5 Most Underrated PS1 Games Ever

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1) Vagrant Story

Vagrant Story is an interesting and unique action role-playing game released by Square in 2000. While it’s better known these days, thanks to re-release, it wasn’t well known at the time of release, which is a shame given how incredibly well-designed it is. Unlike traditional RPGs, there are no NPC interactions, shops, or anything of the sort. Instead, the game focuses largely on weapon modification and creation, puzzle-solving, and strategy. It’s a brilliant RPG with great graphics and an immersive story, but it was overshadowed by Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy IX, which led to its underrated status.

2) Vib-Ribbon

Most rhythm games are fairly standard, but not Vib-Ribbon, which was released in Japan for the PS1 in 1999. The game started as an advertisement for Mercedes-Benz, but the project eventually shifted into a game. It was unique in that once it was loaded, the game could be removed and an audio CD swapped into the system. The game then created a unique level based on the CD’s tracks using angular drawings featuring the character Vibri. Gameplay involved guiding him in time with the music, and it’s as weird as it is fun. Because it was released only in Japan, the game was largely unknown outside the country.

3) Jumping Flash!

The platformer genre underwent several innovations on its path to 3D gaming, and Jumping Flash! was an important step along the way. The 1995 platformer is credited with being the first in true 3D, making it innovative and inspirational to the games that followed. It’s a first-person platformer about Robbit, a robotic rabbit, so jumping is the game’s primary mechanic. It spawned a sequel and was well received by critics upon release, but advances in 3D technology came so quickly that Jumping Flash! was soon overshadowed by many of the games it inspired, which isn’t unusual in the gaming industry.

4) Ghost In The Shell

The Ghost in the Shell multimedia franchise has spawned numerous video games, and the first arrived on the PS1 in 1997. The third-person shooter is an adaptation of the 1995 anime film of the same name, and it uses the same voice cast, though the story is entirely different. It’s an excellent game that fits right into the franchise, and it’s easily one of the best video game adaptations of manga and anime. Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much interest in anime in the 1990s as there is now in North America, so it wasn’t as well-known. As a result, Ghost in the Shell is now considered an underrated classic that wasn’t as appreciated upon release as it should have been.

5) Future Cop: LAPD

Back in the 1990s, you couldn’t walk into a game store and not find something featuring mechs, and the games for the PS1 weren’t an exception. An early entry was 1998’s Future Cop: LAPD, which puts players into the pilot seat of the X1-Alpha, a police mech capable of transforming into a fast-moving, hovering pursuit vehicle or a massive combat mecha. This introduced multiple gameplay mechanics into a single game, and it received widespread praise for its design. Few players know of its existence, but Future Cop: LAPD is definitely an underrated gem and one of many long-forgotten PlayStation games that deserve a modern remake.

What’s your favorite underrated game from the PlayStation? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!