Narrowing down the top 10 RPGs on the PSX is no simple task. Much like the Genesis was famous for its sports games and the original Xbox became synonymous with first person shooters, the PSX was undoubtedly the greatest system of all time for RPG gamers.
With literally hundreds of titles to choose from ranging from abysmal to genre defining, we knew it would be impossible to come up with a list everyone will agree with. Even creating a list we’re happy with here at CG was a challenge, but we dug in our heels, laced up our boots and dove in anyway. Three days, four black eyes, countless Red Bull, numerous fractures/contusions and even one pillow fight later we’re finished. This is Casualty Gamer’s top 10 RPGs for the PSX.
10. Saga Frontier
If Saga Frontier has one obvious flaw it’s that the game tries to do too much. This planet hopping RPG lets you play as 7 different characters, each with their own main storyline to complete and several side quests they can embark on. Structuring the game this way helped keep things feeling fresh since each storyline was shorter than a traditional RPG’s main story.
Unfortunately the lack of a cohesive overall quest hurt the game in that players really didn’t have much motivation to keep playing after they had completed two or three different characters’ quests and seen most of what the game had to offer. The overall generic art style didn’t help matters either, but the game still has all the polish we’ve come to expect from Squaresoft.
This one won’t change your life, but it’s a great ride.
9. Grandia
This was probably the first Game Arts RPG most people got their hands on and while it never quite lived up to it’s big brother “Lunar” it certainly holds it’s own against the impressive stable of PSX rpgs. The combat system is more in-depth than that of Lunar and the graphics were very solid for it’s time.
The only real complaint I had about this game is that it never really managed to wow me. Sure, once I picked this little gem up I couldn’t bring myself to put it down until I was finished with it, but I walked away from this one wanting more. I expect this was to do with the game’s lack of any real challenge. The combat system is so flexible that any competent RPG player should be able to handle just about anything the game throws at them with relative ease.
8. Revelations: Persona
This game refused to play by the rules. Probably the most original RPG since Shadowrun for the SNES and Genesis, Persona was like nothing we’d ever seen before. The gameplay is hard to describe. Everything about it screams RPG, yet everything from the combat system to the storyline and even the setting were completely groundbreaking for the genre.
The game does get bogged down here and there with some lengthy first person dungeon crawls (a problem that was fixed by the time Persona 2 came around), but it earned it’s spot on our list through sheer innovation and plain old fun.
The Persona series’ fans take the words “die hard” to a whole new level. Speak ill of this one at your own risk.
7. Alundra
Certainly the most action oriented RPG on our list, Alundra plays a lot like Zelda or Legacy of Kain, with a heavy emphasis on puzzle elements. Like most of Working Designs imports, the English translation was nearly flawless.
Graphically Alundra is about as nice looking as a 2d game can get with a pleasing art style and some excellent animations. Many gamers were turned off by the game’s rage inducing difficulty, but for those who were willing to stick with it, Alundra proved to be a truly rewarding experience.
6. Suikoden
Suikoden is unique in that it allows players to control up to 6 characters in combat rather than the traditional 3. It also features a seemingly endless cast of playable characters making it feel at times like the “War and Peace” of the gaming world. Fortunately the story is a fairly simple one so keeping track of important characters and their place in the game isn’t difficult.
The game was panned by some hardcore RPG fans who found it to be to easy for their tastes, but for many the game’s lack of challenge was made up for by a unique storyline, refreshing combat, and absolutely stellar audio presentation.
5. Vagrant Story
Vagrant Story isn’t just another Squaresoft RPG. It plays like a cross between Heroes of Might and Magic, Diablo and your favorite Final Fantasy game. It came out late in the PSX life cycle and it certainly shows in the game’s impressive 3d graphics.
At it’s core, Vagrant Story is basically just a dungeon hack with a very unusual combat system. It also focuses heavily on puzzle solving which was unfamiliar territory for Square at the time. It is, perhaps, a little lighter on story and character interaction than most Square RPGs but the story that is there is interesting and the characters are some of the coolest we’ve ever seen. The pacing is also excellent. Vagrant Story never bogs down to the point where it feels like a grind like many dungeon crawlers do after a long play session.
