Skip to main content

3 outstanding PS Plus games to play this weekend (June 14-16)

Key art for Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Sony Interactive Entertainment

The most announcement-filled week of gaming has wrapped up. From Summer Game Fest to the Xbox Games Showcase and Ubisoft Forward, there was a ton of big gaming news. Many of the games revealed are coming to PlayStation 5, too. On top of that, Sony’s Days of Play initiative is still in full swing, which means some more PS2 games finally got PS4 and PS5 ports for the first time in several years. As a result, there’s no shortage of relevant games in the PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra catalog to check out if you’re looking for something to play this weekend.

Three titles stand out to me in particular. The first is the game that cemented the status of a pillar franchise for PlayStation and is getting reinterpreted as a Lego game for kids later this year. Next, there’s a Dragon Ball game that looks even better than the manga and anime it’s based on and is a nice companion piece to a Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, which launches later this year. Finally, I’m recommending the PS2 classic that put Sucker Punch Productions on the map.

Recommended Videos

Horizon Forbidden West

A still from Horizon Zero Dawn.
Sony Interactive Entertainment

In 2017, Killzone developer Guerilla Games kicked off a new franchise with Horizon Zero Dawn. It quickly became a hallmark franchise for PlayStation, receiving an expansion on PS4 and a direct sequel on PS5. A TV show adaptation is in the works at Netflix, and at Summer Game Fest 2024, we learned that the mature series is getting more kid-friendly with the co-op action game Lego Horizon Adventures. OAfter all of that, I’m recommending that you check out the game available through PS Plus Extra’s game catalog: 2022’s Horizon Forbidden West.

If you play this sequel, you’ll discover one of the most beautiful PS5 games, which is set in a postapocalyptic world where tech and nature clash. There’s a captivating narrative bolstered by some solid voice performances and combat centered around hunting robotic creatures. It can get quite tense. Lego Horizon Adventures will retell the events of Zero Dawn and Forbidden West as well, so it’s worth replaying so you get a refresher and understand what is going on before that.

Horizon Forbidden West is available on PS4 and PS5 through the PlayStation Plus Extra game catalog. It also came to PC earlier this year.

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Dragon Ball FighterZ Goku
Bandai Namco Entertainment

A standout from Summer Game Fest this year was Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, a spectacle-filled 3D fighter that marks the grand return of the Budokai Tenkaichi series. If 2D fighters are more of your speed, I’d recommend checking out Dragon Ball FighterZ on PS Plus instead. Released in 2018 by Arc System Works and Bandai Namco Entertainment, Dragon Ball FighterZ is one of the best-looking fighting games out there thanks to its slick animation style that makes it look like the manga or anime come to life.

On top of that, it features tons of depth in its fighting game mechanics and approachable combos that make Dragon Ball FighterZ friendly to newcomers. Dragon Ball FighterZ plays pretty differently than Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, making the two games nice companion pieces. There are some other Dragon Ball games in the PS Plus game catalog for fans, like Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.

The PS4 version of Dragon Ball FighterZ is available via the PlayStation Plus Extra game catalog. It’s also available on PC, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus

Gameplay from Sly Cooper.
Sony Interactive Entertainment

Although it isn’t directly related to any Summer Game Fest announcement this year, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is a personal favorite of mine and a PS2 classic that just came to PS4 and PS5 as part of this year’s Days of Play initiative. For those who don’t know, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus follows the titular raccoon thief and his band of thieves as they fight back against the Fiendish Five, who stole the titular book written by Sly’s ancestors.

When it comes to gameplay, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is unique in being a stealth platformer where players are often trying to sneak around and avoid enemies as much as they’re trying to reach the end of the level. From its style to its story and gameplay, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is a good time all around. Previously, those interested in this game could try it by streaming a PS3 game collection it was included in, but that’s no longer the case as the game is now natively emulated on modern PlayStation consoles.

PS4 and PS5 ports of Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus are available to PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers.

Tomas Franzese
A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
3 you PS Plus games that you need to check out this weekend (December 13-15)
Key art for Sly 2: Band of Thieves.

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.

Read more
3 new PS Plus games you should play this weekend (December 6-8)
It Takes Two's main characters ride frog taxis.

This is a good week to be subscribed to PlayStation Plus. Three new PS Plus Essential games just became available, one of which should be a must-play for subscribers this weekend. And with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered poised to launch next week, PS Plus Premium subscribers can prepare for it by playing the two other Legacy of Kain games that are new additions to PS Plus Premium's Classic Catalog this weekend.
It Takes Two
It Takes Two – Official Gameplay Trailer

Josef Fares' Hazelight Studios is known for making story-driven co-op games that thematically lean into the fact that they need to be played with someone else. The studio's latest game is It Takes Two, a 3D platformer that follows a married couple with relationship problems who get trapped inside dolls' bodies. Their journey to repair their relationship is equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, and engaging as both a story-driven game and co-op experience. It Takes Two won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021 for a reason, so you should check it out if you haven't already. Playing It Takes Two will also hype you up for whatever Fares is making next.

Read more
3 new PS Plus games to play this weekend
players fighting each other in Chivalry 2.

It's Black Friday weekend, so you might have found a good deal on a PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2, or PS Plus Premium or Extra subscription. If you got that last one, then you're probably looking at the vast catalog of Sony's video game subscription service and wondering where you should start. To help with that, I want to spotlight three great games that came to the higher tiers of PS Plus earlier this month. Download any of these, and that discount you got a PS Plus subscription with will start to feel like a steal.
Dying Light 2

Techland's Dying Light titles are some of the best zombie video games out there. They not only feature some extremely satisfying and brutal combat, but they also have fun open worlds to explore thanks to an intricate parkour system. Dying Light 2: Stay Human goes bigger, giving players more gameplay options, like a paraglider for traversal and the power to change the world and story with certain choices. While we're nearly a month past Halloween at this point, this zombie game is still well worth your time.

Read more