Join James as he lists and discusses the top ten must have games for the Sony Playstation! There are so many great games for the PS1 so if we missed any out, please let us know your suggestions in the comment box below!
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid not only stands as one of the best stories in gaming history, but it is also hands-down one of the most influential games of all time. Its plot is riddled with philosophical and moral issues that resonate with gamers strongly in modern society. This game was the inspiration for many current conventions in its genre, and it still holds up over a decade later. Whether you're a veteran fan with an original PlayStation copy or a new Metal Gear Solid fan who's purchased the game off of the PlayStation Network, this is a game that you should be proud to own.
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2 is the greatest thing to ever come out of Capcom's famous zombie franchise. Combining a chilling atmosphere with solid story and gameplay design it truly is an unforgettable experience. Taking place in the fictional American town of Raccoon City, the game opens in the aftermath of a zombie outbreak and things quickly begin to spiral into a web of conspiracy, mystery and intrigue. My favourite aspect of Resident Evil 2 has to be the journals and notes that you can find throughout the environments that add an extra layer of context to the games worlds and events that really helps paint a picture of a bleak situation in the most human way possible.
All in all, Resident Evil 2 took what the original started, and expanded upon it in many ways, If you like solving puzzles and surviving in a world filled with zombies and other terrible mutations, Resident Evil 2 will definitely satisfy that itch.
Final Fantasy IX
I am a big Final Fantasy fan and having played pretty much every game in the series I can say Final Fantasy IX is truly one of the greatest out of the bunch. The story is great and presented very well, you take control of Zidane who’s journey is riddled with many interesting characters and situations as you make your way through the visually impressive world of Gaia. The game is challenging yet rewarding, there are hundreds if not thousands of spells and abilities your characters can learn. There is a lot of content in this game, it will take you a good 30-40 hours to beat and there are many secrets to get afterwards that are worth doing that adds even more replay value. Squaresoft did so, so many things right in the Playstation 1 era, and Final Fantasy IX really feels like a culmination of all that was learned along the way.
Silent Hill
Developed by Konami and released in 1998, Silent Hill is one of the finest survival horror games around. To this day playing this game is still a truly nail biting experience and is sure to stick with you long after the credits have rolled. In all honesty I had trouble playing this game back in the day due to it being so gad damn freaky, admittedly some aspects of the game have not aged that well especially the controls and visuals but due to the many fond memories I have of playing this, for me its easy to look these concerns. Silent Hill does a great job in building tension, it plays with your imagination and half the battle is getting over the anxiety of pushing the narrative forward all the while avoiding the monsters that plague the experience. It manages to separate itself from the likes of the resident evil series by letting the action take a back seat and opting for a more psychological approach that will likely chill you to the bone. If you’ve been living in a cave for nearly twenty years and have not had the opportunity to experience this wonder of a game its now available on the playstation store as well as the option of physically acquiring the game or emulation… Now is the perfect time to immerse yourself in the strange world of Silent Hill.
Gran Turismo 2
Gran Tiurismo 2 offers quite essentially the definite driving experience available on the original Playstation. IT expands upon nearly every aspect that made the original so great and presents it with style and confidence. With the huge amount of cars and tracks at your disposal it is one of those games that you will loose what feels like a lifetime to but If your looking for a fun pick up and play racer you won’t find that here… Instead I would suggest looking at the ridge racer series for the more arcade inclined racing fans among you as gran truism 2 is a game that requires a lot of patience and skill in order to play it efficiently… Thats not to say you will not have fun but just expect to be crashing all over the place on your first couple of races until you can get to grips with the realistic handling and weight of each car. There are two main modes when entering the game one being the arcade option that allows you to freely choose which vehicle you would like to use and get straight to the track, but where the game really shines is whiten its simulation mode that requires you to earn driving licences by passing several tests that introduce the various mechanics behind the driving as well as having to pay for your own vehicles and earn trophies in order to unlock new courses. Gran Truism 2 is a spectacular game and stands as one of the most visually impressive playstation games to boot, it really deserves a place in everyones collection.
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Fighter Alpha 2 is the sequel to Capcom's Street Fighter Alpha reboot. Branching off from the wildly successful Street Fighter 2 series, the Alpha series sure had big shoes to fill at the time... and in such a competitive era of the fighting game genre, also had something to prove. Thankfully, SFA2 was a much bigger and more colourful game than its predecessor. It provided Street Fighter fans with exactly what they wanted: more characters, more moves, and more balanced gameplay. As well as adding a few new mechanics to the mix such as the custom combo system which would see you character chaining together there own combos made from a combination of special and normal moves. If your looking for some fighting goodness on the original playstation… look no further.
