Konami / Sony Computer Entertainment2025 marks been 30 years since PlayStation launched in the US, changing gaming forever. While Nintendo and Sega had battled each other with their cartoon mascots, Sony arrived in the mid-90s with the likes of Wipeout, Tomb Raider, and Resident Evil, making video games feel bigger, bolder, and more cinematic than they had before.
From survival horror to 3D platformers, epic RPGs to high-speed racing, the PS1 was home to some of the best games of the 1990s, and the likes of Lara Croft and Cloud became influential icons who are still celebrated today. The console also outsold the likes of N64 and Dreamcast – no wonder Crash Bandicoot had such a big grin on his face.
So, as we celebrate 30 years of PlayStation, it’s time to look back at the 15 best games on the console. Reminisce, argue over the order, and moan about Spyro not making the cut.
15. Medal of Honor
Release Date: November 11, 1999
Developer: DreamWorks Interactive
Publisher: Electronic Arts
What it’s about: Set during World War II, Medal of Honor put players in the boots of OSS operative Jimmy Patterson, dropped behind enemy lines to sabotage the German war machine. From storming bunkers to blowing up U-boats, it was a one-man campaign against the entire Nazi army.
Why we like it: Like Rambo in a WW2 uniform, one soldier single-handedly dismantled the Reich. Absurd today, but in 1999 it felt groundbreaking. Backed by Steven Spielberg, fresh from Saving Private Ryan, Medal of Honor played like a Hollywood war movie. The AI was advanced for its time, with soldiers ducking for cover and even kicking grenades back at you, while headshots were brutally satisfying. More importantly, it laid the foundation for a whole generation of shooters, paving the way for Call of Duty.
14. Silent Hill
Konami- Release Date: February 23, 1999
- Developer: Konami
- Publisher: Konami
What it’s about: Silent Hill followed Harry Mason as he searched for his missing daughter in a fog-covered American town. While there was nothing here as iconic as Silent Hill 2’s Pyramid Head, Harry still came up against nightmare creatures: faceless children haunting the school, skinless dogs prowling the streets, and screeching winged beasts that swooped out of the fog. With only a torch and a radio that crackled when danger was near, his search quickly turned into a waking nightmare.
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Why we like it: Silent Hill’s psychological horror was unlike anything else in 1999. Where Resident Evil shocked with gore and jump scares, Silent Hill unsettled players with its oppressive atmosphere and sense of dread. The fog wasn’t just a trick to hide the PS1’s draw distance (although it helped); it made the town feel suffocating and inescapable. Add in the scratchy radio static and the sudden shifts into the Otherworld, and you had a game that felt like you were trapped in someone’s inescapable nightmare. If only Harry’s radio could pick up the football scores…
13. Tomb Raider
Eidos Interactive- Release Date: October 25, 1996
- Developer: Core Design
- Publisher: Eidos Interactive
What it’s about: The game that introduced Lara Croft, a British archaeologist and part-time action hero. In her first 3D adventure, she explored ancient tombs in search of a mystical artifact. Along the way, she dodged traps, solved puzzles, and took down everything from trigger-happy mercenaries to crocodiles and an actual T-Rex. Who said it was meant to be realistic?
Why we like it: Lara Croft was a British icon as recognizable as Oasis in the mid-90s. Like Liam and Noel, she even graced the covers of fashion magazines, but it wasn’t all about the plait, the turquoise leotard, and twin pistols – this was an incredible, epic adventure game that felt huge for its time. Every leap across collapsing ruins or dive into hidden caverns brought a thrill, and it proved that PlayStation could deliver blockbuster action long before Uncharted.
12. Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
GT Interactive- Release Date: September 19, 1997
- Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
- Publisher: GT Interactive
What it’s about: Abe was about as far removed from the likes of Crash, Gex, and Croc as you could get. A Mudokon slave with his mouth sewn shut, he escaped from captivity in a meat-processing factory that was literally turning his people into food. As with Lemmings before it, he had to rescue as many of his fellow workers as possible by sneaking past guards, possessing Sligs, and turning their own weapons and traps against them. Serious business… until you learned he could fart at the press of a button.
Why we like it: Oddworld mixed bleak industrial backdrops with hand-drawn detail, atmosphere, and a surprisingly smart story about exploitation and freedom. Yet it never lost its mischievous streak, thanks to Abe’s GameSpeak commands and that unforgettable fart button. It was tough, sometimes cruel (it’s two-disc sequel, Abe’s Exoddus, was even more brutal), but saving each Mudokon felt like a real victory. Oddworld proved that PlayStation platformers didn’t all need to be cute and colorful to leave a mark.
11. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Konami- Release Date: March 20, 1997
- Developer: Konami
- Publisher: Konami
What it’s about: Several years after Richter Belmont defeated Dracula, trouble brewed again when the vampire’s castle returned. This time, his son Alucard arrived to set things right, but when he found Richter acting strangely, it was clear that something far darker was at work.
