Skip to main content

3 new PS Plus games you need to play this weekend (August 23-25)

Yennefer in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
CD Projekt Red

This week, we received our monthly batch of new additions to the PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra game catalog. It’s a great group of games that includes a fantastic RPG, underrated gems, Sword Art Online games, and some PS2 TimeSplitters games getting rereleased for the first time. If you’re looking for something to play this weekend, that means there are plenty of new games to choose from, but I specifically want to highlight three worthwhile games that just came to the service. They can all maintain your attention for more than just a weekend too.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

best ps4 games horizon zero dawn
CD Projekt Red

CD Projekt Red’s crowning achievement needs little introduction. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the best RPGs ever made, thanks to its fantastic world-building, writing, and characters. Geralt of Rivia is now one of gaming’s most iconic protagonists, and this RPG also put book characters Ciri and Yennefer in a central role for the first time. It features some of the best sidequests in an RPG too, as most of them are given the same care as the main questline. We’re over nine years out from its original release, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt still holds up. If you somehow haven’t played it yet, you need to this weekend. The PS4 and PS5 versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are now part of the PS Plus Extra Game Catalog. It’s also available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

Recommended Videos

Wild Hearts

Wild Hearts player in front of cherry blossom tree.
EA

Although no game has been able to dethrone Monster Hunter, I think Omega Force and EA’s Wild Hearts is an extremely underrated alternative. Wild Hearts‘ unique twist on the formula is its Karakuri mechanic, which lets players build items like springs or a bulwark within the environment in order to help during a fight. It leaves a palpable mark of your battle in the hunt’s aftermath, which is a satisfying feeling I’ve never gotten from Monster Hunter. Not a lot of people talk about Wild Hearts, which launched last February, but the wait for Monster Hunter Wilds will be a little less painful if you play it. The PS5 version of Wild Hearts is available through PS Plus Extra. It’s also available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

Cult of the Lamb

A player giving a gift in Cult of the Lamb.
Devolver Digital

You’ve probably heard of Cult of the Lamb because of some of the hilarious posts the X (formerly Twitter) account for it made. Well, it’s quite a memorable game even underneath that comedic exterior. It’s an interesting blend of base-building and roguelike as players balance going on more action-focused runs to take down bosses with the management of the village the cult resides in. If you need a good laugh, but also want an engaging gaming experience to back that up, it’s worth your time. Cult of the Lamb also just got an update called Unholy Alliance, which added local co-op and new follower traits, relics, and tarot cards. PS Plus Extra subscribers now have access to the PS4 and PS5 versions of Cult of the Lamb. It’s also on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Tomas Franzese
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Underrated PS5 exclusive Forspoken is coming to PlayStation Plus this month
Key art for Forspoken.

PlayStation Plus is ending 2024 with a bang, adding a meaty batch of compelling PS4 and PS5 games to its PS Plus Premium and Extra catalogs just before the holiday break. Of all the new games added, the most significant title included in the batch is Forspoken, a PS5-exclusive action RPG with roots going back to the first PlayStation Showcase for the PS5.

Forspoken Deep Dive | Exploring Athia

Read more
3 new PS Plus games you should play this weekend (December 6-8)
It Takes Two's main characters ride frog taxis.

This is a good week to be subscribed to PlayStation Plus. Three new PS Plus Essential games just became available, one of which should be a must-play for subscribers this weekend. And with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered poised to launch next week, PS Plus Premium subscribers can prepare for it by playing the two other Legacy of Kain games that are new additions to PS Plus Premium's Classic Catalog this weekend.
It Takes Two
It Takes Two – Official Gameplay Trailer

Josef Fares' Hazelight Studios is known for making story-driven co-op games that thematically lean into the fact that they need to be played with someone else. The studio's latest game is It Takes Two, a 3D platformer that follows a married couple with relationship problems who get trapped inside dolls' bodies. Their journey to repair their relationship is equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, and engaging as both a story-driven game and co-op experience. It Takes Two won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021 for a reason, so you should check it out if you haven't already. Playing It Takes Two will also hype you up for whatever Fares is making next.

Read more
3 new PS Plus games to play this weekend
players fighting each other in Chivalry 2.

It's Black Friday weekend, so you might have found a good deal on a PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2, or PS Plus Premium or Extra subscription. If you got that last one, then you're probably looking at the vast catalog of Sony's video game subscription service and wondering where you should start. To help with that, I want to spotlight three great games that came to the higher tiers of PS Plus earlier this month. Download any of these, and that discount you got a PS Plus subscription with will start to feel like a steal.
Dying Light 2

Techland's Dying Light titles are some of the best zombie video games out there. They not only feature some extremely satisfying and brutal combat, but they also have fun open worlds to explore thanks to an intricate parkour system. Dying Light 2: Stay Human goes bigger, giving players more gameplay options, like a paraglider for traversal and the power to change the world and story with certain choices. While we're nearly a month past Halloween at this point, this zombie game is still well worth your time.

Read more