Gaming has come a long way since the late ’90s and early 2000s. The graphical styles of games from the first 3D capable systems were oftendetermined by the constraintsof the system, something that is very evident in a number of PlayStation One games as well as other systems from the turn of the Millenium.
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While many games have come out having been inspired by the pixel art classics of the ’80s, there are few that take inspiration from the low-poly low-res aesthetics of the PlayStation One. Many games that do, though, are horror titles thanks to the PlayStation One’s relatively low-definition graphics, after all, scares are always better if the player has to fill in the blanks a little bit.
7Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Timeis a recent sequel to the classic PlayStation OneCrash Bandicoottrilogy. While there have technically been a number ofCrash Bandicootgames sinceCrash Bandicoot 3: Warped!,Crash Bandicoot 4is a direct continuation of the loose storyline presented in that original trilogy.
Crash Bandicoot 4introduces a number of new mechanics to the classic platforming formula while taking the visual style of theCrash BandicootN. Sane Trilogy. The same teams worked on bothCrash 4and theN. Sane Trilogyremasters, and the long-awaited sequelactually lives up to the hype.
6No One Lives Under The Lighthouse
No One Lives Under The Lighthouseis a horror/thriller game that takes place on an island with a lighthouse. Much like Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe inThe Lighthouse, the player is tasked to keep the facilities running on their own out in the middle of nowhere. And, of course, the player isn’t actually alone.
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The graphical style is straight out of the originalResident Evilgames and it translates surprisingly well to a game with relatively modern design. It’s offputting most of the time, genuinely scary at parts, and an indie game that’s well worth a few dollars on Steam.
5Murder House
Murder Houseisanother game that’s described as a “PS1 style survival horror” by developer Puppet Combo. The game takes a vast amount of inspiration from a number of stylistic PS1 games, includingSilent Hill,Metal Gear Solid,Resident Evil, andTomb Raider.
The game plays likeResident Evilwith tank controls and cinematic camera angles, although instead of exploring a mansion, the player is being hunted by the notorious Easter Ripper serial killer. It’s a true love letter to old horror games andwell worth checking outfor its animations and soundtrack alone.
4Yo! Noid II: Enter the Void
Yo! Nois II: Enter the Voidis not a gameyou’ll find on any storefront– it was made in one month during the New Game Jam 2017 game development challenge. It’s a free fan-made spiritual successor to the originalYo! Noidtitle for the NES, butYo! Noid IItakes its stylistic inspiration from the PlayStation instead.
Considering it was made by one person in just a single month,Yo! Nois IIis surprisingly well-made and complex. That’s one month to compile assets, code the game, write scripts, and do literally everything required to release a functional game.Yo! Noid IIis also controller enabled, and it’s well worth a play-through at least once if you remember the original game or Dominos' Noid ads.
3Toree 3D
Toree 3Dis an incredibly cute 3D platformer with a vibrant color scheme andvery easy-to-understand controls. It’s a recent release that is still being updated with new features, though it doesn’t have a multiplayer element yet. It’s a very affordable game at $0.99 on Steam.
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If someone loves “late ’90s low-poly aesthetics” and intuitive, satisfying platforming in a 3D space reminiscent of turn of the millennium games,Toree 3Dis one they don’t want to miss. It’s as if one combined the graphics of the Sega Dreamcast with the gameplay of a PlayStation platformer.
2The Soulsborne PS1 Demakes
There has been a trend in recent years of particularly skilled modders and game designers “demaking” popular current titles to have similar aesthetics to games from the PlayStation era. Two of the most well-known demakes are theDark SoulsandBloodbornedemakes. There have also been viral demakes ofCyberpunk 2077andUntitled Goose Game.
These demakes reskin the entire game from the bottom up while preserving their modern gameplay mechanics. While theDark Soulsdemakes appear to likely be tech demos and proof of concepts, theBloodbornedemake is actually being developed currently. Itshould be available to playlater in 2021 if all things go well.
1Omnibus
Omnibusis a PlayStation-era-inspired game developed by none other than Devolver Digital, the studio behindHotline Miami,Fall Guys, andCarrion. InOmnibus, the player takes control of a near-indestructible bus that has to stay upright at massive speeds. The game has a number of levels and modes, including a hectic local multiplayer mode and a free play mode that lets the player perform tricks free of worry.
It has super addicting gameplay paired with stunningly accurate early 2000’s graphics, plus the polish of every Devolver Digital game. It released in 2016 with good reviews and isonly $4.99 on Steam.