Why we like it: It’s rare you can point to the exact start of a genre, but Symphony of the Night came close. Its sprawling gothic castle, layered with RPG mechanics, exploration, and secrets, became the blueprint for what we now call “Metroidvania.” It was also a joy to play – Alucard glided through the halls, slicing through Dracula’s minions with a huge arsenal of weapons. Add in a soundtrack stacked with stone-cold classics, the steady crawl of XP, and a late-game twist that’s still jaw-dropping, and you had a game that countless others tried to imitate.
10. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
- Release Date: November 11, 1999
- Developer: Capcom
- Publisher: Capcom
What it’s about: Former S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine got her own standalone story in Resident Evil 3, charting her desperate escape from the doomed streets of Raccoon City. While it’s not the very best Resident Evil game on PlayStation, it upped the ante on its predecessor by introducing the relentless Nemesis. a towering bioweapon that was a constant presence.
Why we like it: Resident Evil 3 is all about Nemesis. Remember jumping when the dogs first crashed through the window in the OG? Nemesis will make you do that twice when he does the same (you’ll probably die the first time). The randomized encounters were a clever touch, keeping players on edge. Then there was the iconic TV advert that could only show two seconds of footage before cutting away, billed as too scary for television. It was too scary for PlayStation, too, especially for those raised on a diet of Crash Bandicoot and Gex the Gecko.
9. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
- Release Date: September 20, 2000
- Developer: Neversoft
- Publisher: Activision
What it’s about: The sequel to Tony Hawk’s breakout hit added new levels, new tricks, and new skaters – including the manual, which let players chain combos together for absurd high scores. It was skateboarding, but with the kind of flow and style that felt impossible in real life.
Why we like it: Everyone remembers grinding the rails in School II, passing the controller around to see who could hit the biggest combo, or just cruising around to that legendary soundtrack. Superman by Goldfinger, Guerrilla Radio by Rage Against the Machine – these songs felt like they made skateboarding cool again after its Back to the Future heyday. Whether you were chasing high scores or just trying to land your first 900, it made every player feel like a pro skater, even if the closest you got to it in real life was a bruised shin.
8. Tekken 3
- Release Date: March 20, 1998
- Developer: Namco
- Publisher: Namco
What it’s about: PlayStation’s finest fighting series brought back familiar faces like Paul and Nina, while adding newcomers Jin Kazama, Hwoarang, and the capoeira king Eddy Gordo. With sidesteps, smooth animation, and a huge roster, it was the ultimate head-to-head fighter on the console.
Why we like it: Tekken 3 was the fighting game to be seen with on PS1. It looked incredible for the time, played fast and fluid, with Law’s endless flips and Hwoarang’s rapid-fire legs filling the screens with chaos. Whether you were a button masher or a combo king, everyone had a main, everyone knew the cheap tricks, and everyone groaned when their mate spammed Eddy’s handstand kicks. And if you claimed you mastered King’s 10-throw combo, nobody believed you.
7. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
Naughty Dog- Release Date: October 31, 1998
- Developer: Naughty Dog
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
What it’s about: Sony’s answer to Mario and Sonic hit its stride in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. This time Crash and Coco leapt through history, tackling platforming stages set everywhere from Ancient Egypt to the Great Wall of China, while once again facing off against the devious Neo Cortex.
Why we like it: Warped was Crash at his best because every level felt like it had a surprise waiting. One minute you were dodging dinosaurs, the next Coco was racing across the Great Wall on a tiger, or Crash was blasting through the skies in a World War II dogfight. The deaths were as entertaining as the wins, with Crash squashed, fried, and flattened in increasingly ridiculous ways. After this, Naughty Dog moved on to Jak & Daxter and eventually The Last of Us Part II. The mad marsupial was never quite the same again.
6. Final Fantasy IX
Square Enix- Release Date: July 7, 2000
- Developer: Square
- Publisher: Square
What it’s about: A return to the series’ roots, Final Fantasy IX told a classic tale involving crystals, kingdoms, and a band of unlikely heroes. Zidane the thief, Princess Garnet, Vivi the black mage, and the bumbling knight Steiner formed the heart of a lighter, more whimsical story that still found room for moments of real emotion.
Why we like it: After the moody teenagers of Final Fantasy VIII, IX felt like Square taking a deep breath and remembering what made the series magical in the first place. Moogles, Chocobos, and airships were back, wrapped in a charming storybook art style. Yet under the whimsy was one of the most emotional PS1 RPGs, with Vivi’s storyline still hitting hard decades later. He looked like he’d stumbled out of the Mos Eisley Cantina, but his search for identity gave the game its heart. The ability system tied to equipment made tinkering with your party satisfying, while the Trance mode added bursts of drama in combat. Ok, plenty of us spent more time playing Chocobo Hot & Cold than actually saving the world, but this was the perfect send-off for the PS1’s golden age of RPGs.
