In 2019, Capcom blew our minds with a brutal remake of 1998’s Resident Evil 2, this time with a new camera perspective, modern graphics, and the return of two classic horror protagonists: Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield. Starting on January 16, you’ll be able to download this incredible remake as a part of your PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra subscriptions.
Of course that’s not all that’s coming to the catalog this month. If horror doesn’t float your boat, this month also features an explosive open world game, a Borderlands spin-off, and some JRPG additions to the classics catalog.
Resident Evil 2 (PS5, PS4)
There’s no doubt that the Resident Evil 2 remake is time well spent, though it makes for a very different experience from the late ‘90s original. In our review of the Resident Evil 2 remake, former Kotaku writer Heather Alexandra said:
Resident Evil 2 provides some of the best moments in the franchise. That can mean turning to flee as an unstoppable tyrant stomps closer and closer to you, using a flamethrower to dispose of a plant-infested zombie, or puzzling out where to place the Queen piece in a puzzle. The raw experience of playing Resident Evil 2 is visceral, bloody, and often incredibly rewarding. It stands side by side with some of the series’ best entries. It’s only in retrospect, after Raccoon City is in the rearview mirror, that questions begin to form. What was the game doing? What new things were built upon a familiar foundation? Did all the changes really work?
Just Cause 3 (PS4)
If you want to cause absolute, spectacular levels of explosive destruction to liberate a people from an oppressive dictator, Just Cause 3 is here to provide. Taking on the role of Rico Rodriguez, this open-world game gives you GTA-level shenanigans, but with a much larger world and way more explosions. But while the destruction of almost everything you can think of sure is fun, Just Cause 3’s use of its wingsuit adds a stunning flight experience of the kind few open world games can lay claim to.
In our review of Just Cause 3, former Kotaku writer Kirk Hamilton said:
The new open-world game from Avalanche Studios captures the thrill of flight in a way that very few games manage. I’ll whiz through a mountain pass and buzz oh-so-close to a clutch of pines, the sound of wind in my ears and a grin on my face. In those moments, it’s possible to forgive Just Cause 3 its many shortcomings. In those moments, it’s possible to forget I’m playing a deeply flawed game and revel in the things it does best. Leaping from the walls of a cliffside military base, detonating a remote explosive while catching the breeze under my wings, I’ll say to myself, “Okay, this is a game I can recommend.”
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands - Next Level Edition (PS5, PS4)
This D&D-inspired spinoff from the Borderlands series stars one of its most manic characters, Tiny Tina. Featuring a complete class system that you can multiclass across various skill trees, the game also offers four-player couch and online co-op.
Hardspace: Shipbreaker (PS5)
Set in a disturbing future guided by the uncontrolled greed of corporations in space, Hardspace: Shipbreaker packages a dystopian science fiction narrative into a robust physics simulation. As a shipbreaker, you’re tasked with breaking down out-of-commission spaceships to bring in the credits and salvage as many raw materials as you can.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong (PS5, PS4)
In Kotaku’s impressions of Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong, I found the story adventure game to be a wonderful adaptation of the classic tabletop roleplaying game. While it can be a little wonky from time-to-time, it’s time well spent in this dark fantasy world.
Let’s get a few things out of the way first. This is very much a Vampire: The Masquerade game, but if you don’t know your Malkavians from your Tremeres, and aren’t sure what separates an Embrace from a Blood Bond, don’t fret too much. While VtM relies on a highly detailed, privatized vocabulary of this world’s specific treatment of vampiric horror, Swansong is more than helpful in providing definitions for its in-world language, with pop-ups on screen every time a character says a keyword, along with an inviting storyline that naturally embraces players who may not be as familiar with the franchise’s language and lore.
Other catalog additions
That’s not all PlayStation Plus has to offer this month. Details for each game can be found on Sony’s official blog. Other PlayStation Plus catalog additions this month include:
- LEGO City Undercover (PS4)
- Session: Skate Sim (PS5, PS4)
- Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (PS4)
- Surviving the Aftermath (PS4)
Classics Catalog update
Finally, if you’re looking for some nostalgic time well spent, the following original PlayStation games join the catalog this month:
- Rally Cross
- Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace
- Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection
- Legend of Mana
- Secret of Mana
2024 is off to a great start for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Which game are you playing first?