Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid broke ground as the first popular, highly-rated stealth action game on a 3D console. Instead of running and gunning your way through the bad guys, you'll have to slowly proceed with stealth and caution---in fact, in the beginning of the game, you're completely weaponless. You'll play as operative Solid Snake as he infiltrates a secret base in Alaska. You'll sneak through the base and creep up on guards to subdue them and progress through the game's plot. Eventually you'll gain a knife, tranquilizer gun and more powerful weapons, which will come in handy for the game's boss fights. In the boss fights, you'll throw stealth aside in order to take out the powerful terrorist leaders.
Resident Evil 2
If the original Resident Evil created the survival-horror genre on the PlayStation, then Resident Evil 2 perfected it. You'll start off in Raccoon City, a small town that has just been hit with the outbreak of the T-Virus. The T-Virus turns ordinary people (and dogs---to horrifying effect) into monstrous zombies. If facing off against zombies isn't scary enough, you'll also have to contend with subtle gameplay elements. The game features fixed-camera angles so you can't always see what's coming around a corner until it's too late. You'll have limited ammo, healing supplies and storage space as well, meaning sometimes it's better to run from the zombies if you can.
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII marked the epic fantasy series' first foray into 3D gaming and set the standard for all subsequent "Final Fantasy" games. It introduced a new combat system, computer-generated cut-scenes and massive summon spells, all while keeping the standard features of past "Final Fantasy" games intact. You'll start off as protagonist Cloud Strife and a handful of other mercenaries, but eventually your party will grow in size as you encounter new characters and uncover plot twists. All told, the game could very well take you 30 to 40 hours to complete, or even longer if you're dedicated to completing optional side quests.