PlayStation
Plus
Extra
is
a
subscription
service
offered
by
Sony
for
$14.99/£10.99
a
month.
The
biggest
benefit
that
the
Extra
tier
grants
is
access
to
the
PlayStation
Plus
Extra
Game
Catalogue,
a
sizable
collection
of
games
that
you
can
download
and
play
at
no
extra
cost.
It’s
an
extensive
and
impressive
list
of
titles
spanning
many
different
genres,
publishers
and
developers,
so
I’m
here
to
offer
my
suggestions
as
to
what
are
the
very
best
games
you
can
download
and
play
right
now
from
the
catalogue.

Assassin’s
Creed:
Valhalla

If
you’re
looking
for
something
to
sink
dozens
upon
dozens
of
hours
into,
AC;
Valhalla
may
be
the
game
for
you.
The
modern-day
Assassin’s
Creed
games
have
grown
bigger
in
scope,
to
where
they
have
arguably
gotten
too
big
for
their
own
good.
But
you
certainly
can’t
deny
the
pure
value
of
them.

AC:
Valhalla
is
an
entertaining
romp
where
you
play
as
the
Viking
Eivor
as
he
or
she
attempts
to
establish
a
new
clan
in
England,
while
also
getting
involved
with
the
ancient
order
of
Assassins.
You’ll
fight,
sneak
and
pillage
your
way
across
the
land
in
this
gigantic
game.
While
it
does
take
plenty
of
historical
liberties,
there’s
a
good
chance
that
Valhalla
will
spark
an
interest
in
real-world
history.

There’s
plenty
of
variety
in
what
Valhall
offers,
from
its
fiesty
combat
to
its
sneaky
stabbing,
from
its
raiding
random
towns
in
true
Viking
fashion
to
its
extensive
collection
of
sidequests.
It’s
like
the
all-you-can-eat
buffet
of
videogames:
it
doesn’t
excel
at
any
one
thing,
but
man,
there’s
a
lot
of
different
stuff
to
check
out.

Batman:
Arkham
Knight

Rocksteady
might
not
be
doing
too
well
these
days,
but
once
upon
a
time,
they
were
masters
of
their
craft,
putting
out
the
very
best
Batman
games
we’ve
ever
had.
In
some
ways,
I
would
argue
that
Arkham
Knight
is
the
worst
of
Rocksteady’s
trilogy,
but
even
the
weakest
of
the
three
is
still
a
fantastic
time.

Arkham
Knight
pits
Batman
against
a
strange
new
foe
while
outfitting
him
with
the
Batmobile
for
the
first
time.
The
freeflow
combat
system
is
terrific
and
the
thrill
of
haunting
enemies
from
the
shadows
is
like
nothing
else
in
gaming.
It’s
a
cliche
to
say
it,
but
Arkham
Knight
really
does
make
you
feel
like
Batman,
or
at
least
as
close
as
you’ll
ever
get
without
a
few
billion
in
the
bank
account,
a
personal
butler
and
a
worrying
fascination
with
hanging
out
on
rooftops
while
dressed
in
BDSM
gear.

Bloodborne

The
level
of
devotion
that
Bloodborne’s
fanbase
has
is
simply
unquestionable.
Rumours
have
been
flying
for
years
that
Bloodborne
will
get
a
remake
or
remaster
but
sadly
nothing
has
appeared,
so
why
not
check
out
the
original
masterpiece?

Bloodborne
is
a
PS4
classic
that
takes
FromSoftware’s well-known
love
for
kicking
people
in
the
balls
and
transports
it
into
a
Victorian/Lovecraftian
world.
Whereas
many
other
FromSoftware
games
encourage
you
to
play
carefully,
Bloodborne
pushes
you
to
be
aggressive.
There
are
no
shields
or
heavy
armour;
if
you
take
damage,
you
can
heal
up
by
quickly
striking
back.

The
gothic
world
is
dripping
in
atmosphere,
every
area
offering
a
chance
to
tease
out
a
little
more
of
the
story.
The
plot
isn’t
given
to
you:
it
has
to
be
dragged
from
the
game
kicking
and
screaming.
And
kicking
and
screaming
is
exactly
what
you’ll
be
doing
during
every
vicious
boss
fight.

If
you
love
the
idea
of
brutal,
unforgiving
gameplay
and
an
incredibly
immersive,
bleak
atmosphere
then
Bloodborne
is
for
you.

Concrete
Genie

Released
in
2018
by
PixelOpus,
Concrete
Genie
was
the
studio’s
second
and
final
game.
Sony
sadly
shut
the
studio
down
in
2023,
leaving
behind
this
unappreciated
gem.

