21 Best PlayStation Portable Action Games

Since its debut, the mighty PlayStation Portable has had the full support of first-party developers, offering a vast selection of games covering multiple genres. The action genre was one of the most influential genres in this library offering amazing graphics for the time and good gameplay that is still holding up to this day.

If you’re looking to add some action to your PSP collection fear not as we are here to offer you a list of the best Action games on the PSP, including multiple genres, mainstream titles, and hidden gems.

God of War: Chains of Olympus / God of War: Ghost of Sparta 2008 / 2010

About
	Release Date March 04, 2008
	Developer Ready at Dawn
	Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
	Franchise God of War
	Genre Hack & Slash
	Graphics 3D
	Perspective Third-Person
	Concept Mythology
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2008-03-04
2008-03-27
2008-03-28

About
	Release Date November 02, 2010
	Developer Ready at Dawn
	Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
	Franchise God of War
	Genre Hack & Slash
	Graphics 3D
	Perspective Third-Person
	Concept Mythology
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2010-11-02
2010-11-03
2010-11-04
2010-11-05

The God Of War dilogy was a beautiful surprise for fans filling the gap in the main game story and offering a console-like experience right at the palm of the hands of every gamer. Both games act as a prequel to the first and the second game offering an untold story of Kratos. As always the game starts with Kratos, fueled with vengeance Kratos roams the mythological world of Sparta taking down several greek gods.

The game offers a third-person view where the player can hack and slash his way through hordes of enemies. Aside from the basic hack-and-slash elements the player will find himself solving puzzles by moving certain objects, and platforming from one ledge to the other. The game also features some occasional quick-time events when confronting Bosses and certain enemies. Overall, both games are true classics that should be possessed by every PSP owner.

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core 2007 クライシス コア -ファイナルファンタジーＶＩＩ (Kuraishisu Koa -Fainaru Fantajī Sebun)

About
	Release Date September 13, 2007
	Developer Square Enix
	Publisher Square Enix
	Franchise Final Fantasy
	Genre Action RPG
	Graphics 3D
	Perspective Third-Person
	Interaction Real-Time
	Concept Fantasy
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

PSP Releases
2007-09-13
2007-10-19
2008-03-24
2008-06-19
2008-06-20

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core was a nice little surprise for Final Fantasy fans, although the game is a spin-off of Final Fantasy VII the gameplay was completely redone offering a full-blown action RPG. The game takes place seven years before the events of FFVII following the tale of Zack Fair a young member of the soldier division, together with his mentor he takes on various missions for the Soldiers.

The game is seen from a third-person perspective where the player moves freely between areas, you can freely interact with NPCs in the area which help in the story progression. Unlike the main games in the series the combat system is presented in real-time, you can move freely in a specific area performing basic attacks, spells, and special abilities, you can also use items, dodge, and block incoming attacks. The game offers a generous main campaign that can be completed in 15 hours, in addition, the game delivers side missions that can stretch the gameplay to up to 50 hours of gameplay. On the whole, the game is well worth it offering a new adventure for FFVII fans and a fairly long campaign to keep you busy.

Manhunt 2 2007

About
	Release Date October 29, 2007
	Developer Rockstar London
	Publisher Rockstar Games
	Genre Stealth
	Concept Gore
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2007-10-29
2008-10-31

Manhunt 2 is a sequel to a controversial game, despite the problems and bans the first game suffer from, Rockstar made sure to pop up another sequel just as gory and controversial as the first one. This game follows two main protagonists, Daniel Lamb a mental patient suffering from amnesia, and Leo Kasper a sociopath who helps Daniel through his journey.

The player mostly controls Daniel Lamb as seen from a third-person perspective, the main focus of the game is stealth kills, you need to sneak through other patients’ backs and kill them in the most brutal way while trying to stay hidden. Three levels of stealth kills are available Hasty and which is the quickest one, Violent and it’s considered gorier, and the most brutal one Gruesome. While out of combat the player must stay out of the enemy’s vision by avoiding light and sticking to shadows. Overall, this game is well worth it, but just keep in mind that it is not for the faint of heart.

Resistance Retribution™ 2009

About
	Release Date March 12, 2009
	Developer Bend Studio
	Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
	Franchise Resistance
	Genre Third-Person Shooter
	Concept War
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2009-03-12
2009-03-17
2009-03-20
2009-03-26

Resistance Retribution is another amazing spin-off on this list, the game was developed exclusively for the PSP changing the direction of the main game to an action-packed third-person shooter. The game takes place two months after the events of the first game serving as a sequel to the first game and a prequel to the second game in the series.

