At this rate, the priciest PS Plus subscription tier is a tough sell if you're not into cloud gaming

PlayStation Plus offers three subscription tiers—Essential, Extra, and Premium—and out of all of them, the middle option feels like the best value. As someone who treasures retro games, especially the ability to easily pla??y them on modern hardware, I thought I'd be a regular Premium subscriber above all. But the initial wave of PS Plus Premium classics was sparse, and the rollout since then has been as incremental as folks had feared.

Sony's updates to its classic catalog have been disappointingly irregular, and whenever it has added old-school titles from the PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable days, they typically haven't been the most exciting inclusions. To this day, many fan-favorite games that defined these consoles remain absent from the catalog, such as the original Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon trilogies.

Right now, it seems like most of the value of Premium is tied to the ?streaming-only PS3 classics and cloud gaming in general. Unfortunately for players like me who never got into the PlayStation Now service, that's not a great deal—but it could be so much more e??nticing if the PS1, PS2, and PSP library did more heavy lifting.

For all of the backlash, I've slowly but surely come around on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack thanks to the N64, Sega Genesis, and DLC inclusions. I ho??pe PS Plus Premium can step it up too; other??wise, I'll swap to the Extra tier when my sub runs out.

??As more games join the service, I'll update this list, including notes about any PS1 classics with trophies, or games that? are exclusively playable with PS Plus Premium.

Classics included with PS Plus Premium

PS1 classics

Here are all of the PS1 c?lassics available on PS5:

• 2Xtreme ($9.99 standalone)
• Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare ($9.99 standalone)
• Ape Escape ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Cool Boarders ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Dino Crisis (exclusive to PlayStation Plus Premium) (*trophies*)
• Disney•Pixar Buzz Lightyear of Star Command ($5.99 standalone)
• ??Disney•Pixar Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the?? Rescue! ($5.99 standalone)
• Doom (1993) ($4.99 standalone)
• Doom 2 ($4.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Everybody's Golf ($9.99 standalone)
• Everybody's Golf 2 ($9.99 standalone)
• Grandia ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• G-Police ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Harvest Moon: Back to Nature ($5.99 standalone)
• Herc's Adventures ($4.99 standalone)
• Hot Shots Golf ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Hot Shots Golf 2 ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• I.Q Intelligent Qube ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Jet Moto ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Jet Moto 2 ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Jumping Flash! ($9.99 standalone)
• Kurushi Final: Mental Blocks ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• MediEvil ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Mr. Driller ($9.99 standalone)
• Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus ($4.99 standalone)
• Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee ($4.99 standalone)
• R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 ($9.99 standalone)
• Rally Cross ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Resident Evil Director's Cut (exclusive to PlayStation Plus Premium)
• Star Wars: Demolition ($4.99 standalone)
• Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace ($4.99 standalone)
• Star Wars Rebel Assault II - The Hidden Empire ($4.99 standalone)
• Syphon Filter ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Syphon Filter 2 ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Syphon Filter 3 ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Tekken 2 ($9.99 standalone)
• The Legend of Dragoon ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Twisted Metal ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Twisted Metal 2 ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Wild Arms ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Wild Arms 2 ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Worms ($9.99 standalone)
• Worms Armageddon ($9.99 standalone)
• Worms World Party ($4.99 standalone)

PS2 classics

Here are all of the PS2 classics? available on PS5:

• Ape Escape 2 ($9.99 standalone)
• Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits ($14.99 standalone)
• Dark Cloud ($14.99 standalone)
• Dark Cloud 2 ($14.99 standalone)
• FantaVision ($9.99 standalone)
• Garou: Mark of the Wolves (exclusive to PlayStation Plus Premium)
• Ghosthunter ($9.99) *trophies*
• Hot Shots Tennis ($9.99 standalone)
• Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy ($14.99 standalone)
• Jak II ($14.99 standalone)
• Jak 3 ($14.99 standalone)
• Jak X: Combat Racing ($14.99 standalone)
• Kinetica ($9.99 standalone)
• Mister Mosquito ($9.99 standalone)
• Okage: Shadow King ($9.99 standalone)
• PaRappa The Rapper 2 ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Primal ($9.99 standalone)
• Red Faction ($14.99 standalone)
• Red Faction II ($14.99 standalone)
• Rise of the Kasai ($14.99 standalone)
• Rogue Galaxy ($14.99 standalone)
• Siren ($9.99 standalone)
• SkyGunner ($9.99 standalone) *trophies*
• Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Star Ocean: Till the End of Time ($20.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Star Wars: Bounty Hunter ($9.99 standalone)
• Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter ($9.99 standalone)
• Star Wars: Racer Revenge ($9.99 standalone)
• Summoner ($9.99)
• The Mark of Kri ($14.99 standalone)
• Tomb Raider: Legend ($19.99 standalone)
• TimeSplitters ($9.99 standalone)
• TimeSplitters 2 ($9.99 standalone)
• TimeSplitters: Future Perfect ($9.99 standalone)
• War of the Monsters ($9.99 standalone)
• Wild Arms 3 ($14.99 standalone)

PSP classics

Here are all of the PSP classics a??vailable on PS5:

• Ape Academy 2 ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies)
• Ape Escape Academy ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Ape Escape: On the Loose ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Daxter ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Disney•Pixar Up ($5.99 standalone)
• Echochrome ($9.99 standalone)
• Echoshift ($9.99 standalone)
• Gods Eater Burst ($9.99 standalone)
• Gravity Crash Portable ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Jeanne d'Arc ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Killzone: Liberation ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Kingdom of Paradise ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy ($14.99 standalone)
• LocoRoco Midnight Carnival ($9.99 standalone)
• MediEvil Resurrection ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• No Heroes Allowed! ($9.99 standalone)
• Pinball Heroes ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Pursuit Force ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Resistance: Retribution ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Ridge Racer 2 ($9.99 standalone)
• Secret Agent Clank ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny ($9.99 standalone)
• Super Stardust Portable ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow ($9.99 standalone) (*trophies*)
• Tekken 6 ($9.99 standalone)
• Thrillville ($9.99 standalone)
• Thrillville: Off the Rails ($9.99 standalone)
• Toy Story 3 ($9.99 standalone)

It's worth noting that some beloved games are included in the separate Remasters list on PlayStation Plus Premium. Notable examples include Patapon, Patapon 2, LocoRoco, LocoRoco 2, Toukiden: Kiwami, and Gravity Rush. So while it's a lot of various newer remasters,?? there are gems that fit the "classic" vibe of the PSP and Vita era.

As for PS3 games, again, they're streaming only on PS4 and PS5. There are way too many for me to list out and link �sorry! But Tokyo Jungle and PixelJunk Monsters sure do rule.

The post All Games on PlayStation Plus Premium appeared first on Destructoid.

Another month, another set of Monthly Games for your PlayStation Plus subscription. For October, your PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup offers a little bit of everything, including the new Dead Space remake, the latest wrestling game with WWE 2K24, and the psychological horror experience Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

The Dead Space remake from last year is a "return of a classic, wit?h gorgeous graphics and?? some new twists", earning a solid 8.5 from Eric Van Allen's review of the Horror Sci-Fi shooter. Whether you enjoyed the original, or haven't experienced Dead Space yet, this is a solid addition with an all-around quality game. Remakes can sometimes feel half-baked, but not this one. This only includ??es the latest remake, so you'll need a PlayStation 5 for this one.