There’s
more
passion
and
creativity
packed
into
the
first
30
minutes
of
Concrete
Genie
than
can
be
found
in
most
triple-A
titles.
It’s
part
platformer,
part
artistic
adventure
where
you
control
Ash
as
he
explores
a
city,
daubing
the
walls
in
beautiful
art
that
you
get
to
paint.

Somehow
one
of
Ash’s
drawings
has
come
to
life,
and
Ash
himself
gains
possession
of
a
paintbrush
the
size
of
a
broadsword
which
he
can
use
to
paint
the
walls
of
his
mostly
abandoned
home
town.
These
paintings
are
made
of
pre-designed
sketches
that
you’ll
add
to
by
recovering
his
lost
sketchbook.
These
gorgeous
creations
are
brought
to
life,
moving
on
the
walls
they
now
live
upon.

It’s
a
fascinating
game
that
PixelOpus
clearly
put
their
combined
heart
and
soul
into,
and
it’s
truly
a
shame
that
Concrete
Genie
was
sent
out
to
die
by
Sony
which
didn’t
seem
to
care
very
much.

Control:
Ultimate
Edition

I’ve
poured
out

my
love
of
Control
countless
times
over
the
years
since
it
was
released
and
I
still
stand
by
every
worse.
Control
is
Remedy
Entertainment
at
its
very
best,
a
crazy
supernatural
action
game
that’s
a
joy
to
play
and
a
wonderfully
dark
drug
trip
gone
bad
the
rest
of
the
time.

Playing
as
Jesse,
you
end
up
trapped
in
the
Federal
Bureau
of
Control,
a
group
tasked
with
containing
all
of
the
supernatural
elements
in
the
world.
Those
supernatural
elements
range
from
the
pleasingly
creepy
to
the
downright
fucking
insane,
like
a
fridge
that
will
go
on
a
murderous
rampage
unless
someone
is
watching
it
at
all
times.
The
building
itself
is
seemingly
alive,
often
changing
and
trapping
you
within
its
corridors
and
rooms,
so
Jesse
needs
to
find
out
what’s
going
on
and
why
she’s
there.

The
combat
is
a
blast
thanks
to
Jesse
being
armed
with
a
cool
transforming
weapon
and
a
heap
of
special
powers
like
being
able
to
levitate,
the
exploration
is
always
super
engaging
because
of
the
weirdness
and
the
plot
is
a
mad
mixture
of
Stephen
King,
Twin
Peaks
and
the
X-Files.

Control
is
one
of
the
most
unique
games
I’ve
ever
played,
a
testament
to
Remedy’s
ongoing
journey
to
create
games
that
are
unlike
anything
else.

Cursed
to
Golf

Although
I
may
be
Scottish,
I
can
think
of
no
version
of
Hell
more
terrifying
than
one
where
I’m
cursed
to
play
golf
forever.
Turn
that
premise
into
a
videogame
though,
and
you
have
my
attention.

Cursed
to
Golf
is
a
fantastic
little
roguelike
game
where
our
heroic
golfer
is
killed
by
lightning
on
the
final
hole
of
a
tournament
and
cast
down
to
Golf
Purgatory
where
he
meets
The
Scotsman,
a
massive
ghost/spirit
who
explains
that
to
escape
you
must
beat
an
eighteen-hole
course.
Fail,
and
you
get
sent
back
to
the
beginning.

Stitched
together
from
70
different
pieces
of
terrain,
the
courses
you
face
are
littered
with
all
manner
of
supernatural
bollox
designed
to
keep
you
from
escaping.
Special
cards
grand
you
a
little
taste
of
those
powers,
including
being
able
to
make
the
ball
do
a
U-turn
in
mid-air
and
even
magical
portals.

The
resulting
mixture
is
fantastic
and
endlessly
satisfying
to
play,
especially
when
you
get
really
handy
with
the
abilities
and
start
wrecking
courses.
If
golf
in
real
life
was
this
exciting,
I
might
actually
play
it.

Days
Gone

What
list
could
possibly
be
complete
without
hordes
of
zombies
barreling
across
the
landscape
toward
you
and
what
little
brains
you
have
rattling
around
in
that
pretty
little
skull
of
yours?

Days
Gone
is
a
first-party
PlayStation
title
that
didn’t
get
the
success
that
Bend
Studio
and
Sony
were
obviously
hoping
for,
meaning
a
sequel
has
already
been
ruled
out.
That’s
a
shame
because
Days
Gone
is
actually
a
really
solid,
fun
game
with
a
couple
of
great
ideas.

The
biggest
and
the
greatest
of
those
ideas
is
that
you
play
as
Deacon
St.
John,
a
member
of
a
biker
gang
who
gets
around
the
zombie
(I’m
sorry,

Freakers)
infested
world
on
his
trusty,
customisable
motorcycle.
That
alone
appeals
to
me,
although
I’d
be
the
first
to
admit
that
a
well-armoured
car
would
probably
be
the
safer
choice.
Common
sense
isn’t
going
to
stop
me
from
loving
the
idea
of
barreling
around
the
game’s
setting
of
Oregon.