4. Wild Arms
A Wild West themed, gun toting RPG. Wild Arms felt like a breath of fresh air in a time of Japanese flavoured steampunk RPGs. Beneath it’s unique exterior, Wild Arms didn’t offer much we hadn’t seen in the 16 bit era, but what’s there is charming, clean looking and a hell of a lot of fun.
The game’s overall style and penchant for action oriented puzzles drew criticism from hardcore RPG fans, but there’s a lot to like here if you can keep an open mind.
3. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
As an old school Sega fan, the original Lunar: The Silver Star for Sega CD was the first RPG I ever really cut my teeth on. In that sense it will always hold a special place in my heart, much like Final Fantasy 3 (6) does for so many North American gamers.
Lunar wasn’t really revolutionary in any substantial ways apart from it’s groundbreaking use of stunning anime cut scenes, but what it does, it does extremely well. Lunar reeks of polish from the graphics, to the translation, to the seamless combat system.
2. Final Fantasy 7
You knew it was coming. The grandfather of them all. Easily the best selling title on this list and arguably (not really) the most popular RPG even to this day. Perhaps single handedly responsible for Sony’s astounding success on their first foray into the console industry, there isn’t much left to say about Final Fantasy 7 that hasn’t been said already.
I may have been crucified for suggesting this 10 years ago, but the fact is Final Fantasy 7 didn’t do much we hadn’t seen before gameplay wise. The main reason this game had such a resounding impact is that it was the first game to remind many of us that the 16 bit days were gone and dead. Weighing in at a hefty 3 discs with beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds, face melting CG cut scenes and some of the coolest looking summoning spells to this very day, FF7 was an absolute assault on the senses. Top that off with an excellent combat system, some intriguing characters and just the right amount of tragedy and you’ve got a real winner.
1. Xenogears
A traditional RPG in every sense of the word, Xenogears was the culmination of everything Squaresoft learned during the PSX era, arguably Squaresoft’s greatest era. Freed from the somewhat linear expectations placed upon any game in the Final Fantasy series, Squaresoft were able to really let loose with Xenogears and try something new. The result? Giant mechs of course.
The combination of a traditional JRPG with giant mech based combat sounds like a bit of a hard pill to swallow, but Xenogears has one of the best stories ever in an RPG. The writers managed to explain the presence of these mechanised behemoths in this world of magic and monsters quiet well. With some of the greatest production values we’ve ever seen in a game, well over 80 hours of play time, some of the slickest looking in-game graphics and cut scenes on the PSX and a perfectly balanced combat system, there’s really not much to dislike about Xenogears. If you haven’t played it already you’re missing out.
That’s all we’ve got for you. I know there are tons of very deserving games that didn’t make the cut here today. So what’s your favorite PSX RPG?
terpitude71
Great list, Dan! I’ve been waiting for this one for a while now.
I actually agree with Xenogears getting the top spot for FFVII; it’s quite ironic I think that time has not treated FFVII as favorably as it’s predecessors.
That being said, I would’ve found a place for FFVIII towards the back end of the list. In my opinion, it is a much better game than most people give it credit for. But otherwise I agree totally with how you have them slotted.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:43 am
HedonicWill
I couldn’t agree more with the top three (as perhaps indicated by my avatar). However, I am very disappointed to see that Chrono Cross and FFVIII made no appearance. Also, Xenogears over FFVII??? Tough call, I loved them both. Great list. I miss the late 90s and those PSX RPGs.
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 am
Dan Z
I suppose FF8 or 9 would have been good choices. I rather enjoyed both at the time. Alas, there are only 10 spots. It’s amazing how many awesome Square RPGs came out on that little gray box. I could have easily done the top 10 Square PSX RPGs and not had any bad games on the list.
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:04 am
HailToTheGun
Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy Tactics deserve 2 and 1 in my book, respectively, but nonetheless great list full of great games!
On a side note: Love for Persona = win. MegaTen franchise is among my favorite RPG series.