Following the story of Lieutenant James Grayson, after certain events in the game, James finds himself forced to shoot his own brother after getting infected by the chimeras, overthrown by the event James deserts the military and takes on a personal journey to revenge his brother’s death. Unlike previous titles of the series the game is seen from a third-person perspective offering cover-based shooting gameplay, you can shoot down chimeras from covers using various weapons including shotguns, sniper rifles, grenades, and many more. Overall, this a must-own game as it is still a PSP exclusive to this game and it fills the gaps between resistance 1 and 2 for the series fans.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo / SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 / SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 3 2005 / 2006 / 2010

About
	Release Date November 08, 2005
	Developer Slant Six Games
	Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
	Genre Tactical Shooter
	Concept War
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2005-11-08
2006-04-21
2006-04-26
2006-07-06

About
	Release Date November 21, 2006
	Developer Slant Six Games
	Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
	Genre Tactical Shooter
	Graphics 3D
	Perspective Third-Person
	Interaction Real-Time
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2006-11-21
2007-06-15
2007-06-21

About
	Release Date February 16, 2010
	Developer Slant Six Games
	Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
	Genre Tactical Shooter
	Graphics 3D
	Perspective Third-Person
	Interaction Real-Time
	Concept Military
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2010-02-16

The Socom Navy Seal trilogy was a love letter to tactical shooter fans, the game offers the full-blown console experience in the palm of your hands. Just like the main titles in the series you take the lead of a U.S navy seal operation team taking on various missions across the globe, the objective of the mission varies from rescuing hostages to eliminating targets.

At the beginning of each mission, you can customize your team equipment including tactical equipment, assault rifles, sniper rifles, machine guns, SMG, and many more. Once you’re out on the battlefield you can freely control your team’s movement by giving them specific orders, you can also engage in the battlefield by using your own weapons which gives a nice balance between tactics and TPS gameplay elements. Overall, this trilogy offers the definitive tactical shooter experience on the system with tight gameplay and three full-blown campaigns.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories / Liberty Cities Stories 2006 / 2005

About
	Full Name Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
	Release Date October 31, 2006
	Developer Rockstar Leeds
	Publisher Rockstar Games
	Franchise Grand Theft Auto
	Genre Open World
	Concepts Crime, Modern
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United Kingdom

PSP Releases
2006-10-31
2006-11-03
2006-11-10

About
	Full Name Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
	Release Date October 24, 2005
	Developer Rockstar Leeds
	Publisher Rockstar Games
	Franchise Grand Theft Auto
	Genre Open World
	Concepts Crime, Modern
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2005-10-24
2005-11-04

Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories and Liberty City Stories were Rockstar’s attempts to port their amazing series to a portable device, and oh boy did they succeed! Vice city stories follow the story of Victor Vance as he struggles to raise money for his sick brother finding himself in a world full of crime and treason. Liberty city stories follow the story of Toni a gang member returning to liberty city after 5 years of absence, now he must find his way among the gangs of liberty city.

Both games follow the same gameplay formula with a third-person camera and a fully open-world environment, the player can roam the city freely using or stealing other vehicles. Also, the player can use a decent array of weapons including melee weapons, handguns, shotguns, automatic rifles, and many more. Overall, both games are a must-play on the system delivering some of the greatest voice acting in gaming history, and an amazing open-world experience despite the limited hardware.

Gun Showdown 2006 Port

About
	Release Date October 10, 2006 Initial Release: November 08, 2005
	Developer Neversoft
	Publisher Activision
	Genre Third-Person Shooter
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2006-10-10
2006-11-03
2006-11-15

Gun Showdown is a Western-themed action-adventure video game, taking inspiration from a movie holding the same name. The PSP port was a miracle since it represents a lossless port of it’s console counterparts.

In Gun, players take on the role of Colton White, a young gunslinger who is on a quest to avenge the death of his father. As Colton, players explore a massive open world set in the Wild West, engaging in missions and activities such as hunting, sneaking, dueling, and joining in on large-scale battles. Overall, the game is a solid port offering one of the greatest adventures on the handheld.

