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Best PlayStation 1 games of 1998

The 12 best PlayStation 1 games released in 1998, ranked from 4,126 critic and player ratings.

The best PlayStation 1 game of 1998 is Metal Gear Solid, with a critic score of 94/100 — updated November 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: 1998.
  • 12 games are listed on this page, carrying 4,126 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 12

Played them? Give your tier with the + next to each game. No account needed to try — create one to keep your tiers.

01 Metal Gear Solid A Metal Gear Solid 1998 · 1,729 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 61% Metal Gear Solid is a stealth game created by Hideo Kojima which follows the MSX2 video games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Despite a transition to 3D, Metal Gear Solid's gameplay remains similar to his predecessors. The game utilizes a traditional top-down view and the player must navigate the protagonist Solid Snake through the game's areas without being detected. Detection will set off an alarm which draws armed enemies to his location. Conversations with Snake's allies and cutscenes are used extensively to advance the plot and gain more insight into it. Metal Gear Solid is regarded as one of the greatest and most important video games of all time, and helped popularize the stealth genre and in-engine cinematic cutscenes. 94 /100
02 Crash Bandicoot: Warped S Crash Bandicoot: Warped 1998 · 576 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 24% Crash Bandicoot: Warped is the third game in the Crash Bandicoot series and the first to feature Coco as a playable character. The player takes control of Crash and Coco Bandicoot, who must travel back and forward in time and gather 25 crystals before Uka Uka and Doctor Neo Cortex can do so. Much of the game takes place in the Time Twister which acts as the hub area of the game. The Time-Twister is split up into five chambers, each chamber has five buttons that open portals to different levels. The goal in each level is to find and obtain the crystal hidden in the level. Crash Bandicoot: Warped was lauded by critics in many areas, and the game has been considered one of the best video games of all time. 91 /100
03 Resident Evil 2 (1998) S Resident Evil 2 (1998) 1998 · 610 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 11% 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
04 Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit 1998 · 282 ratings Drive some of the most exotic cars in illegal street race on many different tracks, while trying not to be caught by police! 88 /100
05 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 1998 · 80 ratings A combination of explosive action and real-life strategy! The most revolutionary action/strategy game of its kind. Nothing comes closer to offering an exciting combination of strategy, team-building, realistic three-dimensional graphics and true-to-life special forces action. The ultimate goal is to save yourself and the world from deadly terrorists. You must successfully complete 17 unique missions. If you die, the game isn't over. The World is. 85 /100
06 Xenogears (1998) Xenogears (1998) 1998 · 126 ratings Xenogears Blends Authentic RPG Gameplay with Exquisite Hand-Drawn and Computer-Generated Animation in a Grand Science Fiction Tale. An intricate storyline involving many human and non-human characters will prove to captivate audiences of all ages. Players can rotate the amazingly detailed 3D gameplay maps 360 degrees, and have the ability to navigate around the environment by jumping and climbing. In battle, mega-robots can be controlled, adding great variety to play. A new real-time combat system eliminates restrictive menus, using button commands to provide fast-paced, intuitive action. Players can wield dramatic magical spells or engage in real-time polygonal robot vs. robot battles. Combined with dynamic camera angles and intense lighting effects, Xenogears is an experience that won't be forgotten. 84 /100
07 Suikoden II Suikoden II 1998 · 115 ratings Suikoden II is a role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation. Set in a world of warring nations, the game follows a silent protagonist caught between the Kingdom of Highland and the City-States of Jowston. Gameplay combines turn-based party combat, one-on-one duels, and grid-based strategic army battles. Players can recruit over 100 characters, many of whom join the party or contribute to a home base that expands throughout the game. Save data from the original Suikoden can be imported to carry over certain characters and story details. 82 /100