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:50 am
coolio
right on the money with number 1. xenogears should be listed with the best games of all time, not just rpgs. late 90’s was a magical time for square
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Damian
Personally, I think Suikoden II is a better game than the original, and I’ve always liked FFIX better than FFVII
October 7th, 2008 at 7:10 am
MoonlightSong
Xenogears was great, but I think FF7 still earned it’s place on the top for various reasons. Nice call with Saga Frontier though. I haven’t heard that one mentioned in a while. I think FF7 actually did a lot that hadn’t been done before besides it’s graphical feats…There were so many great mini-games in it and the world itself was a departure from the typical. It set the standard that the Final Fantasy series would become in the new age of 3D gaming and declared Squaresoft as the leader in RPG gaming from then on. I think that FFVII more than any other RPG had boosted the fan base for RPGs in general…and I dare say helped to make Playstation the huge success it was.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
ShadowGHX
Ahhh, I remember when I played some of these.
Good times, good times.
October 12th, 2008 at 5:41 am
panickedthumb
I’m surprised more people aren’t after you for not putting FF VII at the top. I probably would have, but I don’t think it’s aged as well.
As the first commenter said, 8 would get a place on that list for me too. I love that game. Of course, it was my first Final Fantasy so… that probably says something.
October 14th, 2008 at 6:14 am
Lateralus
I Think FFVII is the best RPG of all time, especially for it’s story and I have played thousands of games. I thought Vagrant Stiry was great too. The others are right about FFVIII though; it should have been on this list.
October 18th, 2008 at 10:02 am
GLiTCH
I completely understand the “Xenogears” and “FF7″ thing we got going on here, but everyone knows FF7 paved the way for RPGs. FF7 was to RPGs as the colt 1911 was to hand guns because it was made before a lot of others, was solid, reliable, and became a ‘model’ for so many other rpgs to go off of and be compared to. So first would most def have to go to FF7 with Xeno in a close 2nd and 3rd being quite a ways off.
Anyone who thinks that first and second should go to any other games might actually want to PLAY Xeno and FF7 before making those comments.
One other thing I was surprised about was the legend of dragoon didn’t make it on the list.
As for FF tactics, I LOVED that game, (done the PSX and PSP versions) but I really don’t consider it a true RPG. It’s grid based and the play style is just different from other RPGs. And looking at the games on here it would seem people agree that grid based just isn’t in on “THIS RPG list”.
Otherwise Front Mission 3 might have had to make it’s way on here as well. I guess it’s just a personal opinion of mine
Final Fantasy 8 I’m pretty iffy about. They strayed a far way away from key ‘final fantasy’ mechanics. The biggest notably was drawing magic. And turning summons into GF’s? And finally not having any other armor or weapons but instead just upgrading it? There’s others but those are the first ones to come to mind that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. The entire game revolves around hording magic and items. Not quite how the other final fantasy’s have worked. I mean don’t get me wrong, the GF comparison with Magicite was kind of neat, but it just wasn’t enough.
HOWEVER…
I think this game, made under ANOTHER name, would’ve been a ridiculous hit. Probably would have made the top 4 on this list. But the fact it was named Final Fantasy held it back because it gets compared to FF7 which is close to an impossibility to beat.
My 2 cents.
November 5th, 2008 at 5:52 am
Lelius
#1 and 2 are my all time favorites, so no complaints. But FF Tactics, even if strategic more than rpg, had such a compelling and dramatic storyline that I would have put it in the top 5. Sigh… I miss that stuff so much.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:12 am
jay
Umm… Valkyrie Profile anyone!? Easily should have been in the top 3
January 1st, 2009 at 2:51 am
Juancho
VANDAL HEARTS I & II !!!!!!!!
January 14th, 2009 at 1:34 am
Jake "Blitz" the Snake
Woah woah woah……Have to agree with Hailtothegun……Chrono deff deserves a slot…..replayability like a mofo, awesome story to follow up trigger, classical battle style with a twist from the simplicity of FF magic and summons, plus a ton of brilliantly designed characters…….and of course the music to keep you goin…….Chrono should have had a slot….but I shall survive……..Like it has been said a billion times…. “NO LIST IS PERFECT FOR YOU EXCEPT YOUR OWN!”
Thanks for the memories though……game for life baby!!!!
January 28th, 2009 at 4:58 am
RPG's
the top 2 will prob never move from their rightfull poistions in my life time, although i played alot of rpgs in my lifetime, the top 2 where (how do u say?) OGASMIC!!
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:17 am
Peter
I’m playing ff9 now on epsxe and i must say it deserves a spot.
And I think ff7 was really cool cos it was actully difficult to defeat the weapons. And Xenogears is still playing somewhere in my brain.