I've never been able to get into wrestling, but for fans of the sport, the latest installment in the WWE franchise seems to be a solid outing, averaging an 8/10 score at the time of this post. Both the PS4 and PS5 versions of WWE 2K24 will be available to PS+ subscribers.

Finally, we have Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! rounding out the monthly games for October. If you've never played it, my best advice is to simply do so. It's an experience best enjoyed without any sort of knowledge going in. If you need more information, Doki Doki Literature Club is ?a narrative-driven game where your cha?racter joins a Literature Club looking to find love. But as you start to befriend the characters in the club, things start to sinister. What seems like a happy visual novel quickly turns into a psychological horror experience.

As with every month, these monthly games will become available for PS+ subscribers on the first Tuesday of October, which just so happens to be on October 1. If you haven't picked up your PS+ games for September, make sure you do so before then. Are yo??u excit?ed to try out any of the three monthly games for October?

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I always have one eye on the classics that get added to the PlayStation Plus Catalog lineup. There are some eclectic choices that come up, and that’s what I’m always hungry for. This month, there’s a game you should try. Mister Mosquito is peak �0s weirdness.

It’s a pretty cool month. Not that I’m subscribed to Extra or Premium, but if you are, there’s some cool stuff. Plucky Squire is a pretty exciting upcoming title and Night in the Woods is pretty boss (so I’ve heard). I’ll give you the full list from Sony’s blog in just a minute, but first, let’s talk about Mr. Mosquito.

Actually, I did a full write-up of Mister Mosquito. Is it a good game? Not really. However, it’s an interesting and unique game, which makes it worth playing. You take the role of a mosquito that has to harass a family until they all suffer a catastrophic mental breakdown. I can really relate to that. It’s the sort of weird concept that was more common back before publishers learned that the only way to make enough money to feed their super-yacht addictions is to put a dude wi??th a gun on the cover.

You’ve also got Skygunner, a decent 2001 on-rails shooter from back when those were still a thing. There’s also Secret Agent Clank from the days when there was far too much Ratchet & Clank.

Now I will paste�No, wait, they formatted this in a very unpaste-able way. I’m going to have to go throu??gh this individually. Okay, well, here’s the li??st:

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog

• The Plucky Squire | PS5
• Under The Waves | PS4, PS5
• Night in the Woods | PS4, PS5
• Chernobylite | PS4, PS5
• Wild Card Football | PS4, PS5
• Space Engineers | PS4, PS5
• Road 96 | PS4, PS5
• Ben 10 | PS4
• Far Cry 5 | PS4

PlayStation Premium | PS VR2 & Classics

• Pistol Whip | PS VR2
• Secret Agent Clank | PS4, PS5
• Sky Gunner | PS4, PS5
• Mister Mosquito | PS4, PS5

The post Mister Mosquito is coming back as part of September’s PlayStation Plus update appeared first on Destructoid.

In an official PlayStation Blog post today, Adam Michel, Director of Content Acquisition and Operations revealed the three PlayStation Plus monthly games for September. All three games become available on PS+ on September 3, the same day the headline title, Quidditch Champions, is set to release. The other two titles for September are MLB The Show 24 and Little Nightmares 2.

The headliner title, Quidditch Champions, allows players to immerse themselves in the world of Quidditch straight out of Harry Potter lore. You know, the broom flying game. Players take the sky as one of the classic positions in Quidditch: Chaser, Seeker, Keeper, or Beater. Quidditch Champions features a variety of Quidditch Arenas and maps including those never-before-seen in the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Quidditch Champions will also launch with a career mode as well as? solo play or online co-op with up to three friends. There are also online player vs player mat?ches, which are sure to be quite the competitive broomfights.

MLB The Show 24 is Sony's exclusive annual baseball game, and as expected, this latest iteration seems to feature home runs, strike outs, and even the fabled grand slam. MLB The Show 24 has reviewed rather well critically, averaging an 8.0/10 at the time of this post on Metacritic.

The final title for the September PS+ Monthly Game lineup is the horror title Little Nightmares 2 which is the platforming adventure sequel to the original Little Nightmares. In the sequel, you control Mono, a young boy trapped in a distorted and broken world while being accompanied by Six, the hero from the or??iginal. The duo must work together using stealth and co??ordination to overcome tricky puzzles and horrifying enemies.

It's sort of a mixed back for September. If you're excited about Harry Potter or Quidditch, getting Quidditch Champions on release day is probably a delight. Alternatively, if you're a baseball fan, you probably already have MLB The Show 24 but if not, well, it is the latest one. And I'd recommend anyone who likes spooky games to give Little Nightmares 2 a try, especially before the release of Little Nightmares 3 next year.

The post Quidditch Champions is your headline PS+ Monthly Game f?or September appeared first on Destructoid.

Sony's own action-adventure game Horizon: Forbidden West is strangely leaving the PlayStati?on Plus Extra lineup next month. What makes it even odder is that o??nly Europeans will be affected by this move.

While North Americans miss out on playing the Destroy All Humans franchise through PlayStation Plus Extra in September, Europeans are losing multiple highlight games, including Marvel's Midnight Suns, Nier Replicant, and Horizon: Forbidden West. It was shown in the "Last Chance? to Play" section of the service.

Another Horizon game was taken off PlayStation Plus Extra in May

It made sense when Horizon: Zero Dawn left PlayStation Plus back in May as there's a rumor a remaster is in the works. However, the already PS5-released Forbidden West being taken off PlayStation's own service seems to be a mistake to fans. It seems like the company is cutting its own foot, and it's a lovely foot at that. You wouldn't think Netflix would remove Stranger Things, for example.

As highlighted by GameSpot, the full li??st of PlayStation Plus Extra games leaving the s??ervice in Europe next month includes:

• Horizon Forbidden West
• Marvel's Midnight Suns
• Alien Isolation
• Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139...
• Spiritfarer
• Star Ocean: First Departure R
• Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
• Star Ocean: The Last Hope 4K & Full HD Remaster
• Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
• Star Ocean: The Divine Force

North A?mericans, however, will miss ou??t on these games:

• NBA 2K24
• Need for Speed Unbound
• Destroy All Humans!
• Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed
• Spellforce: Reforged
• Trials of Mana
• Lost Judgment
• Moving Out 2
• Midnight Fight Express
• Sea of Stars

A sign to come?

Hopefully, the removal of Horizon Forbidden West isn't a sign to come for the service. It currently has other first-party titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon's Souls, and Sackboy's Big Adventure. You'd hope that PlayStation adds to the service more than it takes away. Thankfully, a promising indie called The Plucky Squire is heading to PlayStation Plus Extra on day one.

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Sony has revealed the PlayStation Plus game catalogue titles for August 2024, and the list of games is headlined by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The critically acclaimed game from CD Projekt Red has won over 200 Ga?me of the Year awards and is often considered one of the best RPG games of a??ll time.

Even though The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt came out all the way back in 2015, it is still a game worth exploring, as the game takes you on an adventure as Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher who slays monsters fo??r coin.

