Final Fantasy 7is one of the best RPGs on the PS1 if not THE best. There’s one thing that can be a downer for newbies going into it for the first time though: random encounters. These mechanics have largely been abandoned in RPGs today but they still pop up occasionally like withFANTASIAN Neo DimensionandDragon Quest 3: HD-2D Remake.
It wasn’t until the PS2 or even PS3 that they truly went away in a big way. That said, there were some RPGs on the PS1 that were ahead of the curve. Let’s take a look back at ways RPGs tried to navigate away from random battles and rank them accordingly.
Some may think thatNi no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witchwas the first RPG that the famed anime companyStudio Ghibli worked on. Years prior, they helped do artwork for Jade Cocoon, a somewhat forgotten turn-based PS1 RPG. LikeNi no Kuni,Jade CocoonfeaturesPokemon-like monster-catching mechanics. Players assume the role of a new Cocoon Master who can use his dagger to lure in and capture monsters. These creatures will appear in dungeons and the more players capture, the bigger prey they can tackle. Monsters can also be fused to create better teammates akin to the fusion found in thePersonagames.
Lunar: The Silver Starwas ported to the PS1 after originatingon the Sega CD. Though it looked dated by modern PS1 standards at the time, it was also ahead of the curve somewhat. In dungeons, players could see enemies before going into battle.
Said turn-based battles also featured an auto-battle mode which was a newer mechanic at the time and there were some tactical elements to character placement too. Overall, it’s a fairly standard story of a hero triumphing over evil but as cliche as it might be, it’s still a solid RPG on the PS1 as is its sequel,Lunar: Eternal Blue.
Brave Fencer Musashiis an action-adventure RPG when Square Enix, then Squaresoft, was experimenting with standalone PS1 projects. A colorful kingdom in need of a hero summonsa legendary samurai, Musashi, to their aid. Players can traverse the world, fighting enemies in real time. One of the more unique aspects of the action gameplay allowed players to copy enemy abilities akin to Mega Man albeit in temporary circumstances. It’s been ported to digital platforms like PSN but it has never been updated although with HD enhancements but it did receive one sequel on the PS2 calledMusashi: Samurai Legend.
Grandiais another RPG that started on a Sega console, specifically the Sega Saturn. It then got ported to the PS1 and has since been upgraded to an HD collection along with the second main game, giving old-school RPG fans an easy way to check this game out. Grandia shows monsters in dungeons and it alsoupgraded the traditional turn-based battle system. Players got to see the turn order based on actions taken. Some attacks and spells would take longer and could potentially be interrupted. Players had to strike a balance between risking the higher-powered attacks and the lower ones and enemies also took this gamble.
Valkyrie Profile is both a3D and a 2D RPGthat mixes polygonal backgrounds and sprites. The world map was in 3D and had the titular Valkyrie fly to locations to solve problems to then get new party members in the hopes of saving the world from destruction day. Dungeons were in 2D and featured a lot of platforming and puzzle-solving. Players could engage enemies that appeared in dungeons or they could freeze them to aid in platforming. The four members were mapped to the face buttons and players could create combos during their turn in battle sort of like an RPG/fighting game hybrid.
Chrono Crosswas thespiritual sequel toChrono Trigger, one of the most celebrated SNES games of all time. Like that game, enemies appeared in dungeons and there were no random encounters or battles of any kind on the world map. The battle system was a bit different too as certain attacks cost percentages and players had to time their attacks right to get the most out of their turns.
The cast was large, and players had to replay multiple times to try and get them all. It’s a weirder game to be sure but it still rocks as a standout title from Squaresoft on the PS1 which has been upgraded via an HD remaster.
The firstParasite Eveis an amazing blend of horror and turn-based RPGs. Players assume the role of a cop, Aya, who gets thrown into a paranormal case during Christmas inNew York City. Instead of fighting goblins and ghosts, players will face off against mutated rats and monkeys as they traverse the city. Players can enter a room and a majority of the time, players will be dragged into a staged battle. Sometimes enemies can be seen and avoided after though so Parasite Eve skirts the line on random battles. In battle, players can run around to dodge attacks while Aya’s ATB meter fills up thus prompting her turn. It’s a game every RPG and horror fan should play.