Metal Gear Solid® Peace Walker 2010

About
	Release Date April 29, 2010
	Developer Kojima Productions
	Publisher Konami
	Franchise Metal Gear
	Genre Stealth
	Concept War
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

PSP Releases
2010-04-29
2010-06-08
2010-06-17
2010-06-18

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is a stealth-action video game. It is the sixth installment in the Metal Gear series and the direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. The game follows Big Boss, the main protagonist of the series, as he leads his mercenary group, Militaires Sans Frontières. The group is sent to Costa Rica to investigate the mysterious Peace Walker project, a Cold War-era nuclear deterrence plan.

During the game, the player must manage the team by recruiting and training personnel, researching new weapons and equipment, and completing combat missions. The game features a more open-world structure than previous Metal Gear titles, with multiple mission objectives and the ability to explore the game’s environment freely. It also introduces a new battle system, which allows the player to control multiple characters simultaneously in strategic combat.

The 3rd Birthday™ 2010 ザ・サード バースデイ (Za Sādo Bāsudei)

About
	Release Date December 22, 2010
	Developer Square Enix
	Publisher Square Enix
	Franchise Parasite Eve
	Genre Action RPG
	Concept Sci-Fi
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

PSP Releases
2010-12-22
2011-03-29
2011-04-01
2011-04-07

The 3rd Birthday is an exciting role-playing shooter, the game acts as a third installment of the classic Parasite Eve series. Aya Brea is back once again as a main playable character, you take control of Aya as she uses her psychic abilities to travel back in time and change the outcome of the battles against mysterious creatures known as the Twisted. Developers took a whole different approach offering completely new mechanics and gameplay, seen from a third-person perspective the player control Aya as she takes on various mission across the timeline.

She can use a decent array of weapons including handguns, shotguns, automatic rifles, grenades, and such. Unique to the game is the ability to overtake an allied NPC’s body, for example, if Aya’s health is low you can overtake an allied NPCs body changing his health point to hers. In addition, you can use this same ability (overdrive) to attack your enemies which can take a huge chunk of their health points. Visually this can’t get any better as the game offer one of the most gorgeous visuals on the system. Overall, this is a good introduction to the series as it somewhat acts as a reboot for new players and a new experience for old fans.

Dissidia Final Fantasy 2008

About
	Release Date December 18, 2008
	Developer Square Enix
	Publisher Square Enix
	Franchise Final Fantasy
	Genre 3D Fighting
	Concept Anime
	Players 1v1, Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

PSP Releases
2008-12-18
2009-01-20
2009-08-25
2009-09-04

Dissidia Final Fantasy is an amazing arena fighter that offers a mash-up of our beloved Final Fantasy series cast. The game unites both the protagonist and antagonist from the Final Fantasy series participating in a great war between Cosmos and Chaos.

Similar to many arena fighters the goal of each fight is to reduce your opponent’s health points, unique to the game are the Bravery Points, each player starts with identical bravery points. Successfully attacking your opponent allows the player to steal the opponent’s BP points which gives you the upper hand with more powerful attacks. Aside from the fighting elements, the game offers many RPG elements including leveling, using items, and changing equipment. Graphically the game is stunning with smooth fps and captivating battle animation. On the whole, the game is well worth it as it introduces one of the most fun fighting systems.

Undead Knights 2009 アンデッドナイツ (Andeddo Naitsu)

About
	Release Date September 29, 2009
	Developer Tecmo
	Publisher Tecmo
	Genre Hack & Slash
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

PSP Releases
2009-09-29
2009-10-15
2010-02-26
2010-03-04

Undead Knights was a good surprise for many gamers including myself. The game follows the story of three members of the House Blood clan. As they were betrayed and killed by the evil king Kirk, the trio has been mysteriously brought to life as necromancers, thirsty for blood and revenge against the king and his soldiers.

The game is fairly similar to Musou titles offering a third-person view and hack n slash combat element.  Unique to the game is the ability to turn your enemies into zombies that can be ordered at ease to fight for you, break down structures, or even create bridges with their bodies. At the end of each stage, there is a boss encounter followed up by a CGI cutscene to enrich the story. The graphics are amazing for the time offering a dark and gritty art style and solid graphics models. On the whole, the game is well worth it to this day offering a very fun combat system and a short but sweet story.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2008

About
	Release Date September 16, 2008
	Developer Lucasfilm Games
	Publisher Lucasfilm Games
	Genre Hack & Slash
	Players Multiplayer, Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2008-09-16
2008-09-17
2008-09-19

