As the PlayStation approaches its 21st birthday, it's time we look back at the role-playing games that helped establish it as legitimate competition against Sega and Nintendo. A big deciding factor between the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation were the amount and quality of role-playing games available. Other than Quest 64, Paper Mario (a favorite of mine) and Ogre Battle 64, Nintendo had rather slim pickings on the N64 in terms of its RPG offerings. While the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast certainly had more of a selection than Nintendo with the likes of Dragon Force, Shining Force and many other great (and criminally overlooked) RPGs, the Sony PlayStation would eventually become the go-to console for role-playing game fans throughout the late 1990s, continuing in the footsteps of quality RPGs that we saw on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Of course, we have to mention the widespread success Sony got once Final Fantasy VII hit the scene, which helped the genre grow into the popularity it has among gamers today.

In order to pay proper tribute, we've decided to include the best of the best when it comes to the PlayStation's role-playing games. Some other noteworthy RPGs that could've easily made this list include Legend of Mana, Jade Cacoon, Breath of Fire III, Valkyrie Profile, SaGa Frontier I-II, Suikoden, Final Fantasy VIII and IX, Grandia, Vagrant Story, Vandal Hearts 1-2, Lunar 1-2, Wild Arms 1-2, Tales of Destiny, Dragon Quest VII, Tactics Ogre, Legend of Legaia, Mega Man Legends, Parasite Eve II and Brave Fencer Musashi (the last three could be seen as more action than role-playing). Most of these role-playing games on this list have stood the test of time and have established themselves as timeless, must-play classics of the genre. So equip your Materia, forge some Rune, equip your favorite giant sword and unleash your Mitochondria as we quest through the 10 Best PlayStation RPGs.

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