The PlayStation One is nostalgic for many gaming fans as being one of the best consoles ever made, and introduced many people to the world of gaming in 1995. Only discontinued in 2006, the original PlayStation was home to over 3,000 games, bringing gaming classics like the first Tomb Raider, Crash Bandicoot and Metal Gear Solid to life.
All varieties of gaming genres were covered, from legendary rhythm games to legendary action RPGs. With the sheer amount of PS1 games available on the market, it is no wonder that some classic RPGs didn't get enough coverage and got sidelined. These are some of the best PS1 RPGs that time has forgotten.
6 Legend Of Legaia
In Legend of Legaia, humanity coexists peacefully alongside creatures known as Seru, who have supernatural powers. One day, a mysterious mist appears, causing the Seru to revolt against humans and bring about civilization's collapse. Some humans managed to escape and live their lives away from the Seru. The game's protagonist is Vanh. He discovers a calm Ra-Seru known as Meta, who could merge with a human peacefully. He awakens the power of the Genesis Tree in his village and removes the Mist to stop it from ravaging his home. With his newfound power, he travels across the land to restore the Genesis Trees and put an end to the Mist.
Legend of Legaia is a 3D RPG released in 1998. It features turn-based and menu-driven RPG gameplay, with a twist on other fighting games at the time. Combat in the game is activated by either scripted events or random battles on the world map. Upon defeating a Seru, the playable character has a chance to absorb their power into their worn Ra-Seru. Overall, it is a super fun early RPG game that has paved the way for many that came after it.
5 Threads Of Fate
Threads of Fate is an action-platform single-player RPG. It revolves around two main characters: Rue and Mint, and their quest for a legendary object known simply as "The Relic," with the power to drastically alter their lives. Rue wants to revive his dead friend, Claire, while Mint wants to reclaim her birthright to the throne from her sister, Maya. Their stories occur in parallel, and players can choose which character they want to play first.
Both characters have different abilities. When Rue defeats an enemy, she can absorb a small token they leave behind and transform into them. Mint fights enemies with a hoop-like weapon akin to a gymnast and can cast different magic spells. It has an art-style and character design reminiscent of the Legend of Zelda games; perfect for fans of the series.
4 Chocobo's Dungeon 2
Many Final Fantasy fans adore Chocobos as an iconic staple in the series. But many players may forget that they are featured in their dedicated PlayStation One games. Chocobo's Dungeon 2 is an action RPG released in 1998 and a sequel to the original game in 1997. The player gets to play as a Chocobo, navigating their way through randomly-generated levels of dungeons, encountering a plethora of monsters along the way. The dungeon typically ends in a boss fight.
Chocobo also gets to have a partner alongside him, some of which may be recognizable to Final Fantasy veterans, including Cid and Mog the Moogle. Combat in Chocobo's Dungeon 2 is conducted in a turn-based manner, with the player and enemies alternating their actions. Along with attacking, the player can also use items, spells, or character-specific abilities.
3 Azure Dreams
Azure Dreams is a rogue-like RPG game set in the fictional town of Monsbaiya, which has a Monster Tower located over it. A monster tamer named Guy disappears inside it and is never seen again. His son, Koh, enters the Tower searching for his father and meets a familiar called Kewne. Together they embark on a quest to discover the truth about Guy's fate. Azure Dreams' gameplay heavily focuses on entering the Tower, destroying the monsters inside, collecting their loot, and hatching monster eggs into more familiars with different abilities.\
Players can also use their newfound riches to improve the aesthetic of the town of Monsbaiya. Koh can commission the building of a theater, a gym, and other buildings, allowing for the appearance of new NPCs. There are several romantic ambitions Koh can pursue and develop relationships with, allowing for diverse gameplay experiences. Another unique aspect of Azure Dreams, is that whenever Koh enters the Tower, he returns to level one. Each level map is randomly generated, making each experience different from the last.
2 Dragon Valor
Dragon Valor is an action RPG platform game featuring hack and slash elements. In the world of Dragon Valor, dragons are creatures with immense power and strength. The player takes on the mantle of a Dragon Valor with the power to slay with a magical sword. Players are tasked with reaching the stage's end and defeating any enemies that cross their path, with a dragon boss battle awaiting them at the end of each chapter.
Along the way, players can collect various status-improving items or tomes that can grant access to spells. The in-game currency is Val, which can be used to buy recovery potions. They can also sell items they've collected. The protagonist will change after each chapter has been cleared, and specific character triggers have been reached in the last chapter. It is one of the first games to feature player choices that could impact the ending, and there are three potential story endings.
1 Thousand Arms
Thousand Arms takes place in a steampunk-esque world. A group known as The Dark Acolytes are trying to bring chaos to the world, wanting to use the five legendary Sacred Flames. Meis Triumph, the main character, is a Spirit Blacksmith with the ability to make magical weapons. He is chosen to find the five Sacred Flames before the Acolytes do. Meis requires a woman's help to subsequently increase the power and potential of his weapons. Meis can increase his intimacy level with women by taking them out for dates, combining RPG elements with dialogue and actions typically seen in dating-simulator games.
The combat itself is turn-based and simplistic, allowing three party members to engage in battle at once. Only the front-facing character can attack the enemy directly, and the player can swap their placements around. The unique dating sim aspect features nine dateable women. To date a girl, players must visit a Goddess of Love statue and choose from the list of available girls and take them on a date. The date is simply a conversation where the player must choose from multiple answers to the woman's questions. Getting these questions wrong can lead to the date ending early.