You play as Ashley Riot, which is easily one of the coolest names ever. The game concentrates on creating and modifying gnarly weapons, as well as using your brain to solve difficult puzzles and finding strategic ways out of sticky situations. It’s an action-adventure RPG, but there isn’t any trading of armour or speaking with every character to find a specific clue. Squaring off against huge dragons while trying to take down evil organisations – Vagrant Story has it all and more. The fictional kingdom of Valendia was and still is one of the greatest places in gaming history. Vagrant Story (2000) Credit: Squaresoft/Sony It’s been pipped to the top spot by two other titles that are close to my retro gaming heart. I was obsessed!įF VII is considered by so many gamers to be the best of the best PS1 titles, but not on this list. I remember lying to my friends for the entire Easter holidays when I eventually got a copy because I didn’t want to leave the TV. It’s so easy to get hooked playing this game.
It’s very similar to the other Japanese RPG mechanics of the time, and PAL gamers went mad for it.Īs with every FF title, the characters, their moves, and the people you interact with are what makes these games so damn addictive. Gameplay revolves around the massive world map, the field where most of the exploring happens, and the battle screen where you destroy your enemies. FF VII, however, is much more science-fiction orientated with a strong apocalyptic feel.
It’s the same type of 2.5D feel as Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. The game uses 3D characters in a 2D world. It’s one of the most compelling plotlines in any RPG game to date and never fails to leave you coming back for more. You play as Cloud Strife, which is a pretty good name for an ‘eco-terrorist’ who wants to stop corporations from destroying the planet. It’s the seventh game in the series and the first to receive a PAL release. If I had a dollar for every minute I spent playing Final Fantasy VII, I’d be a very rich gamer. Final Fantasy VII (1997) Credit: Squaresoft/Sony It’s a masterpiece, and we can’t give it any higher praise than that! 2. Honestly, if you haven’t played this game, then you owe it to yourself to give it a try. The camera angle changes in moments of combat, however, giving you the best view of the action no matter what’s going on. This game is 3D but is often viewed from a top-down perspective.
You can also shoot bad guys too, but don’t risk alerting other guards to your presence. Solid Snake can be detected when he moves into an enemy’s line of vision, so the player has to duck, crawl, and sneak their way to victory. It made me feel like a real-life super spy – that’s even more dangerous than skateboarding down a half-pipe! What makes Metal Gear Solid so special then? Well, Apart from Solid Snake having a cool name, a cool look, and a bad-ass set of skills, it’s full of organisations with names like FOXHOUND and DARPA. I reckon he could even give Lara Croft a run for her money! Credit: Konami/Sony Solid Snake, the game’s protagonist, is still one of the coolest characters to date too. It’s an absolute classic, perfect from the moment you switch on your machine to the end credits. Let’s take a moment to give it a round of applause…ĭespite being another stealth game that I was initially terrible at, I knew that this game was worth persevering with. MGS is without a shadow of a doubt the worthy winner of the top spot in our best PS1 games list. Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue! (1999)įor those of you who have been wondering when Metal Gear Solid would finally arrive, here it is. Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins (2000) Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999) Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage/Gateway To Glimmer (1999) Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire (1996) Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night (1997)