PS Plus Game Catalogue for August 2024

Among the list of games coming to the Game Catalogue for PS Plus Extra members, is Cult of the Lamb. The roguelike game from indie developer Massive Monster and publisher Devolver Digital is another headliner in the PS P?lus titles for August 2024. Players start their own cult, and gain followers, and? there are also base-building and dungeon-crawling elements present in the gameplay.

Wild Hearts by developers Omega Force, released under the EA Originals banner, takes players to a world filled with monsters (known as Kemono) in the fantasy land of Azuma, which is inspired by feudal Japan. PS Plus Extra subscribers can also play Wild Hearts ?free of cost , and all games from the catalogue will?? be playable from August 20 onwards.

Here are the games added to the PS Plus Game Catalogue? in August 2024:

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Cult of the Lamb
• Wild Hearts
• Watch Dogs 2
• Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker
• Ride 5
• Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris
• Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet
• Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization
• Sword Art Online: Last Recollection

PS VR2 and Classic Catalogue games for August 2024

PlayStation Premium subscribers get t??o enjoy all the games from the Game Catalogue available for Extra members, and they also get access to PS VR2 games and Classic Catalogue which features titles released for older PlayStation consoles.

• Vacation Simulator
• TimeSplitters
• TimeSplitters 2
• TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
• Sword Art Online: Lost Song

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PlayStation revealed the upcoming August additions t?o the Pla?yStation Plus Game Catalog on the PS Blog today, and it includes quite the treat for fans of the TimeSplitters franchise. All three of the TimeSplitters games that launched on PlayStation 2�em>TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2, and TimeSpltiters: Future Perfect—will be available for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers on both PS4 and P?S5 starting on August 20.

Every game coming to PlayStation Plus Game Catalog in August

For those not looking to relive the early 2000s by building massive levels from the 1800s or far into the future, there are plenty of other exciting additions coming to the Game Catalog this month. Fans of massive open-world RPGs will be happy to see The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt added to the catalog, and those looking to feel the monster hunter void until Monster Hunter Wilds can do so with developer Omega Force and Koei Tecmo Games feudal japan inspired monster hunting title Wild Hearts from 2023.

Popular cult roguelike Cult of the Lamb that just received it's second major update of the year is coming to the collection, as is every Sword Art Online title including Lost Song via PlayStation Plus, while Alicization Lycoris, Fatal Bullet, Hollow Realization, and Last Recollection are all being added to both PlayStation Plus Extra and Pr?emium.

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium

• Cult of the Lamb (PS4, PS5)
• Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker (PS4)
• Ride 5 (PS5)
• Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris (PS4)
• Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet (PS4)
• Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization (PS4)
• Sword Art Online: Last Recollection (PS4, PS5)
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4, PS5)
• Watch Dogs 2 (PS4)
• Wild Hearts (PS5)

PlayStation Premium

• Sword Art Online: Lost Song (PS4)
• TimeSplitters (PS4, PS5)
• TimeSplitters 2 (PS4, PS5)
• TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (PS4, PS5)
• Vacation Simulator (PSVR and PSVR2)

All of these new additions will hit the PlaySt??ation Plus Game Catalog on August 20.

The post ??Entire TimeSplitters series coming to PlayStation Plus Premium this month appeared first on Destructoid.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is releasing in September 2024 but can you play its multiplayer without a PlayStation Plus?? subscription?

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is the new multiplayer game from Portkey Games where you play as a Hogwarts student and take part in the iconic sport from the Warner Bros universe.

You can either play solo or with a group of friends in a PvP format on both last-gen and current-gen consoles, including the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. If you're wondering whether you need PS Plus to play the multiplay??er mode, we've got you covered.

Is PS Plus needed to play Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions multiplayer?

Yes, you must have a valid PS Plus subscription to play the Online Competitive Mode in Quidditch Champions.

However, if you're only planning to play the single-player Career Mode, you won't require PS Plus. But you don't want to restrict yourself to the single-player mode only. The real fun lie?s in the multiplayer mode.

The devs have confirmed that the game will be available from day one for all PS Plus members. In this case, you can play the Standard edition of Quidditch Champions and also get the Firebolt Supreme broom skin along with i??t.

So, if you don't want to buy a premium edition of the game, you've another way to play it on?? your PlayStation. You can al??ways choose to purchase the game at a later date though.

If you're planning to get Quidditch Champions on PC, your system must meet the minimum and recommended system requirements.

The post C?an you play H?arry Potter: Quidditch Champions multiplayer without PS Plus? appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite the somewhat disappointing Essential monthly games for July, the PlayStation Plus Extra an?d Premium lineup ??is more than making up for it this month.

PlayStation Plus Extra July 2024 lineup is impressive

PlayStation Plus Extra July 2024 fittingly heats up Sony's subscription service with new games, such as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, Remnant 2, and a PSP classic Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters.

PSVR 2 enthusiasts can also play Job Simulator through PlayStation Pl?us Extra if th?ey haven't already.

Starting on July 16, Square Enix fans may be delighted to play the Final Fantasy VII Remake prequel Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion. It features Zack Fair, the hero who stars alongside Cloud in Rebirth. You can find out more about his story in t??his triple-A remaster of the PSP classic.

That's not all for PSP fans, however. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, which has a surprisingly expensive PS2 port in the second-hand market, will be playable on modern systems for the first time on July 16 alongside all the other games we'll mention in this article. Like the other classic titles, Size Matters is only available for PlayStation Plus Premium ??members. Sorry, Extra gu??ys.

Thankfully, Remnant 2, an entertaining co-op shooter is also going to be available for PlayStation Plus Extra subscribers. We gave it a great 8.5/10 score last year. "As much as I enjoyed the cinematography and scope of the world design in Remnant: From the Ashes, the team really knocked it out of the park with Remnant 2," said our reviewer Steven Mills. "There are multiple worlds you’ll find yourself progressing through, each with a unique setting and story that re??ally immersed me."

You'll have a lot to play this month

There are plenty of highlight??s in the PlayStation P??lus Extra July 2024 lineup. They include:

• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
• Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
• The Jackbox Party Pack 9
• Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
• No More Heroes 3
• Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Complete Edition
• Deadcraft
• Steep

PlayStation P??lus Premium members will get their hands on:

• Job Simulator (PSVR2 version)
• Summoner (PS2)
• Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (PSP)
• Jeanne d'Arc (PSP)

The post Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion and Remnant 2 join PlayStation Plus Extr??a this month appeared first on Destructoid.

PlayStation has announced the upcoming July lineup of Monthly Games coming to PlayStation Plus, all of which become playable on July 2. Your PlayStation Plus games for July 2024 are Borderlands 3, NHL 24, and Among Us. Alongside the monthly additions, PlayStation Plus members will also get access to an exclusive Genshin Impact bundle on July 16.

Headling the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for July is Borderlands 3, the third installment in the popular cel-shaded looter shooter. Even though it's almost five years old at this point, it's still a good one. Our own Chris Carter felt like "Borderlands 3 takes most of the good bits of Borderlands 2 and either rolls with them or improves upon them. ??It didn't need to reinvent the wheel either, as Gearbox pretty much had the formula figured out the second time around."

Those more interested in playing some hockey will have the option to do so with NHL 24. This annual installment of ??hitting the ice scored above-average critic reviews and seems to be a solid outing for fans of the sport.

The final game for this month is the popular sussy multiplayer social deduction title Among Us. Chances are you've already played Among Us if you have any interest in it, but if not or yo?u were looking for a reason to try it out on PS5, this is as good a time as any.

