The PS Plus catalog may not have the same level of depthas Xbox’s Game Pass, for example, but it has come a long way since it first launched and boasts more games than most players could ever dream of playing in a lifetime.
9 Best Metroidvanias Currently On PS Plus
If you want to do some platforming and backtracking, the PS Plus Catalog has you covered.
Many think that these games are just there to make up the numbers, and in some cases, that might be true. But there are quite a few games that might not have the critical acclaim or the fan base of other titles, but are equally more than worth your time.
For clarity, we will strive to include games that aren’t super well-known or all that critically well-received. We will be focusing on games that you would likely scroll right past, even though you shouldn’t.
10Deliver Us The Moon
I Hear It’s Made Of Cheese
Deliver Us The Moon
Space epics within the world of video gamestend to be titles chock-full of dogfights in spaceships, or titles that hand you loads of technologically-advanced laser weapons and ask you to go to town on alien nasties that would mean you harm.
Deliver Us The Moon aims to offer a more emotionally charged and heartfelt space-based game, offering a phenomenal story that pins all the hope of humanity on you.
You’ll need to head to, you guessed it, the moon, and look for any survivors and a way to turn on the MPT which will allow the world to heal after running out of all natural resoruces.
The story is great, and the puzzles that facilitate each narrative plot point are equally well-crafted, offering head-scratchers that are challenging but never frustrating.
It does feel a little walking sim-esque at times, so fans of all-out action, you have been warned. However, its a superb game well worth checking out.
9Session: Skate Sim
Skate & Destroy
Session: Skate Sim
We all know how greatthe Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series is,and how brilliant EA Skate did to steal their crown in the skateboarding game genre. However, there is room for more than one, as Session proves in spades.
Session is a bit of a Marmite game. It’s less about defying the laws of physics and doing McTwists over helicopters and more about fighting tooth and nail to land the most basic lines and tricks.
It’s essentially what it feels like to actually progress at skating in real life, wherever a new trick is a huge win, and your gradual progress feels insanely satisfying.
It does require a lot of patience, as the game is unrelenting and pulls no punches. But, if you’re willing to tough it out, Session could easily become one of your comfort games where you can roll around and turn your brain off.
Pick Your Poison
When you hear the pitch, ‘a soul-like from Team17. I’m sure it doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence,as Souls-likes tend to be very particular in terms of gritty design.
But, you have to say, credit where it’s due. As they managed to create a Souls-like that feels challenging, atmospheric, and rather unique in comparison to its contemporaries.
Thymesia offers a plague-ridden world to explore, a wealth of tough bosses, and a combat system that forces you to manage traditional HP and poison damage in equal measure. All of which culminate in a truly excellent souls-like experience.
It’s much shorter than other games within the genre, and it’s a much more accessible game in terms of difficulty, so it doubles as a great beginner souls-like game, too.
In short, if you want a way to break into this notoriously difficult game genre, Thymesia could be just the ticket.
7The Pedestrian
Stickman Adventures
The Pedestrian
Puzzle Platformer is a term that immediately leads to most people picturing a side-scrolling affair like LIMBO or INSIDE. Mainly because these are games that have shaped the genre so much. However, The Pedestrian is a game that tries to separate the two entities entirely.
On the one hand, there is the puzzle aspect, which involves going to a drawing board, moving aspects of the world around, and making connections between them to shape the environment for your little stick-figure avatar.
But then, you need to take control of your little guy and navigate the setting in traditional 2D platformer fashion to get from A to B.
It’s the best of both worlds, with scenic backgrounds to enjoy as you go and one of the wildest finales I have ever witnessed in a puzzle game that truly flips the script. It’s a puzzle game hidden gem, and for the ending alone, you need to check this one out.
6F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch
Dumb Name, Good Game
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch
Whether it’s the strange juxtaposition of the gritty tone and the cute bunny protagonist, or just the genuinely awful name of the game, I completely understand how you could write off this game at a glance. However, doing so would be a big mistake.
It’s one of thebest Metroidvania gamesamong the limited selection on the platform. It offers an interconnected world, rewarding exploration, and dynamic combat that gets better as you go.
Plus, the game looks striking due to its focus on realistic visuals rather than the hand-drawn style seen in most other Metroidvanias, setting it apart.
