“7 Forgotten PS1 Titles That Deserve New Life”

September 2020 marked the 25th anniversary of the release of the original Sony Playstation in Europe and North America. 25 years since one of the consoles that completely revolutionised the virtual world was unleashed upon the real one. While I didn’t own a Playstation until 4 years later, it’s safe to say that this console was pivotal in shaping who I am. It not only cemented my passion for video games but also inspired my creativity and imagination in ways I never thought possible. And in recent years, the desire to relive that period of inspiration has been acted upon.

With the likes of Spyro and Crash Bandicoot getting a lavish modern-day makeover and wiping the floor with the competition upon release, it’s easy to see the potential in unearthing the gems of yesteryear and giving them a vigorous polish. But with a library of close to 8,000 titles, hundreds of games have been buried deep and inevitably faded from memory. Rightfully so for some. However, there are a number of titles that were somewhat undeserving of being so forgotten. Yes, they were undoubtedly flawed, but also engaging and intriguing. These games often sported elements and concepts that were simply too ambitious for the hardware available at the time.

Simply put: these games were made in the wrong era.

Today we shed light on some of these long-forgotten adventures. These are the 7 PS1 titles that I, The Dream Weaver Mage, would choose as candidates for video game necromancy and raise from the dead to live anew.

#7. Dragon Valor

The third game in the Dragon Buster series released originally for the Family Computer in Japan, Dragon Valor is a tale of heroes and dragons spanning generations. Players take control of a Dragon Valor, wielder of one of three ancient magical swords, on a quest to rid the land of the scourge of dragons. This quest is passed on through the Dragon Valor bloodline, each warrior uncovering a new piece of a dark plot decades in the making.

The gameplay spans several notable genres: linear beat-em-up stages combined with puzzle-solving, platforming, and RPG elements culminating in an intense dragon battle at the end of each chapter. Visuals were also fairly solid for a PS1 title and the character designs were varied and interesting. All of this was backed by a catchy and impressive soundtrack, if a little simple in execution. Sadly, trying to combine this many genres into one package resulted in each aspect being overly simplified and watered down which led to mixed to average reception. 

But one unique aspect Dragon Valor possessed that few games released outside of Japan had at the time was branching levels and story arcs. The story would continue with the next generation of the Dragon Valor line, who would vary depending on the characters the player met or did not meet during that chapter of the quest. This is an element that could be fully explored and utilised with current technology and storytelling, not to mention having more scope to explore the other aspects fully.

Choices and character meetings/interactions could be fleshed out and given more weight. The RPG mechanics could be fully utilised with skill trees or magical disciplines. The level design could move away from a strictly linear approach and open out with more branching pathways, perhaps even side objectives. And of course, with current and next-gen visuals, those dragon battles could be as epic as intended. I for one never get tired of epic dragon battles!

#6. Koudelka

Described as ‘survival horror meets the supernatural’, Koudelka is a dark fantasy RPG set against the backdrop of the foreboding fictional Nemeton Monastery in Aberystwyth, Wales, 1898. Romani medium Koudelka Iasant is drawn to the medieval monastery, now a mansion, through mysterious visions. Upon arriving, she finds the place chock-full of grotesque monsters and tortured spirits. Reluctantly teaming up with a down-on-his-luck adventurer and a missionary from the Vatican, Koudelka strives to uncover Nemeton’s dark secrets. 

The gameplay consists of Resident Evil-esque exploration and puzzle-solving with turn-based combat and boss battles using a grid system. Combat has a standard command system of weapons, magic and items; the former has a durability system in which weapons will break after an extensive period of use. The cinematic cutscenes were extremely impressive for their time with pinpoint lip-syncing and fluid CG animation, as well as a fantastic soundtrack composed by Secret of Mana composer Hiroki Kikuta (who also directed the game).

Koudelka’s main drawbacks lay in the uneven combat difficulty, lack of defence, and no indication of how long a weapon will hold out. There were also no stores or points where weapons or items can be bought or traded. This often left players in an unwinnable combat scenario with no real way of preparing for it. Frustration inevitably built up and it was ultimately left to gather dust. 

A modern-day upgrade could easily fix these flaws, one method perhaps being in introducing specific character skills such as repairing weapons or alchemy that can be upgraded through skill points or repeated use. Weapons can be given a durability meter and the combat grid system could display the range of an attack or spell. Just the smallest adjustments would allow the atmosphere and the intricate story to shine through and keep the player engaged, as well as the characters’ party dynamics (they couldn’t be more different if they tried). And that Kikuta score revamped would be something truly magical on the ears!

