As we wait for the last big batch of PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra titles of 2024, there are still plenty of solid games that you can check out. An RPG available as part of the month’s PS Plus Essential lineup is worth checking out for fans of Pokémon, while two PS2 classics are worth the time of Premium subscribers. If you’re wondering what you should play this weekend, any of these games are good options to play.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Earlier in December, Sony added some classic PS2 games to the PS Plus Premium game catalog to celebrate PlayStation’s 30th anniversary. One of those games was Sly 2: Band of Thieves from Sucker Punch Productions. While the first and third games in this series are also now available with PS Plus Premium, Sly 2 is my favorite game in the series. It’s this game where Sucker Punch’s stealth platformer series came into its own with memorable, well-designed characters, a story that’s engaging, and 3D platforming gameplay that’s among the best of its console generation. If you’ve never played any Sly Cooper games before, the franchise is worth checking out now that it’s on PS5.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves is available now for PS4 and PS5 as part of the PS Plus Premium classics catalog.
Temtem
Before Palworld, there was Temtem. While no game has been able to dethrone Pokémon, Temtem presented one of the most original-feeling alternatives to Game Freak’s classic RPG series. While it still features turn-based creature battles where the elemental types of the creatures and attacks used are important, Temtem emphasizes multiplayer more than any mainline Pokemon game ever has. As 2024 has gone by without any new Pokémon game, Temtem is worth a download for fans of the series itching for something new to play.
The PS5 version of Temtem will be available to redeem for PS Plus subscribers of all tiers until January 6, 2025.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
When Sony brought those last two Sly Cooper games to PS Plus Premium earlier this month, it also released a refurbished version of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy’s PS4 and PS5 port. This is similar to the treatment other PS2 games like Siren recently received, adding more quality-of-life features as the PS2 classic was brought forward to a new emulator. If you’ve never played Jak and Daxter before, know that this is the series that Naughty Dog worked on between Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted. It’s fascinating to revisit it in 2024 as we wait for what Sony’s premier game development studio is doing next.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is available now for PS4 and PS5 as part of the PS Plus Premium classics catalog.
