Best PSP Games With High Replayability

Although handhelds aren't known for the robust playtimes of larger consoles, they still offer a ton of replay value. Both in short bursts of time over long periods, and spending hours upon hours diving into complex worlds. And one of the most iconic handhelds was the noble PSP.

This list chronicles several PSP games with great replay value, and as you might expect, many of those games tend to be some variety of JRPG. But that's hardly everything for this list, since the PSP had a great library of titles.

There are also action-packed brawlers, puzzle games, and even a stealth adventure. So, dust off your PSP, get it charged up, and let's take a walk down memory lane with this list of PSP games with great replay value!

10 Lumines II

Luminous Music

In much the way that Tetris was a must-own game on the Game Boy, Lumines and Lumines II were games you needed on the PSP. Though not all that different from that iconic puzzle experience, Lumines II differentiated itself with bombastic visuals and nods to real-life musicians.

Your goal in the game is to have colored blocks get erased by the Time Line, and to work up a huge multiplayer. The game keeps things fresh with returning modes, including Time Attack, Versus CPU, 2P Versus, and Challenge, and adds Mission, Skin Edit, and Sequencer.

Even though a single play session is over pretty quickly, you'll keep coming back to play Lumines II, which is how you might find yourself spending 40+ hours with this handheld puzzle delight.

9 Jeanne d'Arc

Saints and Demons

Many of us, myself included, first knew Level-5 for the whimsical Professor Layton investigations. But they've actually spread their wings in trying out other genres, including a masterful tactical RPG called Jeanne d'Arc for PSP.

I actually first played the game digitally on my Vita, and fell completely in love with it. It was like Final Fantasy Tactics melded with the history of the iconic woman, and added a lot of welcome fantasy notes to spice things up. It also introduced Sol, Luna, and Stella affinity, which other units were weak against or strengthened by.

Honestly, my only complaint is that I wanted a modern remake of Jeanne d'Arc, but if you own a PSP, this is a game you'll definitely want to add to your library. Even without a remake, it's a game you can easily spend 50 hours immersed in.

8 God Eater 2

A Bloody Good Adventure

As a quick note, while it's true that God Eater 2 was a Japan-only PSP release, the updated version, God Eater 2: Rage Burst, was released in North America courtesy of the Vita. Which is why it's fair game for this particular list.

In many ways, God Eater 2 is sort of like Monster Hunter, just with a more prominent story. It's also incredibly Japanese, and I mean that mostly in a good way. The premise involves the Fenrir organization, powerful Blood Arts, a catastrophic Red Rain, and more confusing yet compelling details.

As for the game itself, God Eater 2 has you utilize powerful weapons ranging from the Boost Hammer, Charge Spear, Variant Scythe, and, confusingly, Shotgun. This game differentiated itself from the original with powerful add-on attacks, letting you chain serious damage together. Best of all, it was a lengthy handheld adventure, and could take around 70 hours to get through everything.

7 Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

From Disney with Love

Since we just covered one confusing game by a Japanese team, how about another? I've never known quite what to make of Kingdom Hearts, a game that tries to mix Final Fantasy and Disney characters together in the same universe.

And while the series was hard to wrap our heads around initially, it only got more confusing with prequels like Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. It takes place ten years before the first game, and is focused on the adventures of Terra, Ventus, and Aqua.

The combat in the game was also much more energetic, a blend of ARPG and hack-and-slash mechanics. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep also features three massive scenarios to get through, and while you can rush through them, players who like to take their time doing everything might find credits only roll after 70 hours or so.

6 Hexyz Force

Atlus Gets Stung

One of my favorite things about the PSP was all the amazing JRPGs released on the system, many of which are still exclusives to this day. Several of those were published by none other than Atlus, including one game developed by Sting called Hexyz Force.

If you're already sweating hearing that's the team that developed the game, that shows good sense. Sting is known for really challenging RPGs, and Hexyz Force is no exception. It's all about the interwoven stories of two heroes, Cecilia and Levant, and their parallel quests.

Gameplay is very in-depth, and has you use Harvest Points to create your own items, and Force Points to create sacred weapons called Ragnafacts, and sacred armor called Forcefacts. It's a really demanding adventure, and one that can easily take more than 70 hours to complete.

5 Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

Return to Ivalice

One of my all-time favorite tactical RPGs was the original Final Fantasy Tactics. So the fact that we got to return to Ivalice 10 years later in Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions was an absolute treat.

While nominally the same game, there were many quality-of-life improvements in this PSP remake. That included gorgeous new cutscenes, multiplayer, and even some new units to try out. And while that might not sound like much, keep in mind the original game was already massive.

Basically, The War of the Lions was the perfect way to play the original, just in handheld form. Or it was, until Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles came to modern consoles. Still, this is a great way to play the game, and fans will spend around 90 hours enjoying this breathtaking fantasy adventure.

Snake in Costa Rica

One of my favorite Sony series was Metal Gear Solid, and in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, we got to go back in time with Snake, and contend with stealthy subterfuge in Costa Rica.

Even though the game was released pretty late into the PSP life cycle, it's still one well worth playing. It's split between Missions, where you infiltrate territory or fight huge bosses, or Mother Base, a management mode that's pretty different from the previous games.

Especially neat is that your wardrobe determines your loadout for missions. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker also featured great animated cutscenes and even multiplayer to try out. A worthy addition to the Metal Gear Solid series, and a game that can take 90+ hours to see and do everything.

3 Dissidia Final Fantasy

Order Vs. Chaos

When you've been around as long as Square Enix, you eventually have to strut your stuff. And that's exactly what they did in Dissidia Final Fantasy, a gigantic mashup of every major Final Fantasy game in one adventure. It's not even a traditional RPG, and more of an ARPG brawler.

The story contends with the battle between order and chaos, represented by the gods Cosmos and Chaos, respectively. They summon these heroes and villains to fight on their behalf, and it makes for an entertaining, if somewhat incoherent, adventure.

In many ways, I see Dissidia Final Fantasy as an early workshop of many of the ideas that later showed up in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Meaning it's a very cinematic adventure with on-rails combat that's a lot of fun. It's also massive, and you'll easily spend more than 150 hours playing this epic crossover.

2 Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

Can't Get Ogre It

Tactics Ogre is a series I haven't played a ton of, but it's popular for a reason. It's also a massive experience, no matter what system you play it on. And for the PSP, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together provided a ton of reasons to keep playing on your handheld.

Not only was this a great game, but it played much better than the original game. It had many QOL upgrades, such as using skill points to learn new attacks, army classes sharing levels, and more. Honestly, the only part of the game that might drive you insane is the inconsistent crafting.

Even then, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is an indisputably great game, and some even feel it's better than Final Fantasy Tactics. While I'm not in that camp, you will easily be spending 200+ hours in this massive experience.

1 Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness

Lots of Demonic Fun, Dood!

Honestly, it's a little unfair that all the other games here had to compete with Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness. Not only are games in the series massive and full of content, but Afternoon of Darkness is widely seen as the best version of the original game.

Not only does it add postgame maps, but there's also an Etna campaign and even a multiplayer mode (in case you want to smash your Prinny buddies). The game also has great voiced dialogue, colorful artwork, and more.

If you're at all a fan of tactical RPGs, you'll want to introduce yourself to the Disgaea series. This particular game offers 250+ hours of demonic mayhem. Perfect if you love gaming on classic handhelds like the PSP.