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an action-adventure game. It is set in the Star Wars universe and follows a secret apprentice of Darth Vader who is tasked with hunting down the remnants of the Jedi Order. The game is set during the period of the Galactic Civil War, between the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Seen from a third-person perspective the player uses the force and his lightsaber to force his way through various levels. The game features a variety of weapons and powers for the Apprentice to use, including Force lightning, Force push, and Force grip. Players can also use the environment to their advantage, using the environment to defeat enemies. While the PSP version is hugely inferior to the console counterpart, the game is still a marvel to experience pushing the PSP hardware to its limits.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary -0001 Remake

About
	Release Date November 30, -0001 Initial Release: October 31, 1996
	Developer Crystal Dynamics
	Publisher Square Enix Europe
	Franchise Tomb Raider
	Genre Action Adventure
	Concept Fantasy
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2007-08-09
2007-10-26
2008-02-07
2008-03-27

Tomb Raider Anniversary was a new remake of the well-crafted original Tomb Raider game, the PSP port was amazingly polished offering an almost identical version compared to its console counterpart. The game follows the story of the young Lara Croft at an early stage of her Tomb Raiding journey, as she was approached by a wealthy company Lara must find an ancient Atlantis artifact originally sought by her deceased father.

Just like in the previous games in the series you assume the role of Lara as she runs, jumps, shoots, and solves puzzles raiding various historical tombs. Aside from the head-scratching puzzles, the game takes huge emphasis on combat, you can use your dual weapon to fight off a decent array of enemies starting from mythical creatures up to a T-Rex yeah you heard it right you can fight a T-Rex. Visually this port is a marvel compared to the console’s version, developers made sure to port the whole thing, starting from gameplay up to every graphic detail. Overall, the game is a good start for newcomers as it was for me, if you want to immerse in the Tomb Raider universe this might be your next pick.

Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow 2007

About
	Release Date October 02, 2007
	Developer Bend Studio
	Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
	Genre Third-Person Shooter
	Concept Military
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2007-10-02
2007-11-30
2007-12-06

Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow offers a unique exclusive stealth-based game, as always you take control of the special operation field agent, Gabriel Logan. Once again he embarks on a new mission to save the world, this time he must visit the Indian Ocean where a clan of Somali pirates has taken over a cargo ship.

Seen from a third-person perspective you take control of Logan on each mission taking down various enemies. The game offers both stealth-based elements and cover-based shooting gameplay elements, you can shoot down your enemies using a decent array of weapons while hiding behind objects. You can also use your enemies as human shields if you can’t find an object to take cover on. On the whole, the game is an action game at its core offering fast-paced gameplay at most with minor stealth parts here and there, as I said before on other titles this game might also serve as a good introduction to the series for new comers, but fear not as it has so much more to offer for old fans of the series.

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters 2007

About
	Release Date February 13, 2007
	Developer High Impact Games
	Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
	Franchise Ratchet & Clank
	Genre 3D Platformer
	Concept Sci-Fi
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2007-02-13
2007-05-11
2007-05-24
2007-06-28
2007-08-31

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters offers another full-blown Ratchet and Clank game on the go with graphics rivaling the mighty PlayStation 2. As always the game follows our beloved heroes Ratchet and Clank who are on a vacation on planet Pokitaru. While meeting a young schoolgirl named Luna, the girl got kidnapped after some events forcing ratchet and clank to investigate the incident.

Similar to the previous games in the series you mostly control Ratchet using a huge array of weapons, as always the weapons are fully upgradable over the course of the game. Ratchet visits various planets in order to complete different objectives, aside from the typical action and platforming gameplay, you can eventually control Giant Clank in special missions, in addition, you can also eventually control clank as he drives various vehicles. Overall, the game offers a full-blown console experience on the go, if you enjoyed the classic games on the PS2 you will surely enjoy this one.

Daxter 2006

About
	Release Date March 14, 2006
	Developer Ready at Dawn
	Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
	Franchise Jak and Daxter
	Genre 3D Platformer
	Concept Fantasy
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

PSP Releases
2006-03-14
2006-04-13
2006-04-28

Daxter turns the spotlight on our beloved Ottsel embarking on a new old adventure. The story takes place within the two years when Jak has been taken as a prisoner, as Daxter tries to find a way to free his beloved friend he ends up working as a bug exterminator taking on various missions to exterminate bugs in hotels, bars, and construction sites.

