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3 new PS Plus games to play this weekend (January 24-26)

Kratos looks at the Leviathan Axe.
Sony Santa Monica

The initial batch of PS Plus games for the Essential tier left many subscribers disappointed with the likes of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League headlining. Thankfully, the second wave of Extra and Premium titles more than makes up for that with some of the best PlayStation 5 games now available as part of the service. The upcoming PS5 games in February are stacked with amazing games, many of which are sequels so we’ve found the best games you should play this weekend that were just added to PS Plus to prepare for the likes of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector.

God of War: Ragnarok

GOD OF WAR: RAGNAROK - Official Trailer

If you somehow missed one of the biggest games on PS5, you no longer have an excuse. God of War: Ragnarok is the definition of a modern AAA game in every way. The graphics are superb, the gameplay meaty and satisfying, and the story compelling and well-acted across the board. This is said to be the end of the Norse chapter of the series, but sets up plenty of new paths the series could eventually take. Plus, you will also be able to play the amazing free Valhalla DLC to really test your mastery of the combat once the main story is done.

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Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name | PS5 Gameplay Action! ?? PART 2

Many players likely ignored Like a Dragon Gaiden due to it being considered a side story of sorts but nothing could be further from the truth. It isn’t nearly as necessary for understanding Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii as it is for Infinite Wealth, but fans of the new turn-based styles of the series will want to get familiar with the action combat coming back in the latest game. This game is the last game with Kiryu as the main protagonist and might be the most emotional story yet. Even if you don’t have a history with this character, you will end up fully invested by the conclusion.

Citizen Sleeper

Citizen Sleeper - Launch Trailer

We’re on the verge of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector coming out on January 31 so this is the perfect chance to get caught up with the first game. This isn’t a narrative sequel, but because the tabletop-inspired gameplay is so unique it would be a shame to skip out on the first game before seeing how the sequel builds upon it. Set in a sci-fi world where every choice has stakes and consequences, you will never feel confident or secure. Gameplay is determined by dice rolls which you distribute across different tasks to determine how likely you are to complete them. Everything from the art, characters, and high-tension gameplay has been praised, with the sequel only building upon that base.

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
3 new PS Plus games you should play this weekend (January 10-12)
Key art for the Deathstroke season of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

A new batch of monthly PlayStation Plus Essential games dropped earlier this week. Differing from the mid-month PS Plus Extra and Premium Catalog drops, this is a group of three games available from now until February 4 that PS Plus subscribers from all tiers can redeem. It's one of the more eclectic PS Plus Essential months in some time, as it features a disappointing shooter based on the Suicide Squad comics from DC, a remaster of a 2010 racing game from EA, and a hilarious pseudo-sequel to an infamous indie game from the early 2010s. If you're wondering what you should be playing on your PS4 or PS5 this weekend, these are the games that you should be starting with.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League - Season 4 - "Meet Deathstroke"

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was an ambitious live-service shooter from Rocksteady, the developer behind the Batman: Arkham games. It's now infamous for flopping hard upon its release; revisiting the game one year later, I still have mixed feelings about it. As the game gets its final content update this month, WB Games offers Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League for free to any PS Plus subscriber who wants it. While I wouldn't recommend playing this game because it's good, it's a gaming curiosity worth claiming and having as part of your game library in case you ever want to check it out.

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3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (January 10 to 12)
Zoe from Road 96.

Now that 2025 has begun, new games are slowly trickling onto Xbox Game Pass. While heavy hitters like Avowed and South of Midnight aren't here just yet, Microsoft is kicking off the new year by bringing back two amazing indie titles to its gaming subscription service and bringing some entertaining survival games down to the Game Pass Standard tier on console. If you're looking for something to play this weekend, these are the games that I'd recommend.
Road 96
Road 96 - Launch Trailer

Road 96 is a narrative adventure game about teenagers attempting to escape a fictional country called Petria, which is run by an authoritarian machine. It couples the choice-driven structure of Telltale adventure games with a roguelike structure, as each run technically follows a different teenager trying to get to the border. Some are more successful than others, and players can even die if they make the wrong decisions. It makes your individual experience as a player feel more special compared to other choice-based games. As Road 96's themes will only continue to become more relevant this year, it's perfect to kick off 2025 by playing Road 96 on Xbox Game Pass.

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3 PS Plus games you should play this weekend (January 3-5)
Key art for Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut.

While 2025 has just begun, we already know about some of the biggest games coming to the PlayStation 5 this year. Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and Grand Theft Auto VI, in particular, stand out as potential defining PS5 releases for 2025 right now. Luckily for those of us who subscribed to PlayStation Plus Extra, the predecessors to all three of those games are available to play as part of the Sony game subscription service's catalog. As such, those games make up my list of recommendations for new PS Plus Extra games to play to kick off the new year.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut - Announcement Trailer | PS5, PS4

Sucker Punch Productions will release Ghost of Yotei later this year, giving us yet another open-world action-adventure game set in Japan. While it isn't a direct sequel, I still think it's a good idea to check out Ghost of Tsushima before playing Ghost of Yotei. Sucker Punch Productions' last game instantly cemented Ghost as a new hallmark series for Sony; the enhanced Director's Cut version of the game is still one of the best-looking titles that you can play on PS5. And while I'm not quite as fond of the story and gameplay compared to other games, if you enjoy games like Assassin's Creed Mirage or Red Dead Redemption 2, then Ghost of Tsushima's realistic open world will really immerse you. After playing Ghost of Tsushima, you'll have a better understanding of the foundation that Ghost of Yotei will be building on and will more clearly see how it evolves and improves upon that formula.

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