We’re just a couple of days away from Ghost of Tsushima’s PC release date, as the former PlayStation exclusive prepares to drop its Director’s Cut – including its expansion and multiplayer DLC – on Steam. Having recently cleared up the question around whether you’ll need to sign in with a PSN account after the Helldivers 2 debacle – yes, if you want to play the co-op mode – developers Nixxes and Sucker Punch have now revealed that the login requirement will mean multiplayer won’t work on Steam Deck.
Sony has revealed the full line-up of PlayStation Plus Games Catalog additions for May 2024, which includes Red Dead Redemption 2, Cat Quest, Watch Dogs, and more.
Announced on the PlayStation Blog, a total of 13 games are joining the library: 10 in the Games Catalog available to Extra and Premium members and three in the Classic Games Catalog only available to Premium members.
While perhaps a thinner line-up compared to recent months, the addition of Red Dead Redemption 2 will carry May’s line-up a long way. It’s worth noting this is actually a return to the service for Rockstar’s open-world cowboy adventure, however, as it was one of the first games announced for the Games Catalog two years prior. All games hit the service on May 21.
PlayStation Plus Games Catalog Additions for April 2024
Red Dead Redemption 2 is Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games’ take on the wild west as players take on the role of Arthur Morgan as he looks tries to survive in America’s unforgiving heartland. IGN deemed it a masterpiece in our review. “Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game of rare quality; a meticulously polished open world ode to the outlaw era,” we said.
Deceive Inc. deploys you into the world of high stakes subterfuge, working for a private corporation with complete monopoly over the international espionage market. Rival spies are after the same objective as the player, however, and each one of them is as equally skilled, cunning, and well-equipped.
The Sims 4: City Living is an expansion for the beloved simulation game, and while the base version of Sims 4 is required to play, this is also permanently free. City Living lets players take their Sims to the city and explore everything it has to offer, from bustling action right outside the front door to unique situations that come only with apartment living.
Crime Boss: Rockay City is a stealth action first person shooter where players look to become the leaders of a criminal underworld in 1990s Florida. IGN didn’t rate it very highly, however, giving it a 4/10 in our review. “Crime Boss: Rockay City’s hokey charm is nowhere near strong enough to offset its bugs and repetitive design, and it totally squanders its kitsch cast,” we said.
The latest instalment in the long running strategy game series, The Settlers: New Allies lets players discover new worlds and build sprawling cities as they take control of a band of settlers who have fled cataclysmic events in their homeland to seek new lands to settle, explore, and conquer.
On a somewhat similar note, albeit with a sprinkle of sci-fi, Stranded: Alien Dawn is a planet survival sim placing the fate of a small marooned group in the player’s hands. Promising compelling and immersive strategic gameplay, players must make vital decisions to protect their survivors.
Cat Quest and its sequel, the aptly titled Cat Quest 2, will both be available through the PlayStation Plus Games Catalog. Both 2D, open world role-playing games set in a world full of cats, players must embark on a quest to save their catnapped sister in the first game while the second sees them fight to save the world of cats from advancing dog armies.
Classic LEGO goodness arrives through The LEGO Movie 2 Video Game, which lets players bash and build their way through the events of the film. Alien monster invaders have left Bricksburg in ruins and taken Emmet’s friends, and it’s now up to him and his team of heroic characters to go beyond their world and save their friends from the strange inhabitants of the Systar System.
Watch Dogs is the first open-world action game set in the fan-favorite franchise, kicking things off with solemn protagonist Aiden Pearce hacking (with, like, a smartphone) his way through Chicago. “Watch Dogs is an excellent open world action game with some unique hacking magic that makes it a memorable experience,” IGN said in our 8/10 review.
On the classic games front, 2Xtreme was promised to be a high flying sports game where players could snowboard in Japan, in-line skate in Last Vegas, mountain bike in Africa, skateboard in Los Angeles, and more. Unfortunately, however, it couldn’t stick the landing, as when the PlayStation classic was re-released for the PlayStation Portable, IGN gave it a rare 2/10 in our review.
Another PlayStation classic, and one that received a better rating from IGN, comes in G-Police. This 1997 title saw Jeff Slater join a voluntary police force after an unspeakable corporate cover-up caused his sister’s death. As a helicopter pilot, players must fly through 35 grueling levels to take their revenge. “With a flair for the dramatic and an attention to detail that should impress even the toughest of critics, G-Police is a rock-solid example of great gameplay,” we said in our 8/10 review.
Finally, Worms Pinball rounds out May 2024’s PlayStation Plus Classic Games Catalog additions, and does exactly what it says on the tin. This 2000 title is a mix of pinball and the wacky Worms characters, offering a table sporting 3D LED displayed sub-games and parallel objectives, transparent ramps, user-controllable moving gadgets, bounce and flip passes, bang backs, death saves, and more.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
After being unceremoniously thrown into the spotlight yesterday with a pre-reveal leak, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been given a proper unveiling via a flashy cinematic trailer, confirming both its leaked November release date and revealing that we’ll be playing as two protagonists for the first time in the series since Syndicate almost a decade ago. One of those heroes will also be the series’ first playable real-life figure: the African samurai Yasuke.
