Hard to believe, but the PSX basically ended its main run more than 25 years ago. Over its fairly short run, Sony's debut console instantly became a direct competitor to Nintendo and Sega, and the PS1's RPG lineup helped cement its place. With well over 150 games released on the platform, the genre was absolutely booming, but its legacy tends to boil down to Final Fantasy, Chrono Cross, Suikoden, and maybe Parasite Eve.
Although maybe not as celebrated as the SNES and PS2's catalogs, the original PlayStation has so many fantastic RPGs that deserve more recognition and, in some cases, replays. Let's take a look at a few genuine masterpieces from this era that aren't really talked about anymore.
"Perfect" and "Nobody Remembers" are hyperbolic, as no game is perfect and everything is remembered by somebody. Still, these games were top-notch on the PS1, and they are pretty obscure now.
Of every RPG featured in this article, I would say Brave Fencer Musashi is the most remembered today; it is also the most perfect, so I figured it deserved a mention. Released in 1998, this glorious action-RPG platformer oozes charm, style, and quality, and it kind of feels like a precursor to PS2-era games like Kingdom Hearts. Although it performed well enough to receive a 2005 sequel, Musashi exists in the shadow of Square's bigger PS1 RPGs, and it released fairly close to FF7, FF Tactics, and Parasite Eve.
Compared to those turn-based masterpieces, Brave Fencer Musashi's gameplay has not aged quite as gracefully, especially the awkward platforming. It has also never been re-released on modern systems, not even receiving a PS5/PS4 digital version to make it accessible on modern consoles. Square kind of forgot the IP after the try-hard sequel was an unmitigated disaster, which is a shame as this series could have really become something.
Brave Fencer Musashi was really fun and innovative, as you could copy enemies to unlock wild tools that you can then use in combat and puzzles (by wasting a finite pool of Bincho Points, so you couldn't just spam everything). Although its visuals are unapologetically vibrant and anime-esque, the game actually incorporates some survival mechanics, like a fatigue system that forces you to find a bed to avoid exhaustion.
Although not devoid of rough edges or frustrating mechanics, Azure Dreams stands as one of the PS1's most unusual RPGs, and it comes from Konami of all publishers. The developers decided to smash dungeon-crawling à la Mystery Dungeon, roguelike elements, dating sim elements, and town development. Oh, right, it is also a monster raiser, as you find eggs that hatch into monsters that can then be fused together to either pass on traits or unlock a new evolution.
You head into the massive 4-floor Monster Tower that is randomly generated, where you pick up gold pieces that can then be used to develop the main hub town. Depending on the upgrades you pick, you can gradually develop a relationship with one of the women living in town, leading to mechanics like gift-giving.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://gamerant.com/ps1-rpgs-perfect-games-nobody-remembers/
