I think it’s safe to say we’re nearing the end of the console wars. On the battlefield, we see PlayStation and Nintendo with their sky-scraping mecha-tanks, and Xbox is down to one last soldier with only a few bullets left. In this analogy, the mecha-tanks represent catalogs of amazing games and influence over the industry. And the lone soldier represents Xbox’s Game Pass. PlayStation just couldn’t let the little guy live so a few years ago, they brought out their own tiered subscription service that gives you access to a collection of games. If you’re anything like me, you’ve scrolled through their games list many times and have always come to the conclusion of “eh, none of these games interest me. I’m just gonna stick with the free monthly games”.
Though I consider myself a PlayStation stan ever since I was a kid, I will gladly say don’t bother with the Premium PSN subscriptions unless you’re rich. But whatever you do, don’t sleep on the three PSN monthly games because there are some gems to be found. Hopefully, you’ve done the smart thing and added every game from each month to your library regardless of whether they look interesting or not. You never know when you’ll see one of those titles being praised. If only you’d jumped on it when it was free, now you gotta spend like fifty bucks. I’ll add games to my library even if I know for certain I won’t enjoy them. Because why not, right?
Anyway, here’s a short list of great games that are probably sitting in your library gathering digital dust. I’m only gonna be grabbing games from the last couple of months, otherwise this list would go on forever.
Steelrising
Available this month is one of my favorite games from last year, Steelrising. You can read my proper review of it here but here’s a summary of everything great about it.
The Combat is Perfect
Though we are in the throws of Souls-like fatigue, I do still consider it to be one of the best genres out there. And I feel that Souls-like games are at their best when they’re emphasizing the action aspect of their combat over the RPG mechanics. Steelrising does the right thing by taking its inspiration from Bloodborne. Your movement is quick and the game demands your focus. You have to concentrate on your skills rather than optimizing your build. There are some RPG elements, weapon upgrades and leveling stats, and all that jazz. But you can tell the concentration was put towards making a satisfying combat loop, and they achieved it.
The cooldown system lets you maintain stamina mid-combat. It’s great.
It’s Gorgeous
Take a screenshot at any point in a game and it’ll look like an artist drew it. Every section is brimming with color, accentuated with great lighting and texture. The enemy design is impeccable. Every enemy wholly embraces the steam-punk vibe. One thing that annoyed me about Lies of P was that all the puppet enemies just looked like people. In Steelrising, not only do they look like proper automatons, but they move like them too. Rickety, staccato movements make fighting them a joy. The erratic nature of their movement makes every encounter feel hectic, adding to the action.
Don’t Sleep on the Free Monthly PSN Games – Look at that nice lighting
It’s French
Set in an alternate history, Steelrising asks the question ‘What if Louis XVI (who was known to have a great passion for mechanical arts) had his own army of automatons during the French Revolution?’ That’s certainly enough of a hook to entice anyone into the story. Though I wouldn’t say the presentation is perfect, it’s still fun as heck running around 17th-century France and meeting historical figures like La Fayette and Robespierre. If you haven’t jumped on PSN yet this month, don’t sleep on Steelrising. You’ve only got a few days left!
The bosses are pretty fantastic
Nobody Saves the World
This is a game from last month (Jan 2024) and it’s what inspired me to write this article. That month also had A Plague Tale: Requiem, another great game that had a lot more coverage so why aren’t I talking about that instead? Well, you probably already know about A Plague Tale, this is a list of games that are more likely to have gone overlooked. Also, Nobody Saves the World is just way more fun.
Sometimes the room will be completely full of enemies
Strong Secondary Loop
Never before have I come across a game so instantly addictive. Especially a random title I’d never heard of before. The core loop is a basic 2D hack ‘n’ slash type deal that changes as you unlock new forms and abilities. It’s good enough to keep you engaged but nothing that hasn’t been done before. What struck me was the secondary loop. You learn early that the game isn’t scared to fully inundate you with quests. It’s like it’s poking fun at RPGs that give you way too many boring sidequests. At first, it’s intimidating. I’m playing what is essentially a brawler/bullet hell and you’re shoving all these little quests in my face, no thanks. But then, I realized it was working.
