The Best Games That Had Multiple Discs On The PlayStation One

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home April 6, 2025 10 Views 12 Min Read
The Best Games That Had Multiple Discs On The PlayStation One
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At one point, the disc format felt unstoppable. After phasing out vinyl records in the 80s, it came for video game cartridges in the 90s. The PS1’s use of CDs put the console ahead of the more powerful Nintendo 64: even if the PS1 had half the bits, it had over ten times the storage size. Many studios opted to go with the PS1 for its FMV capabilities and CD audio.

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Yet even a 700MB disc was not enough. If a studio was truly going big on the PS1, it would put the game on multiple discs. You were expected to insert them while the game was still running: here’s a look back at the best PS1 games that asked us to insert disc 2.

10

Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare

2 Discs

Edward Carnby with a flashlight in a dark forest in Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare.

Though one of the earliest survival horror titles and a progenitor to Resident Evil, Alone In The Dark was decidedly playing second fiddle to Capcom’s series by the turn of the millennium, a reboot resuscitation was attempted with The New Nightmare, a cross-generational title that closely aped RE’s gameplay while introducing a flashlight gimmick.

While it features two playable protagonists, the discs contain the game’s content sequentially rather than having an entire campaign on each disc, like Resident Evil 2. At the halfway point, you have to swap discs regardless of which character you’re playing. The game’s visuals are impressive, as the flashlight realistically lights up sections of the pre-rendered backgrounds.

9

Koudelka

4 Discs

Combat in Koudelka on the PS1.

Koudelka drew little fanfare in the West upon its release and would be virtually unrecognized today if not for its sequel series, Shadow Hearts, being one of the most beloved obscure JRPGs out there. With its survival horror-style exploration and slow SRPG combat, Koudelka may feel alienating at times.

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Even if its gameplay falls short, the game’s voice acting and FMVs are among the most impressive on the PlayStation. This game is worth experiencing for the story alone: it came on four discs due to all the content packed into it.

8

Fear Effect

4 Discs

A gameplay screenshot from Fear Effect on the PS1.

An underappreciated title released late in the PS1’s life cycle, Fear Effect defies its hardware limits. This game, equal parts Blade Runner and Resident Evil, looks incredible for the PS1, due to stellar anime-inspired art direction and FMV backgrounds that make the environments feel alive.

The gameplay continues even while FMVs are running, giving the impression that the high-quality backgrounds are in motion. Final Fantasy 7 and 8 used this effect sparingly, but in Fear Effect, it was used almost constantly, so much so that the game required four discs.

7

Chrono Cross

2 Discs

Serge in Chrono Cross doing a dash and slash attack.
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Released

August 15, 2000

Developer(s)

Square

Publisher(s)

Square, Square Enix

ESRB

T For Teen due to Animated Violence, Mild Language

One of the most divisive sequels of all time, Chrono Cross was one of Square’s last launches on the PS1. As was expected of Square by this point, the game came on multiple discs. Chrono Cross’s FMVs are rather short and sparse in comparison to Final Fantasy titles.

However, the game itself is huge, spanning over 50 playable characters and two dimensions to jump between. The extra disc space also allowed the game to house Yasunori Mitsuda’s incredible soundtrack.

6

Xenogears

2 Discs

Two grey mech robots fighting in a flame-engulfed battlefield from Xenogears.

A mind-bending sci-fi opera, Xenogears has garnered a cult following over the years due to its incredible story and exploration of the human psyche. The game is held up as an example of video games as art.

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The second disc of Xenogears shows clear signs of development difficulties: a lot of the game from Disc 2 onwards is spent sitting in a chair and reading text. However, Xenogears still managed to pull off its magnificent plot with finesse. There was no sequel, but Xenosaga served as a spiritual successor.

5

Resident Evil 2

2 Discs

Leon Kennedy aiming his gun in Resident Evil 2.

The 1996 launch of Resident Evil sparked a revolution in the horror genre: for the first time, horror games were properly frightening rather than just campy. Capcom followed up with an even bigger sequel in 1998: so big, in fact, that it required two discs.

Resident Evil 2’s campaigns were playable from start to finish with just a single disc: one hosted Leon’s story, while another had Claire’s adventure. The order in which you put the discs and loaded your previous game clear saves also affected the campaign you got: all in all, Resident Evil 2 had four campaigns in total.

2 Discs

A low-res model of Solid Snake from in a bare room Metal Gear Solid 1.

Metal Gear Solid is one of the most important games ever made. While games like Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen had literary merit, Metal Gear Solid was cinematic. It had lengthy cutscenes, FMVs, and high-quality voice acting, a rare occurrence for the time. The codec calls alone makeup hours of audio content.

Shadow Moses itself was a gigantic fortress, and as such, Metal Gear Solid came on two discs on the PS1. The CD case housing those two discs was itself part of the gameplay: Kojima’s team was pushing every creative boundary with this title.

3

Final Fantasy 7

3 Discs

Cloud Strife snowboarding in Final Fantasy 7.
XeroKynos/YouTube

Square’s Final Fantasy 7 marked one of the PlayStation’s greatest triumphs. Not only was Sony getting third-party support from the reigning king of JRPGs, the launch of Final Fantasy 7 was one of the most hyped moments in video game history. Final Fantasy 7 promised to change video games forever, and it achieved exactly that.

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Due to its massive scope, Final Fantasy 7 came on three discs. The CD format was, in fact, the main reason Square abandoned Nintendo in the first place. Square wanted to make games with gorgeous backgrounds, CGI cutscenes and high-quality audio: the N64’s small cartridge space was too restrictive for the developer.

2

Grandia

2 Discs

Combat in Grandia on the PS1.

Grandia was supposed to be the Sega Saturn’s competitor against Final Fantasy 7; it did not succeed at this, being a traditional isometric JRPG with 2D sprites. It was, however, a fantastic JRPG in its own right, and has garnered a cult following in the years since.

When the game came to PS1, it was on two discs despite the sparse FMVs. This may be down to how the game content itself is stored: Disc 2 features some bonus dungeons. The two discs are also tonally different, with Disc 1 being lighthearted and adventurous, while Disc 2 is darker and more mature, showcasing the characters’ growth and the story’s increasing gravity.

1

Final Fantasy 9

4 Discs

Beatrix about to wipe out the party as a boss in Final Fantasy 9.

Final Fantasy 9 wasn’t just the series’ farewell to the PS1, but a farewell to the retro era of JRPGs itself. The game brings together the elements that made Final Fantasy wonderful on the NES, SNES, and PS1 in one gigantic, cohesive package. Old designs are reimagined as 3D models, while the story perfectly blends fantasy with sci-fi.

Zidane’s adventure boasted the series’ most detailed FMVs and environments yet. The graphics are superb, the story is massive, and the music is among Nobuo Uematsu’s finest work. It’s no wonder the game came on four discs.

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