Sony is starting the year out right by giving PS Plus subscribers three classic games to play this January. That's right, after months of nothing, we're finally getting more 32-bit titles, including Syphon Filter 3, Hot Shots Golf 2 and the oft-forgotten Star Wars: Demolition. That's great news, but are any of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Next Generation, Incite Video Gaming and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. Join me for another explosive episode of PlayStation Plus Review Crew.


In a month filled with titles like Wild Arms 2 and The Legend of Dragoon, you might be temped to describe February's 32-bit line-up as nothing but a bunch of role-playing games. But that would be doing a great disservice to Harvest Moon: Back to Nature, a game that is more “farm simulator' than “Final Fantasy.” Although it may seem niche, this PlayStation sequel (and the entire franchise, if I'm being honest) is incredibly accessible to everybody, full of charming characters and surprisingly fun missions. And if you've never played a Harvest Moon game before, Back to Nature is a great place to start. Let's see what the critics had to say.

Gary from Electronic Gaming Monthly would probably disagree with my description of this 32-bit Harvest Moon sequel. Giving it a 7 out of 10, he makes the case that “this game is not just a farming sim, but a whole life simulation. You won't just be working the land, you'll need to find the time to chat up the ladies, manage your resources, develop your property and gladhand with your neighbors, all in an effort to prove you've got what it takes to be the rightful owner of your family farm. Having to do certain chores everyday can become a drag by the end of the season, and the complete lack of any fancy pyrotechnics limits its appeal.”

That seven Harvest Moon got from EGM is right on par with the rest of the critics at the time. That perfectly lines up with the 3.5 out of 5 score we saw from the Official U.S. PlayStation magazine in issue 40, as well as the 7 out of 10 score that came from PlayStation: The Official Magazine. “While not exactly the game of choice for survival horror fans of first-person shooter fiends, this is one series that is guaran teed to keep on giving if you're a sucker for sims and niche titles.”

In case you're wondering, the lowest score came from Game Informer, who gave Harvest Moon a 6.75 out of 10. In contrast, the highest score came from GamePro, who gave it a 4 out of 5. “Lest you think that the game is outright boring, however, there are quite a few ways to break the monotony. Your character interacts with the nearby village, runs errands, does favors, and generally chats the day away. If you work fast enough, your character could even marry one of the available maidens. In the end, Harvest Moon is not a game for the Street Fighter crowd. It requires a large time investment, but for those willing to put in the time, it can be quite rewarding.” So, let me get this straight, this game is NOT for survival horror fans, first-person shooter fiends and now the Street Fighter crowd? Anybody else we're forgetting? Maybe speedsters and rhythm gamers? I suggest you download the game for yourself and see if you're the kind of person who likes Harvest Moon.

When it comes to role-playing games on the PlayStation, there are the ones that came before Final Fantasy VII, and the ones that clearly came after Final Fantasy VII. With its more cinematic look and epic cut scenes, The Legend of Dragoon clearly came out after Final Fantasy VII. It also toyed with the combat by mixing both turn-based and real-time commands, and even introducing a few quick-time events here and there. Unfortunately, selling just over a million units, the game had a hard time competing with the other high-profile role-playing games on the PlayStation, and Sony quietly canceled the sequel while it was still in pre-production.

When it came to the reviews, the critics were decidedly mixed. Some hated it, such as Incite Video Gaming, who gave it a 2 out of 5 and argued that Legend of Dragoon could have been so much more. “With a staff of at least 100 people, a rumored budget of a few million dollars, and nearly three years in development, this release should have been exactly what it was designed to be – a Final Fantasy VII killer. Instead, we got a game that more closely resembles Shadow Madness than a SquareSoft title. When you add overall visuals not as appealing as those of the three-year-pld Final Fantasy VII, sucky music, a battle system that takes ages to get interesting, and the very linear feel of the game flow, Legend of Dragoon ends up being more a good way to waste time before Chrono Cross arrives than anything else.”

While Incite may have hated it, other critics loved this one-and-done RPG. Next Generation, for example, gave the game a 4 out of 5, the same score they gave Chrono Trigger. GamePro went even higher, giving the game a perfect 5 out of 5 in their 143rd issue. “The Legend of Dragoon is welcome in a genre that's more and more predictable. The powerful story of equality and tolerance, a great cast, gorgeous locations and cut-scenes, and an inventive and enjoyable battle system work together to create an instant classic.”

And then there's Electronic Gaming Monthly, which was right in the middle. Giving it a 5.5 out of 10, they neither loved it nor hated it. The Legend of Dragoon was a very middle-of-the-road RPG. “This is getting ridiculous. Sony is a company with a lot of money at their disposal, and they are unable to do decent English translations of RPGs. What is the deal? The lack of good, coherent writing (and some badly dubbed dialog) sours what would otherwise be a great RPG experience. For me, RPGs are all about story, and if Sony isn't willing to give it the once-over and make it coherent, then why should anyone waste their time?” With scores that are all over the place, The Legend of Dragoon is easily one of the most divisive PlayStation games on the PS Plus service.

From one RPG franchise that had no sequels to one that arguably had too many, it's time to talk about Wild Arms 2. Coming three years after the well-received original, this sequel features brand-new characters, an original plot and some important changes made to the gameplay and presentation. Unfortunately, they toned down the western aesthetic, leaving us with a world inspired more by high fantasy than the Wild West. That's disappointing, but this game has a much bigger problem – the expectations critics have for RPGs after the release of Final Fantasy VII.

This was a problem that plagued the game in every review, both good and bad. In fact, Electronic Gaming Monthly addressed it right at the start: “The original Wild Arms was the right game for the right time – but that time was three years ago, before Final Fantasy VII and the flood of gotta-have RPGs that have hit the PlayStation since. This sequel – which plays and looked much like the original – doesn't have what it takes to steal thunder from current RPG juggernauts. Dialog rambles and the plot gets confusing, but the dungeons and character-building system are compelling enough to hold your interest.” Despite some legitimate complaints, Electronic Gaming Monthly ended up giving Wild Arms 2 an average score of 7 out of 10.

That's directly in line with the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, which gave the game a 3.5 out of 5. Incite was a bit lower on the game, but still liked it more than The Legend of Dragoon, giving it a 3 out of 5. That's the same score you saw from Next Generation, who called the game “an adequate title, but one that doesn't have as much to offer as competitors such as Vagrant Story and Alundra 2.”

As expected, GamePro liked it more than Next Generation, giving it an impressive 4 out of 5. Of course, the highest score I could find came from, you guessed it, Game Fan, who gave it a 90%. However, despite the high score, they did have a complaint that few other critics mentioned: “The translation in this game varies from good to blasé to what were they thinking? You'll encounter a number of anachronisms along the way, like the “booty call” item, which inevitably jars you back to reality – a la Working Designs' more wacky endearvors.” They concluded by calling Wild Arms 2 “a fun-filled RPG adventure that's sure to tide RPG fans over till the heavy hitters (Chrono Cross, Legend of Dragoon and Final Fantasy IX) arrive later this year.” With all of those RPGs now out (and so many more to choose from in 2023), I'll let you decide whether Wild Arms 2 is worth a download.