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What was the PS1 game with the overall best graphics?

The Spyro games
tumblr_inline_nrglz0yAjn1rbem7u_500.gif
 

mdzapeer

Member
So many great looking games on the PS1.

Technically I would say soul reaver.

Vagrant story and metal gear solid as well.


I prefer ps1 graphics over ps2 ones...they lack personality, I was getting into PC gaming as well.
 
Yeah, I'd say it's easily the #1 pick for best graphics on the system. I remember it came out at the same time as the Japanese Starfox 64. At the shop I worked at, people came for import Starfox copies and then stopped and stared at Tobal 2...and were shocked that this was on the Playstation and not the N64. It looked so much sharper and cleaner than any N64 game out at the time, and that framerate...holy shit it was just so awesome, lol.

Yeah, 60fps @ 640x480, the rarely-used hi res mode on the PS1. DreamFactory were magicians.

But I still have to go with MGS for overall best graphics due to the on-point art direction and atmospheric effects.
 

Spinoff90

Member
Tekken 3 is the first one that comes to mind as something I remember thinking looked really good back then. I am sure there were others but my memory is trash -_-
 
Not to nitpick, but there's no way you could mistake it for an early PS2 game. The 3d models and battle maps are a dead giveaway.

Sure, the backgrounds were great, but many PSX games has nice prerendered backgrounds.

Well, the first games on PS2 were pretty rough as far as I remember, and its delicious art definitely helped. Needless to say, the jump from IX to X was big.
 

mdzapeer

Member
One thing against Vagrant Story and many other PS1 games is that they were meant to be viewed on a CRT.

Vagrant Story on a CRT looks much better than the screens posted here.
 
One game people overlook because it's kind of forgettable but not horrible is apocalypse.

It had some nice effects, sense of scale, large number of enemies, and huge textures and environments. I think it's a little weak in the artstyle department but very technically proficient and moves quick for a 3d action game. Most on the system were very clunky and foggy.

It was done by neversoft who did some really good stuff on ps1.

https://youtu.be/rNNjBK1gazg


36511-Apocalypse_[U]-3.jpg


3326962226_20280ca405.jpg


294945-apocalyp_008.jpg
 

mdzapeer

Member
Neversoft had an amazing graphics engine for the PS1, even though I never played the game it has all the classic signs of their engine.

The best game I played from nerversoft was Spider-man.
 
Also overlooked probably because it sounds like it's a Nascar game (rebranded for the US from the original release) is codemasters' Jarret and labonte stock car racing.

https://youtu.be/VPaJOVEyAps
https://youtu.be/6HQVivqTM0w

This game had a better damage model than most ps3 racing games with car parts falling off and staying on the track with physics that other cars interacted with. 12 cars on track, moves faster than gran turismo 2, with even better physics simulation.

I think it was called Toca 2 in Europe. Not sure.

Oh, and it had in car view that changed for each car with fully modeled hands too.

jarrett_labonte_08.jpg


319238-jarret_011.jpg



319241-jarret_014.jpg
 

vio

Member
For me it was Soul Reaver. Not only did it look great at the time, but you could instantly switch between two worlds. That blew my mind back then. There was no other game on PS1 that matched this feeling.

OvBC2di.gif


Gif is probably from the dreamcast version, but you get the idea.

Nothing comes close to Soul Reaver, not even close.
 
Of the videos in this thread I think Forsaken and wip3out look the most visually striking with nice frame rates.

FFIX without any doubts. It could be confused for an early PS2 game.
I'm sorry but no. FFIX looks exactly like what you'd expect from a PS1 Final Fantasy.
 
- Metal Gear Solid 1
- Silent Hill 1
- Metal Gear Solid VR Missions: It is the only game which had characters (Naomi and Mei Ling) with discernable faces with winking eyes and moving lips, even modelized teeth. It looked next-gen for that time (if you neglect the aliasing :p).

Neversoft had an amazing graphics engine for the PS1, even though I never played the game it has all the classic signs of their engine.

The best game I played from nerversoft was Spider-man.

I forgot about Spider-Man from Neversoft. I was amazed by its graphics and I couldn't believe how they did manage to improve them in Spider-Man 2.
 

Magwik

Banned
Also overlooked probably because it sounds like it's a Nascar game (rebranded for the US from the original release) is codemasters' Jarret and labonte stock car racing.

https://youtu.be/VPaJOVEyAps
https://youtu.be/6HQVivqTM0w

This game had a better damage model than most ps3 racing games with car parts falling off and staying on the track with physics that other cars interacted with. 12 cars on track, moves faster than gran turismo 2, with even better physics simulation.

I think it was called Toca 2 in Europe. Not sure.

Oh, and it had in car view that changed for each car with fully modeled hands too.

jarrett_labonte_08.jpg


319238-jarret_011.jpg



319241-jarret_014.jpg
Wow that's incredibly impressive actually
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
If you want to know what's also impressive about Vagrant Story, the game is around 90mb on PSN.
 

Reese-015

Member
Nice pull! Terracon was amazing end-of-the-generation technology (from a team fronted by the guys who did Die Hard PSX, it's a shame their PS2 projects didn't pan out,) wish it had come to PSN globally as it was easy to miss.
terracon_ps1-00004828-low.jpg

Terracon is just incredible. I mean, look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA_e5c3XG80

Aside from FF9 summons, this is the best looking shit on PS1. Also perhaps by far the technically most advanced game on the platform. The fx, the lighting, the LOD, the water deformation, it's all just insane for a PS1 game.
 

Unknown?

Member
Dino Crisis 2 looked very good. Just replayed it not too long ago and the prerendered backgrounds look great. Character models look as good as it gets for PS1.
 

Qwark

Member
How have I never heard of Terracon before? Oh, Europe only, that explains it. Some of these year 2000 games look incredible. I really need to play Soul Reaver some day.
 
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