#5. Vampire Hunter D

Another supernatural survival horror title, this time with more action-adventure/hack-and-slash vibes. Released in late 2000, Vampire Hunter D loosely follows the plot of the anime movie Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust released earlier that year. D, a ‘Dunpeal’ (half-human, half-vampire) demon hunter, is hired by an old man to rescue his daughter Charlotte who has been kidnapped by the vampire nobleman Meier Link. D pursues them to the Castle of Chaythe, the castle fortress of Countess Carmilla, trying to reach them before the mercenary group Charlotte’s brother has hired: The Marcus Brothers.

Most of the game takes place within the Castle of Chaythe, navigating its winding passages and grand halls which are infested with monstrous creatures of the night. D can dispatch them with his trusty sword or utilise items and sub-weapons such as flash grenades to gain the upper hand. D’s most powerful sub-weapon is ‘Left Hand’, a wisecracking symbiote with a human face embedded in D’s left hand. Left Hand can unleash powerful magic, heal D or absorb wounded enemies’ energy to fill D’s VP (Vampire Power) meter. This, combined with key item-hunting, a dash of puzzle-solving, and some branching story points, make up the backbone of this dark adventure.

Control, however, was Vampire Hunter D’s main pitfall. Similar to Resident Evil, the camera was fixed, backgrounds pre-rendered and tank controls in place. Drawing D’s sword in an enemy’s presence initiates Combat Mode controls which involves enemy lock-on and strafing. While a good idea on paper, it just did not work with this style and hindered the player enormously. Tank controls with melee combat do not mix!

I envision a modern makeover of this title adopting a play style similar to the Castlvania: Lords of Shadow titles or the more recent Code Vein. Visuals would echo the movie’s animation, combat would be free-flowing and fluid. Being a big fan of the movie, I would love to see more levels echoing the exterior scenes from it, such as Barbarois or the overgrown ruins which would have great potential for atmosphere and action. And like Dragon Valor, the branching story (particularly regarding The Marcus Brothers and Meier Link) could be explored in greater depth. More to sink your teeth into!

#4. O.D.T.

Few games epitomise huge ambition squeezed into far too small a package more than the 1998 Psygnosis title O.D.T. (Or Die Trying). This steampunk/science fiction-esque experience puts you in control of your choice of one of the four crew members of the Nautiflyus, an airship commanded by Captain Lamat. They have a mission to transport an artefact called the Green Pearl with magical properties back to their homeland to cure a deadly plague ravaging the people. However, as they fly over the Forbidden Zone, the ship crashes and Captain Lamat is kidnapped by grotesque mutants who steal the pearl. They must be recovered at all costs.

Each character has their individual attributes, strengths, and magical abilities which you can level up as you see fit to take on the mutant hordes blocking your way. The Jules Verne-inspired island world is vast and ripe for exploring; 8 unique locales with different branching areas depending on the character you choose and full of atmosphere. Though primarily leaning towards action, the inclusion of puzzle and RPG elements gave more of a feel of the adventure novels and stories the game was inspired by.

However, as mentioned earlier, the vision was simply too vast for the Playstation hardware. Even a PC release couldn’t capture it. Graphics, while containing impressive motion-captured combat animations, were grainy and glitchy with some surfaces being hard on the eyes from trying to include too much detail. Control was a serious bugbear for players; tank controls were stiff and clunky, the jump command extremely temperamental and some simple manoeuvres far trickier to execute than they should be. And with more than a few platforming segments, this sent frustration levels sky high.

Today’s technology would be a veritable game-changer for O.D.T. – pun intended! Modern game engines would breathe life into the intricate island world, shining light on every detail the designers tried to showcase originally. Control would break free of its stiff bonds with fluid mechanics and allow easy transition between physical, weapon, and magical abilities. As well as greater embellishment of the attribute system, I also see an intricate weapon and spell crafting system working well here, allowing a player to find components and magical elements to create powerful weapons and spells. Steampunk is still a genre that is not often explored in gaming and one that beautifully blends aspects and genres. Time to give it a boost!

#3. Technomage: Return of Eternity

The only title on this list released solely in Europe, Technomage is an ARPG set in the world of Gothos where the people are divided into two nations: the Dreamers who rely on magical means and the Steamers who favour machinery and science. You are Melvin, a boy born from a forbidden union of a Dreamer and a Steamer living with mother Firna in Dreamertown. When Gothos is plagued with earthquakes and monstrous creatures breaking through the undergrowth, Melvin is blamed and escapes to Steamertown to live with his father. But he soon realises the danger runs much deeper than the troubles of the two human towns.