All three of these Monthly Games become available for PlayStation Plus members on July 2. That also means that current subscribers will have through July 1 to claim the PlayStation Plus titles for June 2024 which include SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake, AEW Fight Forever, and Streets of Rage 4.

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Sony has been adding more PlayStation 2 games to its Classics catalogue on PlayStation Plus, starting with Tomb Raider Legend, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the first Sly Cooper game. Hopefully, the other two Sly sequels will follow suit. But, in the meantime, it's said that Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus has been the most popular so far, and has even had the bigg?est debut ever on PS Plus Premium??.

This is according to TrueTrophies, which sampled data from over 3.1 million active PSN accounts. While there are no exact figures, Sly Cooper saw 39.66% more active players the week of its PS Plus launch than Tomb Raider Legend (both games arrived on June 11). It also had 2.5% more players than what PS1 RPG The Legend of Dragoon, the former best-performing? PS Pl??us Premium game, had during its launch week in February 2023.

As a die-hard fan of the Sly series myself, it makes me very happy to know fellow PlayStation owners have flocked to the first game, be they returning fans or curious newcomers. At the very least, this shows there is interest in the series, though I'm hesitant to say this is all the evidence Sony needs to justify launching a hypothetical Sly 5. For starters, while it may rank at the top of the Premium tier, further data from TrueTrophies covering all of PS Plus puts Sly Cooper as only the eighth biggest PS Plus launch of 2024 so far, sitting below indie hit Animal Well and Borderlands spin-off Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.

Plus, I really can't think of a Sony owned developer that could take over the Sly series. Sucker Punch, which handled the original trilogy from 2002 to 2005, has made it clear it has moved on from the series, even stressing in a 2022 blog post that no Sly projects were in the works at any studio. It's also easy to assume the studio is busy working on a possible sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, especially considering how much of a sales success that game was, with its last recorded figures being 9.75 million copies by July 2022, two years after launch.

Sony enlisted Sanzaru Games for the fourth entry, 2013's Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, but that studio has since been acquired by Facebook and is now part of Oculus Studios. And while Sony has studios well-versed in making 3D platformers, like Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog (which made the Jak & Daxter games before moving onto Uncharted and The Last of Us), there are like?ly far too busy with other projects that would be more o??f a priority for the company.

A Sly 5 is sorely needed, if only to resolve the cliffhanger ending from Thieves in Time. With the odds of such a sequel happening so low, though, I think us fans will have to pin hopes on Sly 2 and 3 being added to the Classics?? catalogue, which will hopefully happen sooner rather tha??n later.

The post Sly Cooper is ??proving p?opular on PS Plus, even without a new Sly in sight appeared first on Destructoid.

As part?? of its annual Days of Play 2024 event, PlayStation today revealed its lineup of monthly games for those subscribed to PlayStation ??Plus in the month of June. If you feel like the monthly games lineup has been weak as of late, I doubt the games for June will change that feeling.

The Monthly Games for June on PS+

The thr??ee monthly games for June on PlayStation Plus became available for members on June 4, and here are th??e games:

• AEW Fight Forever
• SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake
• Streets of Rage 4

Hopefully a dream lineup for you included two fighting games and a SpongeBob game, because that's what we got. Streets of Rage 4 is actually a pretty solid game, as is SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake, but neither are exactly major releases by any means. AEW Fight Forever isn't my cup of tea, and based on Metacritic scores it's rather average anyw??ay. Overall this just ?feels like yet another lackluster "What can we grab from the bargain bin" type month for PlayStation Plus, which unfortunately has been pretty part for the course lately.

If you haven't grabbed it yet, one of the May Monthly Games, EA Sports FC 24 will remain available for PS+ members until June 18, so make sure y?ou redeem it by then.

Here are the rest of the new additions coming to the PS?+ Game Catalog, Classic Catalog, PS VR2 and Game Trials for the month?? of June:

PS VR2 Games

• Before Your Eyes
• Ghostbusters; Rise of the Ghost Lord
• Synth Riders
• Walkabout Mini Golf
• The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapters 1 & 2

PS2 Classics

• Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• Tomb Raider Legend

Game Catalog Additions

• Cricket 24 (PS4 and PS5 on June 5)
• Dredge (PS4 and PS5 on May 29)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition (PS4 and PS5 on June 7)
• Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 (PS4 on May 31)

Also, on May 29 a Game Trial for WWE 2K24 will become available for Premium members on PS4 and PS5. Even though the actual monthly games are a bit of a let down, Dredge is a lot of fun, and I'll never turn down a reason to play Sly Cooper again.

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While April has seen another wave of new additions to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, Sony has quietly confirmed that no less than 25 games will be leaving the se??rvice towards the end of May.

This means, that as of May 21, PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers will no longer be able to play any of these games. Even if you've downloaded them to your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5, you'll lose access once they're removed from the catalog. The list also includes seven prominent Final Fantasy games, such as the original Final Fantasy 7 and the Final Fantasy 10/10-2 collection.

All these games will still be available for purchase on the PlayStati?on Store, though, if you ever want to keep playing them. Below, you?'ll find a full alphabetized list of every game that will leave the PS Plus Game Catalog on May 21.

• Abzu
• Absolver: Downfall
• ADR1FT
• The Artful Escape
• Ashen
• Elex
• Final Fantasy 7
• Final Fantasy 8 Remastered
• Final Fantasy 9
• Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remaster
• Final Fantasy 12 The Zodiac Age
• Final Fantasy 15 Royal Edition
• How to Survive 2
• I Am Dead
• Jotun: Valhalla Edition
• Last Stop
• The Messenger
• Minit
• Monster Jam Steel Titans 2
• My Friend Pedro
• Observation
• Sundered: Eldritch Edition
• This is the Police
• This is the Police 2
• World of Final Fantasy

In their place are 11 games, with Dave the Diver headlining them. You can find the full list on the PlayStation Blog, all of which are available at the time of writing. The two exceptions are Tales of Kenzera: Zau and Animal Well, which will? be added to the catalog once they launch on April 23 and May 9 ??respectively.

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In a post on the official PlayStation Blog, the monthly PlayStation Plus games for March have been revealed. Headlining the additions is developer Slowcap's stylish and gritty beat-em-up Sifu. For racing fans, EA Sports F1 23 is one of the other games being added in March. Hello Neighbor 2 and Destiny 2: Witch Queen are the other two titles joining the lineup. All four games are are being added for both PlayStation 4 and PlayS?tation 5.

A good month because of Sifu alone

If you haven't had the opportunity to play Sifu, this is your chance. Our very own Eric "Queen's Blood Master" Van Allen ga??ve it a solid 9/10 when it was released two years ago, praising Slowcap's ability to tread the line between challenge and reward. According to Eric, "Sifu is a challenge worth taking on and overcoming. It’s a?? story of vengeance with a little hea?rt at the end, and though it might not land perfectly, it’s got a lot of style and action to back it up."

As for EA Sports F1 23, I'll admit I'm not a racing game fan myself. But just yesterday EA confirmed F1 24 will launch in May, so it makes sense to see this last year's release joining PS+. According to the PlayStation Blog, F1 23 features a new "Braking Point" story mode with high-speed ?drama ?and heated rivalries in the realistic racing simulator.

Next up is developer Eerie Guest and tinyBuild's sequel to the hit stealth-centric title Hello Neighbor. In Hello Neighbor 2, players must investigate the seemin?gly quiet town of Raven Brooks to uncover the dark? secrets of their neighbors and solve the case of Mr. Peterson, the infamous antagonist from the first game.

Rounding out the new additions for March is Destiny 2: Witch Queen. The Witch Queen is the Year 5 major expansion for Destiny 2 that released in 2022. The standalone expansion does not require any dependencies on previous DLC, and you only need to have the original Destiny 2 which is avail??able free of cost to all PlayStation Plus members.

All four games above will join ??the PlayStation Plus lineup on Mar?ch 5, and be available through April 1.

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Good news PlayStation Plus members and Call of Duty fans! The latest Combat Pack for Modern Warfare 3 is now available for free ??if you're a PS+ subscriber. Combat Packs are a nice way to g??et some extra cosmetic content for your profile, so might as well nab this one for free if you're a member.

What is in Call of Duty MW3 Combat Pack 2?

Understandably, seeing a free downloadable content pack for Call of Duty mi?ght immediately make you think the content you receive is bad. However, Combat Pack ??2 is undoubtedly worth it.

The following items come in the new package:

• Lockpick operator skin
• 2 weapon blueprints
• Charm
• Sticker
• Calling card
• Emblem

Modern Warfare 3 is discounted on all platforms

In addition to the free content pack, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is also discounted on PS5 and PS4 right now. It's currently available for $48.99, down from $69.99. This discount isn't exclusive to PlayStation Plus members or the PlayStation platform. PC and Xbox players can also buy the franchise's latest insta??llment at a 30% dis??count for a limited time.

The Vault Edition of the game is also discounted, currently to $79.99, down? from $99.99. At a 20% discount, this one adds an operator pack, a tracer weapon blueprint, two weapon vaults, and one season of Blackcell with 30 tier skips for the battle pass. If you??'re particularly interested in the cosmetics that come with the Vault Edition of the game, it can be quite worth it.

Buying a Blackcell battle pass wit??h 25 tier skips right now costs $29.99. Doing some quick math shows that with the standard edition of the game at 30% off would be $78.98. So basically you'd get the extra cosmetic packs a?nd five more tier skips for an extra dollar. If fancy cosmetics don't interest you, there's no reason to buy anything but the standard edition.

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Last month's PlayStation Pl??us Game Catalog additions were decent. But this month, PlayStation really brought the goods if you're an RPG fan. While the headliner for the month is the newest Need for Speed title, Need for Speed Unbound, the true gems in my opinion are the addition of Tales of Arise, The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

An RPG-loaded Month

Tales of Arise is the latest entry in the Tales series and is an absolute banger of an RPG. Our very own Eric Van Allen scored it an 8.5 when it was released back in 2021, calling it "a strong step forward for a series with a bright future ahead of it." I've still yet to beat it and actually think a friend is still "borrowing" my copy so this is certainly a case for me ??to get back in and finish it.

Meanwhile, The Outer Worlds continues to be probably my favorite Obsidian Entertainment RPG, at least up there with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Ou??r Mana?ging Editor Chris Carter reviewed it back in 2019 and gave it a score of 9, praising the open??-world RPGs "charm and succinct vision without much bloat."

And then there's also Assassin's Creed Valhalla which while not an RPG in the traditional sense, certainly has RPG mechanics in a massive open world. It got a bit too repetitive for me near the end, but overall it's a fun ride and up there? with some of the best in the series.

Here are all the games coming to the PlayStation Pl??us Extra and Premium Game Catalog on February 20:

• Need for Speed Unbound (PS5)
• The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition (PS5)
• Tales of Arise (PS5 and PS4)
• Assassin's Creed Valhalla (PS5 and PS4)
• Roguebook (PS5 and PS4)
• LEGO Worlds (PS4)
• LEGO Jurassic World (PS4)
• Rogue Lords (PS4)
• Tales of Zestiria (PS4)

Those with Pl??ayStation Premium will also get four new Classics titles:

• Resistance: Retribution (Playable via PS5 and PS4)
• Jet Moto 2 (Playable via PS5 and PS4)
• Tales of Symphonia (Playable via PS5 and PS4)
• Tales of Vesperia (Playable via PS5 and PS4)

As you can see, plenty of RPG options. Especially if you are a Tales fan. I hope someday we get a more modern opportunity to revisit Tales of Graces, it was one of my favorites!

/

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PlayStation has revealed the PlayStation Plus lineup for February which includes the Day One Release of Foamstars. The Splatoon-like foam shooter includes both PS5 and PS4 versions. Also included in February's lineup is third-person shooter-skater Rollerdome which also includes both PS5 and PS4 versions, and Steelrising, an action RPG set in alternate history Paris. Steelrising is not available on ?PS4, so will only be downloadable on PS5.

Day One Release and two solid titles

All titles will become free to download for PlayStation Plus subscribers on February 6, which is also the same day Foamstars releases. Published by Square Enix, Foamstars is hoping it can compete with Splatoon for the genre of goofy games where you compete to cover the map?? in your foam as opposed to your enemies.

Rollerdrome on the other hand released on August 16, 2022, and allows players to put on their heavy-duty roller gear and compete in the brutal blood sport of Rollerdrome. As you zoom around the Rollerdrome arena you're tasked with shooting other contestants. Taking them out grants you health, while performing tricks in the arena gives you ammo. Destructoid's CJ Andriessen gave Rollerdrome a solid 8.5, saying: "This?? is an exceptional and welcoming game, one that takes the best elements from both skater and competitive shooter genres and combines them into a sophisticated and unabashedly cool e??xperience."

In Steelrising, players travel t??o an alternate history Paris where the French Revolution has been suppressed by a robotic a??rmy. The action RPG puts players in the role of Aegis, an automaton, as she explores the streets and rooftops of a Steampunk Paris, fighting off technological marvels along the way.

PlayStation Plus subscribers will also get access to an exclusive PS+ Fall Guys Icon Pack that grants Fall Guys costumes for a handful of PlayStation characters including Ratchet, Clank, and Aloy. Premium and Deluxe subscribers also get a 2 hour Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Game Trial.

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The PlayStation Blog revealed what PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra owners ?ca??n add to their Game Catalog this month. Each of January's offerings will be available to Extra and Premium subscribers as of January 16.

Sony is highlighting Tiny Tina's Wonderlands as a stand-out this month. It's a spin-off from Gearbox's renowned Borderlands series. This time around, the looter-shooter leans into the tabletop inspirations set forth by past content like Borderlands 2's Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep. Chris Carter reviewed it at launch in March of 2022 and considered it "great".

Resident Evil 2 (also coming to Game Pass) is the second headliner this month. Capcom's "superb" remake of the iconic horror sequel wow-ed when it was re??leased in 2019. I'd strongly recommend it if you've yet to explore Raccoon City on modern consoles.

Hardspace: Shipbreaker is also coming to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog on January 16. You may not recognize the title, but this space-scavenging career sim impressed many when it launched on PC last year. Zoey Handley of the Destructoid awarded it with an 8.5 upon release.

An oldie but a goodie comes to the service in the form of LEGO City Undercover. The 2013 open-world title is one of few original entries in the LEGO-verse. It got solid reviews back then too.

Another classic in the form of Just Cause 3 is on the way too. Destructoid labeled it as "Explosion: The Video Game" in our 2015 review.

Those awaiting the upcoming free-to-play Skate project can try to quench their thirst with Session: Skate Sim this month. I?t's self-described as an "ultra-realistic skating game" that's "made by a??nd for skaters".

January also brings us the stealth samurai title Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is a great option for those looking for some cool puzzles within a darker story. And Surviving the Aftermath, a post-apocalyptic resour?ce management game, is the final PlayStation Plus Game Catalog offering of the month.

For those with PlayStation Plus Premium, there are five new titles coming to that retro library. Be on the lookout for Secret of Mana, Legend of Mana, Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection, Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace, and Rally Cross to drop in January as well.

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PlayStation Plus Premium members can now try their hand at two of the most notable games of the year. The subscription service is adding free trials for a bizarre duo: Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Lord of the Rings Gollum. 

LOTR fans will get to check out Gollum for a full hour, and based on the game’s terrible reception, that might be more than enough time with it. Gollum has a Top Critic Score of just 37 on OpenCritic, with only 4% of critics recommending it.

Following the game’s release in May 2023, publisher Daedlic Entertainment closed its development studio in Hamburg, Germany and canceled its plans for another game set in Middle-Earth. Now, any PlayStation players who skipped out on the game thanks to the rough reviews can get a chan?ce to evaluate it for themselves.

Baldur’s Gate 3, on the other hand, is one of the most celebrated games of the year. The massive CRPG has been blowing everyone away since it debuted in August. It earned eight nominations at The Game Awards, including Game o??f the? Year and Best Game Direction for Larian Studios.

It’s one of those games that stays deeply engaging even after hundreds of hours, so the two hour trial coming to PlayStation Plus Premium will hardly be enough for players to get a taste of what the game has to offer. That said, the opening hours are exciting en?ough that the trial will likely snag more than a few new players for the game. 

Both of the trials are currently available? thr?ough the PlayStation Store. 

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Sony has announced a strong assortment of titles headed to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers in the Game Catalog this November, including?? several PlayStation Classics being added with glow-ups include??d.

The headliners this month, outside of the Classics games, are likely Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen and Teardown. Teardown is a day-and-date release for PlayStation Plus subscribers. The sandbox title launches November 15 and was wonderfully broken down via a re?cent launch trailer narrated by Owen Wilson himself.

Do your homework ahead of Dragon's Dogma 2

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is a port of the PlayStation 4 version of the game that earned a 78 on Metacritic. It's a 2016 action RPG from Capcom?? where you'll explore a large open world with a trio of ?AI companions. This version also includes all of the previously released DLC.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme vs. Maxi Boost On is another very well-received PlayStation 4 title that's included this month. We lauded the 2020 3D fighter, praising it for a "more properly thought-out offline suite, split-screen support, LAN mode, a deep roster, and an improved netcode all lead to a superior package that can appeal to even non-Gundam fans."

Dead Island: Riptide Definitive Edition is a post-apocalyptic first-person shooter that you can probably skip. The perception puzzler, Superliminal, is on the way later this month. We thought it was "Great" in our November 2019 review.

Also included this month is Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, a Kickstarter prequel to the upcoming action RPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Hunderd Heroes. We also gave Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising a "Great" review, fueling even more hype toward Hundred Heroes' release in April 2024.

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi is a 2018 turn-based strategy title from Koei Tecmo Games. Its PlayStation 4 version earned a 70 on Metacritic.

Alternate Jake Hunter: Daedalus The Awakening of Golden Jazz is a visual novel with a mouthful of a name. It's an interrogation murder mystery set in New York City that pulls your inner detective out. And River City Melee Mach!! is, as you might expect, a retro-styl?ed 2D beat 'em-up from Arc System Works.

The classics

Finally, there's a quartet of PlayStation Premium Classics games coming our way. Grandia, a legendary PlayStation 1 RPG is coming to the Catalog, complete with up-rendered grap??hics, a rewind f??eature, quick save, and custom video filters.

The iconic 1997 PlayStation racer, Jet Moto is getting a makeover as well. It too features up-rendered looks,?? quick save, rewind, and custom video filters.

Disney Pixar's Up is an inclusion for all the younger players out there. It didn't review very well, but the 2009 advent?ure game is one your kids may enjoy.

Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series combines the PlayStation 1's Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and PlayStation 2's Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil into one package. The pair's looks have both been upgraded and adjustable difficulty settings were implemented to make the games more accessible. We gave it a 7 when it was released initially in July 2022.

Finally, but perhaps most excitedly for many, is the inclusion of PaRappa the Rapper 2. Originally released on PlayStation 2?, the game's graphics have since been upgraded a??nd Trophy support was added to this iconic rapping rhythm title.

Teardown is available for PlayStation Plus subscribers at launch on November 15. E??verything else ?rolls out to those with the subscription service on November 21. Be sure to be thankful for these throwback titles during Thanksgiving break.

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It's the beginning of another month, and Sony is here to tease us with? its PlayStation Plus November games lineup. The publ??isher announced its trio of titles headed to the subscription service next week, with none of them exactly being headliners.

Perhaps among the more noteworthy includes 2021's Aliens: Fireteam Elite, a third-person survival shooter with both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions. Back in the day, Destructoid reviewed the title, scoring it at a whopping 5.5.

Fireteam Elite sees a squad of three marines, whether cooperatively with friends or?? alongside AI, explore the caves and ruins of the mysterious planet LV?-895. Players can build up their marine's skills across six different classes with 130 different perks. All in an effort to fend off Xenomorphs, Spitters, and other alien creatures dead set on exterminating you.

The PlayStation 4's Mafia II: Definitive Edition is also a free offering to subscribers this month. The PS4 version of the game sits at a 56 on Metacritic and was criticized for various bugs, glitches, and gameplay flaws. However, if you're a big fan of the original 2010 crime game, this 2020 remaster brings an HD makeover and incorporates all of the previously released DLC. Destructoid awarded it a 7??, noting there are "hard-to-ignore faults, but the exp??erience is fun."

Dragon Ball: The Breakers for PlayStation 4 is the third title coming to PlayStation Plus members this month. The game features Raiders v. Survivors gameplay, with Raiders being iconic characters like Cell, Frieza, or Buu from the manga/anime series. The Raiders will grow in power during the course of each round, and Survivors must work together to thwart their efforts. Released for PlayStation 4 last October, it was generally panned with that version of the game residing at a 52 on Metacritic.

With these three games coming to PlayStation Plus on November 7, another group is on its way out. October's PlayStation Plus lineup of The Callisto Protocol, Farming Simulator 22, and Weird West will no longer be available after November 6.

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Sony has announced what games are being added to their various PlayStation Plus tiers this month, and buried with the rest of their Classics Catalog additions is I.Q. Final. It will be arriving on October 17.

I.Q. Final is the sequel to 1997’s I.Q.: Intelligent Qube, which you may remember from PS1 demo discs. It’s a fantastic little game that presents a great challenge, terrific music, and a tremendous blow to your self-esteem. It has you dropping bomb tiles to try and clear a path through a rolling stack of blocks. Don’t blow up the forbidden tiles, though. Each one you accidentally destroy drops a row from the platform you’re standing ?on, which dwindles throughout, drastically cutting down the time you have to surgically clear a path through the blocks.

