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3 new PS Plus games you need to play this weekend (August 23-25)

Yennefer in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
CD Projekt Red

This week, we received our monthly batch of new additions to the PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra game catalog. It’s a great group of games that includes a fantastic RPG, underrated gems, Sword Art Online games, and some PS2 TimeSplitters games getting rereleased for the first time. If you’re looking for something to play this weekend, that means there are plenty of new games to choose from, but I specifically want to highlight three worthwhile games that just came to the service. They can all maintain your attention for more than just a weekend too.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

best ps4 games horizon zero dawn
CD Projekt Red

CD Projekt Red’s crowning achievement needs little introduction. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the best RPGs ever made, thanks to its fantastic world-building, writing, and characters. Geralt of Rivia is now one of gaming’s most iconic protagonists, and this RPG also put book characters Ciri and Yennefer in a central role for the first time. It features some of the best sidequests in an RPG too, as most of them are given the same care as the main questline. We’re over nine years out from its original release, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt still holds up. If you somehow haven’t played it yet, you need to this weekend. The PS4 and PS5 versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are now part of the PS Plus Extra Game Catalog. It’s also available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

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Wild Hearts

Wild Hearts player in front of cherry blossom tree.
EA

Although no game has been able to dethrone Monster Hunter, I think Omega Force and EA’s Wild Hearts is an extremely underrated alternative. Wild Hearts‘ unique twist on the formula is its Karakuri mechanic, which lets players build items like springs or a bulwark within the environment in order to help during a fight. It leaves a palpable mark of your battle in the hunt’s aftermath, which is a satisfying feeling I’ve never gotten from Monster Hunter. Not a lot of people talk about Wild Hearts, which launched last February, but the wait for Monster Hunter Wilds will be a little less painful if you play it. The PS5 version of Wild Hearts is available through PS Plus Extra. It’s also available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

Cult of the Lamb

A player giving a gift in Cult of the Lamb.
Devolver Digital

You’ve probably heard of Cult of the Lamb because of some of the hilarious posts the X (formerly Twitter) account for it made. Well, it’s quite a memorable game even underneath that comedic exterior. It’s an interesting blend of base-building and roguelike as players balance going on more action-focused runs to take down bosses with the management of the village the cult resides in. If you need a good laugh, but also want an engaging gaming experience to back that up, it’s worth your time. Cult of the Lamb also just got an update called Unholy Alliance, which added local co-op and new follower traits, relics, and tarot cards. PS Plus Extra subscribers now have access to the PS4 and PS5 versions of Cult of the Lamb. It’s also on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Tomas Franzese
A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
3 PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (January 31-February 2)
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As January comes to a close, we have one last weekend of relative downtime before all the upcoming PS5 games in February swoop in. That said, we still need some great games to play without cutting into our budgets. That's where PlayStation Plus comes in. We are in that awkward period between the last batch of Extra and Premium games arriving and the new Essential games for February going live, but there are hundreds of games in the service you might have missed that may have passed you by that are more than worth a weekend of your time. Whether you need something to whet your appetite for Monster Hunter Wilds or a cozy indie game you can complete in a sitting or two, these are the games on PlayStation Plus you should add to your download queue for this weekend.
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Karl Fairburne in Sniper Elite 5.

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