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

Alundra is not a typical turn-based, multi-party, open-world adventure across many discs and lands. What it is though, is a very tight, story-driven action-RPG that explores narrative concepts covering depression, death, the nature of fate and more.

As the titular Alundra, you are a Dreamwalker. Washing ashore in an unknown village, you are tasked with clearing the minds of the inhabitants who have been experiencing nightmares, and rid them of what ails them. As you further and aid the village, you discover it was the working of a demon posing as a god to the village, and your responsibility becomes to banish it.

Heralded as, "Zelda for the PlayStation" on its release back in 1997, and scoring highly across the board, Alundra was worthy of such praise. Instead of trying to push 3D, it favoured an angled top-down presentation, with seamless transition to the next area. Combat happened in real time, with new abilities being picked up along the way. Much like Zelda, these abilities would also be integrated into puzzles, and there were some fiendish ones in the games many dungeons (or dream dungeons, if you will).

So yes, whilst differing from the other entries in this list, Alundra stands a prime example of something slightly different but equally engaging. Just...don't bother with the sequel, is all.