Aside
from
that,
Days
Gone
ticks
a
few
basic
boxes:
it’s
an
open-world
adventure
with
some
very
light
survival
elements,
backed
up
by
a
pretty
enjoyable
storyline
that
sees
Deacon
trying
to
locate
his
long-lost
wife
who
escaped
at
the
beginning
of
the
Freaker
invasion.
Much
like
Deacon
himself,
Days
Gone
has
a
rough
charm
that
won’t
work
on
everyone,
but
for
that
it
does,
you’re
gonna
enjoy
hanging
out,
having
a
beer,
talking
bikes
and
shooting
zombies.

Dave
the
Diver

Like
a
delicious
piece
of
nigiri,

Dave
the
Diver
takes
two
simple
ingredients
and
puts
them
together
to
form
a
mouth-watering,
soul-pleasing
experience.
Okay,
I
admit
that
analogy
is
some
basic
shit,
especially
since
Nigiri
has
more
than
two
ingredients,
but
you
get
the
idea.

Dave
the
Diver
features
two
distinctive
gameplay
elements:
the
first
has
you
diving
into
a
magical
lagoon
in
search
for
tasty
fish
that
you’ll
then
serve
in
a
sushi
restaurant
in
the
evening.
As
you
venture
into
the
deep
waters
you’ll
encounter
a
variety
of
weird
and
wonderful
things,
from
new
types
of
delicious
deep-sea
animals
to
relics
of
an
ancient
civilization.

During
the
evenings
you
design
a
menu
based
on
what
you’ve
caught
and
then
run
back
and
forth
serving
customers
their
food
and
drinks,
all
while
bringing
in
money
to
help
expand
your
operation.

The
intertwining
of
both
the
exploration
and
the
restaurant
management
are
expertly
handled,
creating
a
cohesive
experience
brimming
with
charisma.
It’s
impossible
not
to
smile
while
playing
Dave
the
Diver.

Dead
Cells

Death
is
just
the
beginning.
As
a
prime
example
of
the
roguelike
genre,

Dead
Cells
takes
that
old
adage
to
heart.
Failing
is
not
only
expected,
it’s
built
into
the
core
gameplay
because
death
sends
you
back
to
the
beginning
armed
with
resources
to
spend
on
upgrades
that
will
help
you
get
even
further
on
the
next
run.

Skill
plays
a
huge
role
in
Dead
Cells.
It’s
a
demanding
game
for
people
seeking
a
challenge.
Putting
in
the
time
to
master
its
slick
platforming
and
satisfying
combat
is
a
rewarding
journey,
yet
no
matter
the
skill
level
everyone
can
get
through
the
game
thanks
to
the
slow
trickle
of
upgrades.

Death
Stranding

On
paper

Death
Stranding
sounds
utterly
stupid:
you
walk
across
a
post-apocalyptic
landscape
as
a
glorified
delivery
man,
carrying
packages
back
and
forth
from
location
to
location.
And
yet
somehow,
crazed
genius
Hideo
Kojima
turns
this
absurd
premise
into
something
special.

However,
you
do
need
a
high
tolerance
for
batshit
insanity
in
order
to
play
Death
Stranding.
It’s
a
game
where
you
carry
a
baby
with
nebulous
supernatural
powers
around
in
a
tank
strapped
to
your
chest,
a
game
where
you
spend
an
hour
trekking
across
a
snowy
mountain
and
a
game
where
Conan
O’Brien
is
inexplicably
in
it.

The
true
brilliance
lies
in
how
it
handles
cooperation
with
other
players.
You
never
actually
see
another
player,
yet
you
will
see
their
impact
on
the
world.
You
can
collect
and
spend
resources
to
construct
roads,
ziplines,
ladders
and
other
things
that
make
getting
around
the
world
far
easier,
and
these
items
can
appear
in
other
player’s
worlds
as
well.
It’s
hard
to
explain
how
much
you
will
grow
to
appreciate
the
hard
work
of
other
people
who
took
the
time
to
build
a
road
that
halves
your
journey
time,
and
you’ll
find
yourself
building
both
for
yourself
and
for
the
warmth
of
knowing
that
you’ve
helped
out
other
players
too.

DOOM
Eternal

The
name
DOOM
is
known
even
outside
of
the
realm
of
videogames,
so
iconic
is
the
first-person
shooter
franchise.
While
it
wasn’t
the
first
FPS,
it
was
one
of
the
most
influential,
and
its
2016
resurrection
at
the
hands
of
id
Software
was
nothing
short
of
astounding.

