PS1 games with the best storylines

The PS1 took the lead in the 32-bit era and helped bring gaming into the mainstream with its 3D graphics and multi-genre games with good storytelling and movie-like action. There are games with fantastic stories from the SNES and Genesis/Megadrive era, but the systems were more known for arcade fighting games, platformers, and shooters.

The additional power of the PlayStation gave developers more freedom to realize their vision with 3D graphics, rich storytelling and exceptional games that only worked on PCs. Great stories transcend their hardware because they are timeless. Here's a list of games with some of the best stories that are just as good today as they were back in the days of the PS1.

A unique science fiction spy story

The Metal gears The series is known for its difficult-to-understand story that includes philosophical themes, long cutscenes, and excessive exposition. However, Metal Gear Solid on the PS1 is arguably the best in terms of pacing, action and cinematic storytelling. It's not a realistic and grounded spy game like that Tom Clancy Splinter Cell series, but it contains many science fiction elements, such as giant mechs, genetic clones and more.

Its creator Hideo Kojima is clearly a huge film fan Metal Gear Solid is generously based on film pop culture. There are elements of action films and heroes like Colonel Campbell who draw inspiration from Richard Crenna's Colonel Trautman Rambo: First BloodSnake has more than a few similarities to Escape New York Snake pleated skin, and the antagonist Liquid Snake draws parallels to Roy Batty Blade Runner. It's well-executed and even leads to a thrilling action movie-style hand-to-hand showdown on a giant mech.

7 Resident Evil 2

A classic horror with a dual narrative

The resident Evil The series doesn't offer great storytelling in the classic sense. They're horror games that play like B-movies, with hammy voice acting and occasionally corny dialogue. This applies to the modern remakes and the most recent entries. However, it's sleazy in the best way and no less scary.

The first resident Evil has already established its excellent world-building with environmental storytelling, twists and immersion that draws players into the story. Resident Evil 2 went a step further with more detailed environments, great new characters and better cinematography. In addition, the two protagonists Leon and Claire increase the game's replay value by offering players the opportunity to experience a story that cleverly unfolds in parallel.

6 Broken Sword: Shadow of the Knights Templar

A magnificent, global crime thriller

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars is a point-and-click adventure game that puts players in the role of George Stobbart. Stobbart is an American tourist caught up in a murder case in Paris that sends him around the world to uncover an underground cult linked to the ancient Templar Order with Nicole Collard, an aspiring journalist.

The story has a great pace, excellent characters and just the right amount of humor to bring balance to a thematically dark murder conspiracy. Along the way, George and Nico meet other memorable characters who help them by appearing in the series Broken sword Sequels. The original game has been remastered with stunning 4K graphics and updated characters and environments. Players have the option to switch between the original and remastered versions. The original story is excellent and remains unchanged, with only a few minor adjustments made to the dialogue.

5 Final Fantasy Tactics

An epic and ambitious story with political intrigue and great characters

Final Fantasy Tacticsalong with its expanded port, Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lionscontains a story loosely inspired by the real events of the War of the Roses. It remains one of the world's most ambitious narratives Final Fantasy Series. It features complex and sophisticated storytelling based on friendship, loss, war, religious manipulation and politics.

Players take on the role of Ramza, a nobleman who is drawn into the conflict known as the War of the Lions after witnessing the murder of his sister. Final Fantasy Tactics explores the shades of gray between right and wrong, the balance of power and corruption, and its execution is excellent. The game marks the introduction to the medieval fantasy world of Ivalice, the setting of Tramp story And Final Fantasy 12.

4 Terry Pratchett's Discworld

A magical recreation of Terry Pratchett's fantasy world

• Platform: MacOS, PC, PS1 and Sega Saturn
• Released: 1995
• Developer: Perfect 10 Productions and Teeny Weeny Games
• Genre: Point and click adventure

The 32-bit generation opened the door for porting cartoon-like point-and-click adventures to consoles. Terry Pratchett's Discworld —based on the novels of the same name – was one of those games that came to life in video game form. Those who are familiar with the Discworld Books will love watching protagonist Rincewind explore his strange world in Ankh-Morpork.

Rincwind is a young wizard at the Unseen University who is tasked with tracking down a dragon that is causing chaos throughout the city. Puzzles can be challenging and often require out-of-the-box thinking to solve. The script is excellent and does a great job with the voice cast featuring British comedy legends like… Eric Idle (Monty Python), Rob Brydon (Barbie, Gavin and Stacey), Tony Robinson (Blackadder)and more.

3 Suikoden 2

A mature story about conflict and loss

Many games deal with themes of war and resistance to invading kingdoms, but few do so as effectively as Suikoden 2. The themes of war, greed and politics go hand in hand and that is what drives the story. The effects of war and the loss of family and friends play a large role as most of the recruitable characters, known as the 108 Stars of Destiny, have personal interests and motivations that drive them.

Suikoden 2 It also features one of gaming's most despicable villains: Luca Blight. Driven only by hatred and power, Blight is an unforgettable opponent. The first two Suikoden Games are being remastered for modern consoles, so fans of great stories can experience two PS1 classics without spending hundreds of dollars on auction sites for the originals.

2 Xenogears

An epic and deep RPG with a thought-provoking story

Xenogears is often cited as one of the best PlayStation JRPGs for its depth and mature themes. Players take on the role of Fei Long, who suffers from amnesia and is haunted by dreams of battles and giant mechs. However, XenogearsThe story was ahead of its time as it dealt with religious, philosophical and psychological themes. It also deals with mental health, loss, self-discovery and human nature.

There are so many layers Xenogears' Plot and Characters that it would have reached the top spot had the game been completed and not been rushed to a conclusion due to time constraints in development. It was also intended to be a larger part of a much larger saga spanning multiple timelines. Unfortunately, this was due to low sales Xenogears achieved cult status only among JRPG enthusiasts and fans of great stories. The team behind it Xenogears founded Monolith Soft and continues similar themes with the Xenosaga trilogy on the PS2 Xenoblade series on Nintendo systems.

1 Final Fantasy 7

A benchmark JRPG with amazing characters and world building

It's impossible not to talk about it Final Fantasy 7 when it comes to great stories on the PS1. There's no denying that the influence of the iconic original helped usher in a wave of JRPGs for Western audiences thanks to its popularity. For many, it was their first time experiencing such a big game that felt like it took them on a journey of falling in love with and losing beloved characters.

Beyond the iconic antagonist Sephiroth and the overarching “save the world” narrative, the story has a depth and complexity that few games at the time achieved. Final Fantasy 7 Effectively explores themes of trauma, dissociation, and identity crises. Although the execution reflects the era in which the game was created, the game effectively depicts an epic scene that emphasizes the importance of relying on those for support in difficult times rather than isolating and drowning Pressure to risk collapse.