Loved it!!!!! Chrono Cross was great too.. too bad Chrono Trigger 2 didn’t come out. It should come out on psx 3 ..Then maybe I’ll get it.
March 5th, 2009 at 3:29 am
dan
good list..BUT WHERE IS SUIKODEN 2?
March 31st, 2009 at 10:58 am
Dro
man u should have put ff8 on that bitch
April 6th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Temujin
Great list, and I think it’s good that you didn’t include any more than just one game per series. With regards to the whole Final Fantasy VII thing, I think enough time has gone by that people need to accept it’s not as great of a game as critics made it out to be.
Honestly, Dan’s right that it didn’t provide anything truly new to the genre. Countless games before it has broken the so-called conventions fans claim FF7 has – the setting, “killing” a main character, and minigames. Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Star Ocean, Phantasy Star and Terranigma, anyone?
Really, it was mainly the presentation that made it appealing at the time. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t played the game during its prime that I don’t agree with most people’s views, although I do think its a great RPG on its own merit. It should definitely get a position on this list, but it simply doesn’t deserve the amount of fanboy worship that follows it anywhere it’s mentioned.
April 15th, 2009 at 10:30 am
zidane
ff 9 should on the list…
May 16th, 2009 at 10:44 am
lol
FTW. suikoden II rocks everyones world.
May 20th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Bianca
Suikoden 1 over 2?
Kind of wierd.. xD
May 23rd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Jerukmlaku blogspot
Where legend of mana, suikoden 2, and digimon (esp.Digim0n 1&3) ??
May 24th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
achatz
what about castlevania: symphony of the night??? Maybe you decided not to put it in because it wasnt a “true” rpg, but either was alundra. Castlevania “soTN” should of made the cut.
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:38 am
Steve
It kind of surprises me, the one game absolutely noone here has mentioned Tactics Ogre. Granted, no grid based rpg’s made the list but I think most can agree with me that Tactics Ogre has both a better storyline and far more replay value (player decision based alternate storylines) than Final Fantasy Tactics. The only downside to it at all I found was the amount of “training” involved aka grinding. But anyways, ten years later, Tactics Ogre still remains undoubtedly one of my favorite PSX games ever released and I think (though not above FF7 or Xenogears) Tactics Ogre-Let Us Cling Together DEFINITELY deserved a spot on the top ten list.
June 10th, 2009 at 2:36 am
canti
legend of dragoon should be on here at #1
June 12th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Flow
Honestly FFVIII is my favorite game of all time and while I understand that not everybody has to feel that way I think it’s in no way acceptable to leave it out of that list. At the very least SaGa Frontier should have to go
June 16th, 2009 at 8:29 am
cali
hehe seems none played Legend of Legaia
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:38 pm
YouFool
STAROCEAN 2!!!!!!! nub
July 9th, 2009 at 3:31 am
ringoskarr187
Breath Of Fire.
July 18th, 2009 at 4:35 am
oez
oh sh*t, xenogears and FFVII were king. that takes me back…… i dont think i was asian enough to “fully” grasp the final fantasy spirit, but xenogears did me just fine….. if iw as asian + played xenogears… id probably be trying to build me a mech……… or summon bahamut aye
July 20th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Rei
No Valkyrie Profile?
July 29th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Tnizzle
FF8 was very tedious and blah, its usually people who started with it who like it, if you played all the others and then played 8, it was very excruciating. Yes Legend of Dragoon should have been up there, its definitely better than FF8 as well as Suikoden II.
July 30th, 2009 at 6:30 am
Dave
yeah ffviii sucked.
July 30th, 2009 at 6:31 am
DarkCloud23
FF7 is the best RPG game for the ps1
August 8th, 2009 at 2:37 am
nebujin
ff8 and ff9 are not worth being listed,ff7 which apart from ff6 (snes) really is the best ff ever. im missing breath of fire 4 tho ^^
August 23rd, 2009 at 1:07 pm
omegawhat?
