Summary
The PlayStation Portable (PSP)was a great handheld for Sony’s first attempt. It ruled the streets in Japan thanks to a bunch ofMonster Huntertitles. Unfortunately, the PSP did not do that well outside of Japan. As a result, a majority of its library remains obscure to PlayStation fans, which is unfortunate because there were a lot of great games.
A lot of the games, like various RPGs, still hold up too,likeCrisis Core: Final Fantasy 7andKingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. Those two examples got HD versions whereas these other RPGs didn’t. They were released early in the console life cycle too, which is probably why they have been forgotten over time. The big question is: should they have been remembered?
6Astonishia Story
Metacritic: 48
Astonishia Storyis one of many games on the PSP that was a port of a much older title. The game was originally released for PC in Korea of all places, making it unique in the gaming space. It took over a decade to leave, but the remake did eventually hit North America in 2006. It’s a fairlygeneric fantasy RPG storywith the main character, Lloyd, being a soldier in an army fighting against monsters.
Players can see enemies on a world map and engage them like most RPGs of the era. The game then turns into a tactical RPG with a grid-based system when combat starts. The combat is nothing to write home about, nor are the graphics, which is probably why it received negative reviews upon its worldwide launch. Playing it now years later, it’s notthatbad, but it is forgettable.
5Blade Dancer: Lineage Of Light
Metacritic: 60
Blade Dancer: Lineage of Lightwas another RPG released on the PSP in 2006, but this one was exclusive to the system. It began as many RPGs do, with a young warrior, Lance, sailing into town aboard a ship. He’s looking for adventure and players can campaign around town looking for quests.
To its credit, players can skip right to the action whenever they want without being bogged down by lengthy cutscenes. Monsters in the field are represented by skulls, and battlesare classically turn-basedwithout a lot of flair to them. It didn’t push the genre forward, but that’s the case with many games in a console’s lifecycle.
4Dungeon Siege: Throne Of Agony
Metacritic: 74
Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agonyis a spinoff from the popular RPG series for the PC. It differed in that it gave players a more up-close and personal feeling when dealing with enemies. It’s a hack-and-slash looter RPG that would feel at home in anyDiablofan’s collection.
Players could choose between three characters at the start: Mogrim the Warlord, Serin the Shadow Stalker, and Allister the Battle Mage. For a handheld action RPG, it’s still quite enjoyable despite the basic mechanics and lack of a thorough narrative. It has multiplayer too, which is how many looter RPGs survive.
3Kingdom Of Paradise
Metacritic: 72
Kingdom of Paradiseis one of the oldest games on this list, as it launched in 2005. Despite the generic name, this is one of the most compelling early RPGs on the PSP. One of the biggest reasons is because it touches on a particular subject, Chinese lore, not found in a lot of RPGs, or games in general outside of theDynasty Warriorsfranchise. Much like that franchise,Kingdom of Paradiseis also an action RPG.
Players begin as Shinbu who is accompanied by Sui Lin on a quest for redemption and revenge. There was a sequel/prequel after this, but it was only released in Japan, Korea, and China. The gameplay is nothing mesmerizing, but it is engaging enough and the game overall still looks good, especially in the cutscenes with the in-game models.
2The Lord Of The Rings: Tactics
Metacritic: 64
When it comes to games based onThe Lord of the Rings, most think about the tie-ins that came out alongside the second and third movies; fun action RPGs that incorporated clips from the movies well.The Lord of the Rings: Tactics,then, is probably a game that slipped through the cracks, but it is also based on the movies, even though it didn’t come out until 2005.
Players will go through iconic battles from the film trilogy, playing as Aragorn, Frodo, Legolas, and so on. There are two phases to combat: Players first choose where to move, and then they can decide on actions. All characters move and act as one, giving battles a more cinematic feel. It’s not the mostin-depth tactical RPGout there but it is fun to go through these aforementioned battles in a new way.
1Untold Legends: Brotherhood Of The Blade
Metacritic: 68
Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Bladeis the first game in what would become a trilogy of PlayStation exclusives. It seemed like an attempt to make anew series akin toChampions of Norrathwhich was huge on PS2. There were two games on PSP along with a PS3 experience. This 2005 initial entry is a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler thatDiablofans would also enjoy, just likeDungeon Siege: Throne of Agony.
In this action RPG, players don’t play as named warriors and instead go through a stock of four classes. They can choose to create an Alchemist, Druid, Knight, or Berserker. Also likeThrone of Agony,Untold Legends: Brotherhood of The Bladehas multiplayer for all of that co-op goodness. The biggest difference between the two is that this game is played from a pulled-back, top-down perspective.
