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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

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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Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
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Released
November 12, 2020
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
Developer(s)
Bluepoint Games
Publisher(s)
Sony
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SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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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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Metroidvania
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Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
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Released
February 24, 2017
ESRB
E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
Developer(s)
Team Cherry
Publisher(s)
Team Cherry
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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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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Action
Indie
Racing
Simulation
Sports
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Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
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Released
October 23, 2019
ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Mild Blood
Developer(s)
Megagon Industries
Publisher(s)
Megagon Industries
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SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
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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

Genre(s)
Action, Indie, Racing, Simulation, Sports
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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Top Critic Avg: 68 /100 Critics Rec: 41%
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Released
September 1, 2021
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Strong Language, Use of Drugs
Developer(s)
Gamious
Publisher(s)
Whitethorn Games
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DIGITAL
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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
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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10 /10

Returnal

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Third-Person Shooter
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Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
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Released
April 30, 2021
ESRB
T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Housemarque
Publisher(s)
Sony
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SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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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