Poll: Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for July 2023?

To be fair I'm rarely happy, at least this time I don't own Alan wake remaster. It does continue the tradition of the game constantly landing in my lap for free.

Ps+ hasn't been really that good for the last 10 years. I've been on it since launch. I think I've maybe played 3 games with it to completion. Started maybe 10 or 15 games out of what the hundreds at this point?

still no knack 2? Fail.

Not a good month for me again, I already have Alan Wake Remastered and I have no interest in Call of Duty. Although I wouldn't say I'm "unhappy".

I'm more interested in the Extra tier additions lately, infact I wouldn't mind them scrapping the Essential free games if it meant better and more games coming to Extra/Premium, maybe more indie/AA day one releases as well.

I’m just glad that I didn’t buy Alan Wake during the last sale, which I almost did. Got interested in playing it with the sequel being announced.

It’s happened many times now that I’ve bought a game on for a good price, only for it to be put on Plus about 1 or 2 months later. I finally dodged it for once.

The games aren't to my personal taste but that doesn't hide the fact they are a pretty decent selection of games.

Sony are absolutely bossing it at the moment, even PS extra is so much better than what Game pass are offering recently

I think you're state of happiness entirely depends on not just the quality of the games, but also whether you actually own any of them already. Both CoD and Alan Wake are good games, however, I already own them both. I have no idea about the third game, so I guess that's the one I'm most excited about... 😂

This is a great month for me, I want to play both alan wake remaster and cod black ops cold war. I'm more interested in cod since I already play alan wake on xbox 360.

Would there be any point in Essential if you scrapped the free games, @UltimateOtaku91? Wouldn't you be basically paying for any online play you might partake in, and if you didn't do that, would there be any other reason to keep Essential?

Pretty meh this month in all honesty

It's a great month

I own both the games I'd be interested in so not a great month for me I've got loads of other stuff to play so not too bothered. Alan Wake is excellent for anybody who hasn't played it.

I’ve been critical on Essential earlier this year, but this is the second very strong month in a row. After the NBA game last month this time I’m looking forward to AW. Also it has been years since I played a war game and heard this one has a strong single player campaign, so might be checking it out.

The backlog is growing and growing though. I’ll try to focus on the games I can play and not the ones I don’t have the time for.

The games themselves are 'ok', not bad considering I get these 'free' as compensation for having to pay a Sub fee to play ALL the Content in Games I bought to play ALL the content.

That being said, I have Cold War as it came with my 'PS5' bundle - although its still in its cellophane wrapper and have beaten Alan Wake on the XB360 so wasn't really bothered about playing a Remaster. The other game has an interesting concept but I doubt I'll get round to seeing if its worth 'playing'.

I'll probably add all 3 to my Library regardless but whether I play them or not, time will tell.

@Fiendish-Beaver Well they could just make online play free or just make a basic service that maybe costs £3.99 per month that includes online play and cloud storage.

Its a pretty decent month although i just got diablo 4 so pretty much everything else is redundant for me. Lies of P is probably the only other release this year thats on my radar..

Eventually I will play both main games, but Alan Wake comes 1st!!

@NotSoCryptic that definitely sounds more like a you problem. I’ve also been on since the start and whilst not every month has something for me there is generally a good selection of games over the year and whilst each month I might not be happy someone else is, and I’m playing last months game still

It's one of those months where I simply don't care. Still playing Zelda and last month's offering of Jurassic World. Won't have a winner every month.

Wow, for once I can actually vote “mostly happy” as I don’t own Alan Wake. I might consider playing it now.

One of the better months for me. I almost bit the bullet on Alan Wake in the recent sales & COD Cold War is meant to have a good campaign. Can’t complain.

Another month where I own a game, Alan wake, however I was never going to buy Black Ops so I'm happy to see that being offered

Might give Alan Wake a try as its 60fps too I believe but I don't play COD or any fps.

Couldn't be more pleased with Alan Wake and Endling, two good games i dont have. Started a years £99.99 Premium last August and within less than the first two months of being on it I'd already had my £99.99 moneys worth

I’ll give Alan Wake another go, I remember it being pretty cheesy (from the Xbox days). I dropped off of COD a decade ago, not for me

I’m looking forward to being disappointed by cod blops coleslaw

If I hadn't played Alan Wake Remastered I'd be happy with this but I have done and its disappointing. Feels like playing the same game as when it first game out (one of my all time favourites at that point). But they haven't improved this version enough to make it worthwhile.

