10 Essential PS1 RPGs (That Aren't Final Fantasy)

10. Suikoden II

Starting strong with a brilliant example in narrative and storytelling, Suikoden II is proof that bigger isn't always better.

Much like the first game, released five years prior in 1995, Suikoden II eschews traditional world-destroying power/demonic force in favour of warring states and factions, plus some magical elements. Your childhood friendship torn apart by third party forces and ideologies, the story sees our hero working to reunite the New Alliance Army to take on the forces of the Highland states.

The biggest draw in the Suikoden series is the recruitment of the 108 Star of Destiny, and the affects that it has on the story and world building. Whilst a lot of them are unavoidable and come with the story progression, there's a whole wealth in exploring the world and recruiting those extra characters. Some are able to join your party in combat, some add new features to your base, and some are merely interactive NPC's with no real bearing on the story at large.

Whilst the first Suikoden drew decent critical acclaim, the sequel was initially seen as dated in the life of the console for sticking to its sprite-based graphics, and as such saw a limited print run. In recent years, though, it's been retrospectively heralded as a fine example of storytelling, and physical copies of the game are hard to come by for avid collectors.