Castlevania Symphony of the night
This has to be my go to castlevania game whenever the subject of the series is brought up… And for many reasons but mainly due to it being the first in the franchise that i sank a considerable of time in to. Symphony of the night was the first in the series to break away from its action platforming roots and instead emphasise the need for exploration… Pulling many comparisons to super metroid the game is one of the most successful games for the system and in my opinion the best in the series. You take the role Alucard as you explore every inch of dmacuals castle and encounter an incredible amount of enemies that manage to keep you on your toes throughout the duration of the adventure. As for the castle itself, it is absolutely huge and with each location feeling unique its a blast exploring the entire area and uncovering the many secrets that dwell within. Previous games in the series allocated a whip to the player as there main form of attack but with symphony of the night a lot more weapons were added such as nunchucks as well as the ability to adorn Alucard with various abilities such as a double jump that were unlocked upon finding the many relics that litter the environment. With the game now being re released for various consoles it has never been easier to get your hands on a copy of this true playstation gem.
Vagrant Story
Vagrant Story is a dark and atmospheric RPG that possess one of the most engaging combat systems I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. When compared to other RPG’s released by square for the Playstation Vagrant Story stands out as something truly unique and the way in which its handles battling really contributes to this notion. As you progress and acquire new skills your combos get progressively stronger and more interesting by adding several abilities into the mix that will help you deal extra damage and even drain some of the enemies HP for example. The game relies heavily on the equipment you are carrying and is all the more meaningful thanks to the equipment combination system that allows you combine your various weapons and transform them in to better versions to take with you on your journey. But its not as simple as combining the same type of weapon in the hopes to develop a stronger counterpart another aspect known as the material system is also thrown in that can contribute to the outcome of your items effectiveness… This all adds up to make one of the most intricate and customisable attributes of the game and in my opinion is one of the games best characteristics. Story wise as you would expect from any old school square rpg is all on point and is one of the more memorable narratives on the system. Vagrant Story is a game that deserves a place on your shelf!
Tekken 3
By todays standards its hard to articulate how impressive and relevant Tekken 3 was upon its release way back in 1998. Hot off the heals of Tekken 2, the third outing upped the ante and introduced us to a bucketload of new characters as well as new systems that expanded upon the gameplay of its predecessor. Originally released in the arcades, To see this game running on the Playstation hardware was truly an impressive sight… Every move, combo and character made the transition as well as a few extras that were not present in the arcade release. To this day Tekken 3 still holds up and offers the player a robust fighting experience that is sure to keep you coming back round after round and As well as offering your standard arcade and multiplayer options the game introduced many new modes in to the mix that redefined what a fighting game could be… The Tekken force mode which would see you fighting through waves of enemies was a breath of fresh are for the series and contributed to the many fond memories I have of playing it as well as the volley ball mode which is just balls out fun and one of the best multiplayer games to play. When standing next to Tekken 2 its easy to see the amount of love that went into this game and as a result in my opinion it is the definitive 3d fighter for the system and If on the odd chance you have still not managed to play this one… I highly recommend you check it out and see what all the fuss was about.
Bushido Blade
Bushido Blade is well known for its unforgiving style of play… All it takes is one hit of a sword to emerge victorious and in my opinion the game is all the better for it. Bushido Blade revolves around one on one battles in an open arena but where this game differs from the many other fighting games of the time is the way in which each battle plays out. There is no hud, no life bar, no timer… and with the inclusion of something called the body damage system… It introduced many new strategic ways in order to overcome your opponent. This damage system was truly innovative for the time and would effect your characters, speed, attacks and stance during each battle due to any damage dealt to a specific body part. Slashing your opens legs would cause them to crawl along the ground and a hit to the harm would result in them not being able to hold there weapon correctly. With seven characters too choose from as well as a variety of weapons that all effect the gameplay due to the weight and size of each, your guaranteed to have a blast. Especially in the multiplayer which holds some truly special memories for myself of playing this game with my brother growing up and the many arguments we had due to him always kicking my arse. All in all Bushido Blade is a pretty unique fighter but if you possess enough patience you will find one of the playstation most enjoyable games.
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