Our favorite thing about the start of a new month is getting our hands on a fresh batch of PlayStation Plus Essential games. While we only get three new entries per month, whereas the Extra and Premium subscribers get sometimes a dozen games added to the catalog, they are ours to “keep” so long as our subscriptions are active. They also tend to be of higher quality, with this month being a standout in our eyes. For this upcoming weekend, we know you won’t have trouble finding something in our list to have fun with but might struggle to decide which of these games you want to dedicate your time to. That’s a good problem to have while we wait for Doom: The Dark Ages, but also have a little extra time with Lost Soul Aside getting delayed to the end of August.
Balatro
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you know what Balatro is and just how addictive it is. If, for whatever reason, you didn’t believe us when we sang its praises, now is the time to get in on the fun. Or, if you already played it on another platform, now you can earn a shiny new Platinum Trophy. Either way, this is one of the easiest games to recommend you play this weekend no matter what type of gamer you are. This is also a great game to introduce to friends and family thanks to how approachable it is. Just be aware you might not get the controller back for a while. You can take it in short bursts or marathon it, and the simple rules but deep levels of strategy keep it interesting each and every ante.
Balatro is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Mobile, and PC.
Ark: Survival Ascended
If you’ve been subscribed to PS Plus as long as we have, then you probably have a huge stack of survival games already, including another version of this one! However, Ark: Survival Ascended is more than just an expansion or remaster, but is a complete graphical remake of the original game with all the new content packed in. We all dream about living in a world with dinosaurs, and this game lets you start out cowering and fighting for your life to taming and building your own dino army. It is a brutal world, especially in the online servers with up to 70 players who may or may not be friendly but is fun every step of the way.
Ark: Survival Ascended is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
We mentioned the new Doom game up top for a reason, and that reason was to give us an excuse to talk about Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. This game sticks to the classic boomer shooter look and feel with the trappings of the 40K universe. If you have any fond memories of fast-paced, gory, power-fantasy shooters set in giant maze-like levels full of secrets, you will have a blast with this game. It is so easy to pick up and instantly start having fun with. The graphics are intentionally retro but with clear design sensibilities that evoke the look of old-school shooters but will still look appealing today. And, most importantly, the sound and feedback of every weapon is pitch-perfect.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC.
