After a falling out with Nintendo, Sony decided to embark into the console gaming landscape on its own two feet, and the company’s first attempt was nothing short of spectacular. The PlayStation is one of the most successful video game consoles of all time, serving as a bridge to the more mature side of gaming.
From amazing platformers to scintillating stealth games, there’s no denying the library of the PS1 was truly immense. In fact, there are some games that are just so brilliant that fans simply can’t miss out on them. Some people argue that the games on this console have aged pretty poorly from a graphical standpoint, but the following titles beg to differ.
Updated on Jun 07, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Most people assume that the original PlayStation is too rudimentary when it comes to its graphics, making it hard for players to enjoy most of the games on this console when the visuals can be hard to look past. This couldn’t be further from the truth, with some of the games on the PlayStation being extremely visually engaging to this day. A combination of strong visual design, graphics that have aged like a fine wine, and strong artistic flair help these games stand out as the best of the bunch in terms of visuals alone.
It’s a shame that Ubisoft hasn’t given its due regard to theRaymanfranchise for quite some time. The platforming series features a charming character and was at the peak of its powers in its heyday when players couldn’t get enough of the platforming goodness present in this amazing title.
The firstRaymangame served as a strong introduction to the series and its gameplay, offering a level of challenge that made it both infuriating and satisfying at the same time. Thankfully, the charming visual presentation ensured that players couldn’t get too frustrated after failing to circumvent a challenge over and over again.
A sequel toChrono Triggerwas both slated for success and doomed to suffer from endless comparisons with a video game that many people consider to be one of the greatest RPGs of all time. For what it’s worth,Chrono Crossmanages to make itself distinct with a massive cast of characters and a unique time-bending adventure that doesn’t try to emulate what made its predecessor successful.
It helps that the visuals of this game look incredible, making it worth checking out for any fan of great JRPGs. Players shouldn’t expect a game that lives up to the legacy ofChrono Trigger, but a fun game in its own right where the quality of the game is enhanced by glorious artwork and graphics that look great even now.
Fear Effectis one of the most underrated video games around, and it’s a shame that more people don’t talk about this unique game. In an action-adventure game where death awaits the player at every corner, it’s imperative that players try to avoid death at all costs as they control a charismatic heroine.
Cel-shaded games always seem like they age better than titles that try to emulate realistic visuals, andFear Effectis a great example of the same. The quirky writing and memorable cast of characters further enhance this game’s quality, making it worth checking out for any fan of unique action titles.
After the futuristic nature of bothFinal Fantasy 7and8, most people were glad to see thatFinal Fantasy 9harkened back to the series' roots in terms of bothgameplay and visuals. Sure, there are some aspects of the title that don’t feel as epic as its predecessors, butFinal Fantasy 9’s deceptive simplicity hides an emotional and heartwarming tale conveyed by some of the franchise’s greatest characters.
The focus on more cartoonish visuals means that the game has definitely aged better thanFinal Fantasy 7and arguably looks better thanFinal Fantasy 8for some players. The game’s art design is just one of the many things this title gets right, and players will be more than pleased by what’s on offer in thisFinal Fantasyentry.
11Soul Edge
Revolutionary Graphics For The Time That Still Look Great
Soulcaliburis one of the most popular 3D fighting games of all time, known primarily for its tight, satisfying controls and excellent graphics. The first title in this series needed to hit the ground running for players to be invested in this series, andSoul Edgecertainly didn’t disappoint.
The game’s impressive visuals were one of its biggest talking points that can still be appreciated to this day. Sure, players can point out as many low polygons and low texture resolutions as they want, but it’s how every visual element is carefully combined inSoul Edgethat makes it so satisfying to look at.
Not all games on the PlayStation 1 needed to be genre-defining epics that pushed the system to its very limit. Some of them could be fairly muted experiences with solid presentation and a great core gameplay loop.
Such was the case withPaRappa the Rapper, a rhythm game that was devilishly hard despite looking like a welcome experience. Players who got the hang of this title could witness a great story with a unique art style thatturned the title into a cult classic.
Castlevaniais one of the most legendary gaming franchises of all time, but it took a while to attain such a legacy. Mainly, it was the launch ofSymphony of the Nightthat led to the series becoming incredibly popular.
Symphony of the Nightintroduced many elementsthat most people associate with the Metroidvania genre. Getting new powerups to reach new stages of the map is a blast, with the slow and satisfying sense of progression being accompanied by a gorgeous 2D art style that was able to breathe new life into each and every part of Dracula’s castle.
Final Fantasy 8is easily one of the most visually striking games on the PlayStation. Even now, the animation for all the Guardian Forces in the game is truly awe-inspiring.
The character models might look slightly dated nowadays, but there was a time when seeing real-life character models in both battles and the overworld was absolutely mind-blowing.The game might have its fair share of critics, but most people agree that everything from the gorgeous animated cutscenes to the pre-rendered backgrounds looks beautiful to this day.
Silent Hillis one of the most legendary horror games ever made. It was the first time that most people were exposed to the idea of psychological horror in gaming, with the game’s thick and oppressive atmosphere being downright chilling.
Silent Hillstill looks beautiful, even if obvious graphical imperfections might be all too apparent now. Regardless, it’s a testament to the visual design of this game that players have to think twice before entering a room or going to a different corner of the town.
Parasite Eveis another great Square Enix RPG that is highly underrated. The focus on body horror and a hybrid of both turn-based and real-time combat was welcomed by the fanbase.
The title might be short, butParasite Eveisn’t defined by its length. Rather, it’s the amazing art style and unique story that has turned this title intoan underrated masterpiecethat deserves way more attention than it gets.