The games are OK, I always wanted to try Alan Wake, but I only have Plus because of cloud saves, I rarely play online or download the free games.

Excited about Alan Wake and Extinction.

Considering Black Ops Cold War was literally one the first two games I bought when I got my PS5 (the other was the Miles Morales Deluxe edition with Spiderman Remastered) and I sunk 600 hours into multiplayer, yeah I don’t need that one.

Alan Wake Remastered is what I’ll give a shot first.

I’ve heard good things about Extinction. So I may play that as well.

@Fight_Teza_Fight

The Campaign is alright. Its plot is just as mind bogglingly stupid as any other COD campaign (if you play it you’ll get what I mean by some of the brain dead decisions the COD versions of the USA and the USSR make), but the characters (especially Russ Adler, your CIA handler and CGI Ronald Reagan) are pretty hilarious and it’s worth playing. Has some very good set piece moments. Especially the mission set in Vietnam. Has some good call backs to Black Ops 1’s campaign as well.

@Boucho11 never said it wasn't. Is there something wrong with you that you'd point this out on poll asking us our impressions. Perhaps you should focus on your "you problem" before dropping such statements in the completely wrong context to be making them.

Probably the first time in a long time I've actually been quite happy with PS+ games. Not massively thrilled, mind, but I've been meaning to play Alan Wake again and I'd like to give CoD a shot.

Already bought Alan Wake, so trade in to CEX inbound.

Its a good month.all 3 games are worth downloading or put them in your video games library.word up son

@NotSoCryptic I didn’t take it out of any wrong context. You said their PS+ hasn’t been good for 10 years and I disagreed. You also said you’re rarely happy which is why I said it sounds like a YOU problem

@UltimateOtaku91
[Well they could just make online play free or just make a basic service that maybe costs £3.99 per month that includes online play and cloud storage.]

Don't talk sense! That's crazy! This is the gaming industry, sensible talk is not allowed. Think corporate. Take the monthly games away and raise the price. That's the way! 😂

I'd be all over a low cost tier for cloud saves and online play. I only play online co-op with friends now and again in some RPG's and such.

Don’t care for COD (should make MS happy), but the other two are great

Alan Wake makes it a good month for me. When I only had the basic Plus AW would have been a very good month. I too almost purchased it in a recent sale but declined as I had a hunch it would soon be added to Extra. Coming to Essential is even better.

I'm quite upset, because Catalogue get TNMT and we get some stupid CoD. At least there is Alan Wake I'm looking forward. ...next year, because of Diablo 4.

@NotSoCryptic I don't personally feel that is an accurate statement. There have been tons of amazing titles for the PS Plus "free" games in the last ten years. Even in the last two there have been plenty. I mean, there's a list of every game for PS Plus since launch and it mostly proves you wrong. I understand to each their own, but I believe you'd be in the minority in thinking a lot of them you haven't ever touched aren't good games. Three? In the last 10 years? I don't buy that at all.

I voted mostly happy even. Even though I just bought AW and Endling not too long ago, I couldn't pick very happy. I didn't want to say i'm not happy at all either because I think they're great for others who don't already own some, or all of them.

@playstation1995

True.

Just a tip for anyone interested in downloading Black Ops Cold War. The install size is ENORMOUS if you want to download everything. When I deleted it early last year it was around 200 gigs in total size. That’s all three campaign parts, multiplayer, zombies, and all the patches and updates.

Good news is that you can pick and choose what you want to download. The campaign itself is further broken down into three separate pieces. So if you are limited on space you can actually just download one third of the campaign at a time.

@OrtadragoonX I do enjoy a good COD campaign every now & then. My favourite is probably Infinite Warefare which everyone supposedly hates- even though it’s pretty damn good.

@Fiendish-Beaver I think he meant get rid of the Essential tier altogether to focus on better games for Extra & Deluxe

not played any of them so I won't complain (although I'll be very surprised if Call of Duty gets played, still, nice to have the option!)

@Fight_Teza_Fight

That’s was the good part of Infinite Warfare. The campaign was one of the better COD campaigns.

The multiplayer was trash though. That’s why I didn’t like it too much.

