As we sprint into May and toward our inevitable collective demise, it’s time for Sony to unveil another batch of “free” PlayStation Plus Essential games. So let’s see what we’ve got, shall we?
These games will be available to claim from May 6 until June 2. And as always, make sure to add them to your library even if you don’t want to play them right now. They will remain available to you so long as you have an active subscription.
Despite a rumour just the other week suggesting we would be getting the Until Dawn Remake, the horror title is nowhere to be found. Instead, we’re kicking off with ARK: Survival Ascended (PS5).
“Are you ready to form a tribe, tame and breed hundreds of species of dinosaurs and other primeval creatures, explore, craft, build, and fight your way to the top of the food-chain?” yells the official PlayStation Blog as it drives us around in a jeep. “Your new world awaits in this survival sim, reimagined from the ground-up with Unreal Engine 5, with high-end graphic features, advanced physics systems and quality of life revamps in every area. Ark: Survival Ascended includes access to all of Ark’s worlds, including Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Ark Genesis Part 1, Ark Genesis Part 2, and more. The game supports public online multiplayer for up to 70 players, private-session multiplayer for up to 8 players, and local split-screen for 2 players.”
Then we’ve got an indie superstar in the form of Balatro (PS4, PS5). Developed by just one guy, Belatro managed to pick up numerous Game of the Year awards and has sold over 5 million copies. I’ve been very curious to try this one, so I’m excited to see it being offered up this month. Here’s the blurb:
“In this poker-inspired roguelike deck builder, it’s all creating powerful synergies and winning big. Play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers and trigger outrageous combos in this roguelike strategy experience. Combine valid poker hands with unique joker cards in order to create varied synergies and builds. Earn enough chips to beat devious blinds, all while uncovering hidden bonus hands and decks as you progress. You’re going to need every edge you can get in order to reach the boss blind, beat the final ante and secure victory.”
Finally, we get to serve the Emperor by killing the xeno scum in Warhammer 40K: Boltgun (PS4, PS5), a boomer-shooter where you play as a Space Marine and shoot everything in the face. Again, this is a game I’ve been meaning to get around to, so now I have the perfect excuse.
“Load up your Boltgun and plunge into battle headfirst! Experience a perfect blend of Warhammer 40,000, classic, frenetic FPS gameplay and the stylish visuals of your favourite 90’s retro shooters. Play a battle-hardened Space Marine on a perilous mission across the galaxy, as they battle against the Chaos Space Marines and daemons of Chaos. In glorious boomer shooter style, unleash your devastating Space Marine arsenal as you blast through an explosion of sprites, pixels and blood. Run, jump and charge across huge levels to shoot, shred and slice the worst heretics across the galaxy!”
All said and done, this months three games have a value of just over £70. Obviously, that isn’t taking into account how often they can be bought at discounted prices.