Renowned Pokémon leaker Khu has suggested that we will have to wait a while to see the first Generation 10 games which, they hint, may align with the series’ 30th anniversary.
In a recent tweet, the Pokémon leaker asked if we are “prepared for G10?” and accompanied the question with “30thA”. The series’ 30th anniversary will fall in 2026, one year after the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Witness the end of the Wild West era, become the world’s greatest secret agent, take on the role of a rising underworld star, brave an alien world, and much more with May’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup! Red Dead Redemption 2, Deceive Inc., Crime Boss: Rockay City, Stranded: Alien Dawn, and many more titles are available from May 21. We’re also announcing new classic titles coming to PlayStation Plus Premium.
Let’s take a closer look at each game.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog
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Red Dead Redemption 2* | PS4
From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a sprawling tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age. The end of the Wild West era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed.
After a robbery goes badly wrong in the Western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde Gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal, and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.
Red Dead Redemption 2 also includes Red Dead Online — the multiplayer experience set in the living world of Red Dead Redemption 2 — ride solo or form a posse; run moonshine; battle lawmen, outlaw gangs, ferocious wild animals, and much more as you forge your own path on the American frontier.
*PlayStation Plus re-release.
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Deceive Inc. | PS5
Go undercover as the world’s greatest secret agents in this multiplayer game of social stealth and subterfuge. Disguise yourself as anyone to blend into the crowd, deploy high-tech gadgets to gain the upper hand, and extract the package before the competition takes it for themselves! No trick is too dirty when you work for Deceive Inc.
Pick your play style with a roster of diverse agents, each with their own customizable weapon and skillset. From world-renowned burglars to up-and-coming espionage sensations, Deceive Inc. prides itself on being an equal-opportunity employer.
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The Sims 4 City Living** | PS4
Take your Sims to the city and explore everything it has to offer, from bustling action outside your door, to unique situations that come only with apartment living in The Sims 4 City Living. Explore a densely populated, urban city with a variety of neighborhoods each with its own unique personality. Enrich and grow your Sims by taking them to different festivals all over the city where they can watch street performers, enter competitions, and meet different walks of life.
Experience the challenges that come with your Sims’ first apartment, then work your way up the penthouse of their dreams.
**Requires The Sims 4 to play. The Sims 4 is sold separately.
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Crime Boss: Rockay City | PS5
Take on the role of rising underworld star, Travis Baker (Michael Madsen), as you set your sights on becoming the new king of Rockay City. In the solo roguelike campaign, you’ll employ strategy and firepower to carry out cunning heists and claim turf from rival gang leaders, all while trying to evade capture by the tenacious Sheriff Norris (Chuck Norris). Work with your team of planners and handlers, and discover how they each ended up in Rockay City in thrilling flashback missions. Alternatively, form your own gang in online PvE multiplayer and work together to stage audacious robberies.
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The Settlers: New Allies | PS4
The Settlers: New Allies is a strategy game with an in-depth build-up experience and real-time strategic battles. Choose among three factions: the Elari, the Maru, and the Jorn. Each has a unique look, playstyle, and background story. Experience a story-driven campaign set in the world of The Settlers, or go for the special Hardcore mode and its additional challenges. Play online with up to eight players in thrilling skirmish battles against other players or AI for long-lasting fun.
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Stranded: Alien Dawn | PS4, PS5
Brave a new world in Stranded: Alien Dawn, a planet survival sim placing the fate of a small marooned group in your hands. Forge your story through compelling and immersive strategic gameplay as you make vital decisions to protect your survivors from starvation, disease, extreme weather and more. From basic camps to fortified bases, create a stronghold to defend the survivors from attacks by alien creatures that roam an expansive and deadly alien world. Experience an epic and unpredictable journey.
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Cat Quest | PS4
Cat Quest is an open world RPG set in the pawsome world of cats! In search of your catnapped sister you pounce into the massive continent of Felingard – a world crafted in the style of overworld maps of yore and purring with cat-tastic characters, stories, and puns.
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Cat Quest II | PS4
Cat Quest II is a 2D open-world action-RPG set in a fantasy realm of cats and dogs. Under threat from a continuing war between the cats of Felingard and the advancing dogs of the Lupus Empire, CAT QUEST II tells the tail of two kings, brought together against their will, on a journey of paw-some discovery to reclaim their thrones.
Play as both a cat and dog as you explore their kingdoms solo or with a friend in local co-op! Quest in a world filled with magic, curious monsters, and go on a catventure like never before!