The 1998 sequel was never released in North America. It was released in Japan as Kurushi Final: Mental Blocks and Europe as I.Q. Final. Even with its various PlayStation Network r?eleases, it never made it over here. The seq??uel comes with four modes: 100 Attack, Survival, Create, and Final. 100 Attack has you take on individual puzzles, Survival is an endless mode, and Final is the classic design.

I recently discovered the greatness of I.Q.: Intelligent Qube. After I completed it, I then immediately researched where I could go next, only to find none of the sequels came to North America. This includes 2000’s I.Q. Remix+ and 2006’s I.Q. Mania. So, finally getting I.Q. Final is an absolute treat.

Unless they leave it in PALs 50hz format. And unless the??y make it only available to Premium subscribers. I have to admit, Son?y has a great vector on hurting my feelings.

I.Q. Final joins the PlayStati?on Classics Catalog on October 17.

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Hold onto your subscriptions because Sony has revealed the games coming to PlayStation P??lus on October 17. This set involves a bunch of horror games, just in time for Hallowe’en. It's definitely not a bad mix, but the Classic Catalog line-up is anemic, as usual. On the other hand, I'm surprised by one particular game's inclusion.

Here are the titles joining Extra and Premium:

• Alien: Isolation
• Gotham Knights
• House of Ashes
• Outlast 2
• Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
• Dead Island: Definitive Edition
• Elite Dangerous
• Far: Changing Tides
• Gungrave G.O.R.E.
• Eldest Souls
• Roki

Meanwhile, the Class??ic Catalog additions are as follows:

• Tekken 6 (PS3)
• Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny (PSP)
• Ape Escape Academy (PSP)
• I.Q. Final (PS1)

This certainly is a decent bunch of additions, but with the recent PlayStation Plus price hike, there’s no way I’ll be touching the Extra and Premium tiers. Even the Classic Catalog additions are better than the usual fare, with I.Q. Final being an especially interesting addition. I can onl?y hope that the PS1 and PSP titles ar??e available piecemeal, which is never guaranteed with Sony.

As for new games, Alien: Isolation is one of my favorite horror games. Elite Dangerous is a rather robust space exploration game from a legendary series. Disco Elysium is one I haven’t gotten around to because I’m afraid it might be too depressing for my mindset. Meanwhile, I really don’t like Dead Island. Something for everyone.

These titles will be arriv?ing for the various PlayStation ??Plus tier subscribers on October 17.

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Many new games, including NieR Replicant and Civilization VI, are joining the PlayStation Plus Extra October 2023 lineup, as per the PlayStation Blog. Some retro games, including the Star Ocean series, will be available for PlayStation Plus Pre??mium members as well. All of these titles can be downloaded to your PS4 and PS5 on September 19.

20 titles have been announced to join the PlayStation Plus Extra October 2023 lineup.?? They include the following:

• NieR Replicant
• 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
• Civilization VI
• Star Ocean The Divine Force
• Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2
• Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
• Unpacking
• Planet Coaster Console Edition
• This War of Mine Final Cut
• Cloudpunk
• Contra: Rogue Corps
• Tails Noir
• Cult of the Sea
• West of Dead
• Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
• PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls

T??he PlayStation Premium classics lineup for October ?2023 are:

• Star Ocean First Departure R
• Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
• Dragon's Crown Pro
• Star Ocean: The Last Hope - 4K & FHD Remaster

Note that PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium may be difficult for some to access due to the recent price hike. PlayStation Plus Extra is no?w $134.99 and PlayStation Plus Premium is $159.99.

Thankfully, some of these new games are highly rated. NieR Replicant, for example, earned an 8.5 from Destructoid's Chris Carter. Meanwhile, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim has garnered critical acclaim for its strong writing and a beautiful art style. Destructoid gave it an 8.5/10 as well.

PlayStation Plus? subscribers can check out these games on September 19.

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Sabotage Studio's Sea of Stars launched this week, with a spot on both Xbox and PlayStation's subscription services. Despite that, it looks like the new RPG is already chalking up strong sales. The studio's confirmed that on day one, Sea of Stars accrued 100,000 copies sold.

It's a strong day one for an RPG from a relatively smaller studio. As of this writing, Sea of Stars is sitting on the Steam Top Sellers chart alongside the likes of Starfield, Baldur's Gate 3, and Armored Core 6.

But it's an especially interesting stat given that Sea of Stars is available on both Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. It's at least an indication that Sea of Stars is becoming another surprise hit, in a year already full of ba?ngers.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jkeh6O1Rzs

Starry eyed surprise

There's a few good reasons to pick up a game, even if you have it through a subscription. I know I've personally used Xbox Game Pass as a way to demo a game, and if it's something I know I'll want to play later on down the line, I'll buy it so I don't lose access if it leaves Pass. Sea of Stars had a demo prior to l??aunch, and may have left a st??rong enough impression that people locked their license in based off that.

Or maybe people are also like me, in that they buy games without remembering they were on Xbox Game Pass/PS Plus. I'm not the best b??arometer for sensibl?e purchasing decisions.

Either way, it's a reaffirming notion to see Sabotage's RPG chalking up numbers fast. It's been a golden year for RPGs, and it's nice to see that's not just for the biggest blockbusters??.

We're still picking away at Sea of Stars here, but if you're a fan of chill fishing minigames, Mario RPG-style combat, and great music, it?'s worth a look.

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Just a couple of months after Microsoft increased the price of Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus wil??l be following suit. In a post on the ?PlayStation blog revealing the September PS+ titles, it was revealed that the 12-month Subscription prices for all tiers will be increasing.

Interestingly, this only affects the 12-month bulk buy for the subscription. Prices for the 1-month and 3-month subscriptions are not incre??asing. Essentially this just means you won't be saving as much by buying the bulk 12-month package. In total, it's a $20 increase annually for the Essential tier, a $35 increase for Extra, and a $40 increase for Premium.

Here are the new 12-month subscription plans:

PlayStation Plus Essential 12-Month Subscription
79.99 USD | 71,99 Euro | 59.99 GBP | 6,800 Yen

PlayStation Plus Extra 12-Month Subscription
134.99 USD | 125,99 Euro | 99??.99 GBP | 11,700 Yen

PlayStation Plus Premium 12-Month Subscription
159.99 USD | 151,99 ??Euro | 119.99 GBP | ??13,900 Yen

If?? you have an existing 12-month subscription, the increase begins on your next renewal date on or after November 6. However, the new price takes effect on September 6. This m?eans any upgrades, downgrades, or buying additional time for your subscription will update your plan to the new price.

Subscribers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the price increase in the comments on the blog post. It's especially discomforting to see a price increase in the same post as a very disappointing reveal for the September monthly games. One of the three additions is a premium pack for MMORPG Black Desert Online, which in a way feels more like an ad than a game addition. Also, Generation Zero is one?? of the added titles for which we scored a 2.5/10, if you're curious if it's worth trying.

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A new month is on the horizon, which means that it's that time again for Sony to wow us with the PlayStation Plus additions for August 2023. If you were looking for another sports game you're in luck as headlining August's lineup is PGA Tour 2K23. The other two additions for this month are digital playground Dreams and Action-Adventure RPG Death's Door.

