Occasionally, entire console generations can come to be defined by the work of a sole developer. Fans may fondly remember these consoles based on a slew of favorite games that happened to have come under the umbrella of either a first or third-party publisher. The NES of course had an incredible run of titles that came from Konami and its subsidiary Ultra, and the Super Nintendo would come to be defined by a string of first-party Nintendo titles that changed the gaming landscape forever. When thinking about the developer that had the largest impact on the strength and success of the PS1, perhaps no other company comes to mind other than Square.

After seeing the series slowly but steadily gain prominence in the West, Square took a massive gamble by partnering with Sony to release its next Final Fantasy as a console exclusive for the manufacturer's new console, the PlayStation. The partnership would prove to be one of the most fruitful in gaming history, with the success of Final Fantasy 7 being partly responsible for the PlayStation's undeniable win of the "console war" between fifth-gen platforms. Thanks to the success of Final Fantasy 7, Square would hit a stride of prolificness and creativity that it has yet to match, even after its merge with Enix. Not only are many of these games some of the best titles on the PS1, but they're some of the best games ever made, period.

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S Tier

• Final Fantasy 7 - This is the game that started Square's meteoric rise to popularity in the West. Fans might debate whether it's the best Final Fantasy or not, but it is the most important. It's a legendary entry in one of gaming's most important franchises.
• Final Fantasy Tactics - The job system of FF3 and FF5 always seemed like a perfect fit for a Final Fantasy-themed turn-based tactics game, and Yasumi Matsuno's Final Fantasy Tactics proves it once and for all. It's quite possibly the best Final Fantasy spin-off and a legendary tactics game in its own right.
• Xenogears - Even with an unfinished second disc that reduces many of the game's climactic moments to narrated vignettes, Xenogears is one of the most important and iconic RPGs ever made. With a story that is unmatched in terms of its scope and depth, and an engaging combat system both on foot and inside the titular Gears, Xenogears more than earns its place at the top of the pile. It's about time for a remake/remaster.
• Vagrant Story - Out of all Square's PS1 titles, Vagrant Story is perhaps the most unique and also most deserving of a sequel. Coming from the mind of Yasumi Matsuno and sharing Final Fantasy Tactics' setting, Vagrant Story's incredible narrative and unique approach to dungeon crawling and combat help it stand out as one of the best titles in a very crowded catalog from Square.

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A Tier

• Parasite Eve - Parasite Eve is a left-field experiment that should have been replicated more than it has. Survival-horror-meets-RPG, the first Parasite Eve is an unmissable PS1 classic.
• Final Fantasy 9 - A return to form for the franchise and one of the best entries in its long history, Final Fantasy 9 was the last game in the series on the PS1. Thankfully, Final Fantasy's PS1-era goes out with a bang, with Final Fantasy 9 still considered one of the greatest titles in the franchise.
• Einhander - When developers try their hand at a new genre, the results can often be mixed. Somehow, when Square decided to make a shmup, it ended up being one of the best genre entries on the PS1. That there's never been another attempt at the genre from Square is a shame.
• Bushido Blade - While not Square's first fighting game, Bushido Blade is a legendary and unique entry into the genre on PS1. The iconic cast of fighters and potential for one-hit deathblows make this game a worthy addition to any PS1 library.
• Final Fantasy Chronicles - Square released three separate collections for the PS1 that packaged its previous work, but the best of these is undoubtedly Final Fantasy Chronicles. While Final Fantasy 4 is great to have on any console, Chronicles' inclusion of Chrono Trigger makes it a necessary title for any RPG fan.
• Final Fantasy Anthology - Final Fantasy Chronicles isn't the only essential collection from Square on the PS1 library, as Final Fantasy Anthology is just as important. Bringing Final Fantasy 6 to the console, Anthology also features the first official Western release of the criminally overlooked Final Fantasy 5.
• Chrono Cross - Chrono Cross unfairly got a lot of flak at the time of its release thanks to a lack of obvious connection to its predecessor Chrono Trigger. However, if players invest the time into this excellent RPG they'll find a game that capably stands on its own two legs and still has plenty of discoverable lore that connects the dots between itself and the SNES classic.

