Despite Xbox Game Pass having had a huge headstart, there’s perhaps an argument to be made that the revampedPlayStation Plusalready has the edge over its competitor. Granted, it costs a little more and could perhaps do with a few more big day one titles likeStray, but, when it comes toits selection of critically acclaimed offerings, it definitely doesn’t disappoint.
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Genre
Action RPG
HadHorizon Zero Dawnnot come out just three days prior to the release ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it would likely have made much more of a splash than it did upon its release. In the years that have followed, however, more and more players have discovered it, helping it to become one ofthe most popular PlayStation exclusive titles of the PS4 era.
Rail Shooter
Sega’s music-themed rail shooterRezstarted life on the ill-fated Sega Dreamcast but was soon ported to other consoles after the decision was made to discontinue the system in early 2001. Fifteen years after the death of the Dreamcast, an expanded release known asRez Infinitemade its way to the PlayStation 4, with new modes and arenas added as well assupport for PlayStation VR.
Action Adventure
Shadow of the Colossusturned a lot of heads when it was released in late 2005. Many consider it to be one ofthe best games for the PlayStation 2, having fallen in love with its unorthodox gameplay and incredible design choices. Thirteen years later, having already worked onUncharted: The Nathan Drake CollectionandThe God of War Collection, Bluepoint Games was tasked with remaking Team Ico’s beloved action-adventure game.
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To say thattheShadow of the Colossusremake was successfulwould perhaps be a bit of an understatement. The remake managed the exact same rating as the original on Metacritic, which is quite the achievement given the lofty expectations that came along with the release. For those who haven’t already,Shadow of the Colossusis well worth playing thanks to its hard-hitting story and unique gameplay mechanics.
Puzzle Platformer
Given that most of the best games on PS Plus Premium and Extra are triple-A titles that cost tens of millions of dollars to develop, Extremely OK Games deserves an awful lot of credit for making the grade.Celeste’s high Metacritic rating is absolutely justified and a real testament to the hard work and dedication that went into creating thischarming yet challenging indie platformer darling.
When compared to some of its predecessors, the PS5’s library of launch titles seemed a little threadbare. There were fewer than 20 games available on the day of the system’s release, many of which were multiplatform games or remasters of PS4 titles. Ironically, though perhaps not surprisingly,the PS5’s highest-rated launch titleended up being a remake of a ten-year-old PS3 game, which came in the form ofDemon’s Souls.
Although it wasDark Soulsthat really helped to kickstart the souls-like subgenre of video games, the seed was planted two years earlier with Hidetaka Miyazaki’s excellentDemon’s Souls. The 2020 remake helped to introduce the hugely influential title to a brand-new audience, and they, along with most critics, thoroughly enjoyedBluepoint Games' fantastic remake.
Bloodbornefans have been crying out for a PS5 patch or PC release of the game for well over a year now. Sadly, as of the time of writing, there are onlyfan-made patchesand rumors, the latter of which have been floating around for some time now. Thankfully, the original game still holds up fairly well, even if some of the edges are a little rougher than those found in some of the other highly-rated games available on PS Plus Extra and Premium.
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To a lot of gamers,Nathan Drake is one of the best video game heroes of all time. In many ways, he’s like a modern-day Indiana Jones, though his adventures are arguably far more emphatic and well-presented than Indy’s ever were. With this in mind, there was a lot of pressure on Naughty Dog to provide Nathan with a proper send-off inUncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and boy did they deliver.
Some may argue thatUncharted 2is the best that the series has to offer, butA Thief’s Endis still an incredible game. The setpiece moments are more exhilarating than ever before and the narrative does a wonderful job of wrapping up Nathan’s story. For those who just can’t get enough,Uncharted: The Lost Legacyis also available on the service, with players able to upgrade both games to the PS5 versions for a small one-time fee.
ThoughGod of Warstill retains the hack and slash combat of its predecessors, the switch to a more narrative-driven experience took a lot of series fans by surprise. For some, the drastic change in Kratos' personality and motivations were a little jarring at first, though most seem to be in agreement that these changes were all for the best.
God of War(2018) is the series' highest-rated entry since the very firstGod of Wargame on PS2. The father-son dynamic played a big role in the game’s warm reception, as too did some of the game’s wonderful secondary characters like Mimir, Brok, and Sindri. For those with an interest inNorse mythologyor anybody who enjoys a good hack and slash game,God of Waris definitely worth playing.
Another Naughty Dog title that needs no introduction,The Last of Uswill soon join the likes ofGrand Theft Auto 5,Resident Evil 4, andSkyrimasgames that have been released across three different console generations. Unlike those titles though,The Last of Usis a PlayStation exclusive, as is the case with most of the highest-rated Games on PS Plus Premium and Extra.
Set in a post-apocalyptic future in whicha mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungushas led to the collapse of civilization and left the human race on the brink of extinction,The Last of Usis one of the most memorable story-driven games of the last decade or so. Whether or not it needed to be remade for the PlayStation 5 is perhaps a matter for debate. One thing that most will probably agree on, though, is thatThe Last of Usis a must-play game.
Action-Adventure
Not only isRed Dead Redemption 2one of the highest-rated games available with a PS Plus Premium or Extra subscription, but it’s also one ofthe most critically acclaimed video games of all time. For those who’ve played it, it should be pretty easy to understand why, with Rockstar’s groundbreaking Wild West-inspired title being one of gaming’s true masterpieces.
Despite what the title might suggest,Red Dead Redemption 2is actually a prequel to the original game rather than a sequel. Would-be cowboys really don’t need to have played the first (well, technically, second) game to enjoy it, however, thanks in large toits well-written characters, engrossing narrative, and beautiful yet dangerous open world. As far as action-adventure games go, they really don’t get much better than this.
