Best games
Best Action games on PlayStation 1
The 58 best Action games on PlayStation 1, ranked from 17,761 critic and player ratings.
The best Action game on PlayStation 1 right now is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, with a critic score of 92/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 1970 to 2026.
- 50 games are listed on this page, carrying 17,761 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 50
01
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Having been awoken from his eternal slumber by the reappearance of Castlevania, Alucard must once again face the evil minions of darkness. Use your vampiric powers, along with weapons, potions, and other magical relics to change the tide of battle. A mixture of platform and role-playing action with many hidden areas and secrets. Can you discover them all?
92
/100
02
A
Medal of Honor (1999)
Medal of Honor is the first title in the Medal of Honor series. The game was inspired by DreamWorks Interactive co-founder Steven Spielberg. The game follows Jimmy Patterson, a 24-year-old OSS operative as he infiltrates and sabotages the Nazi War Machine during the final days of World War II.
92
/100
03
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
A third-person action-adventure game set after the events of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996). Kain has established a vampiric empire in the world of Nosgoth, but when his lieutenant and progeny, Raziel, evolves wings before him, Kain casts him down in jealousy. Centuries later, Raziel awakens in a corrupted form and sets out to take revenge against his former brethren.
91
/100
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Having been awoken from his eternal slumber by the reappearance of Castlevania, Alucard must once again face the evil minions of darkness. Use your vampiric powers, along with weapons, potions, and other magical relics to change the tide of battle. A mixture of platform and role-playing action with many hidden areas and secrets. Can you discover them all?
92
/100
02
A
Medal of Honor (1999)
Medal of Honor is the first title in the Medal of Honor series. The game was inspired by DreamWorks Interactive co-founder Steven Spielberg. The game follows Jimmy Patterson, a 24-year-old OSS operative as he infiltrates and sabotages the Nazi War Machine during the final days of World War II.
92
/100
03
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
A third-person action-adventure game set after the events of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996). Kain has established a vampiric empire in the world of Nosgoth, but when his lieutenant and progeny, Raziel, evolves wings before him, Kain casts him down in jealousy. Centuries later, Raziel awakens in a corrupted form and sets out to take revenge against his former brethren.
91
/100
04
Spyro: Year of the Dragon
Spyro: Year of the Dragon is the third installment in the Spyro series and the last Spyro game Insomniac developed. In this 3D adventure, Spyro have to retrieve 150 eggs that the evil Sorceress has stolen from Dragonworld. To survive, he will have to utilize all of his signature moves along with several he's recently picked up, like the ability to control vehicles like tanks, submarines, and speedboats. As an extra bonus, you have the option to choose from a wacky cast of characters: Sheila the kangaroo, Sergeant Byrd the flying penguin, Bentley the Yeti and Agent 9 the space monkey.
91
/100
05
A
Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Resident Evil 2 is a sequel to the first Resident Evil title. Like the previous game in the series, Resident Evil 2 is a 3D action-adventure using three-dimensional polygon characters over two-dimensional pre-rendered backgrounds, with the action viewed through a variety of cinematic fixed camera angles in each room. Players can choose to play as one of two possible characters; each goes through the same initial scenario but with differences in the type of weaponry they find and the people they meet along the way.
90
/100
06
Syphon Filter
Syphon Filter is a third-person shooter stealth video game developed by Eidetic and published by 989 Studios exclusively for PlayStation. The plot centers on special agents Gabriel "Gabe" Logan and Lian Xing who are tasked by the United States government to apprehend a German international terrorist.
90
/100
07
Crash Team Racing
88
/100
08
Tomb Raider (1996)
Tomb Raider is a 3D action game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. The game follows the exploits of Lara Croft, a British female archaeologist in search of ancient treasures. The objective of Tomb Raider is to guide Lara through a series of tombs and other locations in search of treasures and artifacts. On the way, she must kill dangerous animals and other creatures, while collecting objects and solving puzzles to gain access to an ultimate prize, usually a powerful artifact. The game was critically acclaimed and widely influential, it spawned a number of sequels and a franchise of related media.
88
/100
09
Spider-Man (2000)
87
/100
10
Silent Hill
Silent Hill is the first installment in the Silent Hill series of psychological survival horror video games. Unlike earlier survival horror games that focused on protagonists with combat training, the main character Harry Mason is an average man. The gameplay consists of combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving. The controller vibration is used to indicate Harry's heartbeat and will vibrate on low health. The player must regularly enter an inventory screen to check Harry's health, use items, and equip different weapons.