I believe all the ff games are great. Some that I have yet to play all the way through like xenosaga has yet for some reason not hit me like crono or bof4. I’m not gonna disagree with the everyone above me about which game is that there favorite since that is their opinion, what does get me is when someone gets overly mad when a game they like is not on this list. Just a reminder, its an opinion of this person. Personally I like almost any rpg game because there is always something unique about each one for the most part, for example to me FFVIII draw, gf, and junction system was really flexible almost to point where the game was too easy but none the least it is still a great game in my mind and the only game to implement such a system which makes it so different then others I have play.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Ryan
Star Ocean 2 should deserves to be in top 10… Over 80+ endings with incredible full-time battling system and so many different customizations of weapons and skills. Xenogear is great I agree… I won’t debate whether it should be 1st or 2nd, as long as it’s in top 10. But its story is certainly the best compared to all other RPGs, though I’m sure that in many parts younger gamers couldn’t understand what is going on – a very complex plot
For the FF series, I’ve always prefer ones with cuter characters and objects, and of course, very very flashy skill animations… Hence I’d still prefer FFIX to FFVII… Couldn’t help it, it’s my nature ^^
Yes, and where’s Suikoden 2 when there’s Suikoden 1? Most characters are very lovable and I would always wish they’re my friends in Real-Life…
September 1st, 2009 at 12:57 am
Ecstacyhehe
lol, i played ff7 like last out of all the ffs, and 7 and 9 beats them all. breath of fire 3 is better than 4, too.
September 9th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Maguita
Breath Of Fire IV!!!
September 18th, 2009 at 4:41 am
Ellie
Nice to see SaGa Frontier on here! Always loved that game. It’s great that I can still play it and discover something new a decade later. Also, you earn serious love for Persona being included. The PSX Persona titles rocked.
September 20th, 2009 at 9:45 am
nova
ffvii is the best, i personally never liked ffix (not too much at least)
September 21st, 2009 at 5:45 am
nova
and about xenogears im downloading it right now see if it deserves that 1st spot lol
September 21st, 2009 at 5:46 am
muges
i would have to say these three sould have made the cut some were atlest but i have to give it to them. thay know some really good games.
1.legend of dragoon
2.legend of lagaia
3.castlevania sotn
one i never really liked on the list was ff 7…i tryed playing the game about 7 diffrent time and alwas made it i think half way and still couldnt get in to it…but it was a best seller thats for sure.
September 21st, 2009 at 1:55 pm
SeAcT
so, those were the days huh?
do you remember when you used to sit there in the couch holdin ur controller, and doin your thing while getting yelled by your mother because you skipped school because of playing those games??? …..
you dont?… aw
guess its just me then.. XD
anyways, i couldn’t agree more with xenogears being top 1..
btw, why is chrono cross and valkyrie profile, or castlevania isnt in the list?
i love those.
October 1st, 2009 at 10:54 pm
SeAcT
BTW nova, hows Xenogears goin? ^^ fun huh?
October 1st, 2009 at 10:55 pm
RPG Girl
I’m so stoked! I just traded a used copy of Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360) for Xenogears, FF8, FF9, and Chrono Cross! All smiles here!
October 8th, 2009 at 5:10 am
Amechiki
I liked a lot of these games, but one of the ones that tickled a lot of my fancies was Brave Fencer Musashi. I also think that Threads Of Fate deserves to be in the list, not near the top, but still part of the ten.
October 9th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Ash Odin
IX is the best PlayStation game, but nowhere to be found on your list. Out of 10 games! NOWHERE!
October 10th, 2009 at 8:29 am
RPG Girl
I’m playing Xenogears for the first time ever…the story pulls you in right away. I don’t know why Chrono Cross isn’t here or for that matter Legend of Legia…one of my favorites! I spent hours day and night playing that game! Oh the memories! Then again I haven’t played Vagrant Stories or Lunar and a few others due to them being hard to find or hella expensive on Ebay. Does anyone know a good play to buy these games at a reasonable price?
October 11th, 2009 at 4:39 am
Twiztid
RPG GIRL –
If you want to play the expensive games i suggest you look into psx emulation for your computer.
October 12th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Fountainhead
Twiztid-
qft. only way to do it
October 15th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
treyfizzle210
OMG no Legend of dragoon!!! =( nub!
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
haylie
treyfizzle210 yeaaaaa legend of dragoon! awesome graphics too!
October 25th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
kalen
guardian’s crusade is my fav psx rpg game it was an open world and everything no load screens and it was all in 3d and no small towns like most rpgs, it was so advanced for its time.