As always the game is seen from a third-person perspective with a good mix of action and platforming gameplay, Daxter’s main weapon is an electric Fly Swatter, with the swatter the player can use different melee combos to take down his enemies. You can also use a fly spray to attack, and hover when jumping from one platform to the other. Graphically the game looks amazing for a PSP game with an outstanding graphic design and a beautiful cartoony style. Overall, Daxter is a must-own on the system as it was and is still an excellent PSP exclusive.

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles 2007 Remake 悪魔城ドラキュラ Xクロニクル (Akumajō Dorakyura Ekkusu Kuronikuru)

About
	Release Date October 23, 2007 Initial Release: October 29, 1993
	Developer Konami
	Publisher Konami
	Franchise Castlevania
	Genre 2D Platformer
	Concept Vampire
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

PSP Releases
2007-10-23
2007-11-09
2008-02-18
2008-04-09

ِCastlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is a full-blown remake of the classic Castlevania Rondo of Blood. This remake offers a full localization of the first game included in the game package and also a full-blown remake with 2.5d remakes.

The game follows the tale of Ritcher Belmont as he takes on a journey to slay Dracula and take back his beloved Annette. Similar to the original game the game offers a side-scrolling action game you can use a whip to take down incoming enemies and break down several objects to retrieve items.  Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles offers nine levels to complete each with its own array of enemies and puzzles, at the end of each stage the player is confronted by a boss battle. Overall, this is a must-own as it offers an amazing classic remake and of course two other games in the package including the original rondo of blood, and the well-known Symphony Of The Night.

SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny 2009

About
	Release Date August 27, 2009
	Developer Bandai Namco Studios
	Publisher Bandai Namco
	Franchise SoulCalibur
	Genre 3D Fighting
	Players 1v1, Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

PSP Releases
2009-08-27
2009-09-01
2009-09-03
2009-09-04

SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny was another surprise for the series fans on the PSP, the game was developed exclusively for the handheld targetting novice players with a battle system similar to SoulCalibur IV. Broken Destiny feature up to 28 playable characters including a guest character from the God Of War series, yes our beloved Kratos is here. Just like the previous games in the series the game put a huge emphasis on weapon-based combat offering smooth animation and casual friendly controls for newcomers.

Tekken 6 2007 鉄拳6 (Tekken Shikkusu)

About
	Release Date November 26, 2007
	Developer Bandai Namco
	Publisher Bandai Namco
	Franchise Tekken
	Genre 3D Fighting
	Players 1v1
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

PSP Releases
2009-11-24
2009-12-11
2009-12-17
2010-01-14

Tekken 6 was another miraculous port on the PSP, the developers made sure to port all the console content into this little device. Despite the graphical downgrade compared to the consoles, old fans will feel right at home with responsive controls and smooth character animation. While the game retains a lot of elements from the previous titles, it introduces some new mechanics as well. The new rage system is the most notable change, Rage activates when the player is low on health giving him a strength boost, while in rage mode the player can deal more powerful blows which can help him to turn the tide on his opponent.

Killzone™ Liberation 0001

About
	Release Date November 03, 0001
	Developer Guerrilla Games
	Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
	Genre Top-Down Shooter
	Concept Sci-Fi
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Netherlands

PSP Releases
2006-10-31
2006-11-03
2006-11-08
2007-03-30

Killzone Liberation took the fan by surprise offering a unique PSP exclusive that took a whole different approach compared to its predecessors. The player fights once again against the Helghast, you take control of Templar a soldier in the ISA. Together with his comrades Templar takes on various missions for the ISA which include elimination and rescue missions.

As mentioned above the game took a different approach offering a run-and-gun experience with an isometric view, mostly the player control templar around the level taking down various enemies, the player can use a decent array of weapons presented previously in the Killzone series. In addition, the player can drive various military vehicles including Tanks, Hovercrafts, and Gun Turrets. 

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep 2010

About
	Release Date January 09, 2010
	Developer Square Enix
	Publisher Square Enix
	Genre Action RPG
	Graphics 3D
	Perspective Third-Person
	Interaction Real-Time
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

PSP Releases
2010-01-09
2010-09-07
2010-09-10

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep was Square Enix’s attempt to bring Kingdom Heart’s success to sony’s handheld, and they nailed it in every aspect.  The game act as a prequel to the first Kingdom Heart game taking place ten years before its events. Similar to the previous games in the series the player progress by visiting various worlds inspired by several Disney locations. Birth by Sleep’s strongest aspect is the combat system, the game offers a well-balanced hack-and-slash action RPG, with interesting skill sets and a well-put progression system.