Every quest is designed in a way that you can do them during your natural progression of the game. They’ll always be something specific to the core loop like killing a certain amount of enemies with a certain attack. And it’s great. There are so many avenues of progression that my ADHD-riddled brain was loving it. If it weren’t for the quests, I would’ve probably gotten bored in a few hours of playing. But, before I knew it, I was at the end of the game. I just couldn’t put this game down.
Don’t Sleep on the Free Monthly PSN Games – So many quests!
Art Style
Nobody Saves the World also has a hilarious art style. It’s full of goofy characters and enemy designs, all with great animations. The facial expressions particularly got me chuckling. But the comedic side doesn’t take away from the variety of locations. There will be forests and deserts and that, but then it’ll delve into the realm of eldritch horror. Though it’s never properly scary, it all looks just so good. Whoever did the art in Nobody Saves the World has a distinct vision that’s fully recognized.
Oh, you also fall in love with a horse …
Power Wash Simulator
This game was a meme a couple of years back so you probably already know what it is. Also, the name kinda gives it away a bit. When I first saw PWS, I didn’t think much of it. Just another one of these simulator games. If I wanted to play at being a power washer, I could just go get a real one and use it on my house. God knows it needs it. Also, there’s nothing really to write home about in terms of its mechanics.
It’s just another FPS but without any of the action that makes FPS enjoyable. Your targets aren’t moving, they’re just hiding in every nook and cranny. There isn’t much I can really compliment the game on, you’re just cleaning weird houses and stuff. But I still found myself falling in love with this game and getting addicted to it. Specifically the PS5 version. And it was solely for its variety of controls.
My favorite levels are the Midgar ones, of course
Innovative FPS Controls
So, like any first-person shooter, you aim your reticle at things and shoot. Most people, myself included, prefer playing with a mouse and keyboard because you can get more accuracy with a mouse rather than the limited movement of controller joysticks. So why did I love the PS5 version so much? Because it did something I’ve yet to see in any other FPS before, it incorporated the Dualsense’s seamless motion controls. Now, I haven’t been a big fan of motion controls in the past. I feel like the Wii was an atrocious console. Adding unnecessary movement where a button press is much more efficient. Games like Zelda Skyward Sword were simply broken because of how bad the motion controls were. But that’s not the case anymore.
Motion controls have come a long way, and in a game like Power Wash Simulator, it’s a downright delight. It feels so tactile moving the control around, especially when it’s so smoothly translated into game movement. When you get the feel of it down, it’s arguably more accurate than using a mouse. You have the joystick for all the big movements then you can fine-tune your aim with the motion of the controller. It’s made me wonder what other games would benefit from this. I dream of the day when I can play Doom Eternal with motion controls. You may be thinking okay, that’s great and all but motion controls aren’t unique to PWS. That is correct, which brings me to the proper argument. The title of the next section might tip you off to where I drew most of my fun.
Don’t Sleep on the Free Monthly PSN Games – A very clean dino in a very dirty room
The Perfect Game for Pot Smokers
Since I started smoking pot at night to help regulate my sleeping disorder, I’ve found the appeal to mundane task games. Particularly ones that are visually satisfying. Watching the dirt disappear as you run your nozzle over it is such a clear indicator of productivity. It’s strangely satisfying going into a room caked in dirt and then seeing the finished result after having put the work in. Coupled with the motion controls, it gets really immersive for a high individual but it also isn’t overstimulating so as not to cause any anxiety. Basically, it’s just chill as all hell. Perfect for keeping the attention of one with half their brain cells not firing. Just don’t go trying to get the platinum trophy. It’s the most bugged-out trophy list I’ve ever seen.
Almost every stage is pretty visually interesting
In any case, that’s just a few from the last few months. Other amazing titles from last year include Axiom Verge 2, Jedi Fallen Order, OlliOlli World, and Sackboy. And they were free! Just click the ‘add to library’ button and they’re on your account for as long as it’s active. You never know what’s gonna be in there so don’t sleep on the monthly PSN games.
