Looking for scares on the go? We've compiled the 10 best PSP horror games featuring survival horror classics like Silent Hill and Castlevania as well as terrifying originals. Experience extreme psychological tension and life-or-death action with the top PSP horror games of all time.
The Sony PlayStation Portable, more commonly known as the PSP, was a revolutionary handheld gaming console when it first launched in 2004. With its incredible graphics, multimedia capabilities, and portable size, the PSP opened up new possibilities for gaming on the go.
While the PSP had amazing games across many genres, it was particularly well-suited for horror games. The handheld format created an intimate, immersive experience that allowed players to get truly spooked wherever they went. Though the PSP is no longer produced, its legacy lives on through these spine-tingling horror classics.
Here are the 10 best PSP horror games that are sure to make your hair stand on end:
1. Manhunt 2 (2009)
Manhunt 2 is the second installment in Rockstar Games' gruesome stealth horror franchise. As Daniel Lamb, an amnesiac inmate, you must escape from your asylum while unraveling chilling truths about your identity. With guidance from a sociopathic assassin named Leo Kasper, you will stalk and brutally execute enemies using various weapons and environmental kills.
Manhunt 2 doubles down on the savage violence and psychological tension that made the first game infamous. The mature storyline and controversial reputation only heighten the dread as you try to survive. With its cinematic execution moves and constant tension, Manhunt 2 is one of the most unforgettable PSP horror experiences.
Features:
- Developed by Rockstar Games
- Stealth-based psychological horror
- Play as Daniel Lamb, an amnesiac escaping from an asylum
- Gory executions and extreme violence
- Dark, gritty visuals
- Mature storyline and controversial reputation
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2. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (2007)
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles bundles together three amazing Castlevania games into one killer PSP package. The highlight is an enhanced remake of the TurboGrafx-16 classic Rondo of Blood. This 2.5D remake adds modern graphics, new content, and voice acting while preserving the original's fantastic gameplay.
As vampire hunter Richter Belmont, you'll storm Dracula's castle while rescuing your beloved Annette from his clutches. With its mix of action platforming and RPG elements, Rondo of Blood laid the foundation for the Metroidvania genre. The Dracula X Chronicles is the definitive way to play it on the go. Rounding out the collection are the original Rondo of Blood and a portable version of the acclaimed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Features:
- Collection of three Castlevania games
- Remake of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
- Additional levels, cutscenes, and voice acting
- Port of the original Rondo of Blood
- Symphony of the Night included
- Gothic fantasy Metroidvania
- Variety of monsters and epic boss fights
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3. Silent Hill: Origins (2007)
Silent Hill: Origins serves as an unsettling prequel to the horror classic Silent Hill. Players control Travis Grady, a trucker drawn to the mysterious town of Silent Hill after rescuing a girl from a fire. This sets Travis on a harrowing journey through the hellish world of Silent Hill as he unravels his own troubling past.
With its disturbing imagery and chilling soundtrack, Origins captures the tone of the early Silent Hill games remarkably well. You'll need sharp wits and steady nerves to survive the otherworldly horrors that await Travis. Though not created by Team Silent, Origins retains the foreboding atmosphere, disturbing creatures, and psychological tension at the core of Silent Hill.
Features:
- Prequel to the first Silent Hill
- Follow trucker Travis Grady
- Explore the eerie town of Silent Hill
- Discover Travis' connection to Silent Hill
- Face twisted creatures and solve puzzles
- Classic Silent Hill atmosphere and horror
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4. Obscure: The Aftermath (2009)
Obscure: The Aftermath turns up the terror with the ability to team up in local wireless co-op multiplayer. Set in the twisted halls of Leafmore College, two players must band together as students to uncover the mystery of a deadly pollen infecting the campus. This creates terrifying creatures that can quickly overwhelm the vulnerable characters.
By working together, players can devise strategies to outwit the monsters while solving environmental puzzles. Giving each character unique special abilities also encourages coordination. Obscure: The Aftermath succeeds at bringing scares to co-op on the PSP with its eerie setting and challenging survival gameplay.
Features:
- Sequel to survival horror game Obscure
- Cooperative multiplayer for 2 players
- Play as students in a cursed college
- Battle humanoid mutants and solve puzzles
- Explore campus environments
- Emphasis on teamwork
- Special abilities to aid allies
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5. Infected (2005)
Infected delivers fast-paced zombie annihilation in the palm of your hands. As an NYPD officer with immunity, you must blast through the undead hordes overwhelming New York City. There are tons of guns, upgrades, and power-ups allowing you to creatively destroy zombies.
The campaign offers 40 missions spread across iconic New York locations. You can also compete against friends in local multiplayer deathmatch modes. While light on horror, Infected provides endless arcade-style zombie massacres to quench your thirst for undead violence on the PSP.
Features:
- Third-person zombie shooter
- Play as an immune NYPD officer
- Fight through zombie hordes
- Rescue survivors across New York City
- Tons of weapons and upgrades
- Challenge missions
- Local multiplayer battles
- Gory combat
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6. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (2010)
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories offers a creative psychological reimagining of the original Silent Hill. Harry Mason returns in an alternate universe, desperately searching for his lost daughter in the cursed town of Silent Hill. This time there is no combat, only harrowing escape sequences against stalking enemies.
