The monthly PS Plus Essential games for February 2023 have leaked ahead of next week’s official reveal. As per usual, the information comes from the ever-reliable @billbil_kun, who was been posting early PS Plus lineups for years now.
These are the PS5 and PS4 titles that subscribers can apparently look forward to:
The leaker does mention that Mafia: Definitive Edition may be a bonus addition, or possibly a replacement for another game in some regions. As such, we’ll have to wait for the official announcement to know for sure.
But other than that, this looks like a fairly solid selection. OlliOlli World is a highly rated indie release from last year, and Evil Dead: The Game offers up some groovy multiplayer fun.
Meanwhile, Mafia: Definitive Edition is a rather impressive remake of what some would consider a bit of a classic, and Destiny 2: Beyond Light is a well received 2020 expansion for Bungie’s popular shooter (not to be confused with Destiny 2: Lightfall, which releases next month). We assume, by the way, that because Destiny 2’s base game is free, this is simply giving PS Plus Essential subscribers access to all of the content that’s locked behind owning Beyond Light.
January is almost over, yet Sony has yet to reveal the free PlayStation Plus games all PS Plus subscribers, regardless of the tier, will be getting for February 2023. The expectation is that it will be another two PS4 games and a PS5 game, but what games specifically hasn’t been officially revealed or even unofficially leaked like most months. This should change in the coming days as both Sony and leakers are running out of time. In the meantime, here are the games we think could feature.
Sifu was released last year as a PlayStation console exclusive, and a fairly notable one at that. This February, it will celebrate its one-year anniversary. Further, the following month, it will finally come to Xbox consoles, making this a great time for PlayStation to take some of the wind out of this sail by making it free via PS Plus first.
“Whether you choose to play as a male or a female character, in Sifu, you will ponder that question on your path for revenge, hunting down your family’s assassins,” reads an official blurb about the game. “One against all, you have no allies, countless enemies, and a mysterious amulet to bring you back to life every time you die. Yet, be warned! Your secret weapon comes with a hefty price to pay: aging and its consequences.”
Next month, Kingdom Come Deliverance will celebrate its five-year anniversary. With a sequel on the way and millions of copies already sold, it’s a good time to generate some buzz and squeeze a bit more juice from the orange in order to get more people anticipating and ready to buy the sequel whenever it winds up coming out.
“You’re Henry, the son of a blacksmith. Thrust into a raging civil war, you watch helplessly as invaders storm your village and slaughter your friends and family,” reads an official pitch of the game. “Narrowly escaping the brutal attack, you grab your sword to fight back. Avenge the death of your parents and help repel the invading forces!”
The third and final game, the marquee PS5 offer, could be The Last of Us Part 1, which has seen a resurgence in sales thanks to the popularity of the HBO show. This will likely continue as the show progresses, but you have to imagine a bulk of this resurgence has already happened, which means now is a good time to use the game to market the TV show.
“Experience the emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters in The Last of Us, winner of over 200 Game of the Year awards,” reads an official description of the game. “In a ravaged civilization, where infected and hardened survivors run rampant, Joel, a weary protagonist, is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of a military quarantine zone. However, what starts as a small job soon transforms into a brutal cross-country journey.”
Of course, these are just predictions. They are based on the history of the service and knowledge of the industry, but this isn’t a leak. Our predictions have been right in the past, but unfortunately, probability is very much against us.
PS5 is reportedly getting a major feature, but not only is this feature going to be locked behind PlayStation Plus, but it’s going to be locked behind the most expensive tier of the PS4 and PS5 subscription service. In other words, if you’re a PS Plus Essential subscriber or even a PS Plus Extra subscriber, you’re out of luck, because according to this new report, this new feature is for PS Plus Premium only, which means that only a fraction of subscribers will be able to enjoy it.
The report comes the way of Insider Gaming, which reports that soon PS5 games will be streamable on PS5 via cloud streaming, but only via PS Plus Premium. The feature is reportedly in the works under the project name “Cronus” and has been in the works for months. To this end, it should come as no surprise that it’s slated to come to PS5 on March 8, 2023.
For those that don’t know: PS Plus is divided into three tiers. The basic and standard tier, which is what PS Plus was before it was expanded upon earlier this year, is called PS Plus Essential and gives subscribers a handful of “free” games every month in addition to the ability to play multiplayer games, use cloud saves, and other things. The middle tier of the subscription service is PS Plus Extra, which is PS Plus Essential as well as unlimited access to a vast and evolving library of PS4 and PS5 games. And then there is PS Plus Premium, which is PS Plus Extra, but the library of PS4 and PS5 games is bolstered with PS3, PS2, PS1, and PSP games. And apparently now this and the ability to stream PS5 games.
All of that said, take everything here with a grain of salt. While the source in question is sterling it doesn’t change the fact that everything here should be taken with a grain of salt. In the meantime, for more coverage on all things PlayStation click here or peep the links right below:
Hold on, January 2023? It’s here already?! Yep, we know it’s hard to believe, but a whole new year is here — and that means we’ve got another 12 months of PS Plus offerings to look forward to (and perhaps moan about incessantly).
We can see January’s selection being somewhat divisive. It’s spearheaded by the well-liked Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order on PS5 and PS4, with Axiom Verge 2 and Fallout 76 adding some variety. The former is a sequel that didn’t quite live up to its stellar predecessor, while the latter will largely be remembered as a misstep for Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic franchise — despite the fact that the game has been improved dramatically since its release in 2018. Still, we’ve seen worse starts to a year!
So, what do you think of January’s PS Plus Essential games? Positive or negative, vote in our polls, and then explain yourself in the comments section below.
Are you happy with your PS Plus Essential games for January 2023? (1,071 votes)
Yes, very happy20%
Yeah, mostly happy32%
Meh, they’re okay20%
Nah, not very happy14%
No, it’s a crap selection11%
I don’t actually have PS Plus1%
Which January 2023 PS Plus Essential game are you most looking forward to? (930 votes)
Dealabs has done it yet again, only this time, the leak has arrived earlier than usual. Pretty much every month, the European retail site gets its hands on the PS Plus Essential monthly games lineup ahead of everyone else, and it’s always accurate. So, what are the first PS Plus Essential games for 2023?
According to Dealabs, January’s trio of treats looks like this:
The first needs little introduction. Respawn Entertainment’s action adventure game brings us Cal Kestis, one of the few remaining Jedi, who must come out of hiding and further his training. Lightly influenced by Dark Souls, the game has great lightsaber combat and large environments to explore on planets both familiar and new. With the sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor coming in March, this makes total sense for PS Plus Essential.
Next up is Axiom Verge 2, the sequel to the highly regarded Metroidvania game. Taking place in a different location and with a new protagonist, it stands on its own telling a contained story, though there will be references back to the original for fans to enjoy. The third game in the lineup is Fallout 76, which was critically panned upon release. However, the online spin on Bethesda’s series has received countless updates since then, so maybe it’s time to drop back in for another go.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the month’s biggest hitter, remastering Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 for PS4 along with every game’s single player expansions. You’ll be treated to further enhancements if you’re playing via backwards compatibility on PS5. The first two entries are up there with the Best RPGs on PS4, and the third instalment has its fans as well. In our Mass Effect Legendary Edition PS4 review, we called it an “enriching, engrossing, excellent trilogy [that’s] now better than ever”.
Next up is Biomutant, which disappointed us when it was first released on PS4 but has been updated with a native PS5 version since then. “Trapped in the clutches of an open world from a generation past, its own ideas are thwarted by an overload of other mechanics and overwhelming menus,” we concluded in our Biomutant PS4 review. “By trying to do so much, Biomutant skipped the part where it built a solid basis to work from.”
Update: In a statement shared with Push Square, NIS America has confirmed Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana has wrongfully been removed from PS Plus Extra, and the company will now investigate.
Its statement reads: “Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA not appearing PS Plus Extra was not planned and we are currently looking into the details. We would not remove any titles from any platform without prior communication through our channels.”
Original article: Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana has been removed from PS Plus Extra after the JRPG’s PS5 version released last week. The original PS4 edition had been made available on Sony’s subscription service since its revamp this past summer, but it suddenly disappeared over the weekend. The game’s removal wasn’t communicated ahead of time; there wasn’t even an expiry date attached to the title’s PSN listing.
