If you’re looking for a little action to spice things up, but without having to spend any extra money, PlayStation Plus has you covered with the large assortment of games that are available on its service. PlayStation has had several impressive action games on its systems throughout history, and many of these underrated games are already included in your subscription to try out.
With other services increasing the prices for their subscriptions, many have been concerned that PlayStation Plus will have a price hike soon, but this has not been confirmed yet. What we do know is that PlayStation Plus has added a considerable number of titles to its library in recent weeks and months, adding value through the sheer number of hours a person can enjoy.
For action fans, this is especially true, with numerous high-intensity games available.
inFAMOUS First Light
2014 Action-Adventure That Still Holds Up Today
First up is the action-adventure title from 2014, inFAMOUS First Light, which is included in any tier of the PlayStation Plus service. It’s a standalone prequel for inFAMOUS Second Son, but you do not have to play the other in order to enjoy First Light. In fact, this prequel has been commended as being a better option for newcomers to the series to experience.
The gameplay of inFAMOUS First Light includes a third-person perspective in an open world environment, with players completing levels, defeating enemies, and enjoying side missions. The female protagonist, Fetch, wields superhuman powers that players can use in this alternate version of Seattle.
Dino Crisis
Available With The PlayStation Plus Premium Service
The 1999 survival horror classic, Dino Crisis is not a remaster or remake, but has been adapted for PS4 and PS5 systems. It is a game that redefined the genre of survival horror, and was developed by the same team that created Resident Evil, with some similarities carried over. Dino Crisis is truly an action game, being a fast-paced title where players must remain aware of their surroundings if they have any chance of surviving.
Sadly, in order to play Dino Crisis using the PlayStation Plus service, you must be subscribed to the more expensive Premium tier.
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Top-Down Shooter With 4.71/5 Stars On PlayStation Store
Both Hotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number are included with PlayStation Plus, although they are a bit complicated to pull up through the search bar on the PlayStation Store.
The sequel, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number has over 18K ratings that give this top-down shooter an average of 4.71 stars. This game is the conclusion of the series, and players take the perspectives of several different characters throughout the game, looking at the massacres that occurred in the first game.
Originally, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number was considered a DLC for Hotline Miami, and it is recommended to play the original first due to the overlap in storylines.
Control
A 2019 Game Full Of Supernatural Action
This 2019 game lets players take on the role of Jesse, the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Control. The FBC is a secret U.S. government agency that contains anything that violates normal laws of reality, and players get to use paranormal abilities and a shapeshifting gun to combat these threats.
This unique gun, known as the “Service Weapon”, is a major gameplay feature, with it being able to shift between five forms: Charge, Grip, Pierce, Shatter, and Spin. Combined with other Objects of Power that Jesse can interact with, it makes the entire world have a surreal feel and creates some interesting environmental puzzles and boss battles.
Crow Country
PS1-Era Inspired Survival Horror
If you’re feeling nostalgic for old-school horror games, Crow Country is a perfect throwback for you to try. Despite being released in 2024, this survival horror was inspired by the original PlayStation era, complete with low-poly graphics and a shorter game length of about six hours.
Crow Country was named as one of the best horror games of 2024, with memorable atmospheric elements, exciting mystery, and fun gameplay. Although its graphics take on the look of classic games, it offers gameplay mechanics that are decidedly modern, including strong sound design to add to the immersive quality.
Gravity Rush 2
Gravity Rush Remastered Is Also Available With PlayStation Plus Premium
If you have PlayStation Plus Premium, you are able to play both Gravity Rush Remastered and its sequel, Gravity Rush 2. However, even if you only have the Essential tier, you can enjoy Gravity Rush 2. This is widely considered the better game, but there will be some narrative lines that you may not understand without the background of the original.
Gravity Rush 2 takes place immediately after the events of Gravity Rush and expands on the gravity-controlling gameplay mechanics introduced in the first. Playing as Kat, a gravity-shifting teenager, players can utilize three gravity styles: the original from the first game, the lighter Lunar, which increases speed and lets Kat jump higher, and the heavier Jupiter, which slows Kat down but makes her attacks stronger.
Ape Escape
PlayStation Plus Premium Or Purchase Required To Play
The Ape Escape series is among the most nostalgic and recognizable game series from the early PlayStation days. The first game, Ape Escape, is a platformer which came out in 1999 for the original PlayStation. This beloved game kicked off the series and even earned itself a large cameo in one of Astro Bot‘s levels.
Modern game audiences may not be as familiar with the series, despite it being considered one of the greatest in PlayStation’s history. Luckily, many of the Ape Escape games are available to anyone who is signed up for the PlayStation Plus Premium tier.
Dishonored 2
Bethesda’s First-Person Action-Adventure
Bethesda’s Dishonored 2 has come and gone from the PlayStation subscription services several times, but is currently included in all tiers of the PlayStation Plus catalog.
Originally released in 2016, it utilizes many stealth elements, even giving us the ability to finish the game without killing a single enemy. Non-lethal combat moves can be used to knock someone unconscious, and there is a chaos system that grows by players killing characters.
Players take on the role of either Empress Emily Kaldwin, who was only a child in the first game, or Corvo Attano, who was the protagonist in Dishonored. Both characters can use a pistol, crossbow, dagger, grenades, and mines, and are able to access optional supernatural powers.
God Of War 3 Remastered
The Classic PS3 Game Is Remastered For Modern Systems
Originally released in 2010, God of War 3 was remastered in 2015 to update the graphics and allow it to be played on more modern systems. Despite it being an older game, it is pivotal to the story of Kratos’s Greek storyline, which may be returning if recent leaks and rumors of God of War 6 are to be believed.
Many critics have named GoW3 to be one of the greatest video games ever made, and this remastered version on PlayStation Plus Premium gives subscribers the chance to see it for themselves at no additional cost.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
There’s been some debate over whether Assassin’s Creed Origins is truly an underrated game, as it was widely praised when it first launched. However, the consensus from its fans is that it deserves much more attention than it gets.
Assassin’s Creed as a series is a beloved franchise, and despite Origins being the tenth major game, it’s an excellent starting point to the massive series as it serves as a soft reboot. Taking us back in time to 49 BC Egypt, it is an immersive and action-filled RPG that anyone with PlayStation Plus Extra should absolutely take advantage of having access to.
- Brand
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Sony
- Original Release Date
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June 29, 2010
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$59.99 (Essential), $99.99 (Extra), $119.99 (Premium) – Per Year
- App Store
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PlayStation Store