October 28th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
K y O
well.. in my opinion. i prefer FF8 . coz, for me, da story were good and the combat mode is better than FF7. i played FF8 and FF7 and finished them both. in the end. i like the ending of FF8 ^__^
October 30th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Kanayn
Im downloading the entire list. great list BTW exept its only missing legend of Dragoon lol. thatnks for the list though i found lots of great games on it.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:57 am
sam
FF7 was my first psx game and it was the best. ive completed numerous times and personally there is NO OTHER GAME IS IN THIS LEAGUE……
November 16th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Vonfred
Legend Of Dragoon ??
This game did not have all the aspects of an RPG (being able to freely walk the world map,… and more (i forgot havent played it in a while))
Although, the story made up HUGE TIME for the lack of common RPG aspects. IF UVE NEVER PLAYED IT, there is a huge gap in the RPG gamer in you… 5*** play it, you wont regret it
Chrono Cross ??
I’ve played this game in full 5 times in my life. i was 12 when it came out (so i’m glad to say, i’ve lived during the TRUE RPG era and Square’s prime time)
Beautiful game, story, battle system, characters, quests….) 5***
Suikoden 2 ??
I never played the first, but this one had something about it. Nice big world, new features not found in other rpgs, great story and characters.
If you’ve never played this and love rpgs, i suggest you do.
November 18th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Sam-kun
Star Ocean – Second Story. Greatest RPG. EVER. How on earth did this not make it on your list
I still think the magnitude of FF8 and FF9 should be on there too, they’re are just too well made. Over Alundra and Saga Frontier? Commmeee on.
I agree with your top choice.
November 25th, 2009 at 10:56 am
DonkeyKong
I agree with Star Ocean the Second Story. The only RPG I’ve played through more than once.
Also FFVIII was a great game. I couldn’t get into VII so much.
Alundra was fantastic. Very Zelda like from memory.
December 10th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
omegaboost
Legend of Legaia? i know it has some FF VII things in it (Sol Tower for example) but still…it’s worth to try and it has very unique battle
December 12th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Winds
Couldn’t agree more with 1 & 2 ^^
Xenogear’s still my favorite after all these years, most unique and compelling story.
Lots of thanks, loved the reviews ^^ it’s amazing how you managed to squeeze them into a list of 10 though, just so many amazing rpgs on this console
December 14th, 2009 at 4:51 am
jayer
i think that in my top ten, i would choose breath of fire iii and crono cross. it really surprised me that xenogear would go first than ffvii, though i agree on it, in a general count you will find more fans of ffvii. I havent played half of the games on your list, but i really think those that i mention should have a space on it.
nice post =)
December 16th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
danimal
ff8 might squeeze in around the tenth spot but ff9 should be above lunar for sure. ff9 has a great well rounded gameplay system with four characters in battle and each character has their own specific job to do (much like ff10). also it has very creative and interesting old school visual character design. by far the best use of chocobos of any of the ffs with the incredibly addictive “chocobo hot and cold” treasure hunting mini game. i actually like the card game better in ff8 but it was nice that they carried the idea of a card game over to 9 and that’s just one more thing to put ff9 over the top as far as replay value and just overall fun gaming experience. and don’t forget the stunning graphics. not to mention that we get a protagonist in Zidane who is not whiny and annoying like Squall. in fact i really didn’t care much about any of the characters in ff8 except maybe Sipher. he was pretty cool i guess. would have made a way better main character. the story in ff9 is nothing great but it blows ff8 out of the water. that whole orphanage thing was weak. i mean, if we are to believe that the GFs make the characters lose thier memory then wouldn’t they be drooling idiots by the end of the game from using them so much? on second thought, they ARE drooling idiots. that explains a lot. ff7 deserves the praise it gets from its fans but ff9 is WAY underated for all that it offers. should be number three at least.
December 19th, 2009 at 6:34 am
yhnzki3
my top rpg games:
1.suikoden II
2.chrono cross
3.final fantasy VII
4.xenogears
5.suikoden
..
..
..i like it…:))
December 29th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
SpaceGoonie
Breath of Fire 3 is still one of my fav’s.
January 7th, 2010 at 6:05 am
Hmm
I’m really disappointed that Legend of Dragoon isn’t on this list.
Legend of Dragoon probably has the best graphics and CG cutscenes (omg, especially the cutscenes! It’s retarded how well they were rendered.) out of all PSX rpgs. Granted, the game lacked a huge database of items, but they still made up for it with novel concepts. For instance, health regen when defending, healing items given static % heals (I’m fairly sure it was pretty redundant for many with the potions, hi-potions, and x-potions, etc.). No item was ever made obsolete with LoD’s item system. As far as weapons and armors went, it was pretty straightforward, like many other RPGs. Its combat system was pretty nice, with the addition system and SP system, forcing the player to choose between recharging their SP bars faster so they can spam their dragoon ability, or dealing more damage with regular attacks. Also, it was nice how they balanced out magic so that endgame battles weren’t a spamfest of enemy-all spells (Ultima spam anyone?).
Its soundtrack was pretty damn good too. While you couldn’t travel across the world on your own, rather going along pre-set trails, it really isn’t that much different from, say, FF7’s overworld. It’s really only a novelty to be able to run in circles going nowhere, and if you’re in a hurry to get from point A to point B, there really is no big difference.
LoD’s storyline was pretty good. It was a lot deeper than a lot of RPGs where it’s clear who the bad guys and good guys are. Granted, it had the classic themes of character death, revenge, and the search for some legend, but it also had a lot of politics and lore.
The only cons for LoD, i would say, were the plethora of random encounters that made the game feel like a grind at times, and the lack of weapon/armor customization. Equipment acquisitions was too linear at times, and until you got to endgame, it was pretty obvious that you just equipped whatever gear was the newest. There was little picking and choosing between gear until perhaps disc3/disc4 where you had to start balancing stats for specific boss fights. At least there were a lot of hard-to-get items and weapons like with FF7.
January 11th, 2010 at 10:10 am
Josh
Great list! Far to many great rpgs on the psx for me to even attempt a best of list.
January 15th, 2010 at 7:29 am
Josh
Oh, and i’d take saga frontier 2 over 1 any day!
January 15th, 2010 at 7:31 am
JOhn
One thing that always leaves me perplexed is that Legend of the Dragoon is always left out on these types of things i never see it when personally it was one of my favorites. i would definatly like to see it at least scrape the list. i hear” oh its a copy of ff7 wich i would argue is bull. it follows the cliche worlds going to end cliche but at the time didnt they all? LOD was the first rpg that i played that had a interactive fight unlight some final fantasys i know that um whats that? came out a console and how many years later? sure ff8 had the crit hit rb button thing but did it have multiple combos that you could only pull out of your ass if you were paying attetion? so look ito it if youd like but even in ff x-2 it was still turn based without a addable combo
January 19th, 2010 at 8:09 am
JOhn
oh wow didnt even see the comment 2 people above he makes good points so read it
ohh and with the battles plethora thing he says theres an item wich can significantly reduce the number of fights
January 19th, 2010 at 8:16 am
cRimsOn_buLLet
i finish all this game but ffvii is my favorite at all.. i don’t lie the sega type games.. maybe legend of dragoon, BOF3 and valkyrie prfile will be more better!! ^_^
January 19th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Macrath
Quite simply.. this list does not make sense.
I don’t know how anyone could argue that a game like Persona deserves a spot on this list over games like breath of fire, legend of Legaia, Legend of Dragoon, Final Fantasy 8 or 9, chrono cross.,.. i mean like WTF! i know these top 10 lists are based on personal opinion. But this is a top 10 best Rpg for the psx you have to be plain retarded to include some of these games over other psx releases that are clearly superior.
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:10 pm
Macrath
Top 10 Rpg’s for the Playstation 1 is actually quite an easy list to make. Let me know if you agree with my personal top 10 list
10.SUikoden 2
9.Star Ocean
8.Breath of Fire 3
7.Legend of Legaia
6.Final Fantasy Tactics
5.Legend of the Dragoon
4.Xenogears
3.Chrono Cross
2. Final Fantasy 8
1. Final Fantasy 7
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:31 pm
dcb
Great list, but I agree with many, Chrono Cross should be up there. But with some many good games for the PSX, its hard to choose
March 4th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Xero Khan
Grandia needs a higher spot on the list.
March 9th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
t
I’m glad Xenogears is ahead of Final Fantasy VII. Just a better overall game.
March 15th, 2010 at 5:26 am