And
then
in
2019,
id
Software
did
it
again
with

DOOM
Eternal,
a
brutal
shooter
that
took
the
already
crunchy,
meaty,
weighty
combat
of
the
2016
game
and
made
it
even
faster,
even
meatier,
even
crunchier,
even
weightier
and
even
more
heavy
fucking
metal.

DOOM
Eternal
is
not
just
a
shooter,
it’s
an
ode
to
violence
written
with
thrashing
guitars,
booming
shotguns
and
oceans
of
blood.
Arguably,
DOOM
2016
is
more
refined
due
to
its
more
streamlined
gameplay.
On
some
days
I’d
say
that
DOOM
2016
is
slightly
better,
and
thankfully
its
part
of
PlayStation
Plus
Extra
as
well,
but
today
I’m
saying
that
the
utter
insanity
of
DOOM
Eternal
wins
out.
Play
it.
Revel
in
it.
And
then
use
the
soundtrack
whenever
you
go
to
the
gym.

Ghost
of
Tsushima

Arriving
at
the
tale
end
of
the
PlayStation
4
era,

Ghost
of
Tsushima
is
a
beautiful
game
that
casts
you
as
Jin
Sakai,
a
Samurai
caught
up
in
the
Mongol
invasion
of
Tsushima
in
1274.
The
brute
force
of
the
Mongols
decimates
the
defenders,
and
Sakai
is
left
for
dead.
Upon
healing,
he
sets
out
to
retake
the
island
and
repel
the
Mongol
invaders.
However,
Jin
realises
that
defeating
the
Mongols
may
mean
having
to
abandon
the
rigid
Samurai
code
he
holds
so
dear.

Ghost
of
Tsushima
is
a
gorgeous
game
and
a
love
letter
to
both
the
real-world
history
of
the
Samurai
and
the
many
fantastic
works
of
samurai
fiction
we’ve
had
over
the
years.
The
combat
is
excellent,
the
stealth
gameplay
is
fun,
there’s
heaps
to
do
and
the
story
is
a
compelling
journey
that
wraps
up
in
a
satisfying
finale.

Highlights
of
this
amazing
game
include
the
wind
guiding
you
to
the
next
objective,
engaging
in
duels,
bathing
in
hot
springs,
writing
haikus,
wiping
out
entire
bases
from
the
shadows
and
traversing
some
of
the
most
beautiful,
inspiring
landscapes
in
all
of
gaming.

God
of
War

It
would
be
impossible
to
write
this
list
without
including
the
2018
soft
reboot
of
one
of
Sony’s
most
iconic
characters.
The
God
of
War
had
a
hugely
successful
career
back
in
the
PS2
and
PS3
era,
but
Sony
Santa
Monica
found
a
way
to
revive
Kratos
in
the
modern
era
by
emphasising
a
deeper
story
focusing
on
an
older
Kratos
now
trying
to
live
a
life
of
peace
rather
than
one
of
violence.
Having
lost
his
wife,
he
is
now
an
emotionally
closed-off
man
trying
to
raise
his
son,
all
while
still
trying
to
deal
with
his
past
life
as
the
Greek
God
of
War.
But
the
past
has
a
nasty
habit
of
coming
back
to
bite
everyone
in
the
ass,
and
Kratos
is
no
different.

God
of
War
is
a
blockbuster
game
in
every
sense
of
the
word.
Sony
spared
no
expense
when
it
came
to
the
development
budget,
including
bringing
in
the
stellar
Christopher
Judge
to
voice
Kratos.
From
start
to
finish
(the
whole
game
is
presented
as
one
never-ending
camera
shot)
God
of
War
oozes
an
exceptional
level
of
detail
and
polish.

It’s
not
like
it’s
lacking
in
the
gameplay,
either.
While
it
does
arguably
lack
some
of
the
bat-shit
bombastic
battles
of
the
original
games,
especially
God
of
War
3,
this
reboot
features
chunky,
satisfying
combat,
fun
exploration
and
an
emotionally
charged
story
that
manages
to
make
the
somewhat
one-dimensional
Kratos
feel
like
a
fully
developed,
fascinating
character
ripped
straight
out
of
a
classic
Greek
tragedy.

Horizon:
Zero
Dawn

You
get
to
fight
giant
robotic
dinosaurs
using
a
bow
and
arrow.

Okay,
if
you
need
more
convincing
then
I’m
honestly
not
sure
what
you’re
looking
for
in
life,
but
I’d
advise
starting
with
therapy
and
going
from
there.

Horizon
is
one
of
Sony’s
newest
franchises
and
it
quickly
rose
to
prominence
thanks
to
its
interesting
take
on
the
post-apocalyptic
landscape
so
often
seen.
It’s
a
bright
and
colourful
world
where
you
play
as
Aloy,
a
young
woman
who
gets
caught
up
in
an
epic
sci-fi
adventure
where
she
discovers
what
happened
to
the
world
and
why
humans
now
share
the
Earth
with
massive
mechanical
monsters.

