Best RPGs Only Available on PS1, Ranked

Summary

• The PS1's RPG library was crucial to its success.

• Titles like Beyond the Beyond, Brave Prove and Thousand Arms remain trapped on the PS1.

• Alundra 2 and Koudelka are examples of great sequels, but were not re-released due to the lack of modern platforms.

Without a strong supporting RPG library, the PS1 may not have been a direct hit. One of the smartest decisions Sony ever made was digitally re-releasing PS1 games on PSN to be enjoyed on both the PS3 and PSP. That moment when players realized they could play games like Final Fantasy 7 on the road must have been eye-opening.

Final Fantasy 7 and many other Square Enix and non-Square Enix RPGs have made it beyond the PS1 via the aforementioned digital ports and other versions as well. However, these other games are still trapped on the PS1 with no other way to play them other than an emulation or a hard copy and a good old PS1.

6

Beyond the afterlife

Sony's first sun

• Developer: Camelot Software Planning

• Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

• Platform: PS1

• Published: September 11, 1996 (NA)

Beyond the afterlife was one of the first RPGs released for the PS1. It was developed by Camelot, which was still a small name at the time but was getting bigger thanks to Nintendo. They are the team responsible for Golden Sun and the various Mario Sports titles that border on RPGs.

Beyond the afterlife Battle's interface closely resembles that of Golden Sun, with large sprites and colorful animations. Sony recently re-released PS1 games for PS4 and PS5 with small upgrades, so maybe one day Beyond the afterlife Feel free to come back The Legend of the Dragoon. For now, however, it's stuck with the PS1 and Sony should get in touch with Nintendo to make a deal here.

5

Brave evidence

Go west, young man

• developer: Data West
• editor: Data West
• Released: April 16, 1998 (Japan)
• platform: PS1

Brave evidence wasn't released in Japan until 1998, when the PS1 was cooking on gas. It's an action role-playing game developed by Data West, a company that fans shouldn't confuse with Data East, a maker of great games like this one BurgerTime And Joe & Mac. Brave Prove features large, bulky-looking sprites, but they are very detailed compared to the game's more polygonal backgrounds.

For 1998 it may have seemed too dated to be released outside of Japan. However, retro fans can appreciate it now, especially because there are fan translations of it in English and the hack-and-slash gameplay is satisfying, even if it can get old.

4

Alundra 2: A New Legend Begins

The first is certain, but not the sequel

Alundra was the PS1's answer The Legend of Zelda with a strong emphasis on dreams. It was a top-down action-adventure game that was re-released on digital stores like the PS3. Alundra 2: A New Legend Begins was a more ambitious sequel with fully 3D backgrounds and characters.

It played similar to Mega Man Legendsanother hidden gem from the PS1, but with sword gameplay instead of using a gun. Unlike its predecessor Alundra 2: A New Legend Begins never made it off the PS1 and hopefully the pirate adventure can see the light of day on a console again.

3

A thousand arms

Befriend a woman and become a master blacksmith

A thousand arms would fit right in at home persona Fan collection and not just because it was published by Atlus. This is also a turn-based role-playing game with romance mechanics. The players are a young blacksmith named Meis, who can only become stronger with his hammer if he falls in love.

Players will encounter various female party members on their quest, and dialogue options can strengthen or diminish these relationships. It's a very silly story, reminiscent of a harem anime Tenchi Muyo or Dear Hina except with a lot more turn-based battles.

2

Koudelka

A precursor to Shadow Hearts

Koudelka is a turn-based horror role-playing game from 1898. Players can move their party around the battlefield on a grid-based field, similar to a mini-tactical role-playing game. Players take on the role of the titular Koudelka, a clairvoyant who is sent to investigate a similar mansion resident Evil.

It is the forerunner of Shadow Heartsanother obscure RPG set in the same universe. There were plans to port Koudelka to Neo Geo Pocket Color and Steam at various times, but those plans fell through and now the game is officially trapped on the PS1 forever.

1

Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past

A forgotten past indeed

• developer: heartbeat
• editor: Enix
• Released: November 1, 2001 (NA)
• platform: PS1

Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past was a late game for the PS1 and a late entry into it overall Dragon Quest Series. The sixth entry was a SNES game and that took place in Japan in 1995. Due to its late release and seemingly outdated graphics, many passed this PS1 classic by and then it became rare.

Eventually it was remade for the 3DS, which is really the best way to play it, and then there was also a mobile version based on the remake. So it is possible to play Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of Oblivion Technically elsewhere, but not in this original form, which is a different experience on the PS1. Dragon Quest Purists would certainly relish the chance to play this time travel game again.