PlayStation Plus subscribers who cash in on either the mid-range Extra tier or the high-range Premium tier will gain access to a multitude of games to play whenever the mood arises. Some will depart the massive library with the passage of time, while many more will stick around for a good long time.
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Speaking of time - who has enough of it to play hundreds of video games on a whim? That's where lists like ours come in. We've scoured PlayStation Plus, top to bottom, and narrowed down the expansive library to our personal picks for the best of the bunch. Here are some must-plays.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Ubisoft's sensationally popular Assassin's Creed franchise took on the Viking Age with Assassin's Creed Valhalla. As one might expect, raiding coastal settlements plays a big role in this ninth-century tale of the Scandinavian descent upon the English isles.
The story packs a punch and the content's about as broad as is customary with the series. If you find the Assassin's Creed loop engaging - at least, Assassin's Creed from around Origins onward - then you're sure to enjoy your time with protagonist Eivor Varinsdottir.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Assassin's Creed Valhalla continues the long and storied series of action-adventure games. As Eivor, a young Viking warrior, you must travel to the distant shores of England in search of fame, riches, and land to settle. Sticking with the RPG elements introduced in previous titles, you will lead raids, conquer settlements, and gradually spread your influence throughout the land.
Ghost Of Tsushima: Director's Cut
Jin Sakai's revenge-fueled noble quest in Ghost of Tsushima proved to be a huge hit right out the gate, with Sucker Punch - previously best known for the inFamous series - instantly transforming from 'fairly well known' to 'household name'.
Fantastic swordplay and a rich, gorgeous historical setting helped propel the game into the upper stratosphere of Sony's first party sales milestones.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is all that and more, with additional content designed to keep players invested in the tales surrounding this Mongol-invaded titular island for even longer.
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut - PlayStation 5
Firaxis Games delivered the strategy gaming goods with the original XCOM, which was destined to receive an even better sequel in XCOM 2. In the grand tradition of all good strategy games, players who tap into solid tactics will lead their team to a hard-fought and well-earned victory.
In XCOM's case, you'll be victorious against a cruel race of alien invaders - it's all very 1950s pulp sci-fi, in a good way.
XCOM 2
- Developer(s)
- Firaxis Games
- Publisher(s)
- 2K Games
Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation has to be the best game in the Alien franchise to-date, right? At least, it's got to be up there? It's one of the most atmospheric games we've yet played, which makes it the pitch-perfect follow-up to Ridley Scott's moody, terrifying, 1979 original film.
If you thrive on a sense of constant tension, and your genre sensibilities tilt toward the sci-fi horror, it's hard to think of a PlayStation Plus game that can possibly do it for you as well as this one can. Alien: Isolation is the greatest love letter an Alien fan could ask for, and it's a crying shame we've not seen anything like it since.
Alien: Isolation
- Released
- October 7, 2014
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
If you're hoping to catch up with both Spider-Man games ahead of the launch of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, we're afraid you'll need to shell out some cash for the first, but at least the (excellent) Miles Morales 'interquel' is still on PlayStation Plus.
This game's pretty terrific even if superheroes aren't especially your scene, with thrilling gameplay and quite a relatable tale.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Genre(s)
- Action , Adventure
Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
Dragon Quest 11 is one of the most splendid turn-based JRPGs of the generation, and its special edition, Dragon Quest 11 S, is everything we fell in love with and then some.
You'll travel across a fantasy realm filled with all the cheeky self-aware cliches of any good Dragon Quest on an 80-hour epic quest to save the world.
Along the way, the cast will almost assuredly charm the heck out of you, and the localization will go from bringing a tear to your eyes to leaving you in a laughter fit's worth of stitches.
Fans of traditional role-playing games willing to entertain modern 3D entries within that time-tested subgenre should download Dragon Quest 11 S on PlayStation Plus posthaste.
Dragon Quest 11
- Released
- September 4, 2018
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
Demon's Souls
Launching alongside the PlayStation 5 as its strongest graphical showpiece, Bluepoint's 2020 remake of 2009's Demon's Souls is a terrific reminder that Dark Souls might have been From Software's mainstream RPG breakout, but its foundation had already been built three years prior.
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The PS5 Demon's Souls is everything a sensible remake should be - a pitch-perfect rebuild of the gameplay and atmosphere of the original that ups the ante with stronger mechanical performance and downright stunning visual fidelity.
Demon's Souls
Dark Souls is a ground-up remake of the FromSoftware classic by Bluepoint Games, launched exclusively on PlayStation 5 in 2020. It improves on the original, and sets the tone for a lot of the Soulslike games that would become massively popular.
- Released
- November 12, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Bluepoint Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
Tetris Effect: Connected
It's possible for a person to dislike Tetris. It's a much tougher feat to find somebody who can summon a strong argument against its status as a masterpiece of the medium.