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The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame | PS4
The alien monster invaders have left Bricksburg in ruins and taken Emmet’s friends! It is now up to Emmet and a host of heroic characters to go beyond their world and save their friends from the strange inhabitants of the Systar System. Journey into outer space, discover new worlds, and test your Master Building skills.
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Watch Dogs* | PS4
Play as brilliant hacker Aiden Pearce, who is on the hunt for those who hurt his family in this open world, Chicago-set adventure. You’ll be able to monitor and hack all who surround you by manipulating everything connected to the city’s network. Using your smartphone, you have real-time control over the city’s infrastructure. Trap your enemy in a 30-car pileup by manipulating the traffic lights. Stop a train, and then board it to evade the authorities. Narrowly escape capture by quickly raising a drawbridge. Anything connected to the city’s CTOS can become your weapon.
*PS Plus re-release.
PlayStation Premium | Classics
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2Xtreme | PS4, PS5
Snowboard in Japan, in-line skate in Last Vegas, mountain bike in Africa, skateboard in Los Angeles and more in this multi-discipline racing game. Compete in a season on 12 intensely insane courses. Two-player split-screen racing, 4 levels of difficulty and Create your own Player make 2 Xtreme a rush! Experience 2Xtreme (first released on the original PlayStation). enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.
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G-Police | PS4, PS5
Prowl the skylines in your weapons-loaded DASA-Kamov gunship as a member of the G-Police. Tear between, around and under obstacles like skyscrapers and bridges with 360° flight as you battle menacing rebel ships in the air and heavily armed vehicles on the ground across 35 strategic combat and flight missions. You’ll wreak havoc as you take on the hardcore criminal element terrorizing the gritty cities of 21st century Callisto. Experience G-Police (first released on the original PlayStation), enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.
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Worms Pinball | PS4, PS5
Prepare for an action-packed pinball simulation of pure wormage! Worms Pinball offers a table sporting 3D LED displayed sub-games and parallel objectives, transparent ramps, user-controllable moving gadgets, bounce and flip passes, bang backs, death saves… and much more! The depth of gameplay, variety of action, and sophisticated table rules ensure that Worms Pinball will have all gamers, not just hard-core pinheads, hooked.
A note for our PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members: as part of our normal content refresh, a selection of titles, such as Horizon Zero Dawn, will leave Game Catalog later this month. Members with Game Catalog benefits can still play these games until May 21. You can always check the ‘Last chance to play section’ on the PlayStation Plus -> Collections page on the PS5 console, or PlayStation Plus -> Games -> Games Catalog on the PS4 console for titles you might want to play before they leave the service.
Remember when Control came out and your mate Terry appeared out of nowhere to rant endlessly about how they’ve always loved brutalist architecture? Come on, Terry. No you haven’t. You spend weekends eating custard creams and watching Bake Off. You haven’t thought about brutalism since undergrad, be honest. Anyway, my version of that is Starship Troopers. As in, I’ve been waiting for a videogamey excuse to bang on about it in public for ages. Helldivers 2 is obviously as good an excuse as any, but really, I needn’t have waited so long. Official offerings like strategy game Starship Troopers: Terran Command and FPSRobocop: Rogue City aside, I reckon you can find Paul Verhoeven’s fingerprints all over games.
Graham said he wanted someone to write about Little Kitty, Big City, asked if I liked cats, at which point my soul was possessed by some kind of deep animus. “I really like cats, I just hate the internet UWU nonsense about cats,” I said. “God it’s awful, I can’t stand it, Jesus Christ it’s just an empty and terrible way to talk about cats, cats don’t deserve to be the internet animal-” at which point Graham managed to interrupt and said I was exactly the person who should write about Little Kitty, Big City.
I promise, I approached Little Kitty, Big City with an open heart, because I do really like cats. But given my aversion to their babification by the internet, it may be surprising that my chief complaint about Little Kitty, Big City is that the hats in it are largely not cute enough. This is a bold claim, because there are more than 40 to collect.
Enotria: The Last Song, a sun-kissed soulslike that we previewed last Fall, has been pushed back a month, from August 21 to September 19. That’s the bad news. The good news is that an eight-hour-long playable demo will be released for PS5 and PC very soon, on May 22. The full version of Enotria will be released for Xbox Series X|S as well as PS5 and PC.
We’ve got a new, exclusive 15-minute developer-narrated gameplay showcase you can watch above, along with the latest batch of screenshots in the gallery below.
According to developer Jyamma Games, “the demo will have 4 distinct weapon classes, each with a variety of unique weapons and 6 unique masks to discover that bring with them devastating new playstyles and distinctive passive abilities. Augment different playstyles by choosing from over 20 spells and 30 perks to make your Mask of Change build your own.” The gameplay showcase video at the top of this page also gives an overview on required and recommended PC specs as well.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
Remember, this list evolves as users rate the games within, so head to the game profiles and rate them out of 10 if you’d like to see the rankings below alter. Enjoy!