That said, the most infamous campaign to me is Advanced Warfare. Primarily because of Kevin Spacey. When the game was new it wasn’t that bad since we didn’t know anything about his “escapades” yet.

But if you play it now, get ready to be super weirded out by it. Because there’s some straight creepy stuff in the campaign that hits totally different now that we know how much of a sick piece of garbage Spacey was.

One of the best months in recent memory!

@sonicmeerkat I got Knack 2 from PS Plus a year or two ago. It may have been a region thing though.

@Almost_Ghostly I never said the games themselves weren't good.

My problem with ps+ is that by time these games tend to trickle down to the free tier, one of three things ends up happening:

1) I've bought the game already and finished it. Love FF7 Remake, but giving me a free copy of a game I own 4 times over isn't of any real benefit to me. Before you ask why 4 times read the next 2 responses. Keep in mind I own physical copies of these games anyway because I'm that big of a fan, but it isn't alone in this problem.

2) the game is seriously discounted prior to arriving on ps+. We are talking sales on their own store sometimes the month before it becomes a ps+ game, where it is some times as low as 10 dollars. If I just got 6 games I wanted at that price I'd be damn well near perfect. Instead its games I already own or games I have no intent in playing in the first place like nba2k23. Or a game I already own like cod cold War.

3) physical media goes on sale before either a discount on psn or freebie happens. The games tend to be less relevant.

So it's not a problem of quality, but availability. Is it too late by time it gets to my digital ps+ library. Personally I'd rather see the money that goes into securing these pointless freebies fed into deeper discounts, more special offers, and other things that could benefit ps+ subscribers beyond bait.

It's funny how many people were excited by ps+ catalog at ps5 launch. I'm just like "how do you not own these games already". In my case how do you not have a disc and digital copy already? You can bet I have. So I feel like my ps+ money goes to Giving others free games, while the only benefits I get is access to psn, cloud saves, and what ever silliness is going on.

Overall, I'd like a basic tier. No free games. None of that nonsense. Just discounts and network services. The free games is a waste in the essential tier.

@PlasmaticSnake
So
Charge for online because servers are expensive
Add free games
Add exclusive discounts
People for some reason don't like free stuff and release a cheaper tier for online only

@PlasmaticSnake yes. You are paying to play online. Everything else is free

They’re fine I guess. I already played AW years ago and , personally, don’t care about the other 2.
I can see why some would like it but none of them are getting added to my own library. 2nd month in a row that’s happened; some will like it, but I have zero interest any of them.

@PlasmaticSnake the only reason people actually pay for plus is to play online. It's not literally free yes, but it'll cost 6.99/month to play online with or without the extra games. Any cheaper is likely unsustainable

Already own and love Wake and am just so glad that many others will now be able to experience it! 😺

The other two are a “big nope” (CoD, ewww) and “curious eyes” (haven’t heard of).

I know there's plenty people that this is a good selection just not me but my backlog is crazy anyway

Yes, @Whately86, I think that is what was being suggested. Problem is, of course, for all those that pay for Essential because, well, it is essential if you wish to play online etc. What would happen to those people? Would they have to pay for the next tier up, which would obviously cost more, in order for them to play online? I cannot see Sony having online costing little or nothing, as that would see them lose too much money, and if people are not incentivised to pay for the second and third tiers already, I cannot see that changing if the online aspect cost little or nothing.

Nothing there for me this month. Hope the extra tier makes up for it.

I'll give Alan Wake and CoD a go, neither would ever have tempted me enough to buy them, especially CoD with its ridiculously short single player mode.

@Fiendish-Beaver finally a logical response to this

I'll play Alan Wake epilogue bits as not played them before. Great game. Can't wait for 2

I've yet to look into BOCW as the only non-Switch title here. If it has a single player campaign akin to Modern Warfare games, colour me curious. If not... ¯(ツ)/¯

For me, this is one of the best months in an incredibly long time. In addition to Alan Wake, which I’ve been debating getting for ages, I’m most looking forward to COD: BO Cold War. I really enjoy shooters and I just never got around to this one. Pretty stoked for these to show up.

PS Plus is like living 1-2 years in the past. which is not too bad but feels like you missed the hype

COD campaign will do nicely, don't have interest in the other two but always appreciate a free game.