The game analyzes your unconscious mind through psychotherapy sessions between stages. Your answers determine the game's events, changing characters and environments based on Harry's psych profile. By removing combat, Shattered Memories emphasizes tense exploration and puzzle solving within disturbing, shifting realities. This unique interactive take makes it a standout PSP horror title.
Features:
- Re-imagining of the first Silent Hill story
- Psychological profiling system
- No combat, focus on evasion
- Alternate realities change with psych profile
- Attempt to rescue Harry Mason's missing daughter
- Chilling atmosphere and stalking dangers
- Exploration and puzzle solving
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7. The 3rd Birthday (2011)
The 3rd Birthday puts players back in the shoes of Aya Brea, the iconic heroine of the Parasite Eve franchise. Set in a devastated New York City overrun by twisted creatures, Aya must use her time manipulating Overdive ability to possess soldiers on the battlefield. This adds strategy to the third-person shooting as you warp between bodies to outflank enemies.
With no memory of how she got there, Aya slowly unravels the mysteries behind these creatures and her own existence through massive battles. The 3rd Birthday impresses with its lavish visuals and fast-paced gunplay blended with RPG mechanics. It provides a pulse-pounding continuation of the Parasite Eve saga on PSP.
Features:
- Third game in the Parasite Eve series
- Action RPG blend of shooting and strategy
- Play as Aya Brea fighting mutated creatures
- Unique Overdive ability to possess soldiers
- Amnesiac heroine unravels mysteries
- Lavish graphics and cinematic presentation
- Intense battlefield encounters
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8. Corpse Party (2011)
Corpse Party traps players in a school straight out of a nightmare. When a ritual goes wrong, a group of students finds themselves stranded at Heavenly Host Elementary, a haunted ruin dimension filled with the vengeful ghosts of murder victims. To survive and unravel the mystery behind this place, you must carefully explore ransacked halls and classrooms while avoiding grisly deaths.
With its retro overhead visuals belying a graphic, disturbing story, Corpse Party builds an unforgettable atmosphere of dread. Challenge comes not from fighting monsters, but choosing actions wisely as the narrative branches based on decisions. With multiple endings, stunning sound design, and chilling scares, Corpse Party is horror adventure done right on PSP.
Features:
- Horror adventure game and RPG
- Students trapped in haunted school
- Disturbing story elements
- Detailed pixel artstyle
- Multiple endings based on choices
- Challenging puzzles and exploration
- Haunting soundtrack
- Gore and violent imagery
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9. Death Jr.
The two Death Jr. games provide a healthy dose of absurd horror comedy. As the son of Death, you must clean up your mistakes after accidentally releasing demons with Pandora's Box. The levels are packed with inventive monsters and macabre secrets connected to the kooky Death family. Combat is simple hack-and-slash fare, allowing you to wildly swing the iconic scythe against demons.
While the gameplay is average, the Death Jr. games shine through their creepy yet cute art style and mix of silly and black humor. The sequel improves on everything with more engaging levels and battle mechanics. For offbeat action-platforming with a darkly funny edge, Death Jr. is the perfect reaper.
Features:
- Play as Death Jr., son of the Grim Reaper
- Stylized cartoon horror visuals
- Hack-and-slash platformer combat
- Huge bosses and creepy creatures
- Awesome Scythe weapon
- Goofy and darker humor
- Collect cards and upgrades
- Sequel ramps up scale and variety
10. MediEvil: Resurrection (2005)
MediEvil: Resurrection reintroduces the world to Sir Daniel Fortesque, the cheeky undead hero of the MediEvil series. This PSP remake sports overhauled visuals and sound while preserving the lighthearted hack-and-slash action that made MediEvil so memorable. As Sir Dan, you'll battle an oddball array of spooks, demons, and zombies across haunted medieval environments.
Though goofier than scary, Resurrection delivers an enjoyable portable dose of MediEvil’s distinct horror comedy flavor. The crude humor and likeable characters pair nicely with the Gothic fantasy setting. MediEvil: Resurrection emerged as one of the PSP’s most appealing launch titles for horror fans.
Features:
- Remake of the first MediEvil
- Hack-and-slash adventure
- Play as Sir Daniel Fortesque, an undead knight
- Humorous medieval/horror setting
- Goofy characters and crude humor
- Fight ghosts, demons, zombies and more
- Puzzle and exploration challenges
- Updated graphics and sound
- One of PSP's launch titles
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Conclusion
The PSP's horror library showcases the handheld's versatility with titles ranging from gory visceral shockers to eerie ghost stories. This list represents the bleeding edge of horror experiences possible on a portable device. Though no longer supported, the PSP changed expectations for handheld gaming and gave us these classics of clenched-teeth virtual terror.
Whether you crave jump scares, psychological tension, or simply the catharsis of battling hordes of zombies, the PSP delivered interactive frights to enjoy anywhere. For affordable ways to still experience these games, try finding used PSPs and copies online. Alternatively, many titles are available digitally or have been ported to modern platforms. The PSP may be dead, but its top-tier horror lives on.