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
Available on PS Plus Extra
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.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- November 12, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bluepoint Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
Entirely rebuilt from the ground up, this remake invites you to experience the unsettling story and ruthless combat of Demon’s Souls.
From PlayStation Studios and Bluepoint Games comes a remake of the PlayStation classic, Demon’s Souls. Entirely rebuilt from the ground up and masterfully enhanced, this remake introduces the horrors of a fog-laden, dark fantasy land to a whole new generation of gamers. Those who’ve faced its trials and tribulations before, can once again challenge the darkness in stunning visual quality with incredible performance.
In his quest for power, the 12th King of Boletaria, King Allant channeled the ancient Soul Arts, awakening a demon from the dawn of time itself, The Old One. With the summoning of The Old One, a colorless fog swept across the land, unleashing nightmarish creatures that hungered for human souls. Those whose souls were stripped from them, lost their minds – left only with the desire to attack the sane that remained.
Now, Boletaria is cut off from the outside world, and the knights who dare penetrate the deep fog to free the land from its plight, are never seen again. As a lone warrior who has braved the baneful fog, you must face the hardest of challenges to earn the title “Slayer of Demons” and send The Old One back to its slumber.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Dark Souls
- Number of Players
- 1-6
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 23 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
Hollow Knight
Available on PS Plus Extra
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.
- How long to beat Hollow Knight: 27–65 hours.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- February 24, 2017
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
- Team Cherry
- Engine
- Unity
- Franchise
- Hollow Knight
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 27 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- No
- File Size Xbox Series
- 7 GB (November 2023)
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
Lonely Mountains: Downhill
Available on PS Plus Extra
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.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
- Released
- October 23, 2019
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Megagon Industries
- Publisher(s)
- Megagon Industries



Just you and your real bike at home - take it on a thrilling ride down an unspoiled mountain landscape. Make your way through thick forests, narrow trails and wild rivers. Race, jump, slide and try not to crash - all the way from the peak to the valley!
Travel to the Lonely Mountains! Ride along quiet mountain lakes, majestic forests and steep canyons as a custom physics system lets you carefully drop from boulder to boulder, sprint over abysses or slide through muddy grounds.
Find your own way - take a relaxing scenic route or go off-road to find the fastest way to the finish line! There's no audience and no barrier tapes so you can experience a beautiful nature unspoiled by men.
Find the perfect bike for your play style and unlock dozens of paint jobs and outfits then compete with friends and prove your speed-running skills on the leaderboards
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows, macOS, Linux
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
Lake
Available on PS Plus Extra
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.
- How long to Beat Lake: 6–8 hours.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 68 /100 Critics Rec: 41%
- Released
- September 1, 2021
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Gamious
- Publisher(s)
- Whitethorn Games
It's September 1, 1986. You take on the role of forty-something Meredith Weiss, who returns from the big city to her quiet hometown. She exchanges her busy career at a software company to fill in for her dad, the local mail carrier.
During her two-week stay in beautiful Providence Oaks, Oregon, she runs into a few familiar faces as well as plenty of new folk. As Meredith, you get to decide who to talk to, who to befriend and perhaps even start a romantic relationship with.
Whatever happens, at the end of her stint she'll have to make up her mind: return to her demanding job in the big city, or stay in the town she grew up in?
- Engine
- Unity
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
- How Long To Beat
- 6 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
Returnal
Available on PS Plus Extra
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.
- How long to Beat Returnal: 20–65 hours.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
- Released
- April 30, 2021
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Housemarque
- Publisher(s)
- Sony





Break the cycle of chaos on an always-changing alien planet.
After crash-landing on this shape-shifting world, Selene must search through the barren landscape of an ancient civilization for her escape. Isolated and alone, she finds herself fighting tooth and nail for survival. Again and again, she’s defeated – forced to restart her journey every time she dies.
Through relentless roguelike gameplay, you’ll discover that just as the planet changes with every cycle, so do the items at your disposal. Every loop offers new combinations, forcing you to push your boundaries and approach combat with a different strategy each time.
Brought to life by stunning visual effects, the dark beauty of the decaying world around you is packed with explosive surprises. From high stakes, bullet hell-fueled combat, to visceral twists and turns through stark and contrasting environments. You’ll explore, discover and fight your way through an unforgiving journey, where mystery stalks your every move.
Designed for extreme replayability, the procedural world of Returnal invites you to dust yourself off in the face of defeat and take on new, evolving challenges with every rebirth.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Number of Players
- 1-2
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium