The PlayStation Plus catalog isa treasure trove of awesome gamesgathered in abundance so that paying fans can get the most out of each month by playing loads of new games. It allows you to expand your horizons and play games you would have otherwise never touched.
10 Games That Owe Their Success To PS Plus
Who would have thought that giving games away for free would be so lucrative?
However, this ability to play whatever you like at no extra cost often leads us down paths that can effectively waste our time. We get locked into underwhelming experiences when we could be playingan absolute smash hit instead.
Our time is precious, as adult responsibilities and the need to act like a grown-up are relentless. So, we have taken the time to highlight some interesting-looking games that flatter to deceive, allowing you to swerve them and play the great games on the platform.
To be clear, we will not be going out of our way to rag on poorly reviewed games here. Instead, we will be listing games that look interesting at a glance, or have some redeeming qualities, but ultimately aren’t worth your time.
10Crime Boss: Rockay City
Crime Boss: Rockay City
When you have a series like Payday already on the PS Catalog, there is simply no need to give a game like Crime Boss Rockay City the time of day, even if it does boast a star-studded line-up.
It’s basically a shoddy clone of Payday in every single way, aiming to offer heist-based co-op gameplay, butdue to the poor shooting mechanics, the braindead AI, the broken mission structures, and the wonky roguelike system, it never quite hits the mark.
Visually, the game is pretty decent, and the cheesy tone does give it a certain B-movie quality that may appeal to some. Not to mention, it’s hard to hate Chuck Norris in anything he stars in.
But, all in all, it’s a wonky and broken shooter that you should stay well away from if you value your time.
9Tails Noir
Style Over Substance
Tails Noir
It pains me to pop this one in here because, on paper, Tails Noir looks like awonderful indie detective game. But,despite being one of the most visually striking games on this list, it doesn’t quite deliver on that promise.
It’s a game that mainly serves as a vague imitation of a detective game without ever letting you play the role. There are little to no deductive aspects present in the game, and the plot points, while interesting, are usually half-baked.
Not to mention, the dialogue options, despite having a ratherDisco Elysium-style UI and framework, only give the illusion of choice, as each option funnels you toward the same conclusion.
It has some interesting themes, don’t get me wrong, but as a detective noir, the game just isn’t up to it.But, there are games like Paradise Killer and Return of the Obra Dinn in the catalog, which serve as far better alternatives.
8Salt & Sacrifice
Don’t Sacrifice Your Free Time
Salt and Sacrifice
Fextralife Wiki
If you’re a sadistic type, there are a lot ofcool soulslikes and difficult games on the PS Plus catalogat this moment in time. Salt and Sacrifice certainly fits the bill as one of those tough Soulslikes, but even still, we would urge you to give it a miss.
Being the sequel to the outstanding Salt and Sanctuary, you would be forgiven for thinking that this one was a nailed-on hit.But, sadly, Salt and Sacrifice dropped the ball hard.
The biggest issue was the Mage Hunts, as this made each boss encounter a random chase around the map, and each encounter was either a frustrating mess, or irritatingly repetitive.
But, alongside that, theco-op was bad, the crafting was poor, the world design was lacking compared to the original, and while still atmospheric, the lore and plot points were also rather weak.
In short, this is not a successful follow-up from what is arguably the best 2D Souls game ever. It’s a lifeless imitation, and a huge disappointment.
7Empire of Sin
More X-Con Than XCOM
Empire of Sin
If you love gritty Mafia games, but you also love the tactical turn-based brilliance found in games like XCOM, then you would be easily convinced that Empire of Sin is a game that offers the best of both worlds.
That is certainly the intention, but it never quite manages to offer a refined experience like other games under the Paradox Interactive umbrella.
The game’s AI is pretty laughable at times, usually leading to dumb mistakes you can exploit with ease. Plus,the systems themselves feel like awkward gimmicks to fit the theme rather than deep and meaningful systems that can be used to gain a tactical advantage.
Essentially, it’s a game that dines out on its gangster theme and links to past successes like XCOM, but due to poor design, shallow use of the prohibition era setting, and terrible tactical gameplay, the game is far off the lofty heights of the strategy game elite.
Far From Express Delivery
Before I proceed to rag on this one, know that I have more respect and patience for walking simulators than most. But even I found myself losing patience with this dull and lifeless title.
Never have I seen a walking simulator with a slower pace, which I understand was intentional due to the sleepy town vibes. But it does not serve the game at all.
These long spells of nothingness between delivering packages are mind-numbingly boring, with next to no injection of narrative, eye-candy, or anything to instill life into the experience.
This might have been okay if the world had been a vibrant and lively place, or if the story made these dull periods worth suffering,but the game is pretty unremarkable in just about every department.
It poses as a cozy, turn your brain off affair. But, as someone who loves those types of games, I promise you, this isn’t so much turning your brain off as it is slipping into a coma.
5Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand
A Barren Desert
Atlas Fallen
In recent years, many unremarkable games with names that felt like working titles have emerged. Games like Immortals of Aveum, Broken Roads, and Atlas Fallen spring to mind.
Focusing on Atlas Fallen, the game looked great on paper, boasting great visuals, a novel sand-surfing mechanic, and gameplay reminiscent of games like Monster Hunter.
However, in reality,the setting is extremely dull and repetitive, the combat is nothing like the satisfying smorgasbord of options present in Capcom’s hit series, and while there is technically a story present in Atlas Fallen, they might as well have not bothered, as it does nothing to add to the experience.
It’s a game that feels like it wants a piece of Monster Hunter’s pie, but doesn’t quite understand what has made that series so successful over the years.
If you want a vague imitation of Monster Hunter, then have at it. But considering you can play the real thing on the PS Plus Catalog, I just don’t see why you’d waste your time on this knock-off.
4South Park: The Fractured But Whole
The Original Was AWholeLot Better
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
I can understand why people would be fooled by this one. The previous title in the series, The Stick of Truth, was an outstanding RPG that used the source material to great effect.
It was comical, had deep RPG systems, and offered a rather interesting story—basically, all the things that Ubisoft’s sequel couldn’t quite manage.
Don’t get me wrong—it still scratches the same itch, but it’s a massive step-down from its predecessor, with boiled-down and borderline patronizing RPG systems and a ton of filler content in true Ubisoft fashion.
Fans who come to this one first might not see the difference, but if you’ve played the original and want more of the same, I suggest you swerve this one and retain your love for the series, as this game will only detract from that.
3Source of Madness
Lovecraft, Not Lovingly Crafted
Source of Madness
As someone who loves a healthy dose of Lovecraftian influences in their horror games, Source of Madness on paper was something that seemed really up my alley. However, I would urge every Lovecraftian fan to steer clear, as this one is a hot mess.
Thanks to the procedurally generated roguelike design that utilizes AI to create new, disgusting creatures at every turn, there’s absolutely no way to consistently plan for each run. Something that leads to reactionary gameplay at best, and complete frustration and confusion at worst.
But even beyond that,the game feels like a cheap imitation of games like Rogue Legacy. With few new ideas and a lack of cohesive gameplay, it’s far less addictive and fun than its contemporaries.
Not to mention, the game is hard for the sake of being hard, but you never feel like a death or mistake was your fault, nor is there a lesson you can learn from with each failure.
In short, it’s better as a concept than an actual game, so it’s one to avoid if you value your time.
2Thief (2014)
Stolen Time
Any older gamers in the chat will be acutely aware of the immense success of the Thief series and the pedigree that the series still has within immersive sim circles, which is perhaps why this modern iteration still feels like such a letdown all these years later.
It’s a title that shows little respect for previous titles, effectively ignoring all the design staples that made the older titles so great.
In contrast, this modern title is painfully linear, employs AI that arguably pales in comparison to what the series was able to offer in the 1990s, and worst of all, there is a severe lack of player freedom and agency which is what made the previous games so special.
It would be a crime against the genre to call this game an immersive sim, and for that reason, it’s one that you should avoid at all costs if you’re on the hunt for an emergent gameplay experience.
1Back 4 Blood
A Shallow Knock-Off
Back 4 Blood
While I can understand someone coming across Back 4 Blood and jumping at the chance to play in the hope of recapturing the magic that a Left 4 Dead campaign had to offer, it’s something I would wholeheartedly advise against.
You see, what made Left 4 Dead so special was the Director AI that effectively orchestrated a perfect campaign that ebbed and flowed every time based on the player’s actions.
But sadly, B4B doesn’t boast that same quality,with AI that isn’t anywhere near as intelligent, leading to runs that don’t feel fluid, difficulty spikes that feel frustrating, and enemy placements that feel wholly out of whack.
Combine this with B4B’s lackluster characters and campaigns, a gimmicky card system, and repetitive gameplay that never evolves, and you have a game that never even comes close to offering the sublime four-player co-op that its predecessor did.
10 Best PS Plus Essential Free Games To Date
PS Plus free games can be hit and miss. But when they’re good, they’re really good.
