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As a serial game-hopper, I’m shamelessly entrenched in the world of games-on-demand services. They definitely aren’t perfect, but something like PlayStation Plus can be a great way to explore new titles in a low-risk fashion; I’ve played countless games through PS Plus and Game Pass that I probably wouldn’t have purchased otherwise.
PlayStation Plus in particular has been steadily improving over the years, becoming a serious competitor to Game Pass—something deemed implausible during the early days of Sony’s service. Just this month, PS Plus Essential was headlined by the spectacular Lies of P, followed by DayZ and My Hero One’s Justice 2, and the PS Plus Extra lineup for August is equally compelling. These new entries notwithstanding, here are a few great PS Plus games to sample in the coming days.
Demon’s Souls
Some may find it a bit quaint in the wake of Elden Ring, but Demon’s Souls is the real deal: it holds up against FromSoftware’s more recent, popular works. The PS5 remake of Demon’s Souls gives it a notable facelift, but the mechanics are left mostly untouched, making it a great option for the modern gamer who’s skittish about the rough, early-PS3 visuals of the original. Demon’s Souls is also great for seeing how the transformative Miyazaki era of FromSoftware got its start.
How long to Beat Demon’s Souls: 24–33 hours, though completionist playthroughs can run north of 60 hours.
Games-on-demand services didn’t really start to pick up steam until the late-2010s, so a lot of the decade’s earlier releases entered the industry without this now-ubiquitous budget option. A knock-on effect of this is that many of these older games have since been added to catalogs like PS Plus Extra, but players may not be as aware of them, as they are overshadowed by day-one releases. Hollow Knight is one such game. Deemed a masterpiece by many (including yours truly), Hollow Knight is, at the very least, one of the best Metroidvanias ever made, and well worth a shot even if you’re not a fan of the genre.
E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
Developer(s)
Team Cherry
Publisher(s)
Team Cherry
Engine
Unity
Lonely Mountains: Downhill
Easily overlooked because of its deceptively simple mechanics, Lonely Mountains: Downhill is one of the most unexpectedly addictive games I’ve ever played. Players have to careen down various downhill tracks on a mountain bike, navigating sharp turns, horrific drops, and unmanageable terrain within a robust, playful physics system. This straightforward premise eventually splits into a much more complex and expressive interactive sandbox, especially as you learn each level’s many secrets.
How long to beat Lonely Mountains: Downhill: 6–12 hours for the main campaign, with completionist playthroughs lasting over 30 hours.
A strand-type game, if you will, Lake follows career woman Meredith Weiss as she takes a sabbatical from work to deliver packages in her rural hometown. This Hallmark-movie premise allows Lake to offer an intimate, low-stakes story that’s a nice reprieve from the killing, shooting, and world-saving antics of most other games. The gameplay revolves around scheduling and task management, and is peppered with slice-of-life dialog sections, both of which culminate in a remarkably chill gaming experience.
M For Mature 17+ Due To Strong Language, Use of Drugs
Developer(s)
Gamious
Publisher(s)
Whitethorn Games
Engine
Unity
Returnal
Away from strand-types and back to shoot-types: Returnal is one of the most painfully underrated games on the market. One of the first true “next-gen” experiences of this generation, the game pits players against a brutal roguelike gauntlet, forcing them to master swift movement and quick thinking to survive. It leverages elements of the bullet hell genre, but within a dark sci-fi world hiding earth-shaking secrets. Its merits as a roguelike are debatable, but its strengths as a third-person action game are undeniable.
