Square & Enix, before forming one company, were two of the most notable video game creators of the 90s. When the PlayStation was released, it wasn’t surprising to find that these companies, having already made many of the well-remembered games for the SNES, would also take the market by storm for this new console.

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7 Hardest PS1 RPGs

The PlayStation 1 era was filled with difficult RPG games, but none more so than this list!

However, one of the things that many fans of this pre-Square Enix gaming era have forgotten over time is just how difficult some of Square's games were. While players might love to revisit these titles for the challenge they provide over modern releases, some newer players coming to them for the first time will get a serious shock when they discover how difficult many of these classics are.

6 Front Mission 2

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.53/5

A tactical RPG series that was very successful in the PS1/PS2 era for Square, Front Mission 2 managed to go even bigger than the previous entry, introducing many elements and improving on others that gave it some of the best tactical RPG gameplay the PlayStation 1 ever saw. Taking place twelve years after the first game, Front Mission 2 takes place in Bangladesh in the year 2102, following three different soldiers in a fight against the OCU.

Front Mission 2 was so revolutionary for the tactical RPG genre that the game was remade for the Nintendo Switch and released in October 2023. However, it was a difficult game that challenged players to think their way around each battlefield, instead of getting away with taking the easy route that some tactical RPGs give. It wasn’t much harder than most major releases at the time for the genre, but the remake has given players a shock with the challenges it presents.

5 Cyber Org

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.63/5

A unique game for the time, Cyber Org defined itself as a Space Opera, with a huge original soundtrack that was highly praised. The core of the gameplay was a beat-em-up style with some exploration elements added, making for a fun style that was easy to understand, but difficult to get the hang of for many players.

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This almost forgotten entry in the Square catalog, Cyber Org, was strangely only released in Japan at the time, despite most of the game being in English. The game, even today, is a reminder of how challenging beat-em-up games can be despite a lack of different levels. A popular feature of games from the early to mid-1990s was to make each level more difficult to compensate for there being fewer of them.

4 Vagrant Story

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.8/5

One of the most infamous and well-remembered RPGs of the PS1 era which still hasn't been remade, Vagrant Story takes place in the ruined city of Lea Monde, where an elite agent is investigating a cult leader and his links to the parliament of the kingdom. Featuring no shops or interaction with NPCs, this game focused instead on strategy, puzzle-solving, and weapon creation.

Vagrant Story is beloved, coming with a steep learning curve for the combat systems and puzzles. The combinations needed for combat have upset many players who struggle with them, and the constant attacks, almost in a dungeon crawler format, have led to many players giving up before they conclude the game.

3 SaGa Frontier 2

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.81/5

Hailed as a beautiful game for the PS1, SaGa Frontier 2 is the eighth game in the SaGa series but features beautiful watercolor art that gives the game the feel of a storybook, and gameplay that was surprisingly non-linear for the time. This did cause some issues, as players felt there were a lot of challenges in simply figuring out what to do next sometimes.

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Additionally, the combat system, which was either alone or in a party, felt like a challenging one to get the hang of for many players. The final boss was considered by many to be the most unreasonably difficult boss on the PlayStation console, a surprise looking at many other Square releases of the time. Additionally, some fans were disappointed with the features of this sequel over what the first contained.

2 SaGa Frontier

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.82/5

Despite being more beloved for the gameplay than the sequel, some fans were disappointed with the story of the first SaGa Frontier game. Despite this, the challenge of completing the game was significant, even for the time. The confusing battle systems still made this game a challenge for players and, looking back at it today, the style does feel severely outdated, but it remains one of the best Final Fantasy Legend games.

With a steep learning curve and a point where character growth shockingly plateaus, forcing players to invest a huge amount of time in unlocking specific skill trees to gain access to the strongest technology and spells, SaGa Frontier will challenge players in different ways than most JRPGs.

1 Einhander

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.97/5

An unusual step for Square, which was known at the time for its RPGs, Einhander is a scrolling shooter game. Players take control of a spaceship that fights in a war between the Earth and the Moon Colony during the 23rd Century, which is attacking Earth for its natural resources. The challenge in Einhander is significant, needing players to learn the levels before they can anticipate where enemies will appear.

Einhander is in the style of challenging modern side-scrollers like Cuphead, producing a lot of rage from players, especially when they try to defeat the game at greater difficulties. Bosses have more and more types of attacks available to them as the difficulty is raised, making the game a whole different beast each time players try to raise the bar.

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