The
world
you
explore
is
massive,
beautiful
and
packed
with
things
to
do.
Aloy
herself
is
something
of
a
divisive
character
as
some
people
find
her
endearing
and
others
struggle
to
connect
with
her,
but
the
gameplay
overrides
all
that,
offering
really
strong
combat
against
some
of
the
coolest
enemies
around.

Horizon:
Forbidden
West,
the
sequel,
is
also
available
on
PlayStation
Extra
and
it’s
tempting
to
recommend
it
over
the
first
game
simply
because
it
improves
on
the
core
gameplay
in
almost
every
way.
But,
the
sequel
takes
the
already
quite
heady
mixture
of
sci-fi
elements
and
triples
down
on
it,
so
leaping
head-first
into
the
second
game
could
be
rather
confusing.

Maneater

Let’s
take
a
dive
into
something
that
doesn’t
take
itself
seriously,
shall
we?
This
list
has
a
lot
of
games
on
it
that
are
quite
dark
in
their
subject
matter
or
take
themselves
very
seriously.

Maneater
is
content
to
simply
be
a
fun
game
and
an
often
very
simple
one
at
that.

Here’s
the
selling
point:
you
play
as
a
shark.
You
eat
everything,
you
get
bigger,
you
evolve
in
crazy,
you
kill
more
stuff,
you
go
on
a
rampage,
maybe
murder
a
beach-full
of
humans.
That’s
the
game.

Maneater
is
a
great
time,
sticking
you
into
the
fins
of
a
young
shark
whose
momma
is
murdered
by
the
stars
of
a
crazy
reality
TV
show
where
the
stars
hunt
down
underwater
predators.
Since
you’re
a
shark
and
can’t
speak,
you
don’t
exactly
swear
vengeance
but
the
motive
is
pretty
clear,
so
you
head
out
with
the
goal
of
murdering
everyone
on
the
TV
show
until
you
get
to
the
main
target,
and
to
do
that
you
need
to
grow.
Completing
missions,
collecting
stuff
and
eating
other
ocean
life/humans
all
feed
into
the
progression
system
where
you
unlock
cool
mutations,
like
bone
armour,
and
evolve
into
a
MASSIVE
unit
of
a
shark.

Not
only
does
the
game
feel
great
to
play,
it’s
also
genuinely
funny,
both
in
its
hilarious
gameplay
(like
flopping
around
on
land)
and
its
brilliant
nature-documentary
narrator.
If
you
want
something
straightforward
and
that
won’t
take
hundreds
of
hours
to
complete,
then
Maneater
is
a

whale
shark
of
a
time.

Marvel’s
Guardians
of
the
Galaxy

The
first
of
a
few
Marvel-licensed
games
to
make
it
onto
this
list,

Guardians
of
the
Galaxy
earns
its
place
thanks
to
its
strong
character
dynamics.
Much
like
its
movie
counterparts,
it’s
the
interactions
between
the
various
members
of
the
team
that
make
the
game
shine,
carefully
balancing
comedic
bickering
with
strong
writing.
This
is
a
crew
of
misfit
morons
that
you
grow
to
love
and
care
for.

That
isn’t
to
say
the
gameplay
is
terrible,
though.
While
it’s
not
one
of
the
strongest
games
on
this
list,
the
shooting
and
fighting
are
still
fun,
especially
as
jump
between
different
team
members
to
unleash
tag-team
moves.
But
really,
it’s
the
superb
story
that
carries
the
game,
along
with
the
excellent
voice
acting.

Unfortunately,
Square
Enix
wasn’t
impressed
with
the
game’s
sales
numbers
so
it
doesn’t
look
like
a
sequel
is
happening.

Marvel’s
Spider-Man:
Miles
Morales

This
is
tricky
to
recommend,
not
because
it
isn’t
a
great
game
(because
it
is)
but
rather
because
the
first
game,
Marvel’s
Spider-Man
is
not
available
on
PS
Plus
Extra.
For
some
reason,
Sony
removed
it,
leaving
the
sequel
instead.

The
good
news
is
that
provided
you’ve
got
a
passing
familiarity
with
Spider-Man
you
shouldn’t
have
any
trouble
jumping
straight
into

Miles
Morales
which
acts
as
a
sort
massive
expansion
pack
rather
a
full-fledged
sequel.
With
that
said,
if
you
don’t
know
who
Miles
Morales
is
(unlikely
given
the
popularity
of
the
amazing
Spider-verse
movies)
then
you
may
be
slightly
puzzled
by
why
Spider-Man
is
now
black
all
of
a
sudden.