86
/100
11
Dino Crisis 2
86
/100
12
Mega Man 2
85
/100
13
S
Final Fantasy VII
85
/100
14
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
85
/100
15
Driver (1999)
85
/100
16
Rayman
84
/100
17
Diablo
84
/100
18
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
84
/100
19
DOOM
83
/100
20
Resident Evil
82
/100
21
METAL SLUG 2
82
/100
22
S
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
81
/100
23
Tomb Raider II
80
/100
24
Metal Gear Solid
80
/100
25
Grand Theft Auto
80
/100
26
Worms
80
/100
27
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
80
/100
28
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
80
/100
29
Spyro the Dragon
79
/100
30
Mega Man 3 (1990)
79
/100
31
Mega Man X3
78
/100
32
MediEvil
78
/100
33
MDK
77
/100
34
Tomb Raider 3: Adventures of Lara Croft
77
/100
35
Mega Man 5
77
/100
36
Mega Man (1987)
76
/100
37
Aliens Versus Predator
76
/100
38
Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation
76
/100
39
Duke Nukem 3D
75
/100
40
Crash Bandicoot
75
/100
41
Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro
74
/100
42
Hogs of War
74
/100
43
Fighting Force
74
/100
44
Twisted Metal 2
73
/100
45
Crash Bash
72
/100
46
Grand Theft Auto 2
70
/100
47
Disney's Tarzan
70
/100
48
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
68
/100
49
Lemmings
68
/100
50
Star Wars: Dark Forces
66
/100
Spyro: Year of the Dragon
Spyro: Year of the Dragon is the third installment in the Spyro series and the last Spyro game Insomniac developed. In this 3D adventure, Spyro have to retrieve 150 eggs that the evil Sorceress has stolen from Dragonworld. To survive, he will have to utilize all of his signature moves along with several he's recently picked up, like the ability to control vehicles like tanks, submarines, and speedboats. As an extra bonus, you have the option to choose from a wacky cast of characters: Sheila the kangaroo, Sergeant Byrd the flying penguin, Bentley the Yeti and Agent 9 the space monkey.
91
/100
05
A
Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Resident Evil 2 is a sequel to the first Resident Evil title. Like the previous game in the series, Resident Evil 2 is a 3D action-adventure using three-dimensional polygon characters over two-dimensional pre-rendered backgrounds, with the action viewed through a variety of cinematic fixed camera angles in each room. Players can choose to play as one of two possible characters; each goes through the same initial scenario but with differences in the type of weaponry they find and the people they meet along the way.
90
/100
06
Syphon Filter
Syphon Filter is a third-person shooter stealth video game developed by Eidetic and published by 989 Studios exclusively for PlayStation. The plot centers on special agents Gabriel "Gabe" Logan and Lian Xing who are tasked by the United States government to apprehend a German international terrorist.
90
/100
07
Crash Team Racing
88
/100
08
Tomb Raider (1996)
Tomb Raider is a 3D action game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. The game follows the exploits of Lara Croft, a British female archaeologist in search of ancient treasures. The objective of Tomb Raider is to guide Lara through a series of tombs and other locations in search of treasures and artifacts. On the way, she must kill dangerous animals and other creatures, while collecting objects and solving puzzles to gain access to an ultimate prize, usually a powerful artifact. The game was critically acclaimed and widely influential, it spawned a number of sequels and a franchise of related media.
88
/100
09
Spider-Man (2000)
87
/100
10
Silent Hill
Silent Hill is the first installment in the Silent Hill series of psychological survival horror video games. Unlike earlier survival horror games that focused on protagonists with combat training, the main character Harry Mason is an average man. The gameplay consists of combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving. The controller vibration is used to indicate Harry's heartbeat and will vibrate on low health. The player must regularly enter an inventory screen to check Harry's health, use items, and equip different weapons.
86
/100
11
Dino Crisis 2
86
/100
12
Mega Man 2
85
/100
13
S
Final Fantasy VII
85
/100
14
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
85
/100
15
Driver (1999)
85
/100
16
Rayman
84
/100
17
Diablo
84
/100
18
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
84
/100
19
DOOM
83
/100
20
Resident Evil
82
/100
21
METAL SLUG 2
82
/100
22
S
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
81
/100
23
Tomb Raider II
80
/100
24
Metal Gear Solid
80
/100
25
Grand Theft Auto
80
/100
26
Worms
80
/100
27
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
80
/100
28
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
80
/100
29
Spyro the Dragon
79
/100
30
Mega Man 3 (1990)
79
/100
31
Mega Man X3
78
/100
32
MediEvil
78
/100
33
MDK
77
/100
34
Tomb Raider 3: Adventures of Lara Croft
77
/100
35
Mega Man 5
77
/100
36
Mega Man (1987)
76
/100
37
Aliens Versus Predator
76
/100
38
Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation
76
/100
39
Duke Nukem 3D
75
/100
40
Crash Bandicoot
75
/100
41
Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro
74
/100
42
Hogs of War
74
/100
43
Fighting Force
74
/100
44
Twisted Metal 2
73
/100
45
Crash Bash
72
/100
46
Grand Theft Auto 2
70
/100
47
Disney's Tarzan
70
/100
48
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
68
/100
49
Lemmings
68
/100
50
Star Wars: Dark Forces
66
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Action game on PlayStation 1?
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night currently tops the ranking with a score of 92/100 across 815 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.