The story isn’t much to write home about, in truth, but the combat, exploration, platforming, and fun power-ups make this a Metroidvania gem worth playing.
5The Technomancer
Commander Sheppard-Mancer
The Technomancer
Fextralife Wiki
Spiders has always felt like a budget Bioware developer, aiming to offer unique worlds, rich lore, compelling characters with depth, and deep RPG systems that facilitate weighty choices at every turn.
Their games don’t always stick the landing, and feel a little rougher around the edges by comparison, but The Technomancer feels like the closest thing to a Mass Effect clone that you will find on the market today.
Admittedly, the character depth is nowhere to be seen here. But credit where it’s due: There is a wealth of cool RPG systems to play around with, Darth Maul-adjacent melee combat, satisfying progression, and very pretty, detailed locales to explore.
If you go in expecting a Mass Effect level space opera, you’ll come away disappointed for sure. But, if you go in expecting an interstellar RPG that punches well above its weight, you’ll have a lot of fun with this gem.
4Killer Frequency
Horror For Cowards
Killer Frequency
If you’re someone who has always wanted to get into horror games, but also happens to be a big scaredy cat, then this might just be the game for you.
Killer Frequency is a gameI would lovingly label ‘horror for cowards’. As it provides a silly narrative and setting that doesn’t take itself too seriously, akin to a cheesy slasher flick. But equally, there are moments of tension and high-stakes events on the regular.
As the town’s local disc jockey, you need to field police calls being forwarded to you while the sheriff is absent, and you need to solve a series of logic puzzles to ensure that as few residents of this backwater town die as possible.
Plus, there will come a time when you yourself will need to evade the sinister clutches of the Whistling Man. It’s equal parts corny and creepy, but that’s why we love this charming little indie.
3Paradise Killer
A Vaporwave Whodunnit
Paradise Killer
If there’s one game on this list where a trailer will simply not do the game justice, it’s Paradise Killer. A game that looks like a weird game that you should swerve at all costs, but just so happens to be one of the best detective games ever made.
Throughout your run through Paradise Killer, you will be tasked with roaming the world, searching for clues and evidence, interviewing potential suspects, and eventually, you’ll need to accuse the perpetrator and hope your hard work has paid off.
But here’s the thing. There’s no ‘right answer’. The game allows you to build your case, go to trial, and if your case is solid, it just might go in your favor. But, the game will never tell you what is truth and what is lies.
It’s a detective game where you have complete freedom, and only through thorough exploration will you see all the content this vaporwave world has in store for you. So, if you consider yourself a perceptive type, this is the game that will allow you to prove it.
2The Ascent
Night City’s Sister City
The Ascent
The word ‘Cyberpunk’ is one that will almost immediately leads to gaming fanatics discussing Night City, and rhyming off some rather awkward and cheesy Keanu Reeves quotes. However, the cyberpunk genre consists of more than just CD Projekt Red’s blockbuster hit.
The Ascent is a game that occupies the same space, but offers a very different experience that will appeal to fans of ARPG games like Diablo and Path of Exile.
It has the essence of a cover shooter like Gears of War, but with the spine of an ARPG, and the depth of a lore-intensive RPG dying to immerse you in the futuristic world it has concocted for you.
It’s visually impressive, the gameplay is simple but devilishly addictive, and the story woven throughout the runtime puts Cyberpunk 2077 to shame.
In short, if you want to visit an equally interesting and neon-soaked setting akin to Night City, then The Ascent is a must-play.
1Immortals: Fenyx Rising
BOTW On PS5
With Ubisoft pushing their big hitters like Farcry and Assassin’s Creed on the regular, it can be easy to forget the other open-world games they have pushed out in recent years, and Fenyx is a surprisingly good one.
This title is essentially ‘Ubisoft does Breath of the Wild’. With similar world-building, design, traversal, puzzles, and art style to the monumental chapter in the story of Hyrule.
However, something similar to a game as polished as BOTW can only be a good thing, as the game plays rather nicely with satisfying traversal, progression and more.
Plus, the game also leans into Greek mythology, but in a rather cartoonish and slapstick way that is quite funny on a number of occasions.
It’s not a game that re-invents the wheel in the open-world department, but if you’re looking for something similar to Breath of the Wild on PS5, this is probably the closest you will get.
10 Best PS Plus Games You Can Beat In One Weekend
We all live for the weekend, and these games can make the weekend special.
