We are just getting past the halfway point of 2025, if you can believe it, and there's a wealth of hard-hitting game releases in the rear window. Unexpected phenomena like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and surefire hits like Death Stranding 2 have been dominating the markets and the media in recent months, and promising upcoming games like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater are sure to occupy gamers' attention for the foreseeable future.
That said, we're still in the classic midsummer lull, where high-profile releases have slowed down, and the industry cools off before the holiday season. As such, audiences may be looking for some fresh experiences to fill this awkward gaming gap, and services like PlayStation Plus facilitate this end, no doubt. We've prepared a smorgasbord of PS Plus games that players should explore this week, focusing on variety above all else. Indeed, if you're looking for a mid-year palette cleanser, read on.
Free PlayStation Plus Essentials games for July 2025—Diablo 4, Jusant, and King of Fighters 15—are still available.
The Best Games On Xbox Game Pass (January 2026)
Xbox Game Pass is unquestionably worth the subscription fee, but which of the available games are the best use of your hard drive space?
Syphon Filter
Available on PS Plus Premium
In honor of a semi-new Metal Gear Solid game launching soon, I thought I'd recommend a similar, but sadly less enduring, stealth-action franchise. Syphon Filter definitely leans more into the action side of the equation, with solid shooting and movement mechanics, especially for the time—the game was released in 1999 as a PS1 exclusive. While it shows its age, and it's not much of a surprise why it got eclipsed by Metal Gear, Syphon Filter is more than deserving of some love from modern audiences.
- Released
- February 17, 1999
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Animated Blood, Violence
- Engine
- Syrup Emulation Engine
WHERE TO PLAY
Directive: Eliminate the Syphon Filter Virus
"Intelligence has confirmed the development of bio-warfare weapons. Gabe, you are our only chance to destroy the Syphon Filter virus. You've been cleared to use lethal force to complete your directives."- Markinson
LOGAN, GABE
Operative profile: CLASSIFIED
EDUCATION: M.A. Degree, Biochemistry, Rockefeller Institute, B.S. Degree, Biology and Chemistry, M.I.T.
GUERRILLA WARFARE EXPERT: Counter-terrorism, Special Reconnaissance, Direct Assault and Stealth Expert
COMBAT WEAPONRY SPECIALIST: Silenced 9mm Handgun, Nightvision Rifle, M-16 Assault Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Taser, M-79 Grenade Launcher and more
NAVIGATIONAL EXPERT: 13 real world, open 360-degree environments
MASTER MARKSMAN: Proficient in 4 Targeting Modes, Ability to keep enemies in target while kneeling, crouching, strafing, walking, rolling, climbing, jumping and running
- Genre(s)
- Stealth, Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PS1, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 3
- How Long To Beat
- 11 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Premium
- How long to beat Syphon Filter: 10–14 hours
Jak 3
Available on PS Plus Premium
Another bona fide classic, Jak 3 is perhaps the most easily accessible, crowd-pleasing game in the Jak & Daxter franchise. With a healthy dose of GTA inspiration, Jak 3 is a fun, quirky, fantastical sci-fi open-world with plenty of unique mechanics. The game boils down to a combination of platforming, shooting, and driving gameplay, which makes it feel dynamic and consistently surprising, and its narrative is quite strong as well. For those seeking a traditional yet ambitious PS2-era experience, it's hard to do much better than Jak 3.
Jak 3 was developed by Naughty Dog, released just three years before the first Uncharted game.
- How long to beat Jak 3: 12–18 hours
- Released
- November 9, 2004
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Engine
- Kinetica
WHERE TO PLAY
Jak and his faithful companion Daxter are thrust in the middle of an unforgiving Wasteland where survival of the fittest takes on new meaning. With potent weapons, armor, and vehicles, Jak also discovers that there is an emerging power inside him - the ability to balance Dark Jak and Light Jak. Questions about the mysterious Precursors, the mythical Mar, the fate of the world and the enigmatic Jak himself will be answered, as this most exciting adventure unfolds.
- Franchise
- Jak and Daxter
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Action-Adventure
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Premium
A Hat in Time
Available on PS Plus Extra
If you want something a little more crunchy and consistently entertaining, A Hat in Time might be right up your alley. It's clearly inspired by seminal platformers like Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, but with enough twists of its own to be worth it for genre veterans. A Hat in Time's platforming is satisfying and expressive, its world is charming and adorable, and its level design is multilayered and engaging. In short, it ticks all the platforming boxes, and does so in spectacular fashion, so it's well worth a college try on PlayStation Plus.
- How long to beat A Hat in Time: 9–19 hours
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 74%
- Released
- October 5, 2017
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Gears for Breakfast
- Publisher(s)
- Humble Bundle
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
WHERE TO PLAY
A Hat in Time is a cute-as-heck 3D platformer featuring a little girl who stitches hats for wicked powers.
In A Hat in Time you play as a tiny space-travelling girl with a big tophat. Her adventure is halted when all her fuel, the Time Pieces, is lost and scattered across a nearby planet. Hat Kid must now jump, fight and stitch new hats to make her way into every nook and cranny of this new world in order to restore her fuel and resume her journey. On her way, she'll bump into the menacing Mafia of Cooks, the goofy birds of Dead Bird Studio, the spooky shadows of Subcon Forest, and more!
Batman: Arkham Origins
Available on PS Plus Premium (Streaming Only)
Though it's not as highly regarded as its Rocksteady-developed counterparts, Batman: Arkham Origins is still a strong outing for the Caped Crusader. From a storytelling perspective, it's fascinating to see an early version of the Arkham universe, which has become one of the most iconic renditions of the Batman mythos. As far as gameplay, it's not exactly revolutionary, but it nails the meat-and-potatoes mechanics of the Arkham franchise, with satisfying combat, serviceable stealth, and clever puzzles.
- How long to beat Arkham Origins: 12–41 hours
Batman: Arkham Origins
- Released
- October 25, 2013
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- WB Games Montreal
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer, Local Co-Op
- Franchise
- Batman
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
- How Long To Beat
- 13 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Premium
Bound
Available on PS Plus Extra
It's always amazed me that Bound never reached the same cultural heights as games like Abzu and Journey, since it hits a lot of the same marks. Though not very mechanically deep, Bound is a visually stunning, deceptively emotional game about identity, family, and the past, where players must dance through a dreamscape to defeat a mysterious monster. The game is laden with symbolic meaning, and while its plot is vague and metaphorical, it's understandable enough to evoke some degree of passion. Bound is criminally underrated, as far as I'm concerned, and more than worthy of some extra attention.
- How long to beat Bound: 2–8 hours
Bound
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 72 /100 Critics Rec: 29%
- Released
- August 16, 2016
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Game Experience May Change During Online Play
- Developer(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, Plastic, Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
Bound transports you into a beautiful, fantastical world that exists in the mind of a woman revisiting the memories of her childhood. Use dance moves to traverse vast environments filled with platforming challenges. As the game progresses, the introspective story unfolds through powerful metaphor and imagery, adding emotional depth to the protagonist’s journey.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium