10 Most Underrated RPGs On The Original PlayStation

Starting with the 16-bit generation, we’ve seen quite a few strong RPG consoles. However, while the SNES famously has an excellent lineup of RPGs, as does the Sega Saturn, PS2, GBA, DS, 3DS, PS4, and Switch, it is clear that the original PlayStation goes toe-to-toe with them all. For my money, the PlayStation is king in the land of RPGs.

What makes the PlayStation’s lineup of games so strong? Well, not only is it stacked with absolute classics that are still frequently referenced to this day, such as Final Fantasy 7, Suikoden 2, Grandia, Lunar, Parasite Eve, and Wild Arms (to name a few), but its lineup of forgotten RPGs is improbably strong. I’d say that some of these largely neglected classics are even in contention for being some of the best games ever made in the genre!

Titles That Aren’t Making This List

There is some for interpretation when it comes to the word “underrated”. What about something like Chrono Cross? It most certainly feels like a game that received an undue amount of hate due to inflated expectations, but at the end of the day, it has a ton of fans, and it was a critical and commercial success. Something similar could be said about Final Fantasy 8.

Then you have titles like Suikoden 2, Breath of Fire 3, Xenogears, and Valkyrie Profile. Those are excellent, excellent games, but while they may not receive the same level of recognition as a Final Fantasy 7, if you are even vaguely interested in the genre, you know all about these classics. They are tremendously well-respected. Additionally, due to the amount of truly great RPGs on the console, I decided to exclude Tactical RPGs. There are a bunch of incredible Tactical RPGs on the PS1, and, honestly, they deserve their own list.

Alundra

This is the most flexible I’m going to get with the definition of RPG, as while Alundra is frequently listed as being an “Action-RPG” it is only slightly more RPG than your typical Zelda title – primarily due to a more involved equipment progression system. Beyond that, Alundra could be a gorgeous sequel to A Link To The Past. Well, a depressing, gorgeous sequel, at least.

You see, Alundra is a wandering hero of sorts who spends the majority of the game attempting to help the embattled people of Inoa (who are really going through it). A familiar setup, but unlike most heroes, Alundra isn’t a miracle worker. While he’s doing his best, there’s a palpable sense of him being in a little over his head, and unfortunately, he isn’t able to save everyone. The story can be a somber one at times. Thankfully, you can take out your frustration while engaging with its smooth gameplay, and take a load off by solving top-tier puzzles.

Alundra is a well-written, gorgeous, Action-Adventure *clears throat* RPG that features refined, well-designed gameplay. Unlike so many Zelda imitators, Alundra goes shot for shot with the best Zelda titles, and may just be better than all of them.

Alundra 2 deserves a nod as well. While uglier, clumsier, and less compelling, it is still a pretty fun little adventure that was utterly crushed by the expectations of the series’ fanbase. It is a huge step-down from its predecessor, but removed from that comparison, it is a great, little game. It shouldn’t be called Alundra 2, though.

SaGa Frontier

Would a list of underrated RPGs be complete without a SaGa game? I think not! While the SaGa titles have always been the super niche, deeply strange successor to Final Fantasy 2, SaGa Frontier (and its sequel) is an odd-duck even in its own odd-duck franchise. For starters, the tone is decidedly strange. One of the scenarios starts with your chosen protagonist being abducted by aliens; another scenario sees you playing as a Power Ranger. You love to see a game that isn’t afraid to get a little weird!

However, SaGa Frontier has more to offer beyond its off-beat tone. It also has a feature that is a little more common in the SaGa games, yet still shocking to find in a PlayStation title: SaGa Frontier is an open world RPG. You have a tremendous amount of freedom to explore the world, take on a number of different quests, and recruit a whole host of memorable characters (including a skeleton man). And worry not, if the classic permadeath found in most SaGa games turns you off, the Frontier games uniqe in that they eschewed this cruel mechanic.

While SaGa Frontier can be pretty challenging, and it has the odd difficulty spike, it is still a pretty approachable game for this franchise. It’s a title that is highly replayable, features a fun story, and is packed to the gills with charm. I know a lot of people steer clear of the SaGa games, but I think SaGa Frontier sidesteps enough of the pitfalls the series is known for, while also delivering such a sizable amount of charm, that even SaGa detractors should give it a chance. Square Enix did a remaster a few years ago, so it is also one of the easier games to track down on this list.

SaGa Frontier 2 is also very good. I’d say both games are pretty close in terms of quality. However, I think the scenarios are more enjoyable in the first game, so I went with that one.

Dragon Valor

Sometimes a game just doesn’t get the love it deserves on release. Dragon Valor was the final release in the Dragon Buster franchise. It is also the cause of the series’ death, which is pretty rough. That being said, some of the elements that earned Dragon Valor criticism have actually helped it age gracefully. During its heyday, the graphics were seen as being overly simplistic, especially when compared to the more complex polygonal models being pushed by titans such as Square, but that simplistic look helps Dragon Valor achieve a super clean aesthetic.

Additionally, the gameplay was criticized for being overly simplistic, but while it is true that the combat is fairly simple, what it lacks in complexity it makes up for in buttery-smooth, arcadey goodness. It feels a little like one of the Dungeons and Dragons Beat ’em Ups. But I’m not mentioning Dragon Valor purely because I think it was judged too harshly, it also has a pretty novel aspect that deserves your attention: the generation system.

Much like Phantasy Star 3 (another misunderstood gem), Dragon Valor’s story is spread across multiple generations, and depending on the choices you make, the descendant you’ll play in the subsequent parts of the game will change. We’re not talking about variations in builds, here. Their dialogue and scenarios shift dramatically. The differences between Kodal and Arlenn (the first offspring of Clovis) are massive. Not only are their stories distinct, but the tone of their respective chapters is completely different. Dragon Valor may just be one of the best-kept secrets on the PS1. It’s a charming, energetic adventure that deserves your attention.

Guardian’s Crusade

I’m going to level with you, this spot was originally going to Jade Cocoon (which is a banger). However, as I was grabbing the Jade Cocoon disc to grab a screenshot, my copy of Guardian’s Crusade called out to me. And what did it say? “I exist!” But Guardian’s Crusade isn’t here just because it has been overlooked (which it absolutely has been), it’s here because it is genuinely a well-made, innovative title.

The main hook here is that Guardian’s Crusade is a fusion between a classic JRPG and Tamogachi. There are only two party members, your hero, and his pink pet Baby. This is where that Tamogachi goodness kicks in. Baby develops over the course of the game, and their growth is affected by how you treat them, whether you scold him, how often you heal him, and what you feed him. As the game progresses, he’ll literally transform before your eyes (if you aren’t a bad pet owner, that is). But wait, there’s more! The magic system has you collect a whole host of Living Toys. You’ll use these to, yes, cast spells, but also as temporary party members, as some of them can be summoned to fight alongside you. The more you explore the world, the more Living Toys you’ll find tucked away inside it.

But it isn’t just the gameplay that rocks, Guardian’s Crusade has a fantastic soundtrack, charming writing, and a surprisingly nuanced story. It sells itself as being a lighthearted adventure, and it is that, but it uses that perception to catch you off guard. It feels to me like this is a game that was never given a chance because gamers were, at the time, pretty resistant to things they saw as being “cutesy” – only a few years after Guardian’s Crusade released, Wind Waker would be lambasted for its “childish” graphics. I think that’s pretty lame. Guardian’s Crusade deserved better!

Legend Of Legaia

Legend Of Legaia is what you get if you take Sabin from Final Fantasy 6 and use him as the baseline template for every single character in the game. This is to say that every character in Legend Of Legaia is a martial arts fighter in one shape or form. Further cementing this is the combat system, which gives players the ability to link attacks together, crafting slick, flashy combos. You are always encouraged to experiment, as the more you tinker, the more likely it is that you’ll uncover hidden arts. And we haven’t even gotten into the amazing magic system.

What’s so great about the magic system? Well, it takes a distinctly Pokemon-esque approach to spell acquisition. That’s right, you acquire spells by taking them from specific enemies. It is a delightful combat engine that maintains its novelty all the way to the final boss. Add to that an enjoyable story, a likable trio of protagonists, and armor that shows on your characters (how many PS1 RPGs can you say that about?) and you’ve got another classic RPG on your hands.

Legend of Legaia had a sequel on the PS2: Legaia Duel Saga. It is… okay. On the good side of okay, even.

King’s Field 2

For a change of pace, let’s talk about an RPG that’s less about story and more about grim dungeon crawling. Despite being the spiritual predecessor to the Souls series, the King’s Field franchise is still woefully underappreciated. While all three of the King’s Field titles released on the Playstation are worth playing, King’s Field 2 is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch.

It is worth noting that the localization team did that thing they used to do in the west and removed the number. So, King’s Field 2 in the West is simply known as King’s Field.

With its interconnected world that pioneered that souls-esque style of level design, King’s Field’s labyrinthine world is a delight to explore. Is its combat largely a matter of crab-walking around your opponents and stabbing them in the back? Absolutely! However, the King’s Field games aren’t about their dynamic melee combat; they’re about delivering a sense of loneliness and dread while navigating winding and twisting dungeons in a hostile world. When it comes to delivering that dread-filled, lonely atmosphere, King’s Field is unmatched.