PS Plus Essential games and titles like GTA: Vice City – Definitive Edition have been communicating their expiry dates through listings on the PS5’s hub page for the service, but Ys VIII never had one. It has left the service without a trace — both the PS4 and PS5 versions now have a £34.99/$39.99 price tag attached even if you’re subscribed, and there’s no free PS4 to PS5 upgrade available.
The move sets a concerning precedent for PS Plus: if games can be removed at will without an expiry date listed, then other PS5, PS4 titles could simply disappear overnight. Will the same thing happen when Ys IX: Monstrum Nox receives its PS5 version next year, which is currently still part of PS Plus Extra? We’ve contacted NIS America for more details.
Ooo swapping Greedfall (a game I would have played) for Skyrim (a game I would have bought) I can take that, as I’m one of the few RPG/open world lovers who is yet to play Skyrim, and I couldn’t work out whether to buy the anniversary edition or just the PS5 updated special edition, so this solves that for me.
And as usual Extra good, premium bad. Day one, it was obvious. Which is why my console will still say “update to premium for £10 more” if I want any trials or streaming, I would, but as of yet I think it was just a tier to lure people to wanting the best sounding version when Extra had all the real value. Sure you get the upgrade fees worth if you are already extra converting to premium, but if you bought premium for a year as its own service, or for classics, you were shafted quite badly.
A quick Skyrim question should I play this on PS5, PS4 pro, or just buy it and play it on a good PC/laptop? Is it a good console game, and which console is it best on? Are the PS5 optimisations worth it etc?
All three titles joining the service next week are at least of a reasonable quality, with Nioh 2 being the obvious standout. We called it an “excellent, action-packed sequel” in our Nioh 2 PS4 review from March 2020. “Notwithstanding its poor skill trees, forgettable narrative, and minor balance issues, Team Ninja has put together gameplay excellence. An essential playthrough for anyone who considers themselves a fan of the original or From Software’s output.”
The indie selection for November 2022 is Heavenly Bodies — available both on PS5 and PS4 — which proved both interesting and frustrating when we delivered our verdict. We described it as a “goofy, intentionally awkward game” with a clever premise and tactile gameplay. It also used the DualSense controller really well, so make sure to play on PS5 if you can.
Then there’s the LEGO Harry Potter Collection, which bundles together LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 in one complete PS4 remaster. “The LEGO Harry Potter Collection is just as good, if not better, than it was back on the PlayStation 3,” we said in our 7/10 PS4 review. “Having both games bundled in a collection makes it feel like you’re playing one lengthy game rather than two relatively short ones. There are still a few niggling mechanical issues present and the boss battles are disappointing, however fans of both Harry Potter and the LEGO games will find something to enjoy here.”
A whopping 23 new games are being added to PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium this month, and it’s fair to say that subscribers are getting a lot of value for their money — at least on Extra. Every Dragon Quest title on PS4 is being added to the service, boasting hundreds of hours of potential gameplay — Dragon Quest XI S alone can easily take over 100 hours to complete — and they’re all widely regarded as quality titles.
But it’s GTA Vice City: The Definitive Edition that’s being billed as the headline act here. Despite being extremely poorly received at launch, this remaster has seen a lot of improvements since. Inside and The Medium are worth a mention as well, along with a bunch of Assassin’s Creed games — although three of them won’t actually be available to download through PS Plus on PS5, which is a bit of a kicker.
The real disappointment seems to lie with PS Plus Premium’s offering, however. Yakuza 3 Remastered, Yakuza 4 Remastered, and Yakuza 5 Remastered are all nice gets, but there’s an argument to be had that such remasters shouldn’t really be locked to Premium in the first place, since the most expensive tier was largely sold on the promise of PS1, PS2, and PSP classics.
Speaking of which, you’re not getting any of those this month, and we’re already seeing a backlash against this fact. If you’re not happy with this situation either, then you’re in luck: you can have your say in our polls, and then speak your mind in the comments section below. And remember, you can find a list of All PS Plus Games through the link.
Are you happy with your PS Plus Premium games for October 2022? (758 votes)
Yes, really happy6%
Yeah, happy enough8%
Hmmm, they’re fine17%
Nah, they’re disappointing21%
No, they’re terrible20%
I’m not subscribed to PS Plus Premium28%
Which PS Plus Premium game for October 2022 are you most looking forward to? (728 votes)
