The 8 best PSP games of all time ·

18 Jul 2024, 00:00

THE PSP, or PlayStation Portable, has loads of awesome, but forgotten games.

After Nintendo had dominated the handheld market with the Game Boy and DS, Sony saw potential and released the PSP in 2005.

It was a beefier console than the DS and broke through with a series of landmark titles that are still remembered fondly today.

While the DS still beat it in sales, it did well enough for Sony to release the PlayStation Vita in 2011, unfortunately, that didn’t go so great.

Either way, there are still a host of awesome games waiting for you on the PSP, and you can get your hands on one for relatively cheap these days.

Persona 3: Portable

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It’s almost impossible to make a list about a Sony console without bringing up a Persona game.

Persona 3 was the first game to add the life-sim aspects that would eventually flourish into the social link system that made Persona 4 and 5 so beloved.

It has all the other trimmings you’d expect from these games, great characters and challenging but fun JRPG combat.

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror

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This third-person shooter was a technical marvel, able to host up to eight players at once in a single session without that many issues.

On top of that, it has an acclaimed story and easily some of the best shooter gameplay on the console.

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core

This is a prequel story for the classic Final Fantasy 7, exploring the past of Zack, Aeris’ former boyfriend.

If you’ve ever wanted more out of FF7 then this is a great way to see the events leading up to the start of that game.

Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together

This remaster of a SNES classic was made by the team that would go on to make Final Fantasy Tactics, so you know this is nothing to sniff at.

It’s a surprisingly complex game, with your movements affecting the flow of battle and all sorts of variables like weather effects and tile effects coming into play.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

If you’ve ever wondered what the Grand Theft Auto series might have become if it had stayed top-down and 2D, then Chinatown Wars is for you.

It adapts well to the smaller screen, the combat has frantic energy to it that is loads of fun, and there are plenty of side activities to get lost in.

God of War: Chains of Olympus

These games do their best to bring the full console God of War experience to a handheld, and while it’s not the prettiest game ever, the gameplay is solid.

You can hack and slash your way through this world with wild abandon with all the responsiveness and high energy as the home-console games.

Lumines

This wild rhythm game hits you with all sorts of flashing colours and trancey music while putting you through a gruelling gauntlet of Tetris-style puzzles.

It can be a bit tricky to wrap your head around, but once you’ve got the hang of it, nailing combos right on the beat is unbelievably satisfying.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Metal Gear Solid is renowned for its tactical stealth mechanics and the stripping back that a handheld console necessitates plays into that really well.

All you have to focus on are your limited set of tools and the enemies in front of you which makes for some devilish stealth levels that will put your skills to the test.

The 8 best PSP games of all time

THE PSP, or PlayStation Portable, has loads of awesome, but forgotten games. After Nintendo had dominated the handheld market with the Game Boy and DS, Sony saw potential and released the PSP in 2005.