The Granstream Saga

The Granstream Saga was the next RPG made by Quest, the developer responsible for the criminally underrated Soul Blazer trilogy on the Super Nintendo. Clearly, it was its destiny to fall for it to fall into obscurity. This classic RPG stands out for two reasons (well, three if you count the lack of faces).

Are the no faces of The Granstream Saga characters really that much worse than the mess of polygons adorning Squall’s mashed potato face?

Firstly, its combat style is one of one. When you encounter an enemy in The Granstream Saga, you’ll enter into a battle screen. Here you’ll be able to maneuver Eon in a 3D environment and battle enemies. The combat is absurdly fluid, fast, and reactive. There is a lot of blocking, and you’ll need to dart in and out in order to defeat your foes. Every encounter feels like a dual, where you need to maintain your space, parry the attacks of your foes, and strike when you see an opening. It is all very engaging, and the game does a great job gradually ramping up the difficulty of the enemy encounters, keeping it engaging.

The second aspect is a little harder to sell. The story is deeply cliched and tropey. I know that sounds like it should be a criticism, yet, it just… works? Maybe it is the beautifully drawn 90s anime cutscenes mesmerizing me, or the way it unabashedly embraces its cliches with conviction, but The Granstream Saga’s story ends up being pure comfort food for the JRPG soul. Come for the excellent combat, stay for the cozy vibes!

Vagrant Story

I had to go back and forth on whether to include Vagrant Story. Vagrant Story is a game that received rave reviews, and it is most certainly not unknown. However, in recent years, as other RPGs from the PlayStation era have accumulated vocal fans, it feels to me like Vagrant Story has been lost in the shuffle. Which is puzzling, as it is a game that does everything right. Top to bottom.

Outside of maybe the Mega Man Legend titles, no polygonal PS1 game’s graphics have weathered the hardships of time as gracefully as Vagrant Story’s. The gameplay, and its focus on targeting limbs, still feels fresh and rewarding to this day. And the story? Well, it’s a classic filled with twists and turns, penned by one of the best writers to ever grace the genre: Yasumi Matsuno. I’m placing it at the bottom of this list as it isn’t exactly an unknown game, but I do think it is painfully overlooked. Especially when you consider how astoundingly good it is. Vagrant Story may just be the pinnacle of the PS1.

Koudelka

Chances are you haven’t heard of Koudelka. In fact, you’re likely surprised to hear that the PlayStation was home to a Horror-RPG hybrid that isn’t named Parasite Eve. You’ll likely be even more surprised to find out that Koudelka is the first in a series of games that had multiple episodes. That’s right, Koudelka is the first game in the Shadow Hearts series. Which, you know, is pretty underappreciated in its own right, but I digress.

Unlike the titles that would follow it, Koudelka is pretty straight-laced – focusing less on the absurd and more on the horrifying. You won’t be bludgeoning any ghouls with a frozen tuna in this one. In fact, Koudelka is among the purest horror RPG hybrids you’ll encounter this side of Sweet Home. While the combat is turn-based, resource management is also a key element. Meaning that Koudelka’s horror classification is just about tone, it’s legitimately a survival-horror game as well.

And speaking of tone, Koudelka is dripping with atmosphere. The Mansion you’ll explore is as somber and disturbing as its shadowy past. The core cast of characters are a likable bunch. Unlike so many other games in the genre, they’re all adults, and they all have their own baggage. With a unique approach to the genre, an unbeatable atmosphere, and an engaging narrative laced with mystery, Koudelka is an absolute classic. Even if nobody’s ever heard of it.

Revelations: Persona

I feel like I’m going to get a lot of crap for this one, as the Persona series is quite possibly the most popular RPG franchise around. However, despite that being true, Persona begins with Persona 3 in the eyes of the majority of modern fans. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Revelations is the best Persona game on the PlayStation (that would be Persona 2: Eternal Punishment). However, it is easily the most under-appreciated. While Eternal Punishment doesn’t really get the praise it deserves, it is extremely well-respected. Revelations? Not so much.

By and large, Revelations: Persona is disregarded as being a glorified dungeon crawler. And while it is true that the game features a number of maze-like dungeons, that’s only half the story. It also features a fantastic cast, one of the best hidden, recruitable characters in a game, and an alternate scenario that fundamentally changes the last half of the game (which is incredibly badass). From its quirky sense of humor to its snazzy soundtrack, Revelations: Persona is an under-appreciated gem that has been mistakenly forgotten.

It is worth noting that the alternate scenario I’m alluding to was originally cut from the North American version of the game. However, it’s still available by way of Game Shark and is fully translated in the PSP remaster.