Technomage is primarily divided into two sections in each level/location: a hub area with quests to complete to advance the story and gain EXP and dungeon areas where combat and puzzles take precedence. Melvin can command an array of melee weapons, spells, and tools to carve a path through the dungeons and hunt for quest items. He can also talk to the residents of each hub locale to both pick up quests and obtain valuable information to complete them. The EXP Melvin earns can be distributed into four classic RPG stats to enhance combat and defence. Checkpoints are also dispersed throughout all areas allowing for infinite respawns should Melvin perish on his journey and take the sting out of some of the difficult platforming segments.

It would be easy to point the finger at Technomage’s graphics for causing its fall into obscurity. Adopting the style of JRPG environments and sprites, the textures and details seem compressed and squished which is not easy on the eyes. The fact that the camera control can be taxing and jumping puzzles frustrating would also be an easy target. But ultimately I believe that a limited reach and poor marketing led to this game’s demise. To take a quote from the game: “What a crying shame!” It is far from terrible with plenty to like and keep players engaged and story elements exploring racial and cultural prejudice sadly still very relevant today.

An effective modern Technomage time warp for me would echo aspects of indie game Bastion by Supergiant Games. Trading a full panoramic view for an isometric approach with bright colourful anime-esque visuals would fit wonderfully with smooth hack-and-slash combat and pay homage to the JRPG visual style they aimed for. The RPG elements of the game could be brought more to the forefront with optional quests, weapon specialisations and skills linked more intrinsically to Dreamer and Steamer traits. This could also be combined with changing Melvin’s appearance the more skills of a certain style are learned, borrowing from Fable’s approach. The soundtrack too could be made more robust and reflective of the adventure adding to the immersion.

Make it so. With a wide reach and hefty advertising campaign!

#2. Nightmare Creatures

Taking the penultimate position on my list is a game that was actually a commercial hit and mostly critical success, but was condemned to gaming’s Forgotten Worlds by a shoddy sequel. Nightmare Creatures is an action horror game set in 19th century London. Monsters have been sighted on the streets of the capital and people are mutating into ungodly creatures without warning. The dead have risen from the grave and walk among the living. Something has been released into the London air. This is the work of Adam Crowley, a mad scientist part of The Brotherhood of Hecate whose members experiment in the occult and demon worship. It is up to priest and occult expert Ignatius Blackward and American sword master Nadia Franciscus to put an end to Crowley’s plans and the demonic horde he has unleashed.

Players can choose to play as either Ignatius or Nadia, wielding a staff and a rapier respectively. Gameplay involves traversing the London locales modeled on 19th-century maps and blueprints, cutting down all unholy abominations in your way in your search for the madman. A wide variety of items and sub-weapons such as dynamite, ice bombs, and fog vials are scattered throughout each level to give you an edge in battle. As the air is thick with Crowley’s corruption, you also have an adrenaline bar which will slowly deplete unless you defeat enemies. Once the bar is depleted, your health will start to drop as you succumb to the infection.

As mentioned earlier, Nightmare Creatures was ostensibly a hit. The action was exciting, the London streets are beautifully detailed, the myriad of monsters menacing and formidable. The score and sound design is also fantastic with chilling ambient sound effects straight out of a horror movie and music to send a shiver down your spine or ignite the fire in your blood. True, the control is a little cumbersome; turning was a chore and jumping resulted in either hopping 2 inches or trying out for the Olympic long jump. True too, the combos Ignatius and Nadia can learn are needlessly difficult to execute which makes for rather repetitive combat. Then Nightmare Creatures II occurred. Plagued by poor controls, unbearably repetitive gameplay and abysmal plot pacing, it soured both players and critics feelings for the franchise and was the coup de grâce for any hope of resurrection.

Action and gothic horror are irrefutable sweet spots when it comes to modern gaming, as titles like Bloodborne proved. Nightmare Creatures could easily be ten times the hit it was with a modern incarnation and return with a bang. Bloodborne’s visual style and combat mechanics would work perfectly here mixed with level design helpings from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and The Order 1886, more so the latter. Minus the cover-based shooting, of course. While not fully open, there could be many different paths to take to get to the end of a level – a fairly linear approach is not a bad thing or something to be feared! If the adrenaline bar is depleted, handicaps to combat could be applied, reinforcing the need to seek out enemies and reflecting the contagion taking hold. There could also be an enemy research mechanic integrated into the experience; finding excerpts of Crowley’s research could allow Ignatius and Nadia to learn more about a particular monster and discover new moves effective in dispatching them. And, of course, co-op play could be readily available, a longed-for feature from Nightmare Creatures fans. 