While these new entries certainly won't change anyone's mind on the quality of the service, Dreams and Death's Door are both great and PGA Tour 2K23 isn't a bad add for the sports fans out there.

While Dreams is only available on PS4, PGA Tour 2K23 and Death's Door are both available on PS4 and PS5.

[caption id="attachment_393674" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Electronic Arts[/caption]

PGA Tour 2K23 (PS4/PS5)

After an eight-year hiatus, golf fans rejoiced with the return of PGA Tour late last year. PGA Tour 2K23 all?ows players to experience a realistic golf simulator as they compete against tour pros and strive to become the next FedExCup Champion. Golfers can level up their MyPLAYER character with new Skills and Archetypes?? and rock officially licensed gear and apparel on the green. This entry into the series even includes a Course Designer to build your own dream course.

My knowledge of golf games ends at Golf With Your Friends but I'??m sure this is a great addition for fans of this type of game.

[caption id="attachment_393675" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Media Molecule[/caption]

Dreams (PS4)

The digital playground simulator Dreams comes from the creators of LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway. Players create, share, and play community-made levels and games designed directly in Dreams. You have the opportunity to create whatever you want including games, music, paintings, animations, and more all within Dreams.

Furthermore, Media Molecule's latest game Tren is also available to play in Dreams. Tren puts you in the driver's seat of a toy train and tells a personal tale of growing up. We gave Dreams a near-flawless 9.5/10 when it was released back in 2020.

[caption id="attachment_393676" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Devolver Digital[/caption]

Death's Door (PS4/PS5)

Finally, we get the addition of Death's Door, a somber yet darkly comedic Action-Adventure RPG. Wield melee weapons, arrows, and magic to overcome an array of beasts and demigods in an isom??etric world. Like and good RPG you can gain an edge by customizing your character stats and upgrading your gear as you explore a land full of countless secrets.

We gave Death's Door a superb 9/10 when it was released back in 2021.

As always, make sure you grab July's monthly games before the leave on July 31.

The post Here’s the PlayStation Plus monthly games for August 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Sabotage Studio has revealed that the upcoming retro-inspired RPG Sea of Stars will be available as a PlayStation Plus Game Catalog title on day one of its release. The official release date for the pixel RPG is August 29. By joining the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, all PS+ Extra and P??remium members will get full access to the game on launch day.

If the visuals remind you of a lot of old-school SNES RPGs don't worry, that's intentional. Sea of Stars is technically a prequel to 2D action platformer The Messenger, which was also created by Sabotage Studio. We gave The Messenger a flawless 10/10 when it was released back in 2018.

The list of games coming to PlayStation Plus for August has not been released, though I expect it will soon. The free games are added on the first Tuesday of the month which for August is actually August 1. With Sea of Stars coming to the catalog, August will al?ready be a? great one for PS+ members.

[caption id="attachment_393464" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Sabotage Studio[/caption]

Demo available now on PS4 and PS5

A demo for Sea of Stars was also release?d on PS4 and PS5 today. Sabotage Studio made sure to point out that while the areas in the demo will be in the final game, the exact slice of the demo does not reveal any major spoilers from the main story. The demo highlights some gameplay systems and the mechanics around dungeon crawling and combat. And, while there are no major story spoilers, it does provide a sense of tone and vibe.

The beautiful pixel RPG looks reminds me a lot of Chained Echoes. Our very own Eric Van Allen called Chained Echoes a surprise RPG hit when it was released late last year. It's possible Sea of Stars could shar??e a similar fate when it releases next month.

Sea of Stars releases on PC, ???Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on August 29.

The post Sea of Stars will be on PlayStation Plus day one appeared first on Destructoid.

Borderlands 3 is getting the boot too

PlayStation Plus giveth, and taketh away. Like any other running "subscription" service, every game cannot stay up indefinitely. While Sega won't be taking tax-writeoffs and erasing Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 from existence; that trio is leaving PlayStation Plus on August 15.

The news comes straight out of the ?PS5's UI, which notes that a selection of games (listed below, in the order they appear on the storefront) are in their "last chance to play" phase. That gives you less than a month to either play through them or eventually pony up and buy them outright.

The full list of games leaving PlayStation Plus on August 15

• Borderlands 3
• Nidhogg 
• DCL (Drone Champions League): The Game
• Yakuza 0
• Yakuza Kiwami
• Yakuza Kiwami 2 
• Grip
• Crew 2
• 8-Bit Armies
• Carmageddon: Max Damage

Beyond the Yakuza games and Borderlands 3, this looks like a pretty standard list of games to remove from the service.  Losing three Yakuza games feels like a punch in the face, but something like DCL - Drone Champions League is fated ?to cycle around different services at will.

As for recommendations, Borderlands 3 is a great game to run through for free, especially if you're the type of person who likes to just see things through until the end of the story and stop there. Nidhogg is still a great party game/weekend bit of fun, and of course, nearly every Yakuza release is worth playing in some capacity.

Plan accordingly!

The post PSA: Three Yakuza games are leaving PlayStation Plus, ?amid a few other titles appeared first on Destructoid.

Sony's PlayStation Plus upcoming lineup sure is bleak

Sony has just revealed its PlayStation Plus lineup for July 2023. It will feature Alan Wake Remastered, Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and Endlig - Extinction is Forever. All three ?titles will be a??vailable both on the PS4 and PS5 and for all tiers of PlayStation Plus subscribers.

//twitter.com/PlayStation/st??atus/1674077928911695872?s=20

Though t??hat's a great trifecta of games, we must ask whether Sony knows anything more than we do about upcoming real-world events, because that's quite a bleak list.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

The biggest title of the bunch is Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. That's a pretty big addition to the PlayStation Plus library for July 2023, as it hasn't even been three years since it came out. Needless to say, its campaign will drag your squad through some made-up but sti??ll dark sc??enes of one of the most tense periods in the history of the modern world.

Though a far cry from the series' heyday, Cold War is still a neat addition to the franchise.

Alan Wake Remastered

The second is Alan Wake Remastered, Remedy's spiritual successor to Max Payne from 2010. Though not as violent as Remedy's Nu Noir action masterpiece, Alan Wake is far from a walk in the park. It draws inspiration from the stories of Stephen King, so expect things to get pretty dark and wicked.

Though it forces players to read pages upon pages of expository dialogue if they want to understand the plot—a red flag in a game about a storyteller if there ever was one—and despite featuring some combat mechanics that will feel old by the end of the game, it's still worth checking out. That's especially true if you're interested in the upcoming sequel.

Endling - Extinction is Forever

The third game is Endling - Extinction is Forever, whose name alone immediately makes them the bleakest of the bunch. ?Woah. What is this all about?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiM2_XB_HZE

Oh, it's actually a side-scroller about cute innocent foxes. No way that'll turn dark very early on.

As with all PlayStation Plus titles,?? remember the deal: You don't lose the games if you happen to cancel your subscription, but you'll only get to play them at a time when your subscription is active.

Sony has also announced a new Spotify playlist composed of PlayStation Plus game-inspired songs. Th??e company will be updating the list every month from now on. It's definitely worth checking out.

The post Here’s the PlayStation Plus Lineup for July 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.