Let's settle it: These are the 5 best PS1 games of all time

The original PlayStation was home to some fantastic games, some worldwide hits and others Japan-only sleeper hits, making for fantastic games you can revisit via emulation. PlayStation is still turning out hit on the PS5, but the best games on the original PlayStation came from other developers. Not the first 3D console, but the original PlayStation took that idea and used CDs to further expand what the console is capable of. For many of the best games on the original PlayStation, they are still beloved today and lead to the creation of some of the most popular series in gaming.

5 Tekken 3

A huge fighting game success

Tekken 3 is, well, the third game in the series, but it's where the series found the best use of its 3D fighting style, and saw massive success on the original PlayStation. The previous Tekken games had a third dimension, but it wasn't really useful in terms of gameplay. Tekken 3 implemented side-steps and dodges, which allow you to use that extra dimension as a tactic, creating a tremendous amount of depth in the fighting game. It received high praise at the time of its launch, but has managed to cement itself as one of the best fighting games ever made, even with several successful Tekken games launching after this. But all of those built on the foundation that Tekken 3 solidified, making it one of the best PlayStation games of all time.

4 Resident Evil 2

The king of survival horror

The original Resident Evil set the stage for the series to become the juggernaut it is today, but Resident Evil 2 improved upon the original across the board. Featuring two, somewhat different, stories to playthrough between Leon and Claire, the large city and use of the Raccoon City Police Department made the game feel like a zombie apocalypse instead of just a spooky manor. It still has the tank controls, but this game refined the survival aspect of the horror, perfectly balancing limited ammo and health supplies with just enough monsters to make you as scared of running out of bullets as you are of the monsters. The two playthroughs feed into each other, with the second playthrough influenced not only by who you play first, but the actions you take in the game. There aren't a ton of differences depending on the order, but it was a huge novelty at the time.

3 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

A new bar to reach

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 set the bar so high for skateboarding games, that while there were some excellent games in the series after that, it remained the bar that every game was trying to hit. It distills arcade sports games into the two things people want. High scores, and quick rounds. Using a timer, you are tasked with either completing objectives in space, or doing as many tricks as you can to rack up points. It's fast, wildly unrealistic, and has a ton of personality, likely increasing the love for skateboarding among kids at the time. Between the precise controls and incredible combos, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 feels like Devil May Cry with a skateboard. The remake showed just how incredible that core game was, and the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 remake is set to do the same with the next two games in the series.

Kojima's breakout

A 3D sequel to the original Metal Gear, this also marks the breakout hit for writer, director, and producer Hideo Kojima, who spearheaded the series for nearly two decades before moving on to Death Stranding. Taking the espionage storytelling and stealth gameplay of the originals, translating it to 3D, and layering as many political undertones as one script can handle, create a true stealth masterpiece. It felt like the first game to truly capture the insanity of big-budget actions films from the 80s, while providing a story that is both silly nonsense and cutting commentary. It also led to five direct sequels, and a few spin-offs, the majority of which are also critically acclaimed as fantastic games, all of which can be traced back to the original Metal Gear Solid.

1 Final Fantasy VII

So good Square Enix won't stop making it

The first 3D Final Fantasy game took the world by storm, and quickly became not only many people's favorite game in the series, but their favorite game of all time. Final Fantasy VII features a cast of memorable characters, like Cloud, Sephiroth, and Tifa, along with one of the most notorious deaths in a video game. The 3D elements allowed for more detailed cutscenes and combat sequences, while not drastically changing how the over world works. The game was also massive, taking up three discs on the original PlayStation. As for the legacy of Final Fantasy VII, it's quite obvious. Not only has every Final Fantasy game been compared to Final Fantasy VII for better or for worse, but Square Enix has been remaking the game, and are expanding it so much that it's going to require 3 full-length games to remake, with the first two entries, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth both being critically acclaimed RPGs.

An excellent catalog

The original PlayStation was home to games that were not only classics in their own right, but also led to series that have become pillars of gaming, even more than two decades later. There are also several amazing games on the PlayStation not listed here, like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which are incredible games. It's just such an excellent console library that even games widely considered masterpieces don't crack the top five.