#1. Deathtrap Dungeon

At long last, we come to my number one choice for video game necromancy – the one that would live its best life if revived. Ian Livingstone’s Deathtrap Dungeon!

Based on the choose-your-own-adventure book of the same name, Deathtrap Dungeon sets the scene of Fang, a town made famous by its creature-infested dungeon. From his hilltop castle, Baron Sukumvit designed his labyrinth of horrors. When it was built, he issued an annual challenge to all heroes brave or foolish enough to wager their souls… As a prize, survivors would be rewarded in riches beyond their wildest dreams. Yes, I did just reel that off word for word from the opening cutscene. Yes, I know it by heart. No, I don’t care how sad that is. You play as either the alluring assassin Red Lotus or pit fighter Chaindog to take on the challenge of the Dungeon and claim your prize.

As either of the two challengers, you will advance through countless complex levels populated by a vast variety of fiendish enemies and creatures bent on rending you limb from limb. Puzzles and deadly traps also feature heavily, the latter often taking you by fatal surprise. Starting your journey with a basic longsword, you will come across an impressive array of weapons and spells, each with different properties and aspects to get to grips with. At the heart of it all are the colossal dragons that govern Deathtrap Dungeon under Sukumvit’s command. These battles span entire levels and will need you at the top of your game to bring them down and make it rain with your riches.

So what went wrong here? The raunchy dominatrix ad campaign might have had a hand in it, drawing parallels from Red Lotus’s clothing (if you can call it that). The beyond punishing difficulty magnified ad nauseum by insanely stiff tank controls could also be a factor. And the scarce checkpoints, taking damage from falling a few centimetres and occasionally horrendously ugly graphics. Just a few things. And again, it’s a real shame! The level design was epic and true to the book – Ian Livingstone was actively involved in shaping the level design and art style. The huge myriad of enemies is impressive; as well as the manual, the game came with a Bestiary that detailed all the different enemies, their attack patterns and weaknesses. I LOVED this as a kid and it’s so worn now from the countless times of pawing through it. And the difficulty, though maddening, was also fitting and true to the origins. There were 31 separate ways to die in the book, not including creature battles! But in the PS1 era, players were just not ready for that level of challenge. Fast forward to now, what game comes to mind when you think fantasy dungeons, huge terrifying creatures and brutal difficulty? 

To put it plainly: it was Dark Souls before Dark Souls!

If this game had been made but 10 or 12 years later, Deathtrap Dungeon would undoubtedly be the powerhouse that Dark Souls was and would have ushered in a new style of game design in the same way. And it’s not too late! This game is simply swimming with lore, atmosphere and challenge, all of which would be a sumptuous virtual feast with modern engines. Cutting edge graphics would give life to this labyrinth of horrors, fleshing out the winding passages and deadly traps and make the Dungeon’s denizens more horrifying and bloodcurdling. Red Lotus could be given some actual clothes! Puzzles could be expanded to be more intricate rather than simply pulling a switch and have varying damaging and deadly consequences should they be skipped or done incorrectly. Like Dark Souls, checkpoints could be places to rest and regain health, repair weapons (all weapons except the basic longsword have limited durability) and level up skills. 

I’ll be honest, I’m not a Dark Souls fan. At all. The term “Souls-like” immediately puts me off any new game I see. But for this game, I would accept it and tap into my masochistic side because Deathtrap Dungeon is such a huge soft spot for me. The setting, the lore, the detailed enemies and environments, I love it all and it could be something unbelievably special if resurrected.

And there you have it, my top 7 forgotten PS1 games worthy of a second chance! A long ride, but you stuck it out with me. Thank you! These games were held back so badly by the hardware they were released on, revolutionary though it was at the time, and thus their full potential was left untapped. But hope springs eternal. Perhaps one day a developer may delve into the depths of forgotten gaming and bring these tarnished gems back into the light once again. 

Perhaps…

The Dream Weaver Mage got bitten by the gaming bug at 5 years old and never looked back. In recent years, she was able to combine her love of gaming with that of the written word and her portfolio is steadily growing. She is also on YouTube and Twitch playing retro/ indie titles and regularly flits about Twitter. Outside of the online world, she is an actor and singer with a penchant for colourful makeup, clothes and floral headwear.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider becoming a Warrior of Light and join us in promoting honesty and quality to games writing through thoughtful, long-form critiques. We’re building a future for games writers to get paid and find a fairer and happier alternative to mainstream coverage and culture. See our Patreon page for more info!