The new PlayStation Plus, Sony's upgraded Netflix-for-games subscription service for PS5 (and PS4), is now live in the US; the UK launch is later this month, on the 23rd of June.
New PlayStation Plus offers hundreds of games (opens in new tab) to its subscribers, and while any subscription service is going to have a mix of classics and clunkers, I have immediately dug into what is on offer and am pleased to report for T3 that there are plenty of big games in there that have been garlanded with lots of glowing reviews.
I'm a big fan of sites such as Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes because when they're not being review-bombed they're a great way to decide where I want to put my money – and with subscription services, what I want to devote my limited time and equally limited PS5 storage space to.
So here are three very big hitters, all of which have near-perfect ratings from the services and all of which are on PlayStation Plus.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2 (97% on Metacritic)
"Red Dead Redemption 2 is a masterpiece." So says the second of three 100% Metacritic reviews of the PC version, which was plagued by technical issues that didn't occur on the PlayStation 4 version (which got 10/10 on IGN). It's a huge open-world game full of compelling stories, breathtaking scenery and intense action. It's a beautiful looking game even when what's happening is far from nice, a game that excels at pretty much everything from the voice acting to some incredibly intense set-pieces. Some games you'll lose hours to. RDR2 will claim you for weeks.
2. God of War (94% on Metacritic)
With God of War Ragnarok on the horizon, this is a brilliant time to play its spectacular 2018 predecessor. God of War is a superb blend of intense action, jaw-dropping cinematics and tricky puzzles, with an equally stunning musical score and a surprisingly emotional punch. That's because this game is also about parenthood, loss and bashing increasingly terrifying monsters with increasingly satisfying weaponry. You're looking at around 25 hours of intense, edge-of-the-seat action that has brains as well as brawn.
3. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (93% on Metacritic)
You know what you're getting with Naughty Dog: gripping stories, cinematic action and in the case of the original The Last Of Us, more remakes than Spider-Man. This is the fourth instalment in the Uncharted series and it was considered by many to be the finest PS4 game; if you've ever wanted to know what it's like to be Indiana Jones, this is as close as you can get. It's the kind of game that makes you use phrases such as "rip-roaring" and "swashbuckling", a Hollywood action blockbuster where you're the hero. We've got a guide to how to master Uncharted 4 here.
