It’s the middle of the month, so that means Sony just dropped a batch of new titles into the game catalog for PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra. While these additions aren’t as high profile as some earlier months of the year, this group of new PS Plus games still has some winners that stand out as the cream of the crop. There are three games in particular that are worth hopping into this weekend.
First is a game from Capcom that will allow you to better understand the jump from Monster Hunter: World to Monster Hunter Wilds. Then, we have a classic Ubisoft open-world game that can get you primed for the release of Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin’s Creed Shadows later in 2024. Finally, there’s a PlayStation VR2 game about kayaking that offers a relaxing virtual experience for those looking for an excuse to put on the VR headset.
Monster Hunter Rise
Were you impressed by Monster Hunter Wilds‘ showing at Summer Game Fest this year? Then you should check out the Monster Hunter game that just came to PlayStation Plus’ game catalog. Originally released for Nintendo Switch in 2021, Monster Hunter Rise feels like the last of the old-school style of Monster Hunter games. It still has that enthralling core loop of picking the right loadout before going on rigorous hunts against powerful monsters, but does so in smaller, more carefully crafted environments and not a vast open-world region like the ones Monster Hunter Wilds will have.
Although Monster Hunter Wilds has the look and feel of a follow-up to 2018’s Monster Hunter: World, Rise introduced a lot of elements that make players much more mobile. That includes rideable dog-like Palamutes and a Wirebug grappling hook ability. Those are elements that Wilds will expand upon, so if you want to better understand the evolution of this Capcom series, Rise is a necessary game to play. It offers up an entertaining story and plenty of intimidating monsters to slay as well, which also makes it a good entry point for this fairly hardcore video game series.
The PS4 and PS5 versions of Monster Hunter Rise are available to PlayStation Plus Extra subscribers. It’s also available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
Far Cry 4
Far Cry 4 came out around the time Ubisoft’s open-world formula was at its peak. Far Cry 3 has immortalized the formula of having a large open-world sandbox full of towers to activate and find a checklist of objectives with, and Far Cry 4 proved that it could be replicated in an entirely different setting for its game. It also followed up Far Cry 3’s charismatic Vaas with Troy Baker’s evil dictator Pagan Min. After Far Cry 4 came out, there was no denying that this would be one of Ubisoft’s hallmark franchises going forward.
Revisiting Far Cry 4 in 2024, it can feel a bit derivative of other Ubisoft games but is still entertaining. Kyrat provides a vast open world to explore, and I still get a kick out of sitting around during the game’s opening in order to see its secret ending. We’re nearly 10 years out from its original release, and I think Far Cry 4 is still as good, if not a little bit better, than some more recent open-world Ubisoft games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
The PS4 version of Far Cry 4 is available now in the PlayStation Plus Extra game catalog. It’s also available on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Amazon Luna.
Kayak VR: Mirage
Although I’ve written quite a lot about my disappointment with the PlayStation VR2, I did have some good times with the headset shortly after I picked it up. One of the virtual reality titles that I surprisingly enjoyed a lot was Kayak VR: Mirage. Although I haven’t kayaked or canoed much since my Boy Scout days, Kayak VR: Mirage does what all of the best VR games do: whisk players away to a virtual environment that they can fully immerse themselves in.
While I quickly got sick of the fact that most VR games were first-person shooters that were all variations on the same control style, Kayak VR: Mirage provided some calming respite as I could intuitively kayak around some scenic locales that look great on Sony’s powerful headset. It’s far from the killer app PlayStation VR2 desperately needs, but it’s worth a download for PlayStation VR2 owners desperate for something new to play.
Kayak VR: Mirage is available for PlayStation VR2 through the PlayStation Plus Premium game catalog. You can also try it through Steam VR, which PlayStation’s headset will start supporting this August.
