Games Inbox: Is the new PS Plus Extra worth it?

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On the fence
I can’t decide on whether the new PS Plus tier system is any good. At the moment I subscribe to PS Plus but pretty much for the free games. Elden Ring is about the only game where I’ve made use of the online component for a long while.

And to be honest, so far in 2022 the games offered haven’t been of much interest to me, whereas last year it had a number of decent games. Part of me thinks the basic package will become pointless as any higher profile free games won’t be available to those who have the lower tier.

However, on the other hand, £100 for the premium package isn’t an unreasonable price, especially since I imagine they’ll be a significant saving on during seasonal sales. Whether this is value for money depends on the games offered. Some of the titles mentioned – Spider-Man, Death Stranding, God Of War – I already own or have little interest in. I’m not expecting first party exclusives to release day one but if they come to the service six months to a year after then this could be a good compromise.

I do have some interest in playing some older PS1 and PlayStation 2 titles too, so it’s going to be interesting to see how extensive the back catalogue of games is. This on its own isn’t enough to make me commit to upgrading my subscription so I’ll be waiting to see how things pan out at the moment.
matc7884

No one is doomed
So Sony has officially revealed their new PS Plus and I am quite excited about it! We pretty much knew it was happening soon, so no surprise for me except for the pricing. Yes, compared to Game Pass it is more expensive but not as much as I was expecting. The chance to play old games again is great (Hogs Of War was the first one which came to mind!) but it obviously all depends on what the line-up is going to be. Sony have been quiet about this.

Also, Trophy support would be good. Hopefully the next State of Play will reveal more. Some people will probably complain about day one releases not being included. This won’t be a concern for me, as I have no issue in paying for quality new releases. The chance to ‘try before you buy’ game trials is a good idea. Reminds me of when I used to buy the Official PlayStation Magazine back in the day, mainly just for the demo disc.

So looking forward to more details in the coming weeks and also the readers’ weekend features of ‘Sony is great! Xbox is doomed!’?
Tony–1975 (PSN ID)

GC: So you think it won’t be ‘Xbox is great! Sony is doomed!’? Interesting.

Wanting the impossible
I won’t be getting PS Plus Premium. To me all they have done is slapped PS Now with PS Plus and done it a bit cheaper in order for me to get it. I want day one PlayStation games so I think I’ll just stick with normal PS Plus.

I don’t see the point of them doing a Game Pass then saying you don’t get these titles. I think it’s just a way for them to get people to sign up to PlayStation Now. I might have to think about getting an Xbox and getting Game Pass. You know, proper Game Pass not some cheap version of it.
David

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It all adds up
Just read your article on the best-selling game franchises over the last 27 years and, I must say, the number of titles in some franchises is staggering.

93 Pokémon games? That’s more than one every four months.
55 Sonics? Of which only about five are any good (I’m being generous)?
109 Marios? Does Nintendo really produce four a year on average?
66 F1 games? More than two per season?!

Anyway, no further point, just wanted to express my amazement. Although I can quite easily believe there have been 113 Star Wars games in that time.
Julian

GC: Remember that they’re counting all the individual format versions of a single game, so that’s up to six for a single title at the moment. After all, EA has only released four different Star Wars games since they got the licence nine years ago. Conversely, most Pokémon games are released with two nigh identical versions and the Mario games include things like Mario Kart and Mario Party that have nothing to do with platforming.

Sick suggestion
Ever since the clocks went forward, I have been struck down – and yes, I really do need to be this dramatic – with sickness. A kind of flu-cold-fever or perhaps even a Plague of Certain Death. I typically will play whatever I am currently on regardless, but sometimes the nature of the game can make my brain feel like soup after even a shorter session. And not the good, creamy kind. But the kind of greasy water that my parents think constitutes the same. If you actually prefer the latter, then do seek medical attention right away. You’re really not well.

But what would GC and other readers recommend for when you’re feeling really sick or down? The equivalent of a get well card? I think Rez was quite good for this, not the main campaign as much as the extra modes and practice where there is no danger of dying and the stress that can induce. Yes, even in Rez. Just light and sound, man – light and sound…
DMR

GC: We’d recommend a paracetamol and Animal Crossing.

No surprise
I can’t say I’m surprised to hear that Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 has been delayed again. Whilst it’s always disappointing to learn something you’ve been looking forward to is now further away, Nintendo have more than earned my trust that it’ll be worth the wait when the game finally sees the light of day. What I’m wondering is, how much the delay might have to do with the huge critical and commercial success of Elden Ring?

I know three to four months is hardly enough time to make major changes to a game a grand in scope as Breath Of The Wild 2 is likely to be, but I can’t help thinking if, ever since FromSoftware unleashed their open world masterpiece on the public, Nintendo haven’t picked over some of its many finer points and decided their own work might need a little last minute tinkering to keep up?
yourhomeisatrisk
PS: Super stoked to hear that Moss: Book 2 is so imminent. Is it on your review schedule, or are you too snowed under with other stuff right now for it to make the cut?

GC: That seems unlikely given how little attention Nintendo usually pays to other developers. More pointedly, what exactly would they borrow from Elden Ring that wasn’t already in Breath Of The Wild? We do intend to review Moss: Book 2 but the review code hasn’t arrived yet.

Quick saving
So with the new more expensive tier for the new look PS Plus I see they’re going to move all PS Now subscribers onto it. As PS Now is half the price does that mean we could all just subscribe to PS Now whilst it’s still active and get the top tier cheaper for several months?
Liam

GC: In theory, but remember they already started removing PS Now subs from retail stores months ago, so you might have trouble getting them there.

Quality assurance
I know we didn’t have a date for Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 before but that could still end up being a year long delay, which is a lot. I’d be fascinated to know if it’s to add or change anything or if it’s just that the speed of work has been so badly hit by the pandemic that they simply need more time. Unfortunately, because this is Nintendo we’ll never learn what’s going on.

I suspect it’s merely that the game needs more time though. I think people underestimate just how incredibly difficult it must’ve bene to make the original. Never mind how much juice it squeezed out of the humble Switch, it had a massive game world, that was far more interactive than any other, and yet there was a single bug of note when it was released.

You compare that to your average Ubisoft of CD Projekt game (even just The Witcher, never mind Cyberpunk 2077) and it seems almost impossible. Of course you don’t notice something that’s not there so a lot of people don’t realise what a good job Nintendo’s QA team did, and I imagine the delay of the sequel is to make sure things are equally good for that.
Dustin

Inbox also-rans
I forgot there was going to be a Call Of Duty: Warzone 2 this year. Does that mean that Modern Warfare 2 is going to be on Game Pass, even if it’s not an Xbox exclusive? It’s going to be a big year for Call Of Duty if it is.
Korbie

GC: It depends if and when the acquisition deal goes through – it hasn’t yet.

Am I the only one that has never even heard of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands before? Talk about burying a game, why be so weird about a Borderlands spin-off that I would’ve thought would’ve been pretty big otherwise.
Maisker

This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Xane, who asks what’s your favourite retro video game format?

With TheA500 Mini creating a surge of interest in the Amiga 500, we want to know what’s your favourite retro format of all time – assuming that retro means anything up to and including the Xbox 360 era. Any kind of gaming device counts, including consoles (both home and portable), home computers, and the PC. Although if it’s the PC please be specific about the time period in question.

What is it you like about the format and how much does nostalgia have to do with your choice? What were the format’s best games and is there anything about it that you miss from modern devices?

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

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MORE : Games Inbox: PlayStation Game Pass rumours, FIFA 23 name change, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands reviews

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MORE : Weekend Hot Topic, part 1: What’s the last video game you played?

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