Acting
as
a
follow-up
to
the
first
game
and
as
the
building
blocks
for
Marvel’s
Spider-Man
2,
this
game
sees
young
Miles
Morales
stepping
up
to
the
plate
as
the
new
Spider-Man
and
protégé
of
Peter
Parker.
Classic
Spidey
has
had
to
leave
town
for
a
little,
meaning
for
the
first
time
Miles
is
on
his
own
and
having
to
deal
with
a
new
villain
on
the
scene.

In
gameplay
terms,
this
is
basically
the
first
game,
meaning
it’s
sublime.
Swinging
around
New
York
is
utterly
glorious
in
its
smoothness,
its
fun-factor
and
its
style.
Combine
that
with
slick
combat
and
an
entertaining
yarn
that
does
a
great
job
of
building
Miles
as
his
own
character
and
you’ve
got
a
winner.

Moonlighter

From
swinging
around
the
streets
of
New
York
to
running
a
cosy
little
shop.

Moonlighter
is
a
small
game
where
you
play
as
a
shopkeeper
in
a
fantasy
world,
procuring
goods
to
sell
to
the
public.
Every
day
you
open
your
store,
stock
the
shelves,
set
prices
and
hopefully
turn
a
profit.

The
twist
is
how
you
get
the
items
you
sell.
At
night,
you
moonlight
as
an
adventurer,
heading
off
into
a
series
of
dungeons
to
slay
monsters
and
acquire
things
to
sell
during
the
day.
A
lot
of
what
you
get
can
also
be
used
to
upgrade
your
own
gear,
so
you
need
to
carefully
consider
what
to
keep
and
what
to
put
on
the
shop
floor.

It’s
a
clever
mix
of
dungeon-crawling
and
management
game,
wrapped
up
in
a
charming
bow.
Moonlighter
is
a
great
game
to
break
up
the
onslaught
of
big-budget
blockbusters.

Ratchet
&
Clank:
Rift
Apart

While
the
Ratchet
&
Clank
series
has
a
dedicated
following,
the
franchise
has
never
really
regained
the
mainstream
appeal
it
once
ahead
on
the
older
generations
of
PlayStation
hardware,
leaving
its
future
in
doubt.
But

Ratchet
&
Clank:
Rift
Apart
proves
that
the
series
can
still
hang
with
the
big
boys,
even
if
the
sales
numbers
aren’t
great.

While
Rift
Apart
is
technically
a
continuation
of
the
series,
it
does
a
good
job
of
being
accessible
to
new
players,
too.
It
picks
up
a
little
later
in
our
intrepid
duo’s
lives,
reintroducing
us
to
them
in
the
middle
of
a
celebration
of
their
heroism.
Their
old
nemesis
crashes
the
party,
however,
sending
Ratchet
&
Clank
careening
through
a
charming,
funny
tale.

A
lot
was
made
of
this
game’s
usage
of
the
PlayStation
5’s
speedy
storage
leading
up
to
launch,
and
while
it
wasn’t
quite
as
groundbreaking
as
promised,
there’s
no
denying
that
the
way
the
game
jumps
between
dimensions,
levels
and
areas
is
spectacular
and
makes
for
some
awesome
moments.

The
gunplay
is
top-notch,
featuring
an
array
of
cool
weaponry
to
shoot
while
you
venture
through
drop-dead
gorgeous
environments
and
meet
wonderfully
quirky
characters.
I
freaking
adore
this
game,
and
think
you
will
too.

Returnal

Returnal
might
be
a
big
Sony
first-party
exclusive
game,
but
in
spirit
it
feels
a
lot
more
like
an
old-school
arcade
shooter
where
fast
reactions
are
key.
All
sorts
of
attacks
will
blast
toward
you
in
mesmerising
and
pretty
patterns,
forcing
you
to
duck
and
weave.
It’s
wrapped
up
on
a
roguelike
structure
where
death
sends
you
back
to
the
start
of
the
loop
but
with
new
resources
and
unlocks
that
will
hopefully
help
you
get
further
along
on
the
next
run.

Underpinning
everything
is
an
interesting
sci-fi
tale
where
our
hero
has
crash-landed
on
a
strange
planet
where
the
concept
of
time
seems
to
be
entirely
optional.
But
that’s
not
all:
this
strange
place
is
messing
with
her
head,
too.
It’s
a
cool
story,
one
that’s
a
little
trippy
in
places
and
asks
its
players
to
keep
up
or
get
lost,
which
I
appreciate.

With
that
said,
Returnal
is
also
a
tough
game
that
demands
a
lot
of
skill
to
get
to
the
end,
so
make
sure
you’re
willing
to
put
in
the
time
before
starting
it,
or
you
risk
wasting
a
few
hours
before
bouncing
off
of
it.

Shadow
of
the
Colossus

Let’s
take
a
jump
back
in
time,
shall
we?
First
released
in
2005,
this
new
version
of
Shadow
of
Colossus
updates
the
game
for
the
PS4
era
and
lets
a
new
generation
of
players
experience
one
of
the
most
revered
games
to
ever
exist.

