of the most ambitious on the system, and has one of the more adult stories on the system, making it fun to go back to if you grew up in the PS1 era. Plus, like most Square games at the time, it’s a beautiful game that takes full advantage of everything the system has to offer.

1) Suikoden II

Suikoden II is an incredibly ambitious game, but for very different reasons from many games on the PlayStation. Instead of chasing top-end graphical fidelity, the team at Konami gave players over 100 recruitable characters. You might assume some of those characters would become samey, but Konami managed to make every single one of them unique. It’s one of the most impressive casts in gaming history, and it shows that Konami was at the top of its RPG game. Toss in a nuanced political drama that’ll remind you of your favorite prestige TV series, and you have a game that is absolutely worth playing, no matter the era.

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