These gameplay innovations ushered in an era of gaming championed by fantastic roleplaying games, and with that in mind we count down the five best RPG’s for the Playstation One.
5. Xenogears
Xenogears was an ambitious project for Square that pulled away from traditional RPG elements and instead relied on rich storytelling to captivate its players. The game is a complex experience that requires you to think for yourself, as the plot is a tightly-spun novel that shares similarities with Japanese anime in that it asks many questions and answers few. The protagonist is a powerful warrior named Fei Fong Wong, who despite his clichéd name is an extraordinarily unique and interesting character. An amnesiac who remembers nothing of his past, Fei’s village is attacked by a band of military insurgents who are attempting to steal a dangerous robotic weapon known as a “Gear.”
The graphics in Xenogears are beautiful look like an anime, and its characters and plot will keep you enthralled for the more than fifty hours it will take you to complete it. Xenogears may not be as well-known as Final Fantasy, but it deserves a place in the library of anyone who considers themselves a fan of RPGs.
4. Vagrant Story
A game that stands out from others on the list due to its multi-genre appeal, Vagrant Story is a lesser heralded title that deserves recognition amongst the greatest RPGs of the era. Blending together the traditional elements of a Japanese RPG with the up-tempo pacing and styling of an action game, Square’s effort to make a dark and cinematically intriguing game was a resounding success. Vagrant Story is essentially a dungeon-crawler, but makes up for this monotony by introducing a brilliant battle system based on combo attacks and user strategy. The game is surprisingly difficult and unforgiving to new players, but for those who are up to the challenge, Vagrant Story offers an exhilarating gaming experience that has no duplicate on the Playstation One.
3. Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII had a lot to live up to. Its predecessor is regarded as one of the best games of all time, and everyone was expecting VIII to continue that trend. It did. Final Fantasy VIII was another wondrous achievement from the magicians at Square, and was just as influential as the games that came before it. The first Final Fantasy to feature realistically-proportioned characters, VIII also had one of the most mature and entertaining stories to be found in an RPG.
The protagonist is a stoic and moody teenager named Squall who is trained at Balamb Garden to become a member of the elite mercenary force known as SeeD. If that isn’t enough to wet your appetite, he also wields one of the greatest weapons in the history of gaming: the Gunblade. Final Fantasy VIII was an exhilarating experience that has earned its place on this list.
2. Chrono Cross
Chrono Cross is one of those games that must’ve given developers equal dosages of excitement and anxiety. It was the follow-up to Chrono Trigger, which quickly developed a cult following when it was released in 1995 for the SNES. Chrono Trigger was a monumental game for the SNES, and following that up with a worthy sequel could not have been easy. Square-Enix was up for the challenge though, and released a game that, if possible, was even better than the original.
The game featured a unique storyline containing parallel worlds, and the gameplay was fast-paced and exciting, opting for on-field enemies rather than random encounters. Despite critical claim and immense popularity, there has never been a sequel to Chrono Cross, as the developers probably decided that it was impossible to improve on perfection twice.
1. Final Fantasy VII
Shocking, isn’t it? Hailed as one of the best video games of all time, it’s no surprise that Final Fantasy VII sits atop this prestigious list. The artwork and level design is inspiring, and at the time of its release (1997), the graphics were ground-breaking. The soundtrack, again courteousy of Nobuo Uematsu, is nothing short of magnificent.
A delightfully charming and unique cast of characters, led by the brooding and now iconic Cloud Strife and his nefarious counterpart Sephiroth, danced their way through a magnificent and engaging story that has never been topped in the 13 years since. The title spawned many imitators, but there is and forever will be only one: Final Fantasy VII.
Honourable Mentions: Grandia, Final Fantasy IX, Persona 2
M. Anderson is the author and webmaster of a blog about current and upcoming PS3 RPG games. It features previews, reviews, videos and more for all the best North American and Japanese PS3 RPGs.
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