Playing
as
Wander,
your
goal
is
to
revive
your
beloved
Mono
which
requires
the
completion
of
an
ancient
ritual.
To
do
that,
you
need
to
hunt
and
kill
16
ancient
colossi
that
roam
the
landscape.
The
creatures
are
so
massive
that
you
can’t
simply
fight
them,
though.
Instead,
tackling
them
is
a
mixture
of
puzzle
solving
and
platforming,
requiring
you
to
scale
the
colossi
in
an
effort
to
discover
their
weak
point.

It’s
hard
to
describe
why
Shadow
of
the
Colossus
is
so
beloved.
There’s
something
magical
in
its
lonely
atmosphere
and
its
story
which
deals
with
some
surprisingly
deep
moral
questions
all
while
being
told
in
a
very
minimalistic
way.

To
say
more
carries
the
risk
of
spoiling
the
game.
Suffice
it
to
say,
Shadow
of
the
Colossus
is
special.

Shadow
Tactics:
Blades
of
the
Shogun

Two
samurai-themed
games
on
one
list?
Madness!
But
they
couldn’t
be
more
different.
Set
in
Japan
around
the
Edo
period,
Shadow
Tactics
is
a
game
where
you
control
a
squad
of
characters
in
real-time,
trying
to
sneak
and
murder
your
way
through
the
levels.

At
its
core,
Shadow
Tactics
is
a
puzzle
game,
each
new
area
pushing
you
to
use
that
brain-box
of
yours.
Each
character
has
their
own
skills
and
abilities,
and
you
can
pause
the
action
and
line
up
a
series
of
commands
for
them
to
perform
before
hitting
the
play
button
and
watching
your
masterpiece
of
a
plan
be
executed.
Often,
that
means
watching
in
horrified
fascination
as
you
realise
you
didn’t
account
for
that
one
enemy
dude
over
there
who
is
now
busy
raising
the
alarm.

Succeeding
in
eliminating
swathes
of
guards
or
sneaking
through
a
highly
guarded
area
triggers
immense
feelings
of
satisfaction
and
pride.
If
you
like
the
sound
of
a
game
that
rewards
patience
and
planning,
Shadow
Tactics
is
for
you.

Sniper
Elite
5

The
Sniper
Elite
franchise
has
managed
to
snipe
its
way
into
my
heart
over
the
years
thanks
to
its
fun
gameplay
which
rewards
you
for
just
messing
about
with
the
hundreds
of
Nazi
soldiers
that
you’ll
inevitably
gun
down.

It’s
easy
to
dismiss
the
game
as
nothing
more
than
a
vehicle
for
its
special
X-ray
sniper
shots
where
you
follow
the
path
of
your
bullet
and
then
watch
as
it
rips
and
tears
through
muscle,
flesh
and
ballsacks
in
glorious
slow-motion.
And
to
be
fair,
those
are
a
pretty
big
part
of
the
game,
clearly
aimed
at
players
like
me
who
enjoy
some
over-the-top
gore.

However,
the
rest
of
the
game
is
heaps
of
fun.
Large
environments
serve
as
your
playground
for
pleasing
long-range
sniper
action
and
close-up
shenanigans.
At
times,
it
feels
like
a
more
constrained
version
of
the
Hitman
series
because
of
the
various
ways
you
can
often
employ
to
complete
objectives,
including
sometimes
being
able
to
complete
whole
missions
while
barely
firing
a
shot.

That’d
be
missing
the
point,
though.
Nailing
a
headshot
from
across
the
map
while
carefully
timing
your
shot
to
coincide
with
a
plane
passing
overhead
is
a
joyous
occasion,
and
I
still
find
myself
firing
up

Sniper
Elite
5
from
time
to
time
just
so
I
can
mess
around
in
its
levels.

The
Sniper
Elite
games
have,
in
my
mind,
come
to
define
what
double-A
gaming
can
be
in
a
world
where
development
costs
are
getting
out
of
hand.

Teenage
Mutant
Ninja
Turtles:
Shredder’s
Revenge

Sometimes
you
just
need
an
old-school
arcade
beat
’em
up,
and

TMNT:
Shredder’s
Revenge
is
exactly
that
and
more.
The
fact
that
it’s
dressed
up
in
pure
nostalgic
excellence
is
the
pepperoni
on
the
pizza.

The
2D
side-scrolling
action
is
carefully
calibrated
satisfaction
dressed
up
as
my
one
favourite
childhood
shows.
Playing
it
with
friends
is
a
blast,
and
the
short
levels
are
designed
to
be
replayed
in
order
to
beat
your
old
scores
and
unlock
new
stuff
to
mess
around
with.
You
can
button-mash
to
victory,
or
you
can
work
on
mastering
the
mechanics.

