Sony’s first foray into the world of videogames was the PlayStation, which released in 1995 and marked the start of its impressive climb in the console industry. The PS1 was a critical and commercial success and thousands of games were released for it during its lifetime.
Some of the best game series out there started on the PS1, and many fans still hold titles from this old console in high regard. The PS1 had its fair share of big hitters, and among those great games were certainly some surprises. The console had a number of games that looked rather poor graphically but were actually great in terms of gameplay. Check out the following examples that prove it should always be substance over style that matters the most.
10 Sheep
Sheep released in 2000 for the PlayStation and offered a simple yet addictive strategy puzzle game to players. The graphics certainly weren’t the best, but the gameplay was so engrossing that you didn’t really care for the graphics. Plus, the sheep were still cute.
Players could choose between different herders to then herd different kinds of sheep through the level and into the pen. It starts off fairly normal, but before you know it, there are aliens and demonic chefs involved.
9 Gauntlet Legends
Gauntlet Legends was an arcade game that followed on from the successful releases of Gauntlet and Gauntlet II. It was ported to the PS1 in 2000, and while the port didn’t have the same success as the original arcade game, it was still enjoyable.
Unlike the Dreamcast port that supported four players, the PS1 version only supported two, which led to it being less popular. Despite its horrendous graphics, the game offered some awesome co-op gameplay as long as you had two controllers and a buddy willing to play.
8 Breakout
The original Breakout was an arcade game that released in 1976 and was incredibly successful. Fast forward a good few years and the franchise was given a second look, with a 3D version being released for PS1 in 2000.
Though the basic objective of the game is the same, with players controlling a paddle to cause the ball to ricochet back and forth to hit blocks and cause them to disappear from the level. The gameplay, though simple, was still really enjoyable and its only major drawback was the poor graphics.
7 Driver 2
Driver 2: The Wheelman is Back released for the PS1 in 2000 after the success of the first Driver title. This sequel expanded on the content of the original, allowing the main character to now step out of his car and even steal other vehicles on the streets.
The game received mixed reviews on release, but many fans and critics found it to be enjoyable and worth picking up. However, the graphics were particularly bad, especially when compared to other driving games of the era.
6 Fade to Black
The action-adventure title Fade to Black released in 1996 and was the sequel to the critically acclaimed Flashback. Though it didn’t live up to the expectations of its predecessor, Fade to Black was still a great game, though many considered it too difficult.
The most criticized aspect of Fade to Black was its blocky polygon models that made the game look awful. Despite this, it was still an enjoyable game and was a bestseller in the UK especially, leading to it becoming a PlayStation Platinum title.
5 Alundra 2: A New Legend Begins
Alundra 2: A New Legend Begins was the sequel to Alundra, a very successful RPG that was considered to be a clone of The Legend of Zelda. However, this sequel was a bit of a sore point for some fans, as it had nothing in common with the original, instead featuring a new story, new characters, and was far more light-hearted.
However, if you can ignore that its predecessor was far greater and you ignore the poor graphics, Alundra 2 was actually not a half-bad RPG and was still well worth playing.
4 Incredible Crisis
Incredible Crisis released in 2000 for the PS1 and was a minigame compilation title that followed a Japanese family of four in their bizarre yet hilarious daily routines. For anyone unfamiliar with fast-paced puzzle mini-games, Incredible Crisis might be a little too difficult.
Despite its horrendous graphics, Incredible Crisis was a brilliant party game. There were 24 mini-games in total and people could pass the controller between themselves to take part in the fun. Once the mini-games have been played via the story mode, they can be replayed at any time from the menu.
3 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
No one can forget the notorious graphics of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as Hagrid has become a well-known meme across the internet. Despite the rather awful graphics, the game itself was actually pretty enjoyable.
The game is based on the film of the same name, which is an adaptation of the first book in J.K Rowling’s famous Harry Potter novel series. Though the game was criticized for its poor graphics, fans and critics enjoyed the narration style and accessible gaming.
2 Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider released in 1996 and was such a critical success that the series has gone on to become legendary, with games still being released to this day. The franchise has had multiple movies based on the series released too.
The first title was a big hit with critics and gamers, though it was ridiculed for its rather blocky character models. Fortunately, the gameplay was so good that this could be overlooked, but when Tomb Raider II was released, smoothing out Lara’s strange blocky body was one of the first things that the developers did.
1 Silent Hill
Silent Hill was another breakout series for the PS1, and it offered console owners another survival horror game option that rivaled the successful Resident Evil series. The game was extremely well received, despite many openly acknowledging the poor graphics.
This is actually a rare occasion where critics and gamers believed the grainy graphics added to the game’s quality, creating more of an atmosphere. The fog was used extensively in the game to try and cover up the visual limitations of the time.
NEXT: 10 of the Best 2D Games on the Playstation 1