Whether you're a puzzle-minded player or entirely put-off by the very concept of the game, Tetris is Tetris is Tetris - it's a perfect execution of its premise.
Tetris Effect: Connected adds enough sparkle and shine to the decades-old formula to stand out as one of its greatest representations. Move to the groove with rhythm-oriented mechanics and feast your eyes on some of the greatest eye candy around.
Tetris Effect: Connected
- Released
- November 10, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Monstars Inc , Resonair , Stage Games
- Publisher(s)
- Enhance
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Fans of esteemed developer Vanillaware have largely been aflutter lately over their most recent game, Unicorn Overlord. A spiritual successor to Ogre Battle - a beloved 1990s JRPG - Unicorn Overlord modernizes the turn-based strategy glory while maintaining so much of what made that game great. But if there's one thing it falters on, it's a consistently engaging story.
Enter 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, which is Vanillaware's second-most recent game. While the game features fast-paced strategy combat in which players control mecha against kaiju (rad!), so much of it is narratively-focused. You'll gradually experience the stories of 13 separate characters, the bulk of which are intriguing enough to carry their tales.
80s Japanese culture lovers, World War II buffs, and sci-fi future fans alike will all dig the premise, as while the majority of the game's protagonists are from 1980s Japan; others are from the mid-1940s or the future. They're sometimes thrust into both their decades-wide past and no fewer than three future eras.
Skyrim's been on enough consoles through the years that even the joke has worn thin. If it was not for you, you would probably know that by now. If it is, you probably know that, too.
But if you don't have a high-end PC, the PlayStation 5 version of Skyrim Special Edition is a fantastic way to experience - and re-experience - a game whose visual ambition was clearly held back in its early years.
You'll have access to a number of mods, too, albeit not as many as on Xbox hardware (and nowhere near as many as on PC, of course). Still, it's more than enough to give this old dog some new colors, though as you can see from the screenshot above, even the Special Edition in its own right can be gorgeous.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
Returnal
Returnal is the roguelike third-person science fiction shooter we didn't know we needed. Finnish developer Housemarque was scooped up by Sony to become one of its major teams barely two months after Returnal arrived on PlayStation 5, and it's easy to see why.
Reviews were sky-high and sales were similarly solid for the suspenseful story of ASTRA Corporation explorer Selene Vassos.
We're especially fond of Returnal's clever usage of the PS5 DualSense controller's advanced haptic feedback. You're going to feel every waking moment of the game's terrifying time loop.
Returnal
- Released
- April 30, 2021
- Developer(s)
- Housemarque
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
Bloodborne
The Demon's Souls remake might have graphical whistles on lockdown courtesy of its newer hardware, but when it comes to the overall package, there's nothing quite like Bloodborne.
From Software's 2015 PS4 killer app remains a Sony exclusive even as so many of the studio's other titles have gone multiplatform. It's a bit of a shame, really, because there are countless PC and Xbox gamers out there who might not know what they're missing without a Sony something-or-other.
But you're reading this list, so we're assuming you have, or are at least considering purchasing, a Sony something-or-other. If so, this is one twisted, challenging action-RPG you absolutely must give a shot. If at first you die horribly, try, try again; someday, you will reach the gruesome end of this memorably macabre masterpiece.
Demon's Souls
- Released
- November 12, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Bluepoint Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
E3 2015's announcement that Square Enix was daring to do the thing - to remake the Final Fantasy 7 - has to be one of the wildest moments in industry history.
Excitement and trepidation took the internet by storm, and though it took a full five years before Final Fantasy 7 Remake was in our hands, we daresay the majority of players ultimately approve of the effort.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade may have a customarily bizarre name from a publisher who prides themselves on titles like Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and Paranormasight, but it's just FF7 Remake with a cherry on top.
In this case, that cherry is an additional storyline starring Yuffie Kisaragi, not to mention a 60 frames-per-second mode and other PS5-specific perks.
Control: Ultimate Edition
We begin our list with a modern classic action-adventure game from Remedy Entertainment. Control: Ultimate Edition follows the newly-appointed leader of the fictional Federal Bureau of Control as she taps into her incredible abilities to defy the oppressive will of a reality-twisting enemy.
At launch, Control was a bit of a sleeper hit, but consistent critical praise helped shine a somewhat belated limelight. Ultimate Edition includes both of the game's paid DLCs, so you get the full experience on PlayStation Plus.
Control
$25 $40 Save $15
Control puts you in the shoes of Jesse Faden, the newly installed Director of the Federal Bureau of Control. You must explore the organization's headquarters, uncovering its mysteries and contending with a supernatural force named the Hiss.
- Released
- August 27, 2019
- Developer(s)
- Remedy Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- 505 Games
- Genre(s)
- Action
$25 at Amazon
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