We have a double-whammy of a weekend to look forward to as PlayStation Plus subscribers. Not only do we have an extra-long weekend for the Fourth of July, but this month also marks the 15-year anniversary of PlayStation Plus. As such, Sony is hitting us with a particularly strong lineup of games at the Essential tier. Now, don’t get your hopes up and expect all the best PS5 games to be on offer, but the selection is still very strong and offers something different to suit your tastes. We have one of the most popular action RPGs, a strong fighting game, and an artistic indie that you might have missed when it first came out. If you’re looking for something new to play this weekend, I’ve got you covered.
Diablo 4
The big title hitting the service this month is Diablo 4. While the last game took a few years to get into a good spot with its fans, this entry hit the ground running. That isn’t to say there aren’t controversies about the endgame and how the seasonal structure works among the hardcore, but there’s a ton of fun to be had going through the story. Plus, now that there’s no barrier for friends to jump in as well, including cross-platform players, it can be the perfect co-op game. If you are one to fall into that addictive loop of slaughtering dozens of monsters, snatching up tons of loot, and using it to fight bigger and badder enemies, you won’t find a better example than this.
Diablo 4 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
The King of Fighters 15
Most of the focus in the fighting game space is taken up by Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Tekken now, but King of Fighters was once a major player in that space. The King of Fighters 15 was a triumphant return for the franchise after a bit of a break that calls back to the glory days. This is a 3v3 fighter with an impressive 39 character roster to run through the story mode and mix and match in vicious online fights. If you’re not a seasoned fighting game player, worry not because it implements its own simplified control scheme to help you get a grip on the systems. As an added bonus, PS Plus players also get free access to a Leona DLC costume that puts her back in her classic outfit from 1996.
The King of Fighters 15 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Jusant
Last up, do me a personal favor and don’t ignore Jusant. This unique little game is all about climbing, with no combat and little in the way of explicit story. Instead, it is all about the individual journey and experience you have in finding your own way up this mountain as you master your moves and tools to scale ever higher. There’s a lot of extra lore to discover on the mountain, but the real prize is what you personally take away from this metaphorical climb. If you’re open to interpreting and investing yourself in what this game is trying to say, it could easily be a sleeper hit for you in this otherwise packed lineup.
Jusant is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