Shredder’s
Revenge
is
pure,
joyous,
old-school
arcade
fun
with
a
few
modern-day
tweaks,
and
I
can’t
recommend
it
enough.

There’s
nothing
more
that
can
be
said
about
Skyrim
that
has
not
already
been
said
in
the
13
years
since
it
first
launched.
It’s
easy
to
make
fun
of
how
often
it
has
been
re-released
over
the
years,
yet
the
truth
is,
people
keep
buying
it
and
playing
it.
Skyrim
is
a
seminal
RPG,
a
vast
adventure
beloved
by
millions
of
players
across
the
globe.
In
fact,
last
we
heard,
Skyrim
has
sold
around
70+
million
copies.

It
certainly
has
its
rough
edges.
Bethesda
is
known
for
being
a
bit
rough
around
the
edges,
and
you
can
feel
that
in
all
13
years
of
Skyrim’s
age,
but
beneath
that
is
a
rich
RPG
set
in
a
fantasy
world
riddled
with
quests
and
weirdness
waiting
to
be
explored.

If
you’ve
never
played
Skyrim,
you
owe
it
to
yourself
to
try
it
and
see
why
it
has
become
such
an
icon
of
modern
gaming.

Untitled
Goose
Game

So
good
they
couldn’t
name
it
once.

Untitled
Goose
Game
is
arguably
the
oddest

duck
goose
on
this
list,
eschewing
all
the
RPG
mechanics
and
guns
for
a
wholesome
experience
about
a
bird
rampaging
through
a
town.

The
premise
is
simple
enough:
you’re
a
goose
and
by
doing
goose
things
(honking
loudly,
flapping
your
wings,
grabbing
stuff)
you’ll
terrorise
a
small
town
in
order
to
slowly
make
your
way
toward
your
ultimate
objective,
even
if
you
don’t
know
what
that
objective
actually
is.
You’ll
steal
bras,
scare
the
crap
out
of
a
little
kid,
break
various
items,
cause
bodily
harm
and
generally
be
a
dick.

The
genius
of
the
game
is
how
it
sinks
you
into
the
role
of
a
goose,
which
is
to
say
an
arsehole
with
wings.
It’s
gloriously
funny,
absurdly
charming,
and
even
better
when
played
in
co-op.

Wolfenstein:
The
New
Order

Wolfenstein
is
another
game
with
a
deep
history
that
was
resurrected
to
become
stronger
than
it
was
before,
this
time
by
Machine
Games.

Playing
as
BJ
Blazkowicz
you
shoot
your
way
through
an
alternate
timeline
where
those
dastardly
Nazi
bastards
managed
to
craft
advanced
tech
that
enabled
them
to
win
World
War
2
and
conquer
most
of
the
world.

While
BJ
Blazkowicz
was
nothing
more
than
a
gurning
face
in
the
original
games,
The
New
Order
attempts
and
succeeds
in
making
him
an
actual
character
with
surprising
depth,
all
while
maintaining
him
as
an
ass-kicking
machine.

None
of
that
would
mean
much
if
it
wasn’t
fun
to
play,
and
thankfully
that
isn’t
the
case.
The
New
Order
is
a
fantastic
shooter.
The
games
feel
amazing
to
play
around
with,
the
action
is
smooth
and
the
set
pieces
are
awesome.
Wolfenstein:
The
New
Order
is
an
amazing
reboot
of
the
classic
franchise,
and
its
sequels
are
pretty
damn
good
too.
Well,
except
for
The
Young
Blood,
that
was
terrible.

Do
you
hate
your
life
and
wish
it
was
far
more
stressful?
Yes?
Great!
Then

XCOM
2
is
the
game
for
you.

This
deeply
strategic
game
mixes
base
management
with
turn-based
battles
and
isn’t
afraid
to
punish
you
for
every
mistake
and
slip-up.
You’ll
recruit,
name
and
upgrade
the
soldiers
you
control
in
these
difficult
fights,
creating
a
surprising
bond
between
you
and
them
that
will
get
turned
into
an
emotional
weapon
whenever
they
die.
Yes,
characters
can
die
permanently,
all
the
upgrades
and
memories
dying
with
them.

Back
at
base
you
have
to
choose
what
rooms
to
build,
what
new
tech
to
improve
and
how
to
spend
your
limited
resources.
The
choices
here
impact
everything
that
happens
as
you
try
to
fend
off
the
alien
invasion,
an
invasion
that
almost
always
feels
inevitable
as
you’re
always
on
the
back
foot,
looking
for
every
edge
you
can
find.

XCOM
2
is
a
strategic
masterpiece,
although
certainly
not
for
people
who
don’t
like
the
idea
of
missing
a
96%
chance
to
hit
and
getting
massacred
as
a
result.