Ever play a game and think it’s too good? A lot of fans of the PlayStation 1 may have thought gaming had peaked back in the 90s thanks to some standout releases. These games may not have nailed every aspect, but they certainly got something right to create an everlasting legacy.
This list will not just be about the best PS1 games ever made. Instead, it will discuss how these games reached a new level of achievement in their particular field and perhaps never succeeded in hitting these high marks again for better or worse. With no strict ranking order, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.
8 Must-Play PS1 Games, Ranked
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Bushido Blade 2
A Realistic Fighter
Bushido Blade 2
- Released
- October 29, 1998
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Light Weight
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
There are a lot of great redefining fighting games on the PS1, including Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes and Tekken 3. Bushido Blade 2 stands above the pack as it boiled things down to a simple goal: winning. One slash of a character’s weapon, which could be chosen, would kill an opponent instantly. Players could dodge and deflect attacks, so strategy still played into things, but this realistic way of fighting made it much more engaging than anything else like it on the PS1.
Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Have At You!
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
- Released
- October 2, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania, Action RPG
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night took what Nintendo did with Super Metroid and twisted it. Alucard could level up upon defeating enemies, could gain powers like creating fire, and could equip gear from weapons to armor. The map system was interconnected by zones, and traversal powers gated players out of new areas. It helped create a genre, the Metroidvania, and homages are still trying to live up to the king of the night. It may not have seemed wild back then as a 2D game, but its legacy is undeniable.
Final Fantasy 7
Above The Clouds
Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- January 31, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG
It’s hard to know where to begin with Final Fantasy 7, because there’s so much to cover. It set such a high bar for the franchise and RPGs on the whole, thanks to its diverse characters, darker story, CG cutscenes, Materia system, giant world with tons of quests, Chocobo breeding, and onward. Elements from Final Fantasy 7 have been integrated into sequels.
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While the numbered sequels are still popular, nothing hit quite like this game did globally, with perhaps a close second going to Final Fantasy 10. What Final Fantasy 10 doesn’t have, though, is a spinoff empire, because there are Final Fantasy 7 games, movies, anime, books, and more. This is the easiest example of how a game set a high bar on the PS1 and beyond.
Final Fantasy Tactics
A Grid-Based Blueprint
Final Fantasy Tactics
- Released
- June 20, 1997
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Mild Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, RPG
Final Fantasy 7 isn’t the only game in the series to be referenced constantly decades later. Final Fantasy Tactics creatively fixed the tactical RPG genre, building on what came before, including its near-direct predecessor, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. The story was mature, and it did not hold back on touchy subjects like cults within religious organizations. The gameplay, while challenging, was easy to understand between equipping Jobs and moving around the map. Tactical RPGs owe a lot to Final Fantasy Tactics, and its sequels never quite hit the same mark.
Mega Man X4
X Vs Zero
Mega Man X4
- Released
- September 25, 1997
- ESRB
- Everyone // Animated Blood, Animated Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Action, Platformer
Mega Man X4 is the only game in the X series worth caring about, and it’s a tough choice whether this or the original game is the best one. X’s new armor sets changed gameplay in a big way, Zero was playable from the start, and the anime cutscenes could be laughable with the dub but were still good. This game captured the intense action of the franchise as a whole, while pushing new tech forward in simple ways, as the 2D gameplay is second only to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. A quick shout-out goes to Mega Man Legends, which was a trendsetter too, but not quite like Mega Man X4.
Metal Gear Solid
Incredible Storytelling And Bosses
Metal Gear Solid
- Released
- October 20, 1998
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Stealth
Metal Gear Solid has some of the best voice acting and storytelling on the PS1. It may be a bit long-winded at times, as that's Hideo Kojima's way, but the complex nature of the narrative and characters makes sense given some thought. Beyond the story, this is where the stealth genre matured.
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While later games, beyond Metal Gear, took things to the 3D in clever ways, Kojima's team made sure to make this top-down experience matter on the PS1. The attention to detail is still amazing to see in a PS1 game, like footprints in the snow or smoke revealing lasers.
Resident Evil 2
Welcome To Raccoon City
Resident Evil 2
- Released
- January 21, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Resident Evil created the horror franchise and is a more important game, but Resident Evil 2 took things to a scarier place: home. Chris and Jill were absent in this sequel, replaced by Chris’s sister Claire and a new cop in town, Leon S. Kennedy. Players could start as either character and then replay the game to get their B Scenario, and vice versa. Technically, this meant there were four separate campaigns, which is arguable since it’s a lot of the same content but told through slightly different perspectives. Still, the execution can’t be argued with. While the series peaked later with Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 2 was the horror blueprint for a while.
SaGa Frontier 2
The Art Style Is Unreal
SaGa Frontier 2
- Released
- January 31, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
SaGa Frontier 2 is not the best RPG on the PS1, as already established, but it does have some characteristics that make it unique. First, like all SaGa games, players will randomly level up stats or gain skills the more they fight, instead of relying on EXP. That’s not as interesting as looking at the backdrops of this game, which look like watercolor masterpieces. There’s nothing that looks this good today on the PS1, which is why it transferred over so well with the recent remaster. To put it another way, SaGa Frontier 2 aged like fine wine.
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From RPGs to platformers, these PS2 games have unique concepts that deserve to be experienced by more players.