08 Parasite Eve Parasite Eve 1998 · 124 ratings Parasite Eve is a survival horror role-playing video game developed and published by SquareSoft (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation console. The game follows the story of Aya Brea, a rookie NYPD officer who becomes embroiled in a series of bizarre and deadly events related to a genetic mutation known as mitochondria. The game combines elements of horror, science fiction, and RPG gameplay, featuring real-time battles, exploration, puzzle-solving, and character development. The game's plot is inspired by the novel of the same name by Hideaki Sena, and its gameplay mechanics were influenced by the Final Fantasy series. Parasite Eve was critically acclaimed upon its release in 1998, and is widely regarded as a classic of the survival horror genre. 81 /100
09 Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus 1998 · 129 ratings · finished by 8% Abe’s peaceful retirement was shattered when visited by a vision from the Three Weirdos. Abe learned the Magog Cartel was mining Necrum, the sacred Mudokon city of the dead, to collect bones to make super-addictive SoulStorm Brew. After freeing the Mudokon spirits imprisoned in the Mudanchee and Mudomo Vaults, Abe gained scary powers from the Weirdos, including the ability to heal his Mudokon friends of SoulStorm addiction, and the power to turn invisible. Infiltrating the transportation hub of FeeCo Depot, and using explosive farts to survive adventures at the Slig Barracks and Bonewerks, Abe broke into SoulStorm Brewery. There Abe learned the truth behind the secret ingredient of SoulStorm Brew... just before blasting the place to atoms with the combined power of the sobered-up Mudokon he’d rescued. Then Abe joined his brew-addled pals at Alf’s Rehab & Tea to take the cure – the journey of a lifetime starts with one step. Or is it twelve? 80 /100
10 MediEvil MediEvil 1998 · 150 ratings MediEvil is an action-adventure game developed by SCE Cambridge Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Originally released in 1998 for the PlayStation, the game follows Sir Daniel Fortesque, a skeletal knight accidentally resurrected to battle the sorcerer Zarok and save the kingdom of Gallowmere. The game takes place across a variety of levels, many of which require certain objectives to be performed to progress. Sir Daniel Fortesque can use a variety of weapons, consisting of close range weapons such as swords and clubs to long range weapons such as crossbows. Many of these weapons can be charged for a powerful attack and some weapons, such as the club, can be used to access areas that are otherwise inaccessible. When not possessing any items, Dan is able to rip his own arm off and use it for both melee and ranged attacks. Dan can equip a shield alongside weapons to defend against attacks; though they can only take several hits of damage before breaking. Throughout the game, Dan can visit gargoyle heads of two varieties; green ones offer Dan information while blue ones allow Dan to buy services or ammunition by using the treasures he finds. Dan's health is determined by a single health bar, which reduces when Dan is hit. It will deplete completely if Dan drowns or falls from a great height. If Dan completely runs out of health, the game will end. Dan can extend his maximum health by collecting Life Bottles, which will automatically refill his health bar if it drops to zero. Also hidden throughout the game are Life Vials and Life Fountains that can replenish Dan's health and fill up any empty Life Bottles Dan has. In each level, there is a hidden Chalice of Souls, which can be collected if the player fills it with enough souls from defeated enemies (some Chalices are awarded via other means). If the player clears a level with a Chalice in hand, Dan is warped to the Hall of Heroes, where he can speak to a legendary hero who will give him rewards, such as weapons. If the player finishes the game with all the Chalices, the game's true ending is revealed. 67 /100
11 Colin McRae Rally (1998) Colin McRae Rally (1998) 1998 · 121 ratings 50 /100
12 Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness 1998 · 84 ratings 50 /100
Browse all the best PlayStation 1 games

Other years

Best PlayStation 1 games of 2000Best PlayStation 1 games of 1999Best PlayStation 1 games of 1997Best PlayStation 1 games of 1996Best PlayStation 1 games of 1995

Same year, other platforms

Best PC games of 1998Best Nintendo 64 games of 1998

Nearby rankings

Best PlayStation 1 games of 1997Best PlayStation 1 games of 1999

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best PlayStation 1 game of 1998?

Metal Gear Solid currently tops the ranking with a score of 94/100 across 1,729 ratings. Ranking updated November 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.