Best Open-World Games On Handheld Consoles

Summary

Open-world games can thrive on portable consoles, offering a sense of exploration and freedom on the go.
The Minish Cap on GBA provides a unique experience with interconnected design and discovery.
GTA: Chinatown Wars on the DS offers a full GTA experience scaled down for handhelds with ambition.

It’s enchanting to immerse oneself in an expansive virtual world, even when physically confined – whether you’re in bed, stuck in traffic, or avoiding social interactions through a handheld device screen. Remarkably, these games not only perform well on portable devices; they truly flourish within them.

These games, regardless of being compact enough to fit in a backpack, demonstrate that being handheld doesn’t necessarily equate to being insignificant. Some are overlooked treasures, while others have shaped their respective genres, but all share the ability to spark the irresistible urge of saying “I’ll just play for five more minutes,” which frequently extends into hours of immersive gameplay.

The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Sometimes, Being Small Lets You See The Big Picture

The Minish Cap, part of The Legend of Zelda series, often doesn’t receive the same level of recognition as the 3D Zelda games, which is unfortunate. On the Game Boy Advance, a collaboration between Capcom and Nintendo produced a charmingly compact rendition of Hyrule that still managed to feel expansive and brimming with secrets. An interesting aspect? Players could reduce themselves to bug-size, allowing them to discover hidden recesses that transformed ordinary areas into vast labyrinthine dungeons.

In a somewhat different style than typical open-world games, The Minish Cap offers an expansive, exploratory feel through its interconnected layout and ongoing sense of discovery. By combining Kinstones, unraveling environmental riddles, and venturing off onto detours that unveil fresh storylines, The Minish Cap effectively captures the sensation of becoming immersed in a world. Remarkably, this is accomplished while being compact enough to carry around and running flawlessly on the Game Boy Advance.

Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation

A Hidden Blade In A Hidden Gem

In the Assassin’s Creed series, there aren’t many games designed exclusively for handheld devices. However, Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation on the PlayStation Vita didn’t just fill this void; it established its unique identity. Set in 18th-century New Orleans, players take on the role of Aveline de Grandpre, the first female protagonist in the series, who must navigate a city that is a melting pot of cultures, power struggles, and revolution. Although the open world isn’t as vast as usual for the franchise, it is richly detailed, featuring bustling markets alongside murky swamps teeming with smugglers and hidden secrets.

The unique aspect of Liberation wasn’t merely reducing the AC formula for the Vita; it also introduced innovative features such as the Persona System, allowing Aveline to switch among roles (Assassin, Lady, or Slave) to influence NPC and guard responses. On a technical level, the game maximized the potential of the Vita, delivering a smooth performance while preserving the series’ core elements of parkour, stealth, and combat. Despite being a spin-off, it provided a handheld gaming experience that felt indistinguishable from the main series.

Test Drive Unlimited

It Isn’t Just About Driving; It’s About Where You Drive

In 2006, the game Test Drive Unlimited on the PlayStation Portable (PSP) surprised everyone by offering players the opportunity to traverse the entire Hawaiian island of Oahu – not a mere miniature version, but an authentic, mapped replica. This detailed representation included highways, coastal roads, forests, and small towns, all accessible without a single loading screen. Remarkably, it managed to run smoothly on the PSP.

What made it successful was its flexible structure. Unlike other handheld racers, players weren’t constantly thrust into speed contests. Instead, they had the leisure to traverse vast open roads at their own pace, interact with dealerships, purchase homes, or accept delivery tasks when they pleased. This game offered a laid-back sense of freedom that was scarcely found in handheld racing titles. Although its visual quality didn’t match console standards, the game’s impressive sense of scale, freedom, and ambiance easily surpassed all other handheld racing games.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

If You Steal A Car In Portable Form, Does That Make It A Microcrime?

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories offered a genuine 3D GTA adventure on the PSP at a time when many found the concept nearly unbelievable. Yet, it wasn’t just technologically impressive; it was also enjoyable. Players revisited Liberty City, set three years prior to the events of GTA 3, taking control of Toni Cipriani as he struggled to regain the Leone family’s favor amidst a violent rise in power.

The exceptional open-world adventure on a handheld device isn’t merely about roaming freely or performing various tasks. It’s because Rockstar skillfully maintained the same tone, design, and unpredictability that characterized Grand Theft Auto 3, while tailoring it for shorter gaming periods without compromising quality. Key elements such as mission variety, radio stations, side activities, and even the familiar city layout remained intact. Amazingly, on a device not much bigger than a smartphone, Liberty City retained its urban feel.

Gravity Rush

Gravity Doesn’t Just Pull You Down; It Pulls You In

As a fan, I’d say: Gravity Rush on the PS Vita did something so unusual it seemed impossible yet made it feel like magic. The city of Hekseville wasn’t just a setting; it was a floating playground where you could bend gravity and leap across rooftops, ceilings, and skyways. This unique movement system wasn’t just a trick, it influenced every aspect of exploration and combat, providing a freedom in space that most handheld games shy away from.

The PS Vita’s hardware was stretched to its limits, featuring smooth navigation and a visually appealing world that knowingly emphasized comic book elements while also relying on its atmospheric music and sound design. The protagonist, Kat, is an exceptional choice for handheld gaming, as she’s a pleasure to manage, with each tilt and airborne launch providing a sense of liberation reminiscent of openness usually experienced on large screens, yet surprisingly portable in your hand. Few games offer such a liberating experience on a big screen, and even fewer can achieve this while fitting comfortably in your palm.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Being A Criminal Was Never Meant To Feel This Convenient

As a gamer, I’ve got to say that playing Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on the Nintendo DS (later PSP) was like experiencing the groundbreaking work of Rockstar Games up close. Instead of the usual grand open-world perspective, they took a chance and transformed Liberty City into a dynamic top-down view, drenched in neon hues. Despite the scale reduction, they didn’t skimp on key elements – there was an intricate drug trade simulation, a functional GPS system, a heat system to keep the cops on their toes, and even mini-games for activities as diverse as hotwiring cars to diving into dumpsters! It’s clear that when Rockstar decides to experiment, they outshine most other studios with their mainline productions.

Huang Lee’s story seems perfectly crafted for the DS’s two screens. The touchscreen is utilized effectively for inventory management, driving feels smooth and responsive, and even the interactions using the stylus are surprisingly engaging. What’s surprising is that it never feels diluted or simplified. Every corner of Liberty City is accessible, teeming with missions, stunts, and chaotic side jobs. It’s open-world gameplay executed with meticulous care, designed for a handheld device but brimming with ambition.

The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

The Only Game Where Getting Distracted By A Tree Feels Like Progress

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom builds on the vast open-world framework of Breath of the Wild, introducing multiple dimensions to it. Floating sky islands soar above, vast underground caverns stretch below, and remarkably, the Switch handles it all without overheating. What’s truly impressive isn’t just its smooth performance; it’s that it delivers this seamless experience while allowing players to construct airborne vehicles, combine weapons, and launch Koroks from cliffs.

Hyrule, unlike many open-world games, isn’t just explorable; it encourages interaction. Players have the freedom to approach challenges creatively, such as solving shrines in their own way, building strange machines to solve puzzles, or using physics to eliminate entire enemy camps dramatically. The amazing part is that this immersive gameplay can be enjoyed on a portable console small enough to fit into a jacket pocket, making “Tears of the Kingdom” one of the most technologically impressive portable games ever created.

2025-08-08 07:05