After the State of Play last week, followed by all the Summer Game Fest announcements, PlayStation fans have tons of upcoming PS5 games to look forward to. The only downside is we can’t play them right now. That’s where my weekly PS Plus game recommendations come in to save the weekend. This time around, I wanted to mix things up by celebrating Friday the 13th as well as give you some games to wet your appetites for a few of the more exciting game announcements. I’ve crammed in a classic multiplayer game, brutal single-player adventure, and cult classic strategy title here to cover as many bases as possible.
Dead by Daylight
Because the official Friday the 13th game has been shut down, I am turning to the next best thing to celebrate this unlucky holiday. Dead by Daylight started out with very clear homages to iconic movie slasher Killers, but eventually got the rights to use tons of official characters like Freddy, Ghostface, and Leatherface. Sadly, the one glaring omission is Jason. Even so, this is an amazing multiplayer horror game, whether you’re one of the struggling survivors or a lethal killer hunting them down. It has been a huge hit with fans for over 10 years now so it must be doing something right. This is a great game you can play for just a night or two for some quick spooky fun, or get deep into the progression and play for months.
Dead by Daylight is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Mobile, and PC.
Nioh
Out of all the announcements from the State of Play this week, I don’t think anyone saw Nioh 3 coming. Now that Souls-like games are bigger than ever, I can’t wait to see how Team Ninja is evolving the formula, but also think this is the best time to go back and hone my skills in the original. From a gameplay perspective, Nioh still feels amazing. It has the speed of a game like Sekiro or Bloodborne, but with some great twists like the stance system and abundance of loot. The one aspect that might feel a little dated after Elden Ring is the level-based structure, but that also gives it a much more approachable feel; you can dive in for one mission and feel accomplished or take on a dozen. If you’ve been sleeping on one of the best Souls-like franchises, now is the time to give it a shot.
Nioh is available now on PS4, PS5, and PC.
Jeanne d’Arc
There was a small but passionate group out there who went wild when Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles was revealed. If you are one of them, you know there hasn’t been anything that has quite scratched that same tactics itch since this classic title all those years ago. Now that we know it is coming, we need something to hold us over, right? That’s where the PSP gem Jeanne d’Arc comes in to save the day. Not only is this a criminally underplayed tactics game, but it is also considered to be almost on the same level as Final Fantasy Tactics. Tactics lovers will find a wealth of gameplay options to tinker with, plus a gripping story that puts a magical twist on historical events.
Jeanne d’Arc is available now on PS4 and PS5.
