Video game pricing is weird right now. On the one hand, games are more expensive than they’ve ever been, with $70 slowly becoming the new standard for day-one AAAs, and companies like Nintendo setting a precedent for even higher prices with games like Mario Kart World. But at the same time, gaming is more affordable than it’s ever been, and subscription services like PlayStation Plus are largely responsible for that.
For just a few dollars a month, PS Plus subscribers can access hundreds of games, many of which are either day-one releases or have only launched within the last few years. It’s had a complex impact on consumers’ purchasing habits, which has had negative effects on the sales of many new games, especially indies. On a more trivial note, services like PS Plus have made clearing out a backlog that much harder, which is a problem I hope to alleviate for my fellow players via these recommendations.
Keep your eyes peeled on September 19, when a slew of new games, including Persona 5 Tactica and Crow Country, land on PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium.
Earth Defense Force 6
Available on PS Plus Extra
Helldivers 2 doesn’t have a monopoly on giant, deadly bugs from outer space: Earth Defense Force has been playing in that sandbox for years. If you want a sober, dour cinematic experience like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, then look elsewhere. But if you’re down for giant lasers, friendly fire, and ragdoll physics galore, then this is the shooter for you. It’s easily one of the dumbest games I’ve ever played, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Play this crazy, silly game without a smile on your face; I bet you can’t.
Earth Defense Force 6’s coop multiplayer is its crown jewel. Playing with a friend, online or locally, offers a special kind of chaos.
- How long to beat Earth Defense Force 6: 40–70 hours.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 74 /100 Critics Rec: 67%
- Released
- July 24, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandlot
- Publisher(s)
- D3Publisher
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Havok
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Franchise
- Earth Defense Force
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Action
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
- How Long To Beat
- 45 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Available on PS Plus Extra
Loath as I am to admit it, Uncharted is practically a classic franchise at this point. The younger generation is at risk of thinking of it as more of a movie series (oh, the humanity) if Naughty Dog doesn’t return to Uncharted soon.
Every Uncharted is special in its own right, but I consider Uncharted 4 to be the series’ peak. Not only does it have the most dynamic and expressive gameplay of the mechanically simple franchise, but it also has the best narrative. Earlier games play out like lighthearted Indiana Jones-style adventures, which is all well and good, but Uncharted 4 is far more complex and mature. Within this swashbuckling tale of riches and glory are worthwhile meditations on love, relationships, obsession, and family. It’s not exactly high art—it's just more elevated than its predecessors.
- How long to beat Uncharted 4: A Thief's End: 15–30 hours.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 93 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- May 10, 2016
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Naughty Dog Engine 2.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Uncharted
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 15 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
This War of Mine
Available on PS Plus Extra
Before the excellent Frostpunk and mind-melting The Alters, 11 Bit Studios broke out with a much more conservative, though no less visionary, sort of survival game. This War of Mine is mostly what it sounds like: the story of war told from the perspectives of its victims. In war, there is no survival without sacrifice, and no life lost without repercussion. By leveraging the conventions of the survival genre, 11 Bit Studios can be unflinching in these depictions of human struggle, as well as the human spirit of perseverance, making This War of Mine one of the best games about war, full stop.
- How long to beat This War of Mine: 11–43 hours.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- November 14, 2014
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
- Publisher(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
In This War Of Mine, you do not play as an elite soldier, rather as a group of civilians trying to survive in a besieged city; struggling with a lack of food, medicine and constant danger from snipers and hostile scavengers. During the day you need to focus on maintaining your hideout: crafting, trading and taking care of your survivors. At night, take one of your civilians on a mission to scavenge for items that will help you stay alive.
Make life-and-death decisions driven by your conscience. Try to protect everybody from your shelter or sacrifice some of them for longer-term survival. During war, there are no good or bad decisions; there is only survival. The sooner you realize that, the better.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 11 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 3 GB (November 2023)
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium