The Best PSP Games of All Time, Ranked | Wealth of Geeks

The PlayStation Portable, or PSP, was launched in Japan in 2004, with the rest of the globe getting their hands on the console the following year. Its release came around the same time as its competitor, the Nintendo DS, marking Sony’s first foray into the handheld gaming market. 

The best PSP games of all time demonstrate the immense power of the PSP, which had graphics that rivaled some home consoles at the time. These best PSP games showcase various genres, from RPGs to shooters to action games and more, based on their gameplay, how well they hold up today, graphics, story, characters, this author’s experience with the titles, and more.

1. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

This Metal Gear Solid spin-off game lands better than most core titles. It has two key features, starting with the missions, which tell its main story in bite-sized and action-packed ways.

But its biggest draw comes from the sim-style Mother Base, where players recruit and send off troops on missions or other jobs. The gameplay loop feels phenomenal and effortlessly bridges the gap between games in the series.

2. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

This prequel to Final Fantasy VII finally sheds light on the story of Zack Fair and Cloud’s journey before the events of the masterpiece JRPG. Its switch to an action RPG system gives it flashy and thrilling gameplay alongside the summons and other abilities players can access. Meanwhile, it has one of the best stories on the platform and perhaps the best ending in gaming history. 

3. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable

Atlus broke new ground with Persona 3, and its portable version on the PSP may be one of the best ways to play it. Adding a female protagonist and expanded relationships with other characters give players a reason to work jobs and do other excellent side content outside of the main story. 

Speaking of the main story, the plot stands out as the best in the series. It has twists and turns, surprising deaths, and a spooky premise about the mysterious Dark Hour. This all comes together in the unbelievable turn-based combat, which mixes elements of Persona-collecting, immense strategy, and gripping dungeon exploration. It offers the most and best overall content among PSP games. 

4. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

Falcom introduced players to the wondrous and lore-rich world of Zemuria with this monumental JRPG. Its solid 2D graphics and turn-based combat add to some of the best writing and characters in video game history. The witty localization and clever moments paved the way for one of the richest settings in gaming.

After all, not many games dedicate entire lines to just a random treasure chest opening up, which is a single example of how much attention to detail this game has. 

5. God of War: Ghost of Sparta

This sequel to Chains of Olympus better captures the scale and sense of wonder from the core games. The massive behemoth boss battles, storyline of titanic proportions, and Kratos’ further character development all feature here. It offers the best of the handheld and spin-off games in the series.

6. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

Kingdom Hearts’ entry on the PSP remains one of the best in the entire series and one of the best PSP games. It takes place long before the first game in the series, showcasing three playable protagonists as they train to become the next Keyblade Masters. Its unique three-path system and welcome mix of Disney worlds work well with the emotional plot. 

7. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

This remaster of the classic PS1 tactical RPG once again has players move characters around a grid-based battlefield to take out foes amid a political and complicated war. Its incredible storyline and characters keep players engaged beyond the already solid customization and job classes. 

8. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

This spin-off title in the series takes players back to the roots of the Grand Theft Auto franchise with a top-down perspective. Players still have a detailed and expansive open world to explore but with content and a story that makes sense on the handheld platform. It stands out as the best of the GTA games on PSP. 

9. Valkyria Chronicles II

The sequel to Sega’s acclaimed tactical alternative World War II RPG made the odd but welcome switch from PS3 to PSP. This game may not have the graphical fidelity of its predecessor, but it contains a worthy storyline of colorful soldiers surviving amid an ethnic cleansing. Its dark and sinister story enhances the fantastic strategic gameplay of moving characters around the battlefield. 

10. Tekken 6

The PSP port of this beloved fighting game lacks the lackluster Scenario Mode from the original, which helps remove some of the fluff. It gains some welcome new modes in exchange. It has a faithful adherence to the console versions, with all of the characters and stages players expect, making it the most robust fighting game on the handheld. 

11. Silent Hill: Origins

This prequel to the original Silent Hill gives the premier survival horror experience on the PlayStation Portable. Players explore the entire spooky town and engage with the horrifying denizens in the two realms. Its intriguing but short story and glorious soundtrack from Akira Yamaoka make it a must-play for horror fans. 

12. Phantasy Star Portable 2

This PSP sci-fi action RPG feels like a light MMORPG on the PSP. It takes the idea of the original Phantasy Star Online and lets players create their character to go out into the vast galaxy and complete missions alongside other players. The solid, varied classes and gameplay help the engaging progression loop keep players involved for countless hours. 

13. Lumines

This fascinating block game has a different approach to its Tetris-like puzzle experience. Players still connect different shapes to create lines to disappear and gain points, but music plays a massive part. The terrific soundtrack plays in the background of levels, with the beat determining when lines clear.

14. Star Wars: Battlefront II

This PSP port of one of the best Star Wars games of all time has everything players expect from the third and first-person action game. Players take control of one of dozens of troops across both the original and prequel trilogies. The massive battlefields, objectives, game modes, vehicles, and hero characters make up for the sometimes awkward PSP controls. 

15. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

This entry in the Monster Hunter series brought the Capcom franchise to new heights. Players take on missions in open areas to discover, observe, and hunt down hulking creatures. The intense, lengthy battles against these boss-like monsters feed into the solid loop of upgrading gear. And it only got better with other players. 

16. God of War: Chains of Olympus

The first God of War spin-off game on PSP captured the look and feel of the first couple of PS2 games quite well. The graphics look solid, and the hack-and-slash gameplay feels right on the handheld. Its presentation makes up for a somewhat forgettable plot. 

17. Patapon

No other game feels like Patapon. The 2D colorful background contrasts nicely with the black and white Patapon creatures. It has the right mix of musical elements and strategy as players use a drum beat to guide and command the tribe across various environments and against enemies. 

18. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

This monumental PSP title showed even open-world, console-like experiences like the Grand Theft Auto series could work on the PSP. Players have the entire New York City-inspired Liberty City to explore with rich detail, plenty of vehicles and destruction, and even some great multiplayer options. 

19. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

This classic SNES tactical RPG remaster looks great and plays well on the handheld system. The smoothed visuals help the story and strategic gameplay shine. It has the right mix of challenge, customization for character classes, and a rich political plot. 

20. Resistance: Retribution

This PSP entry in the alternate post-World War II fight against an alien invasion has a grim and welcome storyline. Its switch to third-person makes it work way better on the PSP than it should. It also has the finest online multiplayer on the platform. 

21. Daxter

Jak’s little buddy Daxter receives his spin-off platforming game with this PSP adventure. Despite its spin-off styling, it captures the idea of the first game in the series quite well with beautiful and enjoyable 3D platforming. Better yet, its story, including dreamlike sequences of Daxter in movies like The Matrix, gives this a hilarious style. 

22. Dissidia: Final Fantasy

This weird fighting game brings together the main characters and villains from the first dozen or so Final Fantasy games for a war between evil and good. The 3D arena fighting mechanics have such blockbuster action, even if it feels a bit finicky to control. It has an expansive and fan-service-filled plot, which adds a nice touch. 

23. LittleBigPlanet

The PSP port of the beloved PS3 platforming adventure loses some of the flair from the home console version but still retains some excellent features. It features Sackboy on an exciting platforming adventure across numerous levels. The jumping mechanics feel great, and the level design looks spectacular, but the creation tools for players elevate this experience. 

24. The 3rd Birthday

The third game in the Parasite Eve series from Square Enix marks a massive departure for the series. It offers a third-person shooter-like story adventure about Aya Brea fighting off parasitic monsters in New York City. It has a convoluted but thrilling story, solid shooting mechanics, and the best graphics on the platform.