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B Tier

• Final Fantasy 8 - Similar to Final Fantasy 2, Final Fantasy 8 follows up a massively successful series entry with some experimental mechanics to help set itself apart from its predecessor. Unfortunately, some of these land while others do not. Still, Final Fantasy 8 is a great game despite not reaching the heights of FF7 and FF9.
• SaGa Frontier - Many of the mechanics Final Fantasy 2 introduced would go on to sprout their own series in Square's SaGa franchise. The first of these to make it to the West in name is SaGa Frontier, which offered players the unique ability to start as any number of protagonists and eventually see their stories interconnect, something the studio has replicated with Octopath Traveler.
• Front Mission 3 - Front Mission 3 is not the first game in the series, as indicated by its number, but it is the first to release in the West. Blending the mech customization of Armored Core with the turn-based tactical combat of Final Fantasy Tactics, Front Mission 3 is an atypical game for Square and definitely worthwhile for tactics enthusiasts.
• Brave Fencer Musashi - Few games have the level of charm that Brave Fencer Musashi exudes, and it's a wonder that Square never gave fans a proper follow-up to this lighthearted action-RPG romp.
• Legend of Mana - The Mana series is host to plenty of great games, and even though Secret of Mana fans in the West missed out on its direct follow-up Trials of Mana for years, Legend of Mana was a great alternative on the PS1. The title is notable for the way it lets players craft their own unique version of the game's world and map based on their routing.
• Parasite Eve 2 - It doesn't quite reach the same heights as its predecessor, but Parasite Eve 2 is a great sequel and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the later-era PS1 survival horror titles. What the sequel lacks in RPG depth, it more than makes up for with its real-time combat and greater emphasis on action.
• Chocobo's Dungeon 2 - Although it wasn't fondly received at the time of its release, Chocobo's Dungeon 2 has gone on to fare better in the eyes of fans throughout the years. A simplistic and charming dungeon crawler, Chocobo's Dungeon 2 even has its very own Cid cameo, which practically makes it an official Final Fantasy game.
• Final Fantasy Origins - Out of the collections Square released on the PS1, Origins is the only one that isn't necessarily a must-have for fans. While it does include a remastered version of the original Final Fantasy, the mixed bag of Final Fantasy 2 presents a hard sell for fans that wouldn't be corrected until the Pixel Remasters' version of the much-maligned sequel.

C Tier

• Ehrgeiz - Not all genre experiments that are outside a developer's wheelhouse are successful, and some are just outright not good. Unfortunately, the fighting genre is one that Square couldn't seem to nail down despite having one excellent entry with Bushido Blade. Ehrgeiz features some excellent fighters to choose from, but with clunky combat and stiff controls, there's not much else to get excited about.
• Tobal No. 1 - Tobal No. 1 has the unfortunate place in history of being "that game that came with the Final Fantasy 7 demo." Obviously overshadowed by the contents of its packaged demo disc, Tobal isn't necessarily a bad game, but it's not necessarily good either.
• Bushido Blade 2 - Obviously seeing that its presence in the West was improving and that its titles were selling well, Square made the choice to provide fans with more accessible sequels of many of its popular games. One of these was Bushido Blade 2, which unfortunately lost all the complexity of its predecessor in order to reach a wider audience. The end result was a misfire, with the game unable to attract new fans and alienating old ones.
• Chocobo Racing - Long before there were several competent and enjoyable kart racers to compete with the juggernaut that was Mario Kart, Square decided to try its hand at a kart racer featuring the beloved avians from the Final Fantasy series. Regrettably, this is one that should've stayed in the garage, failing to hit the level of quality of another PS1 kart racing classic -- Crash Team Racing.
• Threads of Fate - While not a true follow-up to Brave Fencer Musashi, Threads of Fate was another attempt from Square at making an accessible action RPG. Unfortunately, the efforts to make the game more beginner-friendly and simplistic backfired, with many criticizing the game's lack of depth.
• SaGa Frontier 2 - The SaGa franchise has long been a black sheep in the Square library, featuring some obtuse mechanics and notoriously difficult encounters. While the first SaGa Frontier on PS1 is far from a walk in the park, the difficulty of SaGa Frontier 2 is almost absurd. Today, it's for fans of marathon boss battles only.

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