One of the best features of PlayStation Plus, if you have a Premium subscription, is the ability to play retro games from the earliest PlayStation eras. The ‘Classics Catalogue’ is only available on the Premium package and it lets you play games from PlayStation and PlayStation 2.
PlayStation Plus Premium offers a lot of bang for its buck
While games are a little thin on the ground, there’s still a very comprehensive selection, particularly if you grew up playing in that era, or just fancy exploring the games that paved the way. If you’re looking for some of the best games that defined PlayStation back in the day, we’ve got a great selection on PlayStation Plus.
Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
This puzzle platformer was fantastic back in 1997 and it still holds up well today. Poor Abe is a Mudoken who works in a meat packing factory. He finds out his species is being eaten by another race of creatures and decides to escape. To do this he must puzzle his way out of a maze-like building and he does so by relying on platforming skills and communicating with other Mudokens. Abe could tell them to wait, follow, and a few other commands that had them helping with puzzles. He could also fart on command, so there’s that too.
Ape Escape
Another platform game - the PlayStation brand was built on them - this time the player had to capture apes who were wreaking havoc across time and space, rewriting history. Ape Escape is most notable due to the reliance on the analogue sticks which were still pretty new. The left stick would move Spike around, while the right stick would manipulate the tools and items to catch the apes. This still holds up today due to the basic graphics and bite-size gameplay.
Worms
On the original PlayStation you could generate level maps using codes, much like how Minecraft and many other games do so now. I will forever recommend the original Worms game over any of the expanded sequels - it was pure fun without all the faff that came later. While it’s not the most attractive of games, it’s the most simple. Before all the multiplayer modes, all we had was teams of worms blowing each other up. The Holy Hand Grenade is still a thing of beauty.
Twisted Metal
If you weren’t playing games on the original PlayStation, you’ll likely know of Twisted Metal from the new TV show showing on Peacock. Before Captain America was driving around with ragtag racers, Twisted Metal was a vehicle combat title that riffed off Mario Kart. Players would drop into an arena and attempt to blow up competitor’s vehicles with equipped weapons. What made Twisted Metal stand out was the adult themes and more mature visuals, plus a wealth of brilliantly designed characters who each had a unique vehicle.
Red Faction
We really need a new Red Faction game. When this was first released gamers went wild over the destructive scenery. It was like nothing we had seen before at the time, usually whenever we shot a rocket or an explosive the most we got was a black patch on the wall or floor. Now we could break through rocks, and walls were no problem at all. Thankfully there was a decent game attached to this new technology. Back when practically every sci-fi was set on Mars and featured a miner, Red Faction gave us a similar type of story, but it felt blockbuster.
Jak and Daxter
If Rayman was the PlayStation mascot for the original console, then it would be a battle between Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank for the PlayStation 2. Perhaps Jak and Daxter sneak in the win because they had more games and most of them were brilliant. First released in 2001, this action-adventure combined great platforming with a brilliant story of Jak trying to help his buddy Daxter return to his human form. These kinds of platformers have really held up in you can look past the graphics.
Tekken 2
The first Tekken game was great, but its sequel surpassed it in so many ways. Unfortunately, the graphics on this one haven’t really held up, but if you can forego shiny visuals, it’s just as good now as it once was. Of course, the series has evolved, but seeing the roots and feeling how loose fighters once were, is a great experience. Tekken 2 filled a gap by bringing fighters into glorious 3D, while other franchises faltered with this step. Plus, it was a great original story that sat alongside the action.
DOOM
At this point, everyone should have played DOOM (not the also brilliant reboot DOOM) but if you haven’t, we won’t judge you. This can be rectified now by downloading it immediately and playing one of the most important games in history. The great thing about the original DOOM is that it has barely aged. Pixel graphics still look great, the gameplay is still tight and brilliant, and the demons still feel terrifying. Honestly, little beats wielding a shotgun and blasting creatures into a bloody pulp.
Featured Image Credit: SonyTopics: PlayStation, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Playstation Plus, Free Games