5. Wipeout XL
- Release Date: November 1996
- Developer: Psygnosis
- Publisher: Psygnosis
What it’s about: The second game in Psygnosis’s anti-gravity racing series, Wipeout XL had you racing through neon-lit tracks at breakneck speeds, arming your sleek craft with missiles and mines to blast rivals off the course.
Why we like it: This was the game that made PlayStation cool. The Designer’s Republic, an outfit more accustomed to designing album covers for Aphex Twin and The Orb, gave it a striking visual style, while the soundtrack featured The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, and Underworld. But it wasn’t all about the style – Wipeout XL was blisteringly fast and punishingly hard, the kind of game where scraping the wall meant losing the race. Nail the corners, though, and it felt as incredible as it looked and sounded.
4. Gran Turismo 2
- Release Date: December 11, 1999
- Developer: Polyphony Digital
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
What it’s about: Gran Turismo 2 built on the foundations of the original to deliver what was, at the time, the most ambitious racing game ever seen on a console. With over 600 cars, dozens of tracks, and a simulation mode that had you earning licenses and saving credits to buy upgrades, it lived up to its tagline of the real driving simulator.
Why we like it: Gran Turismo 2 was staggering in scope. Never before had we been given the choice of hundreds of cars — everything from beat-up hatchbacks to dream machines. It was another one of those PlayStation experiences that let you live the dream. If Tony Hawk let you pull off impossible tricks, Polyphony gave you the fantasy of owning a Nissan Skyline GT-R. That was, of course, if you could pass the license tests, which punished every mistake (congrats if you ever got past the B License). But once you learned how each car handled and nailed the perfect run, you were rewarded with a groundbreaking replay that, at the time, looked like real motorsport. A car lover’s dream.
3. Resident Evil 2
- Release Date: January 21, 1998
- Developer: Capcom
- Publisher: Capcom
What it’s about: Rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy and student Claire Redfield find themselves trapped in the middle of a zombie outbreak in Raccoon City. Armed with little more than handguns, they have to escape through police stations, sewers, and labs while uncovering the secrets behind the T-Virus.
Why we like it: If the first Resident Evil set the template, its sequel did everything a follow-up should. The shift from the mansion to the wider city made the game feel huge, with two campaigns that told different sides of the same nightmare. The police station alone is one of gaming’s most iconic locations, and facing down William Birkin’s grotesque mutations was survival horror at its best. Ammo was scarce, healing herbs were precious, and every door opened with the dread of what was waiting behind it. Even saving was stressful – wasting an ink ribbon felt like the scariest decision of all. Resident Evil 2 struck the perfect balance of horror and action, making it one of the most replayable PS1 games, with the A and B scenarios practically daring you to go again.
2. Metal Gear Solid
Konami- Release Date: October 20, 1998
- Developer: Konami
- Publisher: Konami
What it’s about: Solid Snake is dragged out of retirement to infiltrate Shadow Moses, a nuclear weapons facility seized by the rogue Foxhound unit. His mission was to eliminate its members, uncover their plans, and disable Metal Gear REX, a walking nuclear missile silo. On paper, it was a straightforward stealth op, but in reality, it was unlike anything gaming had seen before.
Why we like it: Metal Gear Solid was the moment games started to feel like movies. Cinematic cutscenes, full voice acting, and an ambitious story gave PlayStation players something completely new. It blended serious themes about war and identity with Kojima’s love of the absurd. One minute, you were facing the tragedy of Sniper Wolf, the next, Psycho Mantis was reading your memory card, or you were sneaking past guards in a cardboard box. The stealth was tense, the boss fights were unforgettable, and the presentation was unmatched. Metal Gear Solid showed that games could deliver drama, spectacle, and characters on a Hollywood scale.
1. Final Fantasy VII
Square Enix- Release Date: January 31, 1997
- Developer: Square
- Publisher: Square
What it’s about: Suffering from amnesia, Cloud Strife teams up with eco-terrorists to stop Shinra from draining the planet’s energy. Along the way, he unlocks his lost memories and uncovers the truth about Shinra’s most dangerous weapon gone rogue – Sephiroth, a silver-haired mama’s boy with a god complex. Finding out your mother’s an alien bent on destroying the world will do that to you.
Why we like it: Final Fantasy VII was a three-disc epic that rewrote what players thought an RPG could be. Squaresoft put character and story front and centre, tackling themes of corporate greed, identity, and environmental collapse while sending Cloud and his friends on a globe-spanning adventure. The Materia system made battles endlessly customisable, the cast became instant icons, and its emotional gut punch halfway through is still one of gaming’s most talked-about moments. From the opening bombing mission in Midgar to the final showdown with Sephiroth, Final Fantasy VII was unforgettable – and the PlayStation’s crowning achievement.