Best PS Vita Games With High Replayability

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with my PlayStation Vita. While I appreciated the handheld nature of the system and its vast library of releases, I had the poor luck to get my Vita a couple of years before Sony inexplicably decided to end PlayStation+ support on the system.

Regardless, there were a lot of fun games released while I was able to play everything, and most of them offered many hours of gaming bliss. There's a great range represented in this list, from action games to platformers, rogue-likes, RPGs, and more.

So let's all go handheld and talk about several PS Vita games with incredible replay value!

10 Gravity Rush

Gravity Is a Choice

The amnesiac hero trope has been around forever, but it's not often seen in games like Gravity Rush. Sure, Kat can't remember who she is, but she's capable of amazing gravity-altering feats. Not only can she fly through the air, but she can even walk on walls.

You never have unfettered use of these abilities and have to manage them without fully depleting them, lest Kat find herself in a bad place. Thankfully, carefully accumulating colored crystals lets her replenish her abilities and heal, as well as collect currency used for buying powerful new abilities.

Gravity Rush is a really thrilling and surprisingly deep narrative adventure, and playing it handheld on Vita was a ton of fun. You'll easily spend around 20 hours playing the game, and if you really enjoyed it, there's a sequel as well!

9 Muramasa Rebirth

Anything Other Than Plain Vanilla

I know this list is all about PS Vita, but the reason I loved Muramasa Rebirth was that I adored Muramasa: The Demon Blade on the Wii. Sure, there weren't nearly enough games on that system, but the great ones live with you forever.

Muramasa Rebirth builds on the original game with retranslated dialogue as well as additional DLC to flesh the story out. Combine that with fierce and satisfying gameplay and the lush visual style Vanillaware is known and respected for.

Because of the new content, you'll find yourself spending 30+ hours playing Muramasa Rebirth. The only downside is you'll want to spend even longer on this beautiful adventure.

8 Rogue Legacy

A Legacy of Fun

The Vita was largely responsible for my obsession with the rogue-like genre, between the likes of The Binding of Isaac and Rogue Legacy. And while I had my issues with the latter, it's still a fantastic example that has made fans the world over.

Rogue-likes are all about tackling something again and again, while getting progressively stronger. And in Rogue Legacy, you do that through your bloodline. Your children rise in your stead and have some truly weird (and sometimes helpful) quirks that differentiate them.

While you can use gold to make subsequent runs a bit easier on your progeny, Rogue Legacy is anything but an easy game. In particular, the platforming can be pretty brutal, as well as the boss battles. But those who persevere will find nearly 40 hours of rogue-like adventuring in this dingy castle.

7 Odin Sphere Leifthrasir

Valhalla Calling

One of the most beautiful games from the PS2 era was Odin Sphere. So it was a big deal when they brought a reimagined version of the game to more modern consoles in Odin Sphere Leifthrasir.

While this game showcases the typical Vanillaware flair, it's pretty different from Muramasa Rebirth. It's more of an ARPG experience, and the game's story is split across five distinct storylines with very different heroes.

There's a lot to do in this expansive Nordic adventure, including eating a ton of digital food to empower your heroes. Even though Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is a handheld adventure, it's a massive one, clocking in at more than 40 hours, at least.

6 Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

Island Living

There were many amazing games released on the PS Vita, but one series that I most associate with the handheld is Danganronpa. Once I played the first game, I couldn't get enough of it. Perhaps my favorite example of the series was Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.

The games are sort of a mixture of Ace Attorney and Zero Escape, and it's a rousing time following the murderous story and trying to identify the killers. Throw in some fun with Monokuma and company, and you have one delightfully twisted adventure.

Even though this is a mostly narrative adventure, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is still pretty expansive. If you really want to experience everything, you should expect at least 60 hours of gameplay. So grab a coconut and get comfortable!

5 Dragon Quest Builders

Rebuild the Kingdom, Brick by Brick

The Dragon Quest series has been around for quite some time, but it's never been anything quite like Dragon Quest Builders. It mixed crafting and mining, similar to series like Minecraft, with the fantasy aesthetic that's so beloved.

Alefgard has been plunged into darkness, and only you can restore it by building bases to unite humans roaming the ruins of society. When you're not gathering ingredients, you'll even face off against memorable monsters.

Dragon Quest Builders is huge, and the sort of game where the more time you spend playing, the more you'll get out of the experience. For those who want the most robust experience, you'll find yourself easily spending almost 70 hours with this game.

4 Dragon's Crown

Battle Together

Although every Vanillaware title has been a wonderful experience, perhaps the very best was Dragon's Crown. It features the same incredible artwork (and sexy maidens) they're known for, but mixes that together in a dungeon-crawling ARPG that feels like an anime Dungeons & Dragons.

Best of all, Dragon's Crown is an exceptional experience in single player, but even better with a group of friends. This is the sort of game that was perfectly suited for the handheld play of the Vita, but it later got even better in Dragon's Crown Pro on PS4.

Honestly, the only complaint I can lodge against the game is that it's only on Sony devices, since I'd love it on my Switch 2. But even then, you're sure to spend around 80 hours in this amazing fantasy adventure.

3 World of Final Fantasy

The Magic of Grymoire

As someone who's played my fair share of Final Fantasy games, both mainline and side story, I never could have expected how much I'd love World of Final Fantasy.

Maybe it was the chibi aesthetic, maybe it was the light creature collecting, or the unpredictable plot. But this was honestly one of my favorite Final Fantasy games from the past decade, which is kind of remarkable.

Capturing and using Mirages in battle was tremendous fun, as was the multitude of Moogle warriors in the story. Throw in a lot of replay value and a rather engaging plot, and you have a wonderful game on the PS Vita. This is an RPG that will take you 80+ hours to experience in its entirety.

2 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

The Wind in Your Hair

One subseries that really blew up in the Vita era was The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. While nominally a turn-based RPG adventure, it's one with a broad scope and pretty fantastic storytelling and characters.

The story in this game is centered around Thors Military Academy, whose field studies take them all across the map. There's a lot of political subterfuge and class struggle well represented by an otherwise cheery-seeming anime experience.

If you're looking to get into the Trails of Cold Steel arc, make sure you have a lot of time set aside, since even the first game is huge. You'll likely be spending more than 100 hours playing through The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, and that's just the first in the massive Erebonia arc.

1 Persona 4 Golden

Golden Inaba

It's tricky starting out with a new console, figuring out what to play. Or it is usually. With my Vita, when I decided to buy one and asked friends what to play, they immediately suggested Persona 4 Golden, for which I'm eternally grateful.

I had played other Persona games in the past, but few have resonated as much as P4G. The murder mystery in the small town of Inaba, the wonderfully weird and funny characters, and the deep and immersive turn-based combat all made me smile. Sure, it's a big and demanding game, but it's also totally fair and well-balanced.

While it's true you can get through the plot in 40–50 hours, to get the best ending in Persona 4 Golden takes around 100+. But those are all hours very well spent in this iconic JRPG adventure.