Back in June, Sony launched a new version of its PlayStation Plus service. This new version added extra content tiers and value to the service; instead of just three games a month, if you subscribe to the new Extra or Premium tiers, you’ll get access to a catalogue of hundreds of games, as well as the ability to stream or download lots of retro titles if you’re a Premium member. Today, we’re looking at the Extra tier, so without further ado, here are the 10 best games on PlayStation Plus Extra (in no particular order).
1. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake stunned the world by being much, much better than it had any right to be. The PS5 Intergrade upgrade added an extra chunk of DLC starring everyone’s favourite materia thief Yuffie, and it also brought a bunch of much-needed visual and performance improvements to the game. If you’re starting out your FF7R journey for the first time, then Intergrade is the way to experience it, and if you’re replaying, you’ll find lots of extra content here to enjoy.
2. Demon’s Souls
Bluepoint’s remake of From Software’s action RPG classic removes some of its decrepit, withered atmosphere, but the gameplay is tighter and the visuals are sharper, so we can forgive it. Demon’s Souls is every bit the brutal adventure it was under From’s stewardship, but now, it boasts crisp PS5 visuals and reworked music to match its next-gen status. Demon’s Souls might seem like a strange choice for the next-gen rework, but we’re glad it was chosen nonetheless.
3. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Miles Morales may be a standalone expansion to 2018’s excellent Marvel’s Spider-Man, but it’s by no means bite-sized or inferior to its counterpart. New protagonist Miles proves himself every bit as capable in the Spider-Suit as Peter Parker, and although the game suffers from weak villains and a lack of innovation, it’s still a superb superhero romp through the snow-strewn streets of New York. Miles has a few extra tricks up his sleeve, but mostly, Miles Morales is an excuse to play more of Insomniac’s amazing Spider-Man.
4. Returnal
Despite being a roguelite, Returnal is an extremely brave proposition for Sony. In an indie market saturated with procedurally-generated dungeon-crawlers, Returnal adds AAA production values, an endlessly fascinating (if somewhat impenetrable) story, and tight third-person shooter mechanics that make it more than worth your while. Selene’s story is as compelling as it is frustrating, and the range of weapons, abilities, and combat situations on offer make Housemarque’s game an unexpected joy.
5. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
For many, 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the peak of the series. It doesn’t have the overly grindy, number-based RPG mechanics of later games, preferring instead to present protagonist Edward Kenway with a huge world to explore and get lost in. What’s more, it’s a superlative pirate simulator; you get your own pirate ship, and you get to sail it around the Caribbean, plundering other ships and having your men sing endless sea shanties as you go.
6. Bloodborne
If you only ever play one Souls game in your life, make it this one. Bloodborne is an undisputed gothic horror masterpiece, trading the slow, careful combat of Souls for a much faster and nervier experience that mirrors its new horror focus. On the surface, the city of Yharnam is a beast-filled maze of pathways and alleys, but dig a little deeper and you just might find something unexpected lurking beneath. We don’t want to spoil it, but give this one a try if you’re a horror aficionado.
7. Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima’s “masterpiece” looks just as weirdly avant-garde and defiant in 2022 as it did when it was launched in 2019. It is, in the truest sense of the phrase, a “walking simulator”, in that protagonist Sam Porter-Bridges must do a lot of walking. This is a real walking simulator, though; you’ll need to pay attention to balance, footing, and orientation as you trek across a vast post-apocalyptic landscape, delivering packages and gradually uncovering the truth behind the titular Death Stranding.
8. Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition
2017’s Hollow Knight is one of the best games of its genre. It’s a Metroidvania platformer with shades of Dark Souls, which means it has an absolutely massive world to explore, tons of brutal enemies to dispatch, and a surprisingly emotionally affecting story to uncover. Hollow Knight’s great triumph is that at several points, you think it’s about to end, and then it unfurls another game’s worth of content for you to explore and get lost in.
9. Shadow of the Colossus
Another excellent Bluepoint remake, Shadow of the Colossus retains the lonely, quiet atmosphere of its PS2 predecessor, but brings the game’s visuals into the modern era, making the colossi feel all the more impressively ancient. At its core, though, this is still very much the tale of Wander, a “hero” who brings his princess to a land where she might be resurrected. He must slay that land’s colossi to bring her back, but doing so might not be his best course of action after all.
10. The Wonderful 101: Remastered
There are probably better games on the PS Plus Extra library than The Wonderful 101: Remastered, but we couldn’t resist giving it a shout-out nonetheless. This is Hideki Kamiya’s Platinum Games at its most wonderfully self-indulgent; it’s a tokusatsu superhero game that combines Devil May Cry and Pikmin. The titular Wonderful 101 are led by colour-coded heroes, each with a unique ability that you need to use the controller’s right analogue stick to draw. You need to see this one to believe it.
