This is just a list of what I consider to be the ten best PSX games of all time. I haven't played every single game on the system out there out a library that runs into the thousands obviously, so I'm not considering this list as the end all be all of greatest of all time lists. This is just my favorite out of the hundreds of PSX games I've played over the years. Without further ado, my personal list...
10. Final Fantasy VII: FFVII is arguably the most polarizing game of all time. You wanna start a flame war, just drop the name FFVII and you'll likely send all fanboys into a frothing frenzy of hate. To some its the greatest game ever made, to others it hailed the death knell to RPG games as we know it. Me? I kind of fall in between the two extremes. While no one can doubt it's impact on the industry and the RPG genre as a whole, the game itself has not aged well at all and a fairly ambiguous and slightly confusing storyline marred by a shoddy translation didn't help matters. Still, its good enough to make number 10 on my list for its contributions to the RPG genre alone.
9. Xenogears: Yet another controversial title that can at times raise the ire of many who didn't care much for its gameplay. While the game itself was fairly unremarkable it makes my list simply for being arguably the greatest story ever told in a videogame. It's a shame the gameplay itself, while not bad per se, failed to live up to the amazing storyline and music it had. Still this is a bonafide classic RPG by any definition and its a shame those lousy Xenosaga games failed to capture the magic of this one.
8. Chrono Cross: This game has the unfortunate stigma of being one of the most disappointing sequels of all time. After all, how in the world do you follow up an RPG created by a team that created both Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest with character designs by the man who created Dragonball? Poor Chrono Cross couldn't possibly live up to such lofty expectations in mine and many other fans eyes, but make no mistake. This is still a superb game with a near flawless combat system and a unforgettable music score. I just wish it had a better ending.
7. Tekken 3: I hate the Tekken franchise. It's overrated and pales in comparison to the much more superior Virtua Fighter and I never could understand its popularity.....unless you're talking about Tekken 3. Tekken 3 addressed many of the issues that plagued the first two games; the characters were more balanced and the gameplay was mercifully sped up to something resembling action. Plus the inclusion of the Tekken Force beat em up mode only adds to the entertainment. While I still don't think Tekken is as good as Virtua Fighter, the series has really come into its own and it all started with this game.
6. Valkyrie Profile: Tri-Ace isn't exactly known for creating games with amazing storylines, but in the case of VP they nailed it and as a result it is to this day their greatest game of all time. Not only that but the game also was a breath of fresh air, taking elements from Actraiser and combining them with traditional RPG gameplay. The game is arguably the most gorgeous looking 2D game on PSX and will always stand as Tri-Ace's greatest triumph.
5. Street Fighter Alpha 3: Simply put still to this day my favorite 2D fighting game. Give me this over SF4 any day.
4. Final Fantasy Tactics: My favorite FF game isn't even a numbered one. Final Fantasy Tactics, in addition to being one of the greatest strategy games of all time, also happened to present a mature, intriguing plot full of twists and intrigue and introduced the world to the land of Ivalice and I thank Yasumi Matsuno for that. Absolutely brilliant game. The tranlsation was legendarily awful though.
3. Suikoden II: If only it weren't so easy, this game would be my greatest RPG of all time, period. It's that awesome. From the music, to the story to the absolutely gorgeous 2D graphics, this game stands as a benchmark for RPGs and is the last gasp for really good traditional RPGs with 2D graphics. Simply put, a masterpiece that absolutely must be experienced by any RPG faithful. Too bad it runs for $200 on Ebay/Amazon. Here's hoping for a PS One release.
2. Metal Gear Solid: The ground Metal Gear Solid broke in 1998 simply cannot be understated. The game sought to revolutionalize gaming much like its NES counterpart over 10 years prior. And boy did it ever. MGS was the game that proved that games can present a well designed story that is every bit equal to and many times superior to most action movies and that action games can be something more than just violent crap. The gameplay has not aged very well in comparison to later games in the series, but make no mistake. This game is one of the most influential and ground breaking games of all time with a presentation and a superb plot that still holds up and evokes emotion like no other even today. In a word, play it!
1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night: Numero uno. While Metal Gear Solid was better in terms of telling a story and contains scenes that resonate with me to this day, nothing and I mean nothing compares to the sheer perfection and brillance of SOTN. While there are some that challenge that games are not art, in my opinion this game represents the finest arguement against that. From the character designs to the absoultely gorgeous backgrounds and haunting music, every moment of SOTN is one to be savored. Fusing Metroid like gameplay with Castlevania elements proved to be a successful model and gave new life to a dying series. 20 years of 2D platforming all culminated with the creation of this game and no platformer of yet has even come close to topping it. Best PSX